ELBRUS NORTH

KavkazSkiTur Ltd operates as local company and propose to travel agencies, guides, mountaineers, groups to organize Mount Elbrus North side trips.

There is a big attraction in the landscape and nature of northern Elbrus – the route is going through the natural beauty and wild mountain region. Large plateau with stunning views of Mount Elbrus, glacial and spring lakes, wild rivers, crystal clear streams with trout, birch alpine forests, alpine meadows, glaciers, waterfalls, mineral springs, ancient ruins of villages, menhirs, passes: that’s just a small part of what you see here..

The given trips provide an opportunity to climb Elbrus by the first ascent route. However, later, it was considered as classic climb from the south side route. According to statistics, successful ascents from the South – 80%, from North – about 30%. These numbers show best of all and lead to the conclusion that, the ascent of the North route much more difficult than the ascent from the South. Today, the north side of Elbrus can be considered wild and untouched: hence the ascent can be considered more “honest”. There are no snow-cats and cable-cars, you need to go here all by yourself. The infrastructure of South allows to reach “in the easy way” to an altitude of 5100 m (cable car to an altitude of 3800 m, and then – snowcat to a height of 5100). This option is for those for whom attendance at the summit – is the most important from all the rest. For those who crave the hard work, the harsh slopes, spaciousness and grandeur of unspoiled nature – the north side of Elbrus is much more better in order to realize yourself, to get to grips with nature and try to win. Here, the summit begins on a height of 2600 m, and all the tracks of acclimatization and climbing is going on your own. The space on the South side of the mountain squeezed into the gorge, is limited by mountain walls, noise and a lot of people, technics and ambitions, which, however, for someone can be quite close. From this North side, the terrain is more changeable and varied: on the background – mounts Kanzhol and Bermamyt, on average – a ridge Tashlysyrt, arrays Karakai and Balyksubashi, foreground – spacious plateau Irahiktyuz and Irahiksyrt, glacial and spring lakes, hot mineral springs, waterfalls, river valleys, crystal streams with trout, floating in the sky griffons, flitting here and there gophers, and a bit further in the woods – wolves and wild boars. Everything here is more severe and, perhaps, more truthful, as closer to the nature.

The main objective dangers on routes of ascent are numerous crevasses and weather – because of its specific location and its dominant position the weather on Elbrus can change in a few hours, which, along with a decrease in visibility and a fast drop of temperature (nominal and perceived), leads to a loss of orientation and hypothermia, as well as the possible lack of altitude acclimatization of climbers and such related factors as dehydration, a significant deterioration of health and, as a consequence, loss of concentration, and so on.