Climbing Elbrus + Irikchat gorge | 10 days

Arrival from Moscow (St. Petersburg, Istanbul etc.) to Mineralnye Vody airport or Nalchik airport. Meeting and transfer to Elbrus area. Accommodation in hotel 3* on Cheget glade, dinner. The road from Min Vody to hotel takes about 3-4 hours. Preparation for the next day’s acclimatization trip.
The road to the Elbrus region begins with an air flight to the airports of Mineralnye Vody or Nalchik. The nearest railway stations are Nalchik, Pyatigorsk, Prokhladny, Mineralnye Vody. Then there is a direct road connection to the Elbrus region. Travel time from the Mineralnye Vody to the Elbrus region is 3-4 hours. From Nalchik 2 hours. We check into a hotel, have dinner, get acquainted with the guide, preliminary theoretical preparation for an acclimatization hike in the Irik-Chat gorge with an overnight stay in tents. Dinner.

Acclimatization in the valley Irik-Chat – climbing Mt. Chatkara 3914 m from the pass Irik-Chat 3667 m.
Start from the village of Elbrus 1800 m (early in the morning).
Ascent to the «hanging valley» of the Irik river, the road goes through the pine forest.
Exit from the forest (about 2200 — 2300 m).
Ascent to the «hanging valley» of the Irik-Chat river (about 2500 m).
Hike up to 3000 m, setting up camp.
The duration of the transition is about 6-8 hours.
You need to take clothes with you for overnight stays in tents. The day will be long and hard. The approximate distance to the tent camp is about 15 km. The climb is about one kilometer.

The valley of the Irik River is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in the Elbrus region. The river flows out of the glacier of the same name and flows into the Baksan near the village of Elbrus. The valley is located between the southeastern and eastern spurs of Elbrus. Its level is 500 m higher than the Baksan valley. Before flowing into Baksan, the river flows in a deep canyon, the slopes of which are covered with pine forest.

The route starts on the northern outskirts of the Elbrus village (1770 m) near the power transmission tower on the left bank of the Irik. There are two trails from here. The first bypasses the bottom of the rocky outcrops on the left side of the valley and after 25 minutes leads to the springs of mineral water narzan. The second goes along the grassy slopes above the rocky outcrops to a sloping clearing with a stream. The springs of narzan are 50 m lower, it is not difficult to go down to them. On this section of the route, be especially careful, as even a small stone carelessly pushed aside on steep grassy slopes can cause a lot of trouble. From the glade we rise in the direction of huge mushroom-shaped remnants of yellow sandstone. Steep screes give way to slopes overgrown with a century-old pine forest, over which Elbrus rises with a white dome . Snow-white peaks appear as theatrical scenery — Dzhan-Tugan (4012m), Ullukara (4302m), Bzhedukh (4163m) , Eastern Ushba (4697m) etc. The trail traverses the slope of the valley and enters the pine forest. There are a lot of mushrooms and berries here.

Having passed the glade with the coshi, the tourists intercept some gullies and descend to the Irik river. In 3,5 hours from the village they reach the edge of the forest (2250m). On the background of Mt. Elbrus the glacier Irik is seen.
Continue the rout to the upper reaches of the Irik river.
Over the path of the left bank it is necessary to leave to the coshi, located above a coalescence of the Irik River with the left influx Irik-Chat, then cross over the bridge to the right bank of the Irikchat. On the flat glade grown with grass, by the coalescence of both rivers, there are a lot of ground-squirrel holes. The path leads up to the right bank of the river Irik, and then along it – to the tongue of the glacier (3000 m). Here, about an ice cave, from which the river outflows, the path ends.
Irik glacier is visible against the background of Elbrus. Here the hike ends — a halt, setting up a camp, preparing dinner.

Early rise (at dawn), breakfast, going out light.
Ascent to the Irik-Chat pass 3667 m (about 2 — 3 hours).
Ascent to Chatkara Mountain 3914 m (from the pass — one hour) along the western ridge (1B category, in some places a trail is guessed).
Descent to the camp on the way up (2-3 hours). Lunch.

The camp at 3000 m is a cozy meadow, next to a river and a spring water source with a small pool. The glade is located on the upper border of the alpine meadows of this gorge, further along the path stones already begin. All along the route to this point there is a very comfortable, well-filled trail, which allows trained people to keep a very good speed of movement. From the camp 3000 m till the pass and to the pass — the path is a little less convenient, due to the rocky «coverage» and periodic small ups, but also readable and well-traveled. The passage along the ridge of Chatkara to the top is also not particularly difficult anywhere. Shoes — trekking, comfortable, mobile. Crampons are not needed.

On the second day, our task is to climb the Irik-Chat pass, which is more than 3643 m high. We leave light, taking only dry rations food and insulation cloths. The trail at first presses against the stream running from the glacier, which makes it difficult to move, but then the terrain widens and we just go to the rocky bottom of the gorge. There is already a feeling of height. Having reached the glacier, we pass it, depending on the time of the year, either along the snowfield covering the glacier, or along the mud-stone cushion, which reliably filled all the cracks. And after that takeoff to the pass!

It makes no sense to describe emotions when the expanse of the Jikiaugenköz glacier with the Kalitsky peak, crowned to the left by the already close Eastern peak of Elbrus, suddenly opens up in front of you. This is a must see! Depending on circumstances and strength, it is possible to traverse one of the nearest peaks from the pass: Ryzhiy Bugor and Chat-Kara, with a height of 3762 m and 3914 m. respectively. After that, descend along the ascent path.

Gathering the camp, descent to the Elbrus village (4-5 hours), transfer to hotel (further according to the climbing Elbrus program).
Backpacks will be much lighter, and we are more trained, so the descent will not be noticeable. On the way we will make two stops: at the lower camps and at the Sand Castles. We return to the hotel, dry things, prepare to leave for the intermediate camp to climb Elbrus.

Breakfast at the hotel. Check-out from hotel. Some luggage can be left in the hotel storage.

Ascent to the Gara-Bashi base-camp (3800 m): ascent on the Elbrus cable cars, first from the station Azau — st. Stary Krugozor, then on the second st. Stary Krugozor — st. Mir and then on the chairlift to the upper station of Gara-Bashi.
The cable car ascents lasts a little more then an hour. Accommodation at the base-camp, lunch.

Acclimatization hike to Priyut-11 (4200 m).
To «Shelter-11» 40 minutes walk along the path through the snowy fields. North direction. It is strictly forbidden to go off the trail, because the glacier on which the trail is laid is covered in abundance with cracks hidden under the snow. The path leads to the rocks on which the highest mountain hotel in Europe and Russia, the Priyut-11 hotel, was located, which burned down in August 1998 during a sudden night fire. Here the height is 4000 m above sea level.
From «Shelter-11» opens a grandiose panorama of the mountains of the Central and Western Caucasus. Both peaks of Elbrus are visible in the north. In the east, southeast and south, the Main Caucasian Range and its northern spurs are visible. Behind the Main Range, the ranges of Svanetia are visible, in the southwest, behind the Hotyu-Tau bridge, the Western Caucasus and its ranges are visible.
After resting, we descend to the Garabashi base-camp.

Dinner at the base-camp.

Free time.

Acclimatization day on the Pastukhov rocks 4700 m.
Breakfast at the base-camp Gara-Bashi.

Training hike to the Pastukhov rocks (4800 m) along the snow-ice field, between two rocky ridges. Lunch (on the way during one of the stops).

To obtain an acclimatization effect, it is necessary to spend at least two nights at a height, while on the first day a training day to the Pastukhov rocks is made. Return to the Gara-Bashi base.

Early dinner at base-camp.

Preparation of equipment for climbing Mount Elbrus. Instruction on the climb and safety precautions.

Early sleep.

Rest day or climb/reserve day.

We rest, eat and gain strength for the ascent.
Or climbing day depending on the weather conditions and the preparation of the group.

Early rise (01:00-02:00) and breakfast, light snack.

Climbing to the top of Elbrus (5642 m). In the morning begins the ascent to the top. The start of the ascent is planned for 2-3 am. For an additional fee, if desired, you can climb on a snowcat (about 5,000 rubles per person) to the Pastukhov rocks. The ascent takes place along the path to the Pastukhov rocks, or a few minutes of ascent on a snowcat — a special mountain snow tractor, then to the Elbrus saddle, here we rest for 1 hour and go to the Western peak. Descent to the Gara-Bashi base-camp. Descent into the valley.

Reserve day. If for some reason the ascent failed on the previous day of the tour, this day remains a reserve for a new attempt. In case of a successful ascent, we descend into the valley to the hotel.

On this day, we can go for a walk to the Maiden Spit waterfall or climb Mount Cheget and sit in a cozy cafe admiring the crazy views of Mount Elbrus.

Completion of the tour program, transfer to the airport (railway station) Nalchik/Minvody.