Expedition Meets in: St. Petersburg, Russia
Continent: Europe
Currency: Russian Rubles
Population: 145million
Official Language: Russian
Season to Climb: June to August = Summer

Keep in mind:

• You will need to send your physical passport to your nearest Russian embassy along with your visa application. Make sure you don’t have conflicting travel arrangements during this time.
• Your visa application is very specific and your entry and exit dates and hotel bookings cannot be changed at a later date. For this reason please plan your trip in detail and in advance.
• You need to make sure the passport you apply for your visa with, has at least 6months until expiry from the date you plan to enter Russia, and at least 4 blank pages left.

Getting to Russia is easy, flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg are served daily by direct flights from most hubs of North America, Europe and most of Asia.

You will need to fly into St. Petersburg in Russia on, or before, the official arrival day.

Once you have finalised your trip with us, we will book your hotel accommodation within the scope of the expedition (both in St. Petersburg, the Elbrus Region and Moscow) on your behalf and share these details with you so you know where to go from the airport. If you are looking at extending your trip or need additional nights, please let us know so we can help facilitate these.

You are expected to book your domestic flights from St. Petersburg to the Elbrus Region and back to Moscow. We highly recommend the use of a travel agent to do this as domestic travel can be a little more complicated to book, especially when it comes to securing baggage allowances withing your ticket. Excess baggage charges can be very expensive at the airport.

The regional airport that gives us access to the Elbrus region is called Mineralyne Vody (airport code: MRV)

Once you have finalised your trip with us, we will provide flight numbers of the domestic flights you should book to and from, the Elbrus Region.

Russian Rubles – Please note, it can be difficult to exchange your currency to Russian rubles in your homeland due to the unpopularity of rubles abroad. You’ll be able to exchange money on arrival at the airport or, use ATM to draw cash.

Credit cards can be used throughout the country in shopping hubs, restaurants, cafes and bars.

If you are planning on bringing cash to exchange for rubles, US dollars or euros are preferred by points of Russian currency exchange. Banks are also readily available to exchange currency in Russian cities and will generally charge a reasonable exchange rate.

In Russia tipping is common practice. It is common to tip 10% at restaurants, $1-$3 for each bag to the porter, round up the fare for a taxi driver, tip city tour guides and local mountain guides

Russia uses the two prong round European outlets on 220 volt electricity (be mindful that America uses 110volts – most electrical devices will support both but its work checking you power adapter to find out its supported voltage. If it is 110 volts only, you will not be able to use it in Russia)

Russian tap water meets sanitary standards so yes you can brush your teeth in it and drink it, but there are traces of minerals such as too much calcium and sulphate. This doesn’t matter if you drink a little while you are travelling there, but it’s not the healthiest in the long-term.

Despite perceptions, Russia is a relatively safe destination for travellers. General safety precautions should be taken much like any other destination with its share of pickpockets etc. Behave in Russia as you would at home, err on the conservative side in terms of dress and behaviour and generally keep any controversial or political opinions to yourself as to not offend anyone. Always let your Guide know if you’re going to venture out. In general, we prefer to travel and stick together as a team.

Moscow! A city of contrasts with an intriguing mix of extravagant Tsarist architecture and stern Soviet buildings it is rich with artistry, culture and history that dates back over 800 years.

Take your time with an extra two days and two nights exploring the capital  with English speaking guided sightseeing excursions.

See Lenin’s Tomb, go inside St. Basil’s cathedral, attend the famous Russian Ballet at the Bolshoi*, relax and unwind in Gorky Park and more!

This tour is fully inclusive of guides, accommodation and three meals a day. Chat to us if you would like to see and do more in Moscow, as we would love to organise it for you.

*Please note, tickets to the Bolshoi aren’t included as to accomodate your personal preference on which show you would like to attend and prices vary.

Located on the delta of the Neva River, St. Petersburg is only 7 degrees South of the Arctic circle and was founded by Peter the Great in 1703.

Russia’s cultural centre, it is a hub of historical, cultural and architectural landmarks and bears the unofficial title of being the most ‘European city’.

Spend an extra two days and two nights exploring this stunning city with English speaking guided sightseeing excursions to explore The Hermitage & Peterhof Palace.

You certainly won’t regret having extra time to really take in and absorb this spectacular city!

This tour is fully inclusive of guides, accommodation and three meals a day. Chat to us if you would like to see and do more in St. Petersburg, we would love to organise it for you.

Your safety and success are the top priorities, in that order.

An expedition company should invest heavily and plan extensively for your safety.

They need to have extensive understanding of the unique environment you are in and demonstrate that they know the nuances of the climb and the dangers of the peak. Elbrus is a climb that is often underestimated. While technically straight forward enough, it can be subject to extreme weather conditions and white outs.

For instance, did you know electrical storms are common in the afternoon on Elbrus? As such it’s important to leave early, summit early and be back to lower ground before storms roll in. White outs are also common and getting off route could see you in dangerous crevasse fields. You need to be able to trust your guides to be able to expertly navigate any conditions safely.

Look for Guides who are seasoned experts with a strategy that is patient, conservative and well planned to give you the best opportunity for success. They should be apt at managing the team, be able to lean on extensive experience and “thread the needle” when it comes to picking the best summit window and help you to navigate traveling in Russia safely and enjoyably.

Our mountaineering guide staff are second to none, but our teams ALSO always include phenomenal local guides who have spent considerable time in the Elbrus region, speak Russian and can share their culture with you, but are also familiar with the higher expectation around safety and customer service that CTSS demands, giving you the best of both worlds.

Elbrus is a fantastic opportunity to learn (or concrete) the key mountaineering skills you will use throughout your entire climbing career.

It is important that your operator dedicates time in your itinerary to a ‘snow school’ or climbing clinic.

Feel free to ask what skills they cover off, how they teach them and and how much time they dedicate to that training. Some of the most important skills are often overlooked, like the rest step, pressure breathing and pacing amongst the more hands on skills like self arrest, efficient cramponing, fixed line climbing etc.

CTSS dedicates an entire day in the schedule for training on the mountain which also forms part of our acclimatisation so there is plenty of time to ensure everyone is confident in their new skill set. Your guide will also help you implement and continue to coach you in these skills throughout your climb.

Have you heard of the “Marginal Gains” philosophy?

The idea is that by capitalising on every little hidden advantage, 1% here, 1% there, small gains quickly compound into a huge overall improvement.

CTSS prides itself on this kind of innovation across all of our expeditions including Elbrus. We optimize both the big details like guide staff, schedules etc, all the way through to the tiny comfort details.

For instance we employ our own cook to come up to the mountain hut with us to serve us fresh, seasonal, local food which is hearty and delicious vs. eating dehydrated or basic camp meals because we know well fed climbers are happy, healthy climbers with more energy on summit day. It’s also why we invest in the nicest accommodation in what is a pretty rustic mountain town and the nicest mountain huts. People may dismiss these little luxuries as ‘soft’ but in fact we invest in them because they are highly strategic.

Russia offers an incredible travel opportunity beyond just your climb. Choose an operator who gives you the opportunity to mix your climbing goals with culture and a thorough exploration of this incredible destination. After all, you’ve gone to all the trouble of getting a Russian tourist visa!

The combination is a large part of what makes our Elbrus expedition a crowd favourite year in, year out.

We spend ample time sightseeing both the highlights of St. Petersburg & Moscow vs. transiting to the mountain through one of the main cities with a box ticking token tour.

By top and tailing the trip with the best of Russia you get a lovely icebreaker at the beginning (allowing you to get to know your team mates and shake off the jetlag) and a wonderful way to celebrate and recover from your climb as you complete your trip before you head home. All of our climbers report equal enjoyment from both the culture and the climbing – it’s what makes this adventure so special.

Does an operator have strong values?

This is sometimes a little harder to identify as it’s more a feeling than a sales pitch, but you should get a feel for a company through their little interactions, their care factor, their attention to detail, their corporate social responsibility, their response to you.

Mountaineering can be high risk and stressful so pick an operator who has strong core values and a team mentality that aligns with yours so that when things get challenging you can rely on open lines of communication, knowing they will do what they can to support you.

It is this team cohesiveness that flows through to each individual climber and helps them stand on top.