Elbrus 2018 is off to a great start. We started our trip by touring the sights of St Petersburg before flying down to the Elbrus region to start our acclimatization process. Despite some rainy weather in St Petes, we were able to get in a boat tour of the city and a bus tour of some of the most iconic sights: St Isaacs Cathedral, Peter and Paul Fortress, and the Church of Spilled Blood. The mosaic work inside the Church of Spilled Blood was awe-inspiring to say the least and a must see for anyone visiting the city!


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Mosaic Ceiling – St. Petersburg

Tomorrow we will head up on to Mt Elbrus to continue our acclimatization and getting in a snow school. The following day we’ll hike up to Pastokov rocks before settling in early to rest for our first potential summit day. Currently, the weather looks good for a summit bid on Sunday or Monday. We’ll keep you posted!


Best from Russia, 

Mike Hamill
CTSS Owner