Equipment for climbing Elbrus

Equipment for Elbrus is not chosen from a photograph of the summit or from the forecast in Terskol. You have to take account of the route, the month, the altitude you sleep at, the length of the main ascent and the volume of kit each person carries themselves. The classic south, the self-sufficient west and the Cross across both summits all cross the same mountain, but they call for different rucksacks, different sleeping bags and a different margin of self-sufficiency.

Most of the kit can be reserved in advance from Rock and Rent. The equipment there was chosen for conditions on Elbrus, where Mountain Guide has been taking people since 2001. Hire makes particular sense for expensive and rarely used items: double boots, crampons, an ice axe, a harness, a helmet and a high-altitude down jacket. Socks, base layers and the gloves you are used to are usually better owned — civilisation has yet to invent a hire scheme that makes broken-in boots yours in character.

Choose the route first, then the list

The weights given are a guide, not a promise to the gram. They depend on water, food, the size of your clothing, the hire model and what the staff are carrying. The guide checks the final set. You can compare the character of the routes in our detailed review of all the Elbrus routes.

Clothing for Elbrus: the layer system

The right clothing does not have to be worn all at once. Its job is to let you regulate warmth while moving, at a stop, in wind and in precipitation. Leave the hut in the full down outfit, sweat quickly, then stop in the wind, and expensive clothing will honestly do a job you did not want done.

The base layer

Base layers move moisture away from the skin and form the first layer of insulation. For summit day you need a top and a bottom. Cotton absorbs moisture and dries slowly, so it is no use for a high-altitude day.

The insulating layer

Fleece or an active synthetic insulation does its work while you are moving. Choose the thickness so that you do not overheat on the way up. Clothing that is too warm under a shell does not become safer, it becomes wetter.

The protective layer

A shell jacket and trousers keep out wind and precipitation. For Elbrus it is not only the waterproofing figures that matter but the cut: a hood that goes over a hat or a helmet, room to move in layers, ventilation, cuffs, and zips on the trousers that let you put them on over your boots.

The warm down jacket

A high-altitude down jacket goes on at stops, when it gets colder and when the pace is slow. Weight on its own guarantees nothing: what counts is the quality and quantity of the fill, the construction, the length, the hood and whether it fits over your other layers. The Mountain Guide programme pages use a practical rule of thumb: a thick down jacket suitable for Elbrus usually weighs from around 700 g, but any particular model is checked on its own merits.

Boots: the one thing you cannot improvise

For the summit you need double or triple mountaineering boots, or another model expressly approved by the guide for the season and the route. Trekking boots and ski boots are not a substitute. The boot has to be compatible with crampons, must not squeeze the foot when you wear a warm sock, and must leave room to move your toes.

• Try both boots on towards the end of the day, wearing the sock you will climb in.
• Check the heel going uphill and your toes on a simulated descent.
• Do not lace them so tight that your foot goes numb.
• Test your crampons on that exact pair, not on «the same model off the internet».
• Do not put on new, untested footwear for the first time on the day you head for the Pastukhov Rocks.

Three pairs for your hands

One do-it-all glove rarely copes with everything. Thin fleece gloves give you dexterity, thicker ones give working warmth, and big warm mitts give you something in reserve for the summit and for the weather turning. A dry spare pair is more use than a heroic faith that wet gloves will dry in the frost.

Eyes, face and sun

Snow reflects ultraviolet, and at altitude it is stronger to begin with. For clear weather you need category 3-4 glasses with protection at the sides. Category 1-2 goggles are for wind, snowfall and poor visibility, not as your only dark lenses on a sunny day. SPF 30-50 cream and an SPF lip balm go on before you set off and are reapplied.

Crampons, ice axe, harness and helmet

Owning the equipment is not the same as knowing how to use it. Before the outings the guide checks how the harness sits, that the crampons are compatible, that the helmet is adjusted and that the karabiners are organised. On some routes an ice screw, a belay device and additional self-belay items are added. The exact list comes from the page for your programme.

Crampons

Strap-on, semi-automatic and automatic bindings all need a compatible boot. Adjust crampons to length in advance and check the anti-balling plates, the straps and the state of the connecting bar. Morning on the slope is a poor place to discover that the right crampon was fitted to someone else’s left boot in a different size.

The ice axe

A classic ice axe is used as support and as a self-arrest tool. Length and the way it is attached depend on the programme and on the guide’s recommendations. Self-arrest is learned in practice: knowing the sequence from a text does not create the movement skill.

Harness, karabiners and cow’s tails

The harness has to go on over all your clothing and be adjustable with gloves on. Large karabiners are easier to open in mitts. The number of karabiners, and whether you need cow’s tails, an ice screw and a belay device, differ from route to route — do not carry the classic southern list across to the western route.

The small things that stop being small

• Head torch: your main source of light, not the torch on your phone; bring spare power.
• A 1 l thermos flask: a simple lid without a push-button mechanism is usually more reliable in frost.
• Power bank: keep it warm; cold quickly cuts the capacity you can actually use.
• Gaiters: it depends on the season, the snow and the design of the boot; particularly useful in May and June.
• Chemical hand warmers: a reserve, not a way of fixing a tight boot or inadequate clothing.
• Personal first-aid kit: your regular medication, blister protection and anything agreed with your doctor.
• Dry bags: the more self-sufficient the route, the less optional they are.

What to hire and what to buy

For the seven-day southern programme the kit is usually hired for about 3 days, and for the nine-day programme for about 4 days; the exact period depends on the collection and return schedule. Before booking, send the hire shop the name of the programme, the dates, your height, your weight, your everyday shoe size and your experience of using mountaineering boots.

Download an equipment checklist

• Elbrus from the south – PDF checklist
• Elbrus from the north – PDF checklist
• Traverse, both summits and the Cross – PDF checklist
• Elbrus from the west – PDF checklist

The PDFs are working lists to tick off. Before the trip, the list inside your own trip page and the guide’s check remain decisive: the programme, the season and the actual conditions can add items of their own.

Every item of equipment in detail

This section will gather separate guides: choosing high-altitude boots, crampon compatibility, category 3-4 glasses, goggles for bad weather, the down jacket, the shell, gloves and mitts, the thermos flask, the torch, the sleeping bag, the rucksack, chemical hand warmers and other items. Each article should turn on the same practical questions: what Elbrus requires, how to test the item, when hiring is the better deal and which mistakes are dangerous.

The first of them – how to choose sunglasses for the mountains and for Elbrus. Activate the link once the article is published.

The final check before you leave

1. Open the list for your own programme.
2. Book your hire kit in advance, particularly in high season.
3. Check your boots and crampons together.
4. Put every layer on at once and make sure they do not restrict your movement.
5. Check the torch and your spare power.
6. Weigh the packed rucksack with water and food in it.
7. Show the complete set to your guide before you set off.

You can choose a programme in the «Climbing Elbrus» section, and put a hire kit together on the site of Rock and Rent.