Climb Elbrus from the South with Oxygen

This is an exclusive version of the south route ascent of Elbrus with oxygen, for participants who want to climb the highest summit in Europe within a limited amount of time and in the most comfortable format available, using supplemental oxygen.

The defining feature of the trip is the use of supplemental oxygen during the high-altitude part of the route. It helps reduce the effect of thin air on the body and makes the ascent of Elbrus more comfortable for participants who cannot spend a long time in the mountains or who want to reduce the effect of altitude during the main climb.

It is important to understand that climbing Elbrus with oxygen is not a substitute for acclimatisation and preparation. The height of the summit, 5642 m, remains the main factor of difficulty in the itinerary, and every person’s reaction to altitude is individual. Supplemental oxygen is a tool that helps you carry the altitude more easily, but it does not remove the requirements for physical condition, a correct pace and the work of experienced guides.

The trip is built to use participants’ time as efficiently as possible. The preparation, the briefing on using the oxygen equipment, the mountain accommodation and the departure onto the route are all organised around the specifics of a fast ascent of Elbrus by the classic southern route.

Despite the compressed schedule, participants make a full ascent of the West summit of Elbrus, 5642 m, by the classic route from the south. The lead guide decides whether the group can set out, whether it can continue and whether the summit can be reached, taking account of the condition of the group, the weather forecast, the state of the route and the actual conditions on the mountain.

Climbing Elbrus with oxygen suits those who want to achieve the goal of reaching the highest summit in Europe but cannot commit to a long acclimatisation trip. It is also an option for participants who want a more comfortable ascent and less exposure to altitude during the most demanding stage of the route.

Day 1. Arrival in the Elbrus region and preparation for the ascent.

Important: the oxygen trip is an exception to the arrival rules that apply to the standard south route trips. You must choose a flight scheduled to land at Mineralnye Vody airport before 10:00. The group meets at the airport and travels straight to the Elbrus region.

On the day of arrival participants have to complete the drive to the Elbrus region and ride the cable car up to the high-mountain shelter, because the ascent of Elbrus begins during the night between the first and the second day. With a later arrival participants may miss the cable car and be unable to complete the trip as planned. When buying tickets, be sure to allow time for baggage reclaim and for leaving the terminal.

On arrival participants collect the necessary equipment from the hire shop, check their kit and prepare to go onto the route. The group then rides the cable car up the southern slope of Elbrus to the high-mountain shelter.

In September the cable car may be closed for scheduled maintenance. If the cable car cannot be used, the guide decides the onward logistics according to the actual situation; a vehicle is hired for the ascent if necessary. If the cost of the vehicle exceeds the price of a cable car ticket, participants pay the difference.

At the shelter the guides give a detailed safety briefing, explain the specifics of climbing Elbrus with oxygen, go through how the oxygen equipment is used and check that participants are ready for the high-altitude push. Where necessary there is a short session on moving in crampons and working with mountaineering equipment.

After the preparation participants rest before the main departure. Night in the high-mountain shelter.

Day 2. Ascent of the West summit of Elbrus, 5642 m.

The main day of the trip is the ascent of Elbrus with oxygen by the classic southern route to the West summit, 5642 m. The trip is intended for participants who want to make a high-altitude ascent within limited time and to use supplemental oxygen during the most demanding stage of the route.

The departure begins at night, usually between 02:00 and 04:00, depending on the weather, the state of the route and the lead guide’s decision.

Supplemental oxygen is used during the high-altitude part of the ascent and helps reduce the effect of thin air on the body, but it does not replace physical preparation, correct tactics or the supervision of experienced guides.

Where necessary, and by agreement with the group, a snowcat may be used on individual sections of the route. The lead guide decides whether it is used, taking account of the condition of the participants, the weather and the actual conditions on the mountain.

The ascent is led by experienced Mountain Guide’s guides and follows the safety requirements. After the summit the group descends the southern slope of Elbrus and returns to the valley.

This completes the trip for climbing Elbrus with oxygen.

• Accommodation in the shelter for the number of nights set out in the itinerary
• All transfers on the trip
• The cable car
• Snowcat or snowmobile, ascent and descent
• Meals as set out in the itinerary: lunch and dinner on the first day, breakfast and a packed lunch on the second day
• One summit attempt
• One set of oxygen equipment
• Guides, at a strict ratio of one guide to three clients for the ascent
• Group equipment: rope, ice screws, radio, satellite navigator and other necessary items
• Personal equipment: oxygen equipment, double boots (Lowa, Boreal or La Sportiva), waterproof shell jacket and trousers, down shorts or trousers, headtorch, flask, sunglasses, ski goggles, crampons, heavy down jacket, double mittens, gaiters, sleeping bag, ice axe, trekking poles, harness with lanyards and carabiners, medium rucksack
• Hire of a duffel bag for rented and personal equipment for the duration of the ascent
• Certificate of a successful ascent

• Single occupancy
• Other personal equipment
• National park permit, where applicable
• Guides and cooks if the itinerary changes
• Any costs connected with change to the itinerary
• Additional summit attempts and additional oxygen sets beyond those included
• The supplement for an alternative ascent by vehicle if the cable car is closed for maintenance in September and the cost of the vehicle exceeds the price of a cable car ticket

To join this trip you will need:

• Passport
• Air or rail tickets
• Medical insurance covering the stated activity, the altitude of the trip and any costs of rescue and evacuation
• We recommend keeping digital copies of your documents on your phone and in cloud storage
• Depending on nationality, foreign participants may need a Russian visa and further documents to enter the country

Where it is needed we provide visa support for foreign participants and supply the documents required for a Russian visa application. We recommend checking the terms of your policy before the trip. It must name mountaineering or climbing, an altitude of at least 5642 m, and cover for search and rescue.

On the Elbrus climb from the south with oxygen, participants stay in a high-altitude refuge on the south side of Elbrus. Because this is a fast ascent, the time spent in the mountains is limited: the focus is on preparation, rest before setting out, and completing the route safely. The refuge has what a short trip requires: beds, somewhere to store equipment, and facilities for preparing and eating meals. Unlike the standard multi-day climbs, there is no long acclimatisation section here — the trip is built to be as time-efficient as possible. Meals are provided day by day: lunch and dinner on the first day, and breakfast and a packed lunch for the high-altitude day on the second. Participants receive the food and drink provided for in the itinerary in advance, so they can prepare for the night start and keep their strength on the route. On an Elbrus climb with oxygen, using the time before setting out well matters especially. Resting at the refuge, preparing equipment, being briefed on the oxygen equipment and starting early all make the most of a short trip.

During the Elbrus climb from the south with oxygen, participants stay in a high-altitude refuge on the south side of Elbrus before setting out on the classic route. Because this is a fast ascent, the time spent in the refuge is limited — the focus is on preparation, rest before setting out and completing the route safely. The refuge has what you need to prepare and rest before the climb: beds, a toilet, a kitchen and shared areas. Bear in mind that this is mountain accommodation at altitude, not a hotel, so the level of comfort is limited by the demands of a high-altitude route. There is generally mobile coverage on Elbrus. MTS has a signal over much of the southern route as far as the Elbrus saddle, though the quality depends on where you are, on the terrain, on the weather and on how busy the network is. Before the climb, charge all your devices, save anything you need for offline use and check your personal equipment. On a fast ascent, managing your time well, following the guides’ instructions closely and completing the route safely all matter especially.

Rock and Rent has absolutely all the equipment you need for an Elbrus climb with oxygen, all of it good quality. You can fly in wearing shorts, especially if you reserve it all in advance. We chose every item against one factor only: how well it suits conditions on Elbrus, where we have been leading since 2001.

We put a great deal of care into this list; between them the company’s guides have run several thousand ascents, and we do not think there is anything superfluous in it.

Some of the equipment for an Elbrus climb can be hired separately from Rock and Rent. The specific models, availability, hire agreement, payment and correspondence are settled directly with the hire shop. Documents:

• Passport
• Air or rail tickets
• Medical insurance
• Voucher (for foreign nationals)

Personal equipment:

• Rucksack, 30-40 litres
• Duffel bag, 80-100 litres
• Sleeping bag with a comfort rating of 0 to +10 °C from June to September inclusive, and -10 to -20 °C from October to May inclusive
• Trekking poles, which must have baskets of at least 70 mm
• Crampons
• Classic ice axe, with 2-3 m of 5-6 mm accessory cord for clipping to your harness
• Climbing harness
• Helmet
• Three karabiners of them, ideally large ones, which are noticeably easier to handle in mittens
• Cow’s-tail lanyards
• Oxygen equipment (if you are using your own)

Clothing and footwear:

• Is downhill ski clothing suitable for Elbrus?
• Double or triple mountaineering boots, plastic or leather. Single boots are acceptable if used with an overboot (not to be confused with a gaiter)
• Waterproof shell: jacket and trousers, with a membrane rated 10,000/10,000 or better
• Fleece top and bottoms
• Base layer, top and bottoms
• A thick, warm down jacket with a hood; one suitable for Elbrus normally weighs upwards of 700 grams
• Warm mittens
• Thick gloves (ski gloves)
• Thin gloves (fleece)
• Bandana (as well as sun protection in the valley, it can keep your throat or face warm in the cold)
• Warm hat
• Warm trekking socks for summit day

Other items:

• LED head torch with at least 12 hours of battery life
• Sunglasses, category 3-4, which must shield the eyes completely from side light
• Ski goggles, lens category 1-2 (for bad weather, not for good)
• Vacuum flask, 1 litre, preferably without a push-button lid
• Windproof face mask for the lower face (a scarf will do at a pinch)
• Branded sun cream, SPF 30-50 (whatever you may read, in practice the difference between 30 and 50 is negligible)
• SPF 15 lip balm
• Personal first-aid kit
• Elastic bandage and/or a support brace
• Gaiters (not compulsory, but they can be needed, especially in May and June)
• Chemical hand warmers (not compulsory, but they can be very useful)