Why Climb Elbrus with Alpine Ascents?
As the highest peak in Europe, Elbrus is a premier ascent for aspiring climbers who wish to test their skills at increasing altitude. Although only basic mountaineering skills are required, high-altitude and unpredictable weather make this a challenging and extremely enticing ascent. Elbrus expedition is very demanding logistically and we offer several key elements that separate our climb from other outfitters (see below). One of our most popular climbs, this trip has filled five months in advance for the past five years.
Key Elements of our Climb and Success
Lead Guides: We always send a guide from the United States, generally a very experienced Himalayan climber. Our 2012 trips are scheduled to be led by Vernon Tejas (of Everest and 7 Summits fame). He has led over 200 climbers to the summit of Elbrus and has just under a 100% success rate in 15 years of guiding Elbrus.
Russian Guides: We have been working with the same Russian staff for the past ten years and our guiding systems are extremely compatible. We hire extra guides for summit day (and often earlier) to keep climber-to-guide ratios low.
Hotels, Lodging & Transportation: We offer fine hotels and meals throughout the climb. The cost of the internal flight to/from Mineral Vody is included.
City Tours: Our departure and return dates are set to access as many cultural activities as possible. Our unique expedition includes tours of both St. Petersburg and Moscow.
Summit Success: Summit Success: 95% summit success since 2000 with most teams having 100% success. We encourage you to compare our expedition to other guide services. 2011 proved and extremely interesting year as we were forced to move our trips to the North Side, a route we had not taken before, due to the South Side being closed. The main difference is the North Side lacks the hotels and amenities of the South Side but in turn allows more actual mountain days. That said, Vernon Tejas commandeered our teams to the summit of Elbrus, overseeing camps, cooking and in many ways pioneering our North Side summit climbs. We were one of the only outfitters to run this trip in 2011.
Flexible Schedules: We have built-in extra days for bad weather and acclimatization to give our team the best chance of summiting.
Our Mount Elbrus Expedition is an excellent example of where Alpine Ascents stands apart from other guide services
Success on Elbrus
Alpine Ascents has had outstanding success leading trips to Mt. Elbrus. 2000, 2001 and 2002 saw 100% success under the leadership of Vernon Tejas. Our 2003 trips were led by Dave Morton and Todd Burleson with 95% success. Vern led our 2004 climb with 100% success on trip I , then after being turned back by weather on trip II , Vern, beyond the call of duty, re-ascended the next day to the summit with several team members. Vern enjoyed 100% success in both 2005 and 2006, leading four teams of 12 to the summit and once again in 2007 with 100% success. 2008, 2009 and 2010 met with typical success with 95 - 100% of the climbers reaching the summit. 2011 saw Vern pioneering two successful climbs on the North Side route in a year when most companies did not offer a trip.
Cybercasts
Alpine Ascents provides family and friends the opportunity to follow our climbs as they proceed. Utilizing
state-of-the art technology, we receive regular dispatches from the climbers and post them on our web site. Not only does one feel the excitement of watching a team as it moves up the mountain, the archived cybercasts provide an excellent resource and learning tool when researching expeditions. Enjoy the show!
Our Guiding Team
Alpine Ascents is known worldwide for the unparalleled quality of its guide staff. Recent Elbrus guides include famed mountaineers Todd Burleson, Vernon Tejas, and Dave Morton, While many other outfitters are little more than a "one man show," all of our trips are led by professional mountaineers with great flexibility in guide staff, full-time office support, logistics and access and information for other great climbs around the world.