Caucasus climbing
- Caucasus Russia
- Elbrus East from East
- Elbrus from the south
- Elbrus from the North
- Elbrus traverse west - east
- Cross of Mount Elbrus
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Ascent of Mount Elbrus
- Ascent of Mount Kazbek
- Dykh Tau
- Shkhara
- Mount Koshtan Tau
- Mount Bzhedukh
- Climbing Erydag-Bazarduzu
- Mount Bazarduzu - Dagestan, Russia
- Mount Erydag - Dagestan, Russia
- Adyl su mountain course
- Mount Khalatsa
- Peak MNR
- Irik Chat alpine course
- 4x4 tour in Georgia and Armenia
Elbrus West from the West
English version of the program for mobile device
Versión del programa en español para dispositivos móviles
Route track for downloading to your GPS (.kmz)
Other Mount Elbrus climbs by MCS AlexClimb
Climbing West Elbrus (5642 m). Classic climb of West Summit (5642 m) from the West via the "Utug" buttress
Maximum altitude: 5642 m
Program category: Mountain Climbing
Difficulty: advanced (SPECIAL SKILLS ARE REQUIRED)
Duration: 9 days
Season: June - September
First climb: G. A. Emmanuel, 1829
Program price from: 1250 Euro
Optimal format: mini group 4 participants / 1 guide
- 10.07.26 - 20.07.26mini group, special conditions 120000 RUR booking
Climbing Mount Elbrus from the West - along the most interesting route!
Detailed FAQ section on preparation, equipment, and logistics of Mount Elbrus routes
The Mount Elbrus route from the west side, from Karachay-Cherkessia, is also called the "Route via Utyug (the iron)" or via the Western Plateau.
This is the longest and most technically challenging of the classic routes to Mount Elbrus.
Mount Elbrus Ascent Route from the West
The Mount Elbrus route from the west was first climbed during the large-scale expedition of the German geographer Gottfried Merzbacher in 1891 and long remained one of the most inaccessible and challenging alpine routes on the northern side of the Caucasus Mountains.
Route to Mount Elbrus from the west - along the left buttress
Today, the route to Mount Elbrus from the west stands out in terms of difficulty among other classic routes to the highest mountain in the Caucasus.
On the way to Dzhaly-Su Base Camp – the starting point for the Mount Elbrus ascent from the West
Ascent of Mount Elbrus from the west requires organizing a completely autonomous expedition, including setting up three intermediate camps along the way to the summit, not counting the West Dzhaly-Su Base Camp. Only well-equipped off-road vehicles can reach it.
Climbing Mount Elbrus from the West
The climbing route to Mount Elbrus from the west is 12 kilometres long and has an elevation gain of 2,950 meters. There is no infrastructure along the route to Mount Elbrus from the west; the ascent only can be organized as a completely autonomous expedition.
Furthermore, the Mount Elbrus west route has no terrain markings and requires confident mountain navigation skills.
Ascent of Mount Elbrus from the West
The Mount Elbrus route from the west is visited by climbers significantly less often than other classic routes to Mount Elbrus.
The reason for this route's low popularity lies in logistical difficulties, as well as the technical complexity of the section between camps 3900 m and 4600 m.
Climbing from Camp 2 to Camp 3 - Ascent of Elbrus from the West
To overcome the steep ice slope south of the Utyug Gendarme, mountaineering equipment is required. The steepness of the snow and ice slope reaches 50°-70° over approximately 200 vertical meters.
Climbing the technical pitch when ascending Mount Elbrus from the West
The advantages of the Mount Elbrus route from the West include its pristine condition, low tourist traffic, and, as a result, the purity of the terrain, untouched by any human activity.
The route to Elbrus from the West is an obvious choice for true connoisseurs of the pristine beauty of the mountains.
Climbing Mount Elbrus from the West
For climbers, ascending Mount Elbrus from the west is a serious and challenging task, which requires preparation and a number of specialized skills—rope handling, belaying a partner, roped climbing, crevasse rescue, ice axe climbing, and field navigation.
Climbing Elbrus from the west is not recommended for those without previous experience or in poor physical condition.
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At the summit of West Elbrus
Important! To maximize the positive experience of this route and reduce the risk of injury to your health, we strongly recommend adding one of two acclimatization modules to this mountain tour:
Acclimatization program in Adyl Su
Acclimatization program in Irik Chat
The ascent of Western Elbrus from the west can be combined with the ascent of Mount Kazbek – in this case, the first part of the program serves as acclimatization.
This 9-day program "Climbing West Elbrus from the West" is designed for people who have prior experience in mountain climbing and who want to try themselves at moutain route of the moderate difficulty. West climbing route of Elbrus is quite hard physically, requires to overcome technical climbing pitches of moderate difficulty and stay some time in the high altitude conditions.
The First Principle of MCS AlexClimb
The First Rule, by which we are guided in the development of our mountain programs - is safety. Professional Guides lead the group, the highest quality certificated equipment and the most modern navigation equipment are used. This guarantees the highest possible level of your safety in the mountains, which is the most important side of our work.
Program Schedule
The AlexClimb Elbrus Russia climbing schedule (Climbing West Elbrus from the West 2026):
Guided ascent of West Elbrus (5648 m) from the West
Moderate difficulty сlimb, Advanced level
West Elbrus West route climbing program of MCS AlexClimb
Day 1 - Arrive to MRV, hotel accommodation City business Hotel ***, dinner in the restaurant
Day 2 - Transfer 4x4 from Mineralnye vody to Khurzuk village and further up the valley. Overnight stay in the West Elbrus BC 2700 m (West Jaly Su) in the tents. Breakfast in the hotel, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 3 - Walking up to the camp 1 on the moraine of the glacier, 3300 m, overnight in the tents, breakfast, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 4 - Walking up to the Camp 2 on the upper morain, 3900 m, overnight in the tents, breakfast, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 5 - Climbing the steep snow (ice) gorge to the upper glacier plateau, setting the altitude Camp 3, 4600m, overnight in the tents, breakfast, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 6 - Climbing West Elbrus 5648 m, descent to the Camp 2, overnight in the tents, breakfast, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 7 - Spare summit day, overnight in the tents, breakfast, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 8 - Spare summit day, overnight in the tents, breakfast, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 9 - Descent to the camp 1, overnight in the tents, breakfast, lunch and dinner - outdoor rations
Day 10 - Descent the the starting point of the route, 4x4 pick up and transfer to MRV. Hotel accommodation, overnight in the hotel, breakfast, lunch - outdoor rations, dinner in the restaurant
Prices and conditions
The price of the "Climbing West Elbrus from the West" 2026:
1250 Euro* - mini-group 3-4 participants
3200 Euro - private program for 1-2 participants
* price per person
You have to be ready for:
- 7 days of camping life in the field conditions;
- Cooking your meals by yourself while climbing mountains;
- Carrying a 20-25 kg backpack;
- Air temperature can be down to -10°C on the altitude higher than 3000 m;
Conditions: mandatory acclimatization module
The price includes: Professional mountain guide services, rent of the communal equipment (tents, ropes, belaying and navigation equipment, cooking gear), hotel accommodation, all the transfers alon, using the communal basic medical kit, local registering and climbing permits, food for outdoor part of the program.
The price does not include: Russian visa charges*, International and domestic flight expenses to the beginning of the program and from its end (Mineralnye Vody MRV), obligatory climbing insurance, personal equipment rent, food and drinks while being in cities.
Our Principles
AlexClimb Rule #1 - Safety First
From the very beginning of our activity, here nearly 16 years, the first Principle of work of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb is the Safety Priority. On the basis of this Principle all process of training is based, all programs and rounds are developed and carried out only within this main principle. We consider that at professional approach to development of programs, at personal discipline and correctly put motivation - occupations by mountaineering and rock-climbing are COMPLETELY safe. And from the return - all troubles and accidents in our sport come from nonprofessionalism, from ignorance or neglect by elementary standards of safety, from irrational motivation, from revaluation of own forces and opportunities. All these prerequisites we COMPLETELY EXCLUDE in our work - ours Rock-climbing, Ice climbing and Mountaineering are based on one Principle - the Safety Priority. In rock-climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing, the Priority of Safety of MCS AlexClimb-is your personal security and comfort irrespective of, than we are engaged - we train muscles and we work technology of the movement in the sports hall and on the rock climbing wall, we make the way through snowstorm to top or we relax on golden sand of the Caribbean beach after hot day of trainings on rocks. The Safety priority - the main credo of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb.
AlexClimb Rule #2 - Leave No Trace
Closely interacting with Nature, working with the active programs in mountains, woods, lakes and rivers, we perfectly understand the importance of carefull and respectfull bahavior towards the Nature, for its resources. From the very beginning of our outdoor-activity we adopted rules of Leave No Trace technique - the standard of behavior of the person accepted in all the civilized world in relation to environment and especially - to the wild nature. After all on the relation of people to the nature near which they exist, itself can draw dalekoidushchy conclusions on the relation of these people to... Where and as we didn't travel - we don't reserve any garbage, we try to reduce whenever possible our influence on environment to a minimum. We clear earlier zagryazyonny tourist parking of the left garbage, we take out and we take out to utilization places that to us other people left there. We consider that only thus, at personal individual consciousness of each citizen, each tourist, climber or autotraveller, we will be able to keep the nature surrounding us in its state, natural, suitable for life, - in it pledge of the healthy future for ourselves and our children.
