Europe's highest peak · 5,642 m
Elbrus Eco Tour — Clean-Up & Climb
Climb Elbrus at a very low price and give something back: collect litter in the mountains while you acclimatise, then go to the summit with professional guides.
- Duration
- 10 days
- Max altitude
- 5,642 m
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Group size
- 1 instructor per 4 participants
- Region
- Elbrus
From€240/ person
Next date
15 May
- 4.9 traveller rating
- 95% summit success
- No payment to book
Overview
About this tour
The eco tour is a chance not only to climb the highest mountain in Russia and Europe, and to spend as little as possible doing it, but also to make a direct and meaningful contribution to cleaner mountains.
In the first part of the programme we walk the mountains together and collect rubbish that, for one reason or another, has ended up where it does not belong. This also serves as our acclimatisation. At the end of the programme we climb to the summit of Elbrus — all of it under the guidance of professional mountaineering instructors.
The route is the South route with tents: you carry your own rucksack and sleep in tents at the upper camps, with a rest day, a main acclimatisation outing to 4,900 m and a reserve day built in. Tours run in May and September. The price is the lowest of all our Elbrus programmes, because it covers only the essentials: the food pack, tent rental, cable car and insurance are paid for separately.
- Three days of acclimatising walks combined with a mountain clean-up
- The lowest price of all our Elbrus programmes
- Summit of Elbrus (5,642 m) by the South route with professional mountaineering instructors
- Tent camp at 4,100 m, a main acclimatisation outing to 4,900 m and a rest day before the summit
- Safety equipment, emergency oxygen and doctor contact by satellite included
Day by day
Itinerary
Weather may change the order of days; your guide always has a reserve plan.
- Day1
Briefing and drive to Terskol
2,144 mArrive the day before: our Pyatigorsk office (Lenin Square 13, Intourist hotel) receives participants from 8:00 to 18:00 to check your gear and clothing, issue rental items and sign the paperwork, each at an individual time. On day 1 the office opens at 8:00 and the group meets at 10:00 to meet the guides, have a briefing and ask questions. We load the rucksacks and drive 174 km to the Elbrus area, about 3 hours; passport checks are possible on the way, so keep your documents with you. We pitch the tent camp, cook dinner and have a short briefing about tomorrow.
- Day2
Acclimatisation and clean-up — day 1
We adapt to altitude by walking mountain trails and gorges at 2,500–3,100 m and collecting rubbish along the way. This is the mission of the tour: to keep the mountains beautiful and show that a climb can go hand in hand with care for nature. The three clean-up days cover about 14.3 km in total. Nights in tents.
- Day3
Acclimatisation and clean-up — day 2
We adapt to altitude by walking mountain trails and gorges at 2,500–3,100 m and collecting rubbish along the way. This is the mission of the tour: to keep the mountains beautiful and show that a climb can go hand in hand with care for nature. The three clean-up days cover about 14.3 km in total. Nights in tents.
- Day4
Acclimatisation and clean-up — day 3
We adapt to altitude by walking mountain trails and gorges at 2,500–3,100 m and collecting rubbish along the way. This is the mission of the tour: to keep the mountains beautiful and show that a climb can go hand in hand with care for nature. The three clean-up days cover about 14.3 km in total. Nights in tents.
Comfort
Accommodation & meals
Tents on the mountain
All nights on the programme are spent in tents: the campsite in Terskol on days 1–3 is paid for, then camps along the clean-up route and an assault camp at 4,100 m. A tent sleeps 2–4 people; tent rental is not included in the price.
Pyatigorsk before the tour
The night before the start is not included. There are hostels from around €10 a night, hotels of every category and daily-rent flats close to our office, and we can help you find one.
Meals
Meals are cooked in camp on shared gas stoves from a food pack that is bought separately; lunch in Azau on the last day and the night in Pyatigorsk before the tour are at your own cost.
Price details
What's included
Included
- Advice at every stage of preparation, plus access to an online preparation channel with a training programme and instructor tips
- Professional mountaineering instructors, 1 per 4 participants
- All group transfers on the programme (individual transfers are not included)
- Tent campsite fee in Terskol on days 1–3
- Prielbrusye National Park entry fee
- Safety equipment: satellite phone, radios, GPS navigator, first-aid kit, registration with the emergency services, pulse oximeter and daily oxygen-saturation checks
- Mountaineering oxygen equipment for altitude sickness and contact with a doctor by satellite or mobile
- All group equipment: ropes, gas, gas cooking system and more
- A certificate for the Elbrus ascent from Elbrus Expert
Not included
- Travel to Pyatigorsk and back, and the night in Pyatigorsk before the tour
- Food pack for the camping days, about €200
- Personal equipment (rucksack, sleeping bag, clothing and so on; rental available at our Pyatigorsk office)
- Tent rental for the whole tour (1 tent per 2–4 people)
- Cable-car rides up and down on Elbrus and Cheget
- Mountaineering insurance (compulsory)
- Lunch in Azau on the last day
Dates & prices
Choose your date
Small international groups. Booking is free — we confirm details with you before any payment.
15 – 24 May 2027
10 days
Regular price€400Now€250per personGuidesAvailableBe the first11 – 20 Sept 2027
10 days
Regular price€400Now€240per personGuidesAvailableBe the first
Need other dates or a private group? — we organise departures on request.
Packing list
Required equipment
What to bring for this programme. Most technical items can be rented from us — no need to fly with them.
Equipment
- Mountaineering cramponsRent
- Large backpack 85–120 L with a rain cover · women 85–90 L, men 85–110 L; the loaded rucksack can weigh 26–30 kgRent
- Harness with 3 carabiners, self-belay lanyards and a 1.5 m cordRent
- HeadlampRent
- Sleeping bag, comfort −10 °CRent
- Sleeping matRent
- Mountain glassesRent
- Ski gogglesRent
- Insulated overbootsRent
- Thermos 1 LRent
- Tent · 1 tent per 2–4 peopleRent
Clothing
- Mountaineering bootsRent
- Warm down or synthetic jacket with a hood that fits over a helmet, for winter and high-altitude conditions · down jacket: at least 250–300 g of quality down, ideally fill power 700+Rent
- Warm extreme mittensRent
- Climbing trousers, softshell recommendedRent
Base layers and small items — bring or buy from us (not rentable)
- Polartec 200 fleece jacket
- Light trousers or shorts
- Warm fleece hat that fits under a helmet
- Thin Polartec gloves
- Trekking socks · 2–3 pairs
- Thin socks · 3 pairs
- Cap or wide-brimmed hat
- Buff or balaclava
- Synthetic T-shirts · 2
Personal items
- Compression bags
- Personal hygiene items
- Mug, spoon, bowl and knife
- Sunscreen SPF 50
- Waterproof pouch for documents
- Plastic water bottle
- Power bank
First-aid kit
- Personal first-aid kit: gauze bandage, adhesive plaster, antiseptics, antihistamines, remedies for fever and colds, stomach tablets, elastic bandage, haemostatic, and any medication for personal chronic conditions
RentMandatory equipment and clothing can be rented at our Pyatigorsk office; base layers that are not rentable can be bought from us.
Your team
Guides on this tour
Certified mountain guides who speak English and lead this route every season.
Reviews
What our travellers say
55 reviews on TripAdvisor
210 reviews on Google- Google
“Комфортный тур на западную вершину Эльбруса с юга с Сергеем Тарасовым. Это был не просто тур, а кинотур! Довольна всем! Организация на высшем уровне. Питание, трансфер, безопасность, аренда снаряжения - понравилось абсолютно всё! Спасибо огромное за эмоции и впечатления!”
ННаиля Филиппова September 2026 - Google
“Пользуюсь услугами компании не первый раз и планирую дальше с ними путешествовать: отличная компания, профессиональные гиды.”
AAleks September 2026 - TripAdvisor
Подъём на Эльбрус! Западная вершина.
“Поднялись с группой на западную вершину Эльбруса! У нас был опытный гид Алексей Сикилинда, который грамотно выждал погоду, и мы успешно взошли на вершину. Были ребята, которые говорили что им всё равно на погоду, ведь они идут с Ксенией Котляр, и пошли на день раньше. Но взойти на вершину у них не вышло, и они вернулись назад. А мы зашли) Спасибо опыту Алексея). Компания была максимально разношёрстная - плотник, доктор, менеджер и торговый представитель. Несмотря на это все нашли общий язык и поддерживали друг друга во время всего тура) Что конечно же положительно повлияло на успех восхождения. В целом о поездке впечатление отличное, всё было хорошо - трансфер, снаряжение, питание. Спасибо компании Эльбрус Эксперт за прекрасный тур!”
ССергей М September 2026
FAQ
Good to know
What makes this an eco tour?
In the first part of the programme the whole group walks the mountains together and collects rubbish that has ended up in nature, while acclimatising at the same time. Only after that do you climb Elbrus. It lets you do something useful for the mountains and keep the cost of the climb to a minimum.
Why is it so much cheaper than other Elbrus tours?
The price covers only the essentials of the programme. The food pack (about €200), tent rental, cable-car rides, personal gear and insurance are paid separately, and you carry your own load with tents.
When do the eco tours run, and how do I book?
Departures are in May and September. You secure your place with a booking deposit of about €70, which fixes the price; you can also pay in full. Fly into Mineralnye Vody (MRV); a taxi to our Pyatigorsk office takes about 25 minutes (27 km). Arrive the day before the start, when the office receives participants from 8:00 to 18:00, or on day 1 between 8:00 and 10:00.
How heavy is the rucksack?
Participants carry personal and shared gear up to the assault camp, including tents and food packs, so the rucksack can weigh 26–30 kg. The recommended volume is 85–90 L for women and 85–110 L for men.
Where do I stay in Pyatigorsk?
There are hostels from around €10 a night, hotels of every category and daily-rent flats close to our office, and we can help you find one.
The mountain is waiting
Ready for your summit?
From €240 per person. Pick a date now — we confirm everything personally, no payment at this step.