Europe's highest peak · 5,642 m
NP-1 Mountaineering School: Beginner Course
An 11-day beginner mountaineering course in the Elbrus area: rope, rock, ice and snow skills, finishing with a grade 1B ascent of Viatau and the “Alpinist of Russia” badge.
- Duration
- 11 days
- Max altitude
- 3,742 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Group size
- Runs with 6 or more participants · master-of-sport instructors
- Region
- Elbrus
From€1,360/ person
Next date
12 Jul
- 4.9 traveller rating
- 95% summit success
- No payment to book
Overview
About this tour
NP-1 (“Nachalnaya Podgotovka”, basic training) is a beginners’ mountaineering course taught by master-of-sport instructors in the Adyl-Su gorge of the Elbrus area, a convenient base for climbing and hiking with well-developed infrastructure. Theory goes straight into practice on natural terrain: you learn the forms of mountain relief, the basic safety rules and, above all, how to move in the mountains with climbing equipment.
The course is built to take you from zero to your first real climb. Over 11 days you work on rope handling, belaying, rock and ice technique and bivouac life, then put it all together on Viatau (3,742 m) by a grade 1B route. At the end you receive the “Alpinist of Russia” badge and an official certificate, issued through a registered mountaineering event, plus an entry in your climber’s book.
NP-1 suits complete beginners, hikers who want to learn to tackle rock steps and move on a rope, and anyone planning bigger objectives such as Elbrus, Kazbek or Belukha who needs a technical foundation first. No special sports rank is required, but you should be ready for carrying a pack and for physical work at altitude.
- No climbing experience needed: the course starts from the very basics
- Taught by master-of-sport mountaineering instructors
- Hands-on training on rock, ice and snow in the Adyl-Su gorge
- First climb: Viatau (3,742 m) by a grade 1B route
- “Alpinist of Russia” badge, official certificate and a climber’s-book entry
- Full board and the basic technical kit (crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness) included
Day by day
Itinerary
Weather may change the order of days; your guide always has a reserve plan.
- Day1
Transfer to the Adyl-Su alpine camp
Arrive the day before: we meet you at Mineralnye Vody airport and drive you to Pyatigorsk, where the group meets at our office for introductions, a check of your clothing and kit, rental gear is handed out and paperwork is completed (the night in Pyatigorsk is at your own cost). On day 1 you meet your instructor for a briefing, and the instructor checks the gear you have been issued. Then we drive to the Adyl-Su gorge and the alpine camp. After check-in comes the first session: going through your equipment and how to use it.
- Day2
Rope work and rock craft
Work with your equipment on a training rig and on rock: knots, coiling and marking a rope, belaying and self-belay, and moving on fixed ropes (ascending, descending, traversing). In the evening, lectures on the high-mountain environment and mountain terrain.
- Day3
Free climbing and the psychology of height
A day at the “Rock Laboratory”: practice on rock of grades II–IV, covering foot placement, hand work and the use of jams and pressure holds. Climbing on top-rope, and work on overcoming fear of heights and of falling. Evening lecture on objective and subjective mountain hazards.
- Day4
Roped travel and building your own belay
Moving in rope teams on easy rock, ways to belay on the move, setting protection points with nuts, pitons and anchors, and the rules for building belay stations. In the evening, an introduction to lower belaying on a training rig.
Comfort
Accommodation & meals
Cabins in the Adyl-Su alpine camp
7–8 nights in cabins in the alpine camp in the Adyl-Su gorge.
Expedition tents
1–2 nights in expedition tents at the “Green Hotel” campsite during the high-mountain outing and Viatau climb.
Pyatigorsk night before the start
The night before day 1 in Pyatigorsk is paid separately.
Meals
Full board: three fresh meals a day from a varied menu cooked by a camp chef, and trail food on the tent outing.
Price details
What's included
Included
- Consultations on the programme, gear and physical preparation, and access to an online prep channel with a training plan
- Master-of-sport mountaineering instructors, the teaching programme and organisation of the climbs, plus paperwork for a registered mountaineering event (certificate for the “Alpinist of Russia” badge)
- All transfers on the programme
- 7–8 nights in cabins in the alpine camp and 1–2 nights in expedition tents
- Full board, three meals a day
- Basic personal climbing kit: crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness, carabiners, jumar and descender
- All group equipment: ropes, nuts, quickdraws, cams, sledges and the camp kitchen
- Elbrus area national park entrance fee
- Safety kit: satellite phone, radios, GPS navigator, first-aid kit, registration with the rescue service; doctor contact by satellite or mobile phone; pulse oximeter with daily saturation checks
- Private airport meeting in Mineralnye Vody and transfer to our Pyatigorsk office before the start, and a private transfer back to the airport after the course
- Branded Elbrus Expert long-sleeve shirt, certificate for the Viatau ascent and a climber’s-book entry (out of category, on a successful ascent)
- Luggage storage at our Pyatigorsk office during the course
Not included
- Flights to Mineralnye Vody (MRV) and back
- Personal gear and clothing from the list (rental available at a 30% discount)
- Mountaineering insurance (compulsory)
- Medical certificate of fitness for mountaineering (Russian Ministry of Health order No. 1144n)
- The night in Pyatigorsk before the start
Dates & prices
Choose your date
Small international groups. Booking is free — we confirm details with you before any payment.
12 – 22 Jul 2027
11 days
Regular price€1,570Now€1,400per personGuidesAvailableBe the first31 Jul – 10 Aug 2027
11 days
Regular price€1,570Now€1,360per personGuidesAvailableBe the first7 – 17 Aug 2027
11 days
Regular price€1,570Now€1,370per 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.
Climbing equipment
- Helmet · Part of the basic personal kit included in the tour
- Climbing harness with self-belay lanyards · Included in the basic kit
- Ice axe with cord · Included in the basic kit
- Mountaineering crampons · Included in the basic kit
- Locking carabiners ×6 · Included in the basic kit
- Belay/descender device · Included in the basic kit
- Jumar (ascender) · Included in the basic kit
- Safety slings ×2
- Cord 3 m
- Cord 1.5 m
Mountain gear and clothing
- Mountain bootsRent
- Down jacketRent
- Waterproof membrane trousersRent
- Down mittensRent
- Sleeping bag, comfort −10 °CRent
- Large backpack 60–80 lRent
- Summit backpack 35–40 lRent
- Headlamp with spare batteriesRent
- Sunglasses (UV category 3/4)Rent
- Ski gogglesRent
- Thermos, 1–1.2 lRent
Personal items
- Hat
- Balaclava
- Buff or bandana
- Thermal underwear (top and bottom)
- Fleece top
- Fleece trousers
- Fleece gloves
- Trekking boots
- Water bottle, 1.5 l
- Toiletries and SPF 50 sunscreen
- Mug, spoon, bowl and knife
First-aid kit
- Personal first-aid kit
RentThe basic technical kit (crampons, ice axe, helmet, harness, carabiners, jumar and descender) is included in the tour. Other mountain gear and clothing can be rented at our Pyatigorsk office with a 30% rental discount; gear is checked and handed out there before the course.
Your team
Guides on this tour
Certified mountain guides who speak English and lead this route every season.
Oksana YakimenkoMountaineering instructorMaster of Sport in classic and rock mountaineering, three-time Russian champion and instructor at the Central Instructors' School.Profile 
Ilya PenyaevMountaineering instructorMaster of Sport, multiple Russian champion and holder of the Russian Piolet d'Or for the Kyzyl-Asker first ascent.Profile 
Dmitry PodlesnyHigh-altitude guideMaster of Sport who climbed Cho Oyu (8,201 m) without oxygen; mountaineering instructor, category 2.Profile
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 is NP-1 and what do I get at the end?
NP-1 (“Nachalnaya Podgotovka”) is a beginners’ mountaineering course. On completion you receive the “Alpinist of Russia” badge and an official certificate, the experience of your first grade 1B ascent (Viatau, 3,742 m) and an entry in your climber’s book. You come away able to assess a grade 1B route, move safely on mountain terrain, self-arrest on a snow or ice slope, set up and use belay points, organise top and bottom belays, descend on a rope in several ways, look after personal and team safety and give first aid.
Do I need experience, and how fit should I be?
No mountaineering experience is needed — we teach the technique from scratch. But NP-1 is not a course without exertion: expect long days in the mountains with gaining and losing height, rock and snow-and-ice sessions, and some days with 6–8 hours of active work. We recommend regular endurance training beforehand (running or brisk walking 5–10 km, stairs or a stepper, squats and core work, hiking with an 8–12 kg pack, burpees). A simple self-test: 30 burpees in 3 minutes at an even pace, 10 km in about 2 hours on the flat, and climbing roughly 20 floors on foot without a long rest. If that feels hard, spend 4–8 weeks building endurance first.
Do I need a medical certificate?
Yes. You need a medical certificate confirming you are fit for mountaineering (sports and training activities), issued under Russian Ministry of Health order No. 1144n. Ask our manager for details before you travel.
Is the group guaranteed to run, and when should I buy flights?
The programme runs once a group of at least 6 participants is formed. Please buy flights only after we confirm the tour; our service manager will contact you, which usually happens about 2 months before the start. Fly into Mineralnye Vody (MRV).
Is insurance required?
Yes, mountaineering insurance is compulsory. Choose a policy that covers climbing and, ideally, helicopter evacuation. Every group also carries emergency oxygen equipment, a satellite phone, a pulse oximeter, a large first-aid kit and round-the-clock contact with a doctor.
How do I book a place?
Reserve your place and fix the price with a booking payment of about €250, or pay for the course in full. Your flights, insurance and personal gear are arranged separately; the programme also begins with a gear check at our Pyatigorsk office the day before, so plan to arrive then.
The mountain is waiting
Ready for your summit?
From €1,360 per person. Pick a date now — we confirm everything personally, no payment at this step.