ELBRUS. I want to ski tour Elbrus this year. There are a few companies I was considering using, however they require a group of 3-6 to make the trip happen. It quite a niche activity and approaching mates they either- have too many children, arent fit enough, dont have the leave or dont have the ski skills...
Its anyone out there keen to form a group to do this?
Its not a very challenging ski. Its the altitude thats the challenging bit. There are loads of companies that offer a walking trip to climb it, but far better to skin up and ski down - quicker too!
I was thinking of going mid May- theres a trip offered by mountiantracks (check website), or end of June (although this seems a bit late), with a company called mountainmadness (check website).
Hoping to find few other keen ski tourers with a need for a Russian adventure!
Check your insurance is still valid given the above advice. Certainly, it has been enough to discourage me from visiting the area
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Re Insurance. Normal insurance wont cover this area. You need specialist insurance. Sure its a troubled spot, but I have several friends who have been there over the past few years and I know that companies continue to run many trips. However unfortunately most of the trips are for climbers not skiers.
A friend told me he went last year and got snow card to upgrade the cover- with a few provisors.
I have just got back from a ski trip to Gulmarg Kashmir- another area not recommended for travel by fco. I got insurance easily through Cambell Irvine. The snow was fantastic and it was quite an adventure.
I know its not for everyone, its a balanced risk- but from what I've heard from people who been there, a very low risk. (especially compared to the avalanche risk all ski tourers face- which is low, but likely to be higher than this political risk).
Some guides have pulled out of Elbrus this year following the attacks on tourists. They are predicting random and headline-attracting attacks leading up to Sochi 2014. No personal experience, just passing this on but would be cautious. Elbrus will always be there.
Risk. Everyone has a different take on what is acceptable and what is not. From deciding to ski at all, to steep skiing to avalanche risk, to risk of terrorism/ attack in some far out places. You decide what's worth doing at the momement or just an unacceptable risk. I read some great trip reports from Elbrus from last year. The eagle sc link above doesn't work but I did get there annual book and think I read it there sometime ago.
There will always be some reason not to do something, it's just finding enough reasons to do it.
I think I'm alone on this one however...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
You're not alone - it's on my to-do list too! It was a close contender for this year but have decided to skin and ski in Norway in May instead.
I hope you find some folks for this year - but if not....
After all it is free
After all it is free
i went in July 2006 with Pilgrim tours http://www.pilgrim-tours.com/) walking with crampons/ice-axe etc. not ski touring on a scheduled 8-day trip. It was all well organised. They will do ski touring for earlier scheduled departures in the year, or for bespoke arrangements ; as you say it will probably work better if you go in a small group (3 or more) so that it is worth them giving your group their own guide. Not all the guides speak English.
The fco advice is the same as 2006, advice "against all but essential travel" which may or may not invalidate insurance. It wasn't a problem for us.
As I recall none of my papers (you needed Border zone permits as well as visas, at least back then) were quite right because I was living/working in Moscow at the time which rather complicated things and my friend's weren't quite right either probably because he had left it too late to sort out. The only real problem we had was that a policeman tried to shake down my friend in Mineralnie Vody airport. Fortunately he was only carrying 100 roubles (=£2) so only lost that. I had $1000 worth of roubles on me to pay the tour company, so made myself very scarce! Once you're out of the airport the tour company will look after you (if necessary i guess that would mean pay any bribes at the very cheap local rate). Everybody else in the Group had come from abroad and arranged things in good time and had no problems.
the main risk I think is the petty corruption from officials - although they just want cash; Russian domestic flights; driving in Russia generally, and the usual natural hazards at that sort of altitude. You may get killed by terrorists there, but then that happens quite a lot in Moscow, New York and London too. Interestingly when you land back in Moscow they security scan all the passengers again for weapons etc. - they must really trust the local security in Mineralnye Vody airport. Be very careful not to exceed any baggage allowance, or they will rip you off.
Say hello to the mice in the barrel huts and the "world's nastiest outhouse" - (google it) (in july it really smells - this is good enough reason to go earlier in the yea
It was quite cold in July (-15C ?), earlier in the year you may need something extra to keep feet warm, boot covers or heaters or something + mitts.
Having said all that, overall it was a good trip. We found it tough and very slow going above 5000m. It was a 16 hour day for us from the barrel huts at 3800m.
If you don't want to travel via Moscow (s7.ru ?) then back in 2006 there were flights from Frankfurt.
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Poster: A snowHead
