Featured Blog

Climbing Kazbek and Kilimanjaro: Comparing two 5,000 meter peaks
In our experience, many trekkers & climbers with any international experience have likely summited Africa’s Mt. Kilimanjaro, based on its relative accessibility and the mountain’s reputation for being the “easiest” of the Seven Summits. Following a successful summit of Kilimanjaro, most climbers will turn their attention to more technical peaks to gain more high-altitude experience & skills. Enter Mt. Kazbek. Despite Kazbek being several hundred meters lower than Kilimanjaro, there are a lot of reasons why this “Pearl of the

Training to climb Mount Kazbek – Three ways to prep for this 16,581 ft. summit!
We are often asked the questions: “What is the best way to train for Mount Kazbek?” or “How can I train for climbing Mount Kazbek while living at low elevation?” Most climbers are aware that the high elevation is a

Staying Safe on Mt. Elbrus: 7 Pointers for getting up (and down) Europe’s highest peak
Mt. Elbrus made international news for all the wrong reasons in Sept. 2021, when 5 Russian climbers died on their descent from the summit. It was a terrible tragedy and really shook the Elbrus community. We want to start this

Travel Guide to North Ossetia: Big Capital, Bigger Culture, Biggest Mountains
In the already unique North Caucasus Mountains of Russia, the republic of North Ossetia stands out as one of the more (if not most) unique places to visit in this corner of the world. Consider this. North Ossetia is the

Travel to Russia in 2022: Covid-19 Update
Like many of you, we’re all itching to get back to doing what we love: experiencing the excitement of travel to a foreign land. What does this mean for your planned Russia Trip or Mt. Elbrus Climb in 2022?

Travel Guide to Dagestan: Welcome to Russia’s Wild West!
As often is the case with off-the-beaten-path destinations around the world, they can be well-known by foreigners for all the wrong reasons. Dagestan is a great example of this. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Dagestan began registering on

Travel Guide to Chechnya: Mosques and Mountains!
Chechnya is one of the few places in the North Caucasus that most foreigners have heard of before. Especially due to the wars in the region in the 1990s and early 2000s, the word “Chechnya” has stuck in people’s memories,