Visual Gear List for Mount Kazbek
Climbing Mount Kazbek requires a large quantity of specialized climbing gear. This gear list will help you understand exactly what kind of gear we are looking for with each requirement. Items available for rent with our partners at Mount Kazbek are marked “available for rent.” Required items available for purchase from our partners are marked […]
Is it Safe to Travel in the Caucasus in 2024?
With all the different events going on in the world today, an obvious thing to consider before you travel is the safety of the country you will be in. HOW SAFE IS THE CAUCASUS RIGHT NOW? From our years of experience, we have found that it is highly unlikely that you will be put in […]
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 […]
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 significant challenge to climbing a mountain over 16,500 feet like Mount Kazbek. Many know that […]
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 blog by saying how heartbroken we are for the families of those who died, and […]
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 only republic in the North Caucasus that: -Has linguistic ties to Persia/Iran -Where Islam is […]
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? For one, travel to Russia IS open to citizens of more than 80 countries! Here is […]
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 foreigners’ radars because of the spillover of the Chechen wars into the region. Then, once […]
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, most often with negative connotations of being dangerous and unstable. The present reality, though, is […]
More Than a Climb: 10 Fun Facts about Mt Elbrus
Within the international climbing community, Mt. Elbrus is well-known as Europe’s highest peak, or one of the 7 Summits. But how well-known is it outside of the climbing community? In my experience, not very! There are actually lots of interesting historical and cultural tidbits about Mt. Elbrus that touch many facets of life you may […]