CLIMB KAZBEK CHALLENGE
Climb Kazbek Challenge
SUMMITING THE PEARL OF THE CAUCASUS
8 days / 7 nights :: 3, 4, & 5-Star Options Available
The Climb Kazbek Challenge is an adventure trip that features climbing Mt. Kazbek in Georgia, one of the highest peaks in Europe! Our local professional climbing experts will help you ascend this stunning peak known as the “Pearl of the Caucasus”. This trip is designed for both novice and serious climbers, all of whom will descend Kazbek with a newfound awe for the Caucasus Mountains. Take the Climb Kazbek Challenge on this adventure of a lifetime!
DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO TBILISI
Welcome to Georgia! A driver will meet you at the airport and get you settled safely into your hotel. If you are up for it, you may have time to do some exploring on your own this evening, to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of Tbilisi. Regardless, have a great first night of sleep, as tomorrow morning you head for the Caucasus Mountains!
DAY 2: MT KAZBEK LOWER BASE CAMP
This morning you’ll take off early for the scenic, 3.5 hour drive to Kazbegi, home to Mount Kazbek, the 3rd highest mountain in Georgia. This drive along the historic Georgian Military Highway is very beautiful as at the highest point you will gain 2,000 meters of altitude in just two hours! (380 to 2,395 meters, or 1,246 ft. to 7,857 ft. above sea level). Upon completion of the breathtaking drive to the foot of Mount Kazbek at 5,700 ft (1,700 m) you will rent any needed gear, take a 20-minute drive to the famous Gergeti Church, load up your horse porters, and then start your ascent on foot to lower base camp at 10,170 ft (3,150 m). As riveting as you will find Kazbek itself, perhaps the surrounding Caucasus range, stretching into Russia and beyond is even more so. The hike today is 4 hrs. of ascent as well as doubling your elevation, not to mention the noticeably cooler weather once you arrive to lower base camp in the late afternoon. Depending on what level of accommodations you’ve chosen for your expedition, you’ll either be sleeping in tents at lower base camp or in the comfortable AltiHut accommodations.
DAY 3: ACCLIMATIZATION
Today is dedicated to embracing the necessary acclimatization process your body must go through to be prepared for a successful summit of Kazbek in two days. Your group will spend 5-6 hrs. climbing to 3,800 meters and back (12,467 ft.), with non-stop beautiful views of the Caucasus range. There’s a chance that altitude sickness may start kicking in tonight, i.e. your second evening sleeping at 3,000 meters. Depending on your level of chosen trip accommodations, you’ll either prepare your own freeze-dried/dehydrated meals, or eat hot meals served at Alti Hut. After two straight days of big elevation changes & uphill treks, you’ll be ready for bed tonight after dinner!
DAY 4: UPPER BASE CAMP / ACCLIMATIZATION & ICE SKILLS TRAINING
Wake up with excitement today, as it is your final day before your Kazbek ascent. You’ll pack what’s needed for spending the next 24-48 hrs. at upper base camp, and trek up Gergeti Glacier to Betlemi Hut, an old Soviet meteorological site. After leaving your things at the camp site, you’ll continue upwards to the church overlooking base camp at 3,950 meters to complete the trekking portion of your acclimatization, and then after lunch, do some necessary technical skills training with your guide: how to use an ice axe, getting used to your crampons, climbing with a rope, etc. Turn in early tonight, as an early wake-up call awaits for your epic summit day tomorrow! Regardless of your chosen trip accommodations, you’ll be overnighting in tents tonight. Betlemi Hut does have a modest dining hall for those who chose to have hot meals prepared for them, or you’ll cook your pre-prepared meals that you brought with.
DAY 5: SUMMIT DAY
It’s Summit Day! You have a 12 to 14 hour climb ahead of you, so you’ll start in the dark between 2:00 and 3:00 am. Team is a beautiful thing as you work together with your group up the mountain. The early morning hours of your climb are quite the surreal experience with a line of climbers ascending Kazbek, lit up by a highway of head lamps. Plan to rope together and traverse the glacier with your group at 3,900 meters, and we really hope you can experience the sun rising closer to the summit. The final part of the climb is the hardest, ascending a steep 45-degree slope to the summit. Your climb will not be easy by any stretch of the imagination, with altitude sickness, extreme cold temperatures, and unpredictable weather all real possibilities, but it will all be worth it when you reach the top. Take in the view of the Caucasus Mountains range at the summit of 16,581 ft (5,054 m), including stunning views of the full Caucasus Range all the way to Mt. Elbrus in Russia. Once you have a quick celebration of your success, prepare for your 5-6 hour descent back to base camp. You’ll quickly pack up camp, and then do a quick descent to lower base camp at 3,000 meters; dinner never tasted better than it will tonight. You’ll sleep in the more comfortable confines of Alti Hut tonight.
DAY 6: RESERVE/DESCENT DAY
Descent day! Gather your things and head back down to Stepantsminda this morning. You’ll cover 10 km (6 miles) in 3 hrs. and then explore iconic Gergeti Trinity Church before the final transfer down to Stepantsminda. After 5 days on the mountain, you’ll be ready for a hot shower tonight! In case there was inclement weather on Day 5 (yesterday’s planned ascent), today will be your summit day up Kazbek, after spending an additional day at upper base camp in tents.
DAY 7: TRANSFER TO TBILISI
In case your group needed to use its reserve day and summit Kazbek on Day 6, today is your descent day back to Stepantsminda. If you successfully summited on Day 5, and descended from Kazbek yesterday, then you’ll transfer to Tbilisi late morning, and have a free afternoon & evening to explore the capital: its beautiful Old Town district, iconic Rustaveli Ave. downtown, eclectic restaurants, etc. You’ll spend the night in a Tbilisi hotel.
DAY 8: DEPARTURE
Pack your bags and say goodbye for now to the Caucasus, a place we hope you will come back to for another adventure very soon. We’ll transfer you in the morning to the airport for your flight home. We hope to see you again soon, maybe to summit Azerbaijan’s highest peak Mt. Bazarduzu, or to do hut-to-hut treks in Georgia’s wild mountain regions of Tusheti or Svaneti!
- One summit attempt (any departure from base camp on summit day or reserve day is considered a summit attempt)
- All transportation, including airport pick-up & drop-off
- Meals in Tbilisi: Breakfasts on Days 2 & 8 provided for all options
- Meals on Kazbek: Half Board for Classic & Affordable Luxury Options
- Meals in Stepantsminda: Breakfast in Stepantsminda on Day 7 for all options
- Lodging – 3 nights in guest homes/hotels for all options (Days 1 & 6-7)
- Lodging – 4 nights in tents for Economic option (Days 2-5)
- Lodging – 3 nights in mountain shelter (Alti Hut – Days 2-3 & 5), 1 night (Day 4) in tents for Classic & Affordable Luxury options
- Group expedition equipment (ropes, nylon slings (sewn loops), ice screws, first aid kit, communications, ice crevice extraction system, etc.)
- Professional and experienced English-speaking mountain guides with IFMGA or GMGA, 1:3 guide-to-client ratio
- Horse Porters for Personal Gear on Day 2 Ascent to 3,000 meters: 15 kg (33 lbs)/person
- Extensive pre-trip planning, customization, & customer service
- International airfare
- Tourist visa on a per-country basis (not required for most Western countries)
- Rental of personal climbing gear (see required gear list)
- Additional services requested at hotels (spa/banya, etc.)
- Additional summit attempt with guide
- Meals on Kazbek: Must provide one’s own Freeze-Dried/Dehydrated Food for Economic Option. No lunches provided for any option
- Meals in Tbilisi: Dinners on Day 1 and 7 in Tbilisi not provided
- Meals in Stepantsminda: Lunches on Days 2,6,7 not provided
- Any change to the program that requires extra expense (any departure from the itinerary will be booked by you at your own expense)
- Additional beverages at meals (non-alcoholic and alcoholic)
- Personal Insurance for climber (***required: Kazbek, Georgia, Mountain Climbing, Extreme Sports)
- Tips for guides, drivers & meals
Items marked “Rental” are available for rent at Mount Kazbek.
Climbing Gear:
- Climbing Backpack (25-30 liters)
- Head lamp (with extra batteries) – Rental
- Climbing harness – Rental
- 2 Nylon slings/runners
- 2 locking carabiners – Rental
- Ice axe – Rental
- Crampons – Rental
- B2 or D2 Mountaineering boots – Rental
- Trekking poles – Rental
- 2/3-person Tent – Rental
- Sleeping bag (-10 deg C) – Rental
- Insulated water bottle/Thermos– Rental
Upper Body:
- Hard shell jacket (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
- Expedition Parka (heavy insulated “puffy”)
- Light/Mid-weight insulated “puffy” jacket
- Fleece hoodie/pullover
- Synthetic base layer
- Synthetic t-shirts
Lower Body:
- Hard shell pants
- Synthetic trekking pants
- Insulated pants (fleece sweatpants)
- Synthetic/wool thermal long underwear
- Synthetic/wool underwear
Hands and Feet:
- Synthetic/wool hiking socks
- Synthetic/wool expedition weight socks
- Hiking boots/shoes
- Heavyweight gloves
- Mid/lightweight gloves
- Expedition weight mittens – Rental
Head Ware:
- Balaclava/buff
- Beanie
- Helmet – Rental
- Sunglasses (100% UV protection)
Other:
- Personal first-aid kit
- Prescription meds (inhaler, EpiPen, etc.)
- Personal toiletries & sunscreen
- Gas Cooker (for boiling water & cooking freeze-dried food) – Rental
- Mess Tin/Cutlery
- Gas Canister(s) – Purchase
- Freeze-dried food
Talk to a Kazbek expert today:
- +1 704-810-4296
Your safety & success are our priority. Our guides:
- Have each summited Mt. Kazbek over 20 times
- Have over 5 years of experience on Mt. Kazbek
- Are GMGA or IFMGA-certified
- Are English-speaking with local expertise
What you’ll experience on “Climb Kazbek Challenge” expedition
Climb Kazbek Challenge Pricing
| Tour Level | 2 People | 3 - 4 People | 5- 6 People |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Economic |
$1,695 |
$1,395 |
$1,245 |
|
Classic / Mid-range |
$2,455 |
$1,995 |
$1,795 |
|
Affordable Luxury |
$2,695 |
$2,395 |
$2,195 |
*As a US based company, all prices are in US Dollars, per person. We accept payment in US dollars at the exchange rate in affect at the time of payment. Refer to our Payment Options document for further details on various methods of payment.
*Economic Pricing includes: 3-star guest home in Stepantsminda, tents on Kazbek, and providing your own freeze-dried food for Days 2-6 on Kazbek.
*Classic Pricing includes: 3+ star hotel in Stepantsminda, tents on Kazbek, and meals included in mountain huts/at base camp.
*Affordable Luxury Pricing includes: 4-star hotel in Stepantsminda, hut lodging on Kazbek on Day 2 at Alti Hut, tents on Days 3-5, and meals included in mountain huts/at base camp.
*For single rooms, a single supplement fee will be applied.
*Contact us for larger group pricing.