Mount Kazbek Expedition

Our first day together is dedicated to airport transfers. Since our team members will be arriving at different times, we’ll gather everyone at Tbilisi airport before proceeding to the Kazbegi region in a private shuttle. If you arrive early, you have the option to explore the town by taking a cab. Your LHO Team Leader will provide recommendations on cafes, restaurants, and heritage sites to visit closer to the time. Our scheduled shuttle time is 6 pm, so please arrange your flights to arrive beforehand. Once we’ve assembled the group, we’ll load up the shuttle and head to the Kazbegi region. The drive takes approximately three hours, passing through the Gudauri ski resort. We’ll have opportunities to stop for coffee and a short rest along the way. Upon arrival, your LHO Team Leader will check you into your rooms and inform you about dinner time. Our team dinner, hosted by your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide, will be the first chance for everyone to meet. We’ll go over the details of our upcoming itinerary and address any questions you may have. The first round of drinks is on us!

Distance: 9.5 KM | Ascent: 1,548 M | Descent: 50 M | Max Altitude: 3,653 M

We’ll start our first day together at a leisurely pace. After breakfast, we’ll conduct gear checks to ensure we have everything we need for the expedition. We’ll meet the rest of our climbing team at the hotel and travel in our private cars to the Gveleti Trinity Church. The church is perched above the town of Stepantsminda and is surrounded by high mountains on all sides, with Mount Kazbek as the dominant peak. Upon reaching the church, we’ll have the opportunity to take pictures, enjoy the scenery, and load up the mules that will transport our supplies to the Betlemi refuge, our base camp. The trek to the base camp begins with a moderate incline in a northbound direction. The trail consists of a series of rolling hills that eventually lead to AltiHut at an elevation of approximately 3,000 meters. We’ll pause for lunch here before continuing along the glacial moraine toward the start of the glacier itself. A moraine is a deep valley formed over centuries as glaciers recede. They typically appear along a trail when approaching a glacier at higher altitudes. The glacier’s beginning is called crampon point, where we put on our crampons to avoid slipping on the ice. Generally, the conditions here are quite dry, and the ice cracks are visible. Whether we need to use a rope here will be determined by our local lead guide. For some of us, this may be the first time using crampons, so we’ll receive instructions on how to wear and walk with them. The glacier crossing takes about an hour before we reach the dry trail leading to the hut. The last section beneath the hut follows a series of switchbacks as it ascends. It’s common to encounter muddy conditions here due to melting snow, especially during the summer months. Upon arrival, we’ll check in at the hut, get acquainted with our new home, and prepare for dinner.

Distance: 5 KM | Ascent: 330 M | Descent: 330 M | Max Altitude: 3,950 M

Our second day on the mountain is focused on acclimatization and skills training. Acclimatization is the natural process by which our bodies adapt to the high-altitude environment. One strategy we use to expedite the process is to briefly ascend to higher altitudes to stimulate our bodies and then return to lower altitudes for recovery. After breakfast, we’ll leave the hut with the goal of reaching 4,000 meters high on the glacier plateau. At the end of the trail, we’ll find the highest Orthodox church on Earth. To reach it, we’ll exit the camp in a northbound direction toward the glacier pass. As we approach the pass, we’ll have to walk onto the glacier once again. This time, we will be wearing our full mountaineering gear, including helmets, ice axes, harnesses, and ropes, as the risk of crevasses is higher in this area. Your local lead guide will provide detailed instructions on how to safely use this equipment before our final ascent to the church. The glacier section is approximately the same length as what we experienced on the previous day and is very enjoyable. After reaching the top, we’ll take pictures and begin our direct descent to the hut, where lunch awaits. Following lunch and a brief rest, we’ll descend back to the glacier for specific technical training. We won’t push ourselves too hard to conserve energy for the summit push. Upon returning to the hut, we’ll have an early dinner and get a good night’s rest for recovery.

Distance: 12.4 KM | Ascent: 1,346 M | Descent: 1,346 M | Max Altitude: 5,054 M

This itinerary accommodates two weather windows. Your LHO Team Leader and local Lead guide will decide on the best day for our ascent, taking into consideration the weather and the team’s energy level. The departure time from the hut will also depend on various factors, typically between midnight and 3 AM. After having a light snack and ensuring we have enough water and food for the journey, we’ll depart in the direction of the plateau, following a trail similar to the one we used for acclimatization. This time, when we reach the glacier plateau, we will turn right and follow the glacier trail that encircles the north side of the mountain. The summit will be on our right for most of the climb as we follow the glacier until reaching a second plateau. Reaching the plateau at 4,500 meters provides a brief relief from the sustained ascent. Technically, we are now in Russia, as the pass serves as the natural border. As we approach the center of the plateau, the trail merges with the Russian normal route to the summit of the mountain. From here, the vertical gain becomes steeper as the trail turns into switchbacks, approaching the saddle between Mount Kazbek and its sister summit just below. Once on the saddle, the entire expanse of the Georgian Caucasus comes into view, with the town of Stepantsminda seeming within arm’s reach down in the valley. The trail takes a sharp left at the saddle, and from here, it’s a straight line to the summit of Mount Kazbek, at 5,033 meters. We’ll do our best to take our time and enjoy the views, but the weather may not always be favorable. In some cases, we’ll be efficient with taking pictures and descend to the plateau for a break, shielded from the elements. It’s important to remember that most accidents occur on the way down, so maintaining our energy levels and morale is crucial. We’ll retrace our steps along the descending trail, passing the plateau and rejoining the Gergeti glacier until we reach the lower plateau. From there, we’ll make our way back to the dry trail and the familiar Betlemi refuge. We typically arrive just past lunchtime, so we’ll have a meal upon arrival, followed by rest. We’ll spend the night here, and it’s essential not to skip dinner because we still have a descending trail ahead.

In some instances, we may find it desirable or necessary to use our second summit window. If that’s the case, the previous day would be dedicated to skills training and rest. If we successfully summited on our first opportunity, this day is dedicated to rest and recovery for the descent the following day. Your LHO Team Leader and local lead guide will adjust the itinerary as needed.

Distance: 9.5 KM | Ascent: 50 M | Descent: 1,548 M | Max Altitude: 3,653 M

The descent to Stepantsminda follows the familiar trail we used to ascend to Betlemi refuge. Before heading out, we’ll pack our belongings, have breakfast, and load our gear onto the mules. We’ll start by descending the muddy trail to the glacier moraine. From there, we’ll don our crampons and walk along the flat, dry glacier until we reach crampon point just below. Once there, we’ll remove our technical gear for the final time on this expedition and rejoin the dry trail along the rolling hills, which eventually leads to the plateau of the Gveleti Trinity church. Our road transportation will be waiting for us at the church. We’ll have our packed lunches near the church while our teams unload the mules and load up the car. It’s also possible to visit the church and take pictures during this time. Once everything is ready, we’ll hop into our cars for the short ride to the hotel, where hot showers await! Dinner will be at the hotel, and the last round of drinks is on us!

Breakfast is included on our last morning together. The rest of the day will be dedicated to shuttling team members to the airport. It’s best to try to book flights from midday onwards to avoid driving along the mountain roads at night. We aim to depart the hotel as a team at 6 am. Those with late transfers will have the chance to explore Tbilisi. You can keep your bags in our private shuttle, which will be available for you when you get dropped off at the airport. Please ensure you provide the correct departure details when filling out your Team Details Form prior to the adventure. If your itinerary changes, please inform your Team Leader as early as possible to make necessary arrangements.