Basic alpine
PD — a long, cold snow climb
Glacier travel: crampons, ice axe, rope teams.
5–8 days
Fee / registration
National park fee and registration; access logistics are usually handled by local agencies.
Terskol
Crowds: high · most parties climb guided
June to August is the standard season, with July most stable. Even in summer, storms arrive fast and summit day starts around 2–3 a.m. in deep cold.
From the south, Elbrus is a fitness-and-weather problem rather than a climbing one: cable cars and snowcats compress the approach, leaving a long cramponed snow plod from the barrels huts to the twin summits. Its danger is deceptive — featureless slopes turn lethal in sudden whiteouts, and the summit day is 1,500+ m of ascent in genuine cold. Acclimatisation rotations are non-negotiable.
A 5,000 m Caucasus classic above a famous hilltop church — big-mountain feel on a budget.
Western Europe's highest summit and the birthplace of alpinism — a classic first big glacier climb.
A half-day 4,000er — the classic first taste of glacier climbing, with the Matterhorn filling your camera.