When participants ask us about the budget, we always suggest counting the cost of the whole trip door to door, not just the programme price. The difference is usually 30,000–50,000 RUB, and it is better to learn about it before buying tickets, not in Terskol.
Elbrus from the south costs from 125,000 RUB for 11 days, Elbrus from the north — from 115,000 RUB for the same 11 days. The price includes a certified guide, transfers, accommodation, Mountain Rescue registration and group equipment — ropes, first-aid kit, radios.
The northern programme is cheaper not because it is stripped down — on the contrary, it is the wilder, more self-sufficient route. There are simply no cable cars or snowcats there, which make up a noticeable share of the southern side's costs.
Flights to Mineralnye Vody from Moscow usually cost 8,000–15,000 RUB return if bought a month or so ahead. This is the most predictable budget line: book early and you save.
If this is your first mountain, buying everything makes no sense. In Terskol rental shops, double boots, crampons, an ice axe, a down jacket and a harness come to roughly 10,000–15,000 RUB for the trip. What exactly you will need is covered in What to pack for Elbrus, and there is a separate guide on choosing boots and crampons.
The southern route has costs the north does not: the cable car to Gara-Bashi station (~2,500 RUB one way) and, optionally, a snowcat ride on summit night up to the Pastukhov Rocks (10,000–15,000 RUB per person, arranged by the group). The snowcat is not mandatory, but many take it: it saves 2–3 hours of strength before the hardest part of the climb.
Insurance covering mountaineering up to 5,700 m costs 2,000–5,000 RUB per trip, and this is the one thing not to save on: a regular travel policy does not work at altitude. Details are in our mountain insurance article. Add cafes in Terskol, souvenirs and a post-summit banya — another five to ten thousand depending on appetite.
A realistic full budget for climbing Elbrus from Moscow is 150,000–180,000 RUB including gear rental and reasonable personal spending. You can save on flights (book early), gear (borrow some from friends) and the snowcat (walk). What you cannot save on is insurance and acclimatization.
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