If you love active travel, crave an exhilarating adventure, want to keep costs down, and have always dreamed of climbing Elbrus — set everything else aside. This article is for you.
The eco-hotel LeapRus 3912, which looks more like a set of space capsules, has no equivalent anywhere in Russia. The complex is designed for mountaineers, skiers and mountain-touring enthusiasts, and sits on the slopes of a dormant volcano at an altitude of 3,912 metres above sea level.
The hotel combines comfort, safety and respect for the natural environment.
LeapRus 3912 is a project created to develop tourism in the North Caucasus. It replaced the old hotel "Priyut Odinnadtsati", which ceased operating after a fire in 1998.
This remarkable hotel stood a strong chance of becoming the highest-altitude building in Europe, but was pipped by the Alpine (and most dangerously situated in the world) Solvay Hut. It sits at an elevation of 3,962 metres above sea level.
The Italian company Leapfactory designed and built LeapRus in Turin. The modules were assembled at the foot of Elbrus, a process that took just a few hours. Thanks to their light weight — 2.5 tonnes each — cargo helicopters were able to transport the hotel to its lofty site.
The complex consists of four modules. Two are designed for rest and can accommodate 36 people. The third contains a dining room, which doubles as sleeping quarters for a further 12 guests at night. The fourth module houses the showers, toilet, snow-melting stoves and batteries. At the end of each module is a window offering a panoramic view of the Caucasus range.
Building a hotel in an uninhabited and barely accessible environment is a formidable challenge for engineers.
The Leapfactory team designed LeapRus to be entirely self-sufficient: electricity is supplied by photovoltaic cells integrated into the outer shell, while snow-melting stoves provide the water supply and heating.
The hotel is equipped with an automatic ventilation system, carbon dioxide level monitoring, underfloor heating, a waste-disposal system specially developed for high-altitude use, and wireless internet throughout the complex. In strong winds, the modules' specially designed cladding adjusts its geometry at points of maximum stress to improve aerodynamics.
The wooden interiors of the capsules evoke the feel of a traditional mountain hut. The bold exterior print — an important visual landmark for alpinists — recalls the pattern of a warm knitted pullover and is easily recognisable from a distance.
Climbing Elbrus: a 9-day tour to the highest point in Europe
The tour offered by the North Caucasus Mountain Club is scarcely less extreme or comfortable than a journey of the luxury-class to the South Pole, which we wrote about recently.
Day 1 includes a trip to a place called Zhily-Su, renowned for its breathtaking views. Visitors can look forward to a 40-metre waterfall, a dip in the mineral springs, and a picnic beside the meadow from which the first Elbrus expedition set out in 1929. After lunch, the group travels by four-wheel-drive vehicles deeper into the Baksan Gorge, finally reaching the village of Terskop, where they check in to the hotel and sit down to discuss the ascent plan.
Day 2 begins with a jeep ride to a waterfall. From there, participants hike up to the abandoned MGU Ice Base, situated at 3,300 metres above sea level. This trek serves as an acclimatisation stage in preparation for the altitudes of the days ahead. On returning to the hotel, guests sample national cuisine, try their hand at fishing, visit the sauna and take a helicopter excursion.
Day 3 begins with a cable-car ascent to an elevation of 3,750 metres, as far as the Garabashi station. Participants then complete a further acclimatisation climb across a snow plateau to the old Priut 11 base at 4,050 metres, before descending by cable car to the hotel to rest and prepare for the following day.
Day 4 calls for maximum concentration: ascending to 4,500 metres above sea level is a serious undertaking. A snowcat carries participants from the Garabashi station up to the LeapRus eco-hotel. After a short rest at the base, they climb to the lower edge of the Pastukhov Rocks (4,500 metres). The evening is spent at the LeapRus hotel, where after dinner the traditional "evening gathering" takes place, with stories and legends of the Caucasus.
Day 5 involves ascending to the highest point of the Pastukhov Rocks (4,700 metres), a climb that takes four to five hours. In the evening, participants take part in a photo session and prepare for the following day.
Day 6 is a day of rest and recovery, combined with light training on the slope in anticipation of the ascent to the highest point in Europe.
Day 7 — the ascent of Elbrus takes between six and ten hours. Provided participants follow the guides' instructions without question, the climb proceeds without any unforeseen incidents. Travellers take in the panorama of the Caucasus range, pose for photographs, and carry with them forever the feeling of joy and freedom at 5,642 metres.
Day 8 is a reserve day. There are occasions when guides prohibit the ascent for weather-related reasons, in which case the summit attempt is rescheduled for the following day. If the ascent has gone ahead as planned, this day is set aside for an excursion to the Chegem Waterfalls and the Adyr-Su Gorge.
Day 9 — farewell to the summit. Participants descend by snowcat, and a group transfer takes travellers to the airport.
On the downside: this trip is not one you can embark on without physical preparation. Evening sessions on the sofa will need to give way to the gym.
On the upside: prices start from 70,000 roubles, the experience is physically rewarding, there is the pride of having conquered the highest point in Europe, and you will have a story worth telling your grandchildren.
Photography: Lukas Gentilcore (Lucas Gentilcore, TLMELO, Dmitry Monakhov, Dmitry Chistoprudov.
You can discover even more scenic locations and travel ideas in our feature on 10 viewpoints with breathtaking views.
