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In the already unique North Caucasus Mountains of Russia, the republic of North Ossetia stands out as one of the more (if not most) unique places to visit in this corner of the world.  Consider this.  North Ossetia is the only republic in the North Caucasus that: -Has linguistic ties to Persia/Iran -Where Islam is

  Like many of you, we’re all itching to get back to doing what we love:  experiencing the excitement of travel to a foreign land.  What does this mean for your planned Russia Trip or Mt. Elbrus Climb in 2022?  For one, travel to Russia IS open to citizens of more than 80 countries!  Here is

As often is the case with off-the-beaten-path destinations around the world, they can be well-known by foreigners for all the wrong reasons.  Dagestan is a great example of this.  In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Dagestan began registering on foreigners’ radars because of the spillover of the Chechen wars into the region.  Then, once

Chechnya is one of the few places in the North Caucasus that most foreigners have heard of before.  Especially due to the wars in the region in the 1990s and early 2000s, the word “Chechnya” has stuck in people’s memories, most often with negative connotations of being dangerous and unstable.  The present reality, though, is

Within the international climbing community, Mt. Elbrus is well-known as Europe’s highest peak, or one of the 7 Summits.  But how well-known is it outside of the climbing community?  In my experience, not very!  There are actually lots of interesting historical and cultural tidbits about Mt. Elbrus that touch many facets of life you may

They say that good things come in small packages.  This is definitely the case with Ingushetia!  Despite being Russia’s smallest state, Ingushetia is well-worth a visit for its beautiful mountain landscapes, ancient towers, and unique cultural traditions.  Keep reading for practical details on how to visit this hidden gem of the North Caucasus, including access

Every summer, thousands of foreigners flood into the Caucasus Mountains of Russia to climb Mt. Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak.  At first glance, the obvious route to climb is the South Route, the most popular of options among climbers (i.e. 80-90% of climbers choose the South Route).  With that being said, the North Route is growing

We are often asked the questions: “What is the best way to train for Mount Elbrus?” or “How can I train for climbing Mount Elbrus while living at low elevation?”  Most climbers have heard that high altitude is one of the greatest challenges of climbing Mount Elbrus. Therefore, they want to know how to train

Climbing Gear Summit Pack (25 – 30 Liter) available for rent Your summit pack is the backpack you will climb with on summit day. It should be large enough to hold your extra layers and gear as well as water and food. You will also find this useful on your acclimatization hikes. Certain models can