Climb Mount Kazbek in Georgia (5054m)

Loved my trip to Georgia to climb Kazbek. We had an awesome group and all successfully summitted. Some tips:

• Take water purification tablets. You can't rely on buying water at meteo station.
• Don't be lured into a false sense of security on this trip. All but summit day is relatively easy. But summit day - wowzer! Took our group (a strong bunch) about 7 up and 5 down and it was hard work.
• Top marks to MBA for incorporating a back up day. We needed it and it'd have been disappointing to have missed the summit when that 24hrs made all the difference in terms of weather.
• Altihut is awesome, enjoy the comfort as once you get to Meteo station it disappears!

I was disappointed with the quality of the guides on our trip and this is the only thing stopping a 5 star review. Love you Georgia!

Wonderful people and an incredible adventure. My first time experiencing anything above 2250m, a real challenge. Bekar, David, Buta and Kakha are experienced guides and know Mount Kazbegi like the back of their hand. The decision was made to turn around at 4500m due to poor conditions, the absolute maximum we could have gone safely. Great food, facilities, itinerary and friends. I'll be back to explore again some day. Elliott (Australia).

Sadly we didn't manage to summit due to adverse weather/heavy snow but we still had some great views on summit day and made it to around 4500m before turning back. The guides were all very friendly, and Altihut was much more comfortable than expected! There wasn't very much to do in Stepantsminda but our lunch and dinner there were both fantastic. Definitely add on some time at the end to explore Tbilisi and other parts of Georgia.

Mother nature can be a cruel mistress. Tough climb, and unfortunately winds meant summiting was unachievable. Nevertheless the trip is well worth a crack. Georgia is a stunning country and the mountains are a joy to visit. Altihut is great and the only real dow side being the Meteo station toilet!!

Didn't quite need as big a sleeping bag as the kit list said, and definitely bring a pack of cards in case the weather turns and you need to keep entertained! Other than that it's a really well organised trip and I'd highly recommend.

Well organised and exciting trip that ran smoothly from startt to finish. All accommodation exceeded my expectations and the mountain guide who escorted me on the journey was exceptional. Would highly recommend this trip.

This is an absolutely epic adventure! However, Kazbek is no easy feat, so make sure you’re ready for it.

I almost didn’t book this adventure because I thought I had to carry a 65L backpack up the mountain to the first refuge, Altihut. This worried me for weeks! However, when we arrived at MPlus to meet our guide and collect our kit, we were given the option of using the wonderful Georgian mountain horses. After a quick group consultation, we decided to pay (about £30 each) and conserve our energy for other things.

The Alps style Altihut is a delightful place to stay during acclimatisation. The rooms are clean and comfortable, the food is delicious, and the staff are friendly and helpful. Meteo Station is a whole different experience. I’m glad it was only for one night. The only way to cope is to have a sense of humour and appreciate it for what it is - a Soviet era meteorological station built in the 20s and now in desperate need of a complete refurbishment/ knocking down! The toilet hut is an experience I won’t mention. The hot chocolate, however, is absolutely delicious. And it was impressive that we were served French toast at our 1.30am breakfast in such a hostile and brutal environment.

The acclimatisation hikes are moderately challenging, but not too strenuous. I took them slowly and steadily, drank lots of water and prioritised sleep. This approach served me well on summit day and I didn’t struggle with altitude sickness.

We were well taken care of by our two brilliant guides, Beka and international award winning mountaineer (!!!) Archil Badriashvili. We were very lucky to have them both. However, they are not babysitter guides like I’ve had on some other trips. They are there to provide expertise, support and encouragement, but you really must know what you are doing in the mountains. They will be there when you need them (ie jumping across a wide crevasse on the glacier!).

The summit day was one of the longest and most challenging days of my life. It took everything I had to summit Kazbek, and then I had to keep finding more and more inner reserves to manage the descent. The guides were wonderful at keeping us moving and motivated (although I wasn’t so grateful at the time!). As exhausting as it was, it was also exhilarating to be pushed to such physical and psychological limits.

Climbing Kazbek is a magnificent feat. If you’re up for being tested and exposed to some pretty extreme conditions, book this trip now. And enjoy the plentiful delicious cheese bread in Tbilisi. The food in Georgia is worth a visit alone, never mind the beautiful mountains.

The kit list is there for a reason. Follow it to the letter, including observing the recommended bag sizes. As suggested, I took a larger 65L backpack to carry everything and then a 35L mountaineering backpack that could be squashed down and carried in the other backpack. The 35L backpack was perfect for the ascent to Meteo Station (summit day essentials and sleeping bag) whilst my larger pack was stored at Altihut. I came well prepared with base layers, mid layers and a high quality down jacket as well as insulated mountaineering gloves and foot warmers. The saddle and summit were extremely cold, so I’m glad I had everything with me.

Only regrets - I wish I’d brought my camel pack, as it was tricky to drink enough water on summit day. We had minimal breaks as we just had to keep going. I also wish I’d topped up with factor 50 sun cream every time we did stop. I ended up quite badly snowburnt around my nose and lips.

Only 15% of the people who do this trip are women. I was lucky that in my small group of four, two of us were women, which changed the dynamic somewhat. Our group had a gentler energy than if it had been all men. So if you’re a woman considering this trip but feeling intimidated, give it a go. I definitely don’t regret it. I discovered I was more than capable.

Great, but challenging trip. Be ready for long walking hours in the snow and be rewarded with the great views and finally the summit. Our guide Levan was very good and helpful. Everything was very well organised starting with the airport transfer, including accommodation, the summit, transport etc. I would definitely recommend this trip.

Exceptional and challenging experience. Our guide Levan was highly skilled, great communicator, and ensured our success reaching the summit.

Very good trip for someone who wants to start hiking/climbing at altitude

Overall a fantastic trip with great guides. The ascent up Mount Kazbek is spectacular but not to be underestimated, given the high altitude and glaciated terrain! My group's ascent was unfortunately hampered by challenging weather conditions, but I had a great experience nonetheless. Most of the trip was spent staying at Altihut which is a very comfortable, though the night spent at Meteo hut is much more basic. It was great to spend some time in Tbilisi at the end of the trip, sampling some of its night-life and exploring the old town.

Georgia is absolutely beautiful, their people (the guides were great and very helpful), their food, their mountains, I totally recommend this trip!!! Unfortunately a few of us in the trip didn't make it to the summit due to pretty harsh weather, but I would like to try to do it again soon. I personally found it harder than climbing Mont Blanc which I did about 2 years ago. Expect not to have a shower for about 6 days (until you get back to Stepantsminda) as there are no shower facilities at any of the 2 mountain huts (of course you can always use wet wipes to clean yourself but def. not showers). At Meteo Station expect super basic accomodation, only toilet outside in the cold a few metres away from the hut which was basically a whole in the ground, there is a tap to get water (very very cold) coming from the glacier to wash hands, drink, etc... there are no changing rooms or anything like that, so hardly any privacy (dorms/rooms were mix). The rooms are super small, there is hardly any space left to leave your backpacks and equipment, specially if you are in a group of around 6 - 8 people (we were 8). Although it was hard, I would def. like to go again and hopefully summit next time.

Superbly organised trip, and the local guides were brilliant.

Great trip overall. We didn't make it to the summit due to the weather. You don't see/learn a lot about Georgian culture or get in contact with locals, so if you're interested in that, you better extend your trip.

Amazing trip to an amazing country. It’s a tough trip with weather playing a key role in the success but the guides were excellent by providing training and support to help you get to the top.

Armenia is a wonderful experience of culture and landscape, everything was very smooth and enjoyable. Bagging the north peak of Mount Aragats was both challenging and fulfilling, an accomplishment to say the least. Our guide, Levon, was excellent in every way. He even spent his own time socializing with our group in the evenings. This experience has only added to my desire to go back!

Amazing trip! Couldn’t recommend enough. The guides were great. However, don’t underestimate this trips toughness!

What an incredible way to experience a very under-rated part of the world; Georgia is absolutely stunning - sweeping mountain landscapes, fantastic food (maybe less so in the meteo station as others have mentioned) and a challenging climb to the top of Kazbek to cap it off! Our guides were top-class - we had Bekar, Gua and David who did a brilliant job. Our first summit attempt ended abortively after the weather soured, but we were fortunate to have been able to make a second attempt using our reserve day. If you're looking for a true intrepid expedition experience with lots of physical challenge in good company, this will definitely fit the bill.

Absolutely fantastic trip that was really made by the professionalism and friendliness of the guides. I’ll definitely be coming back to Georgia at some point in the future.

Outstanding trip. If you want to really push yourself, test your legs on every kind of mountainous terrain and your lungs at altitude this is it. The mountain is largely not technical so a great intro to high altitude mountaineering as well as acclimatisation process, staying in nice and not so nice mountain refuges / huts and not showering for 5 days! It’s a great gateway to an expedition feel. The climb is hard and rewarding and the other treks you do around it make the trip worthwhile alone. The guiding company used is second to none - extremely professional, experienced and fun. The whole trip; accommodation, food, times, transport was organised seamlessly.

A few tips - bring a small filter, like a Salomon crushable filter for the glacier water at the Meteo station. Otherwise it’s like drinking sediment. Maybe even bring a few juice drops like Robinson’s for the water too to make it taste good. And some purification tablets. Bring everything on the kit list otherwise you’ll end up buying it in Georgia for a lot. Even if the weather looks like you won’t need something.

The trip of a lifetime - absolutely beautiful landscapes, a great group, incredibly experienced guides, and excellent organisation. A few words of advice for anyone embarking on the trip in future:

• Food: would recommend making the most of the stop in Stepantsminda to stock up on snacks; worst case you can stock up at the Meteo Station but this is only advisable if (1) you are not allergic to Mars or Snickers bars and (2) you are willing to pay 10 GEL for said Mars or Snickers bars. Food in the huts is generally good although the vegetarian offering leaves something to be desired
• Equipment: follow the packing list to the letter - e.g. make sure your gloves are heavy duty and your sunglasses are suitable for mountaineering. Day one meeting point is a well-stocked outdoors shop in case you’re missing anything
• Fitness: the trip requires a decent level of fitness, endurance and sure-footedness (the terrain alternates between scree, icy glaciers, and snow) All in all a very memorable trip, and one that has inspired me to return to Georgia one day for round two!

This trip was nothing less than a 5* experience, a perfect adventure!

After getting your kit squared away at the meeting point, the guides then take over and you begin an incredibly scenic drive to Stepantsminda and the Trinity Church. From here, it's all hiking!

I personally found the kit to be spot on, and there are only a few changes that I would make for myself only as I build my experience at Altitude. We were lucky with the weather so the water didn't freeze in my camelbak on the summit day and I didn't pull my down jacket out once. But I can absolutely understand why that kit is listed as the weather is not normally so perfect (same as any mountain).

I didn't experience any altitude sickness thankfully, and I think that's both in part due to my approach to hydrate as much as possible, rest well, and move slowly, and it's also in part due to the guide's acclimatisation hikes and their advice.

There are no showers from your first day until you return to Stepantsminda/Tbilisi (depends if you use the reserve day). It was no issue for any of us, I'd recommend bringing wet wipes and deodorant to stay reasonably fresh.

Altihut was wonderful. It's built like a small wooden refuge in the Austrian Alps. The staff are incredible, and the views even more so. Really happy with the food too. The room was just one large room and I chose the top bunk bed that looked out the window and had a wonderful view of the sun coming over the mountains the following morning.

At the Meteo Station, aside from the staff and food, it is the complete opposite, but in a borderline humourous way. After all, you are in the mountains, 3650m in the air; what do you expect? Basic facilities, toilet block is 50m away from the main building for obvious reasons when you're there. But again, the people, views, and adventure just keep you smiling!

There are charging opportunities at both places, so if like me your phone is your camera you will be able to charge it each day.

The guides were truly incredible. So comforting, knowledgable, down-to-earth, and professional. The training they gave us before summit day was brilliant too. Make sure you listen to them!

This isn't an easy feat, it really does live up to the max rating MBA offer. The other hikes were tough but perfectly fine for me. The summit day, however, is the hardest physical thing (but possibly the coolest thing?) I've ever done - and I'd do it again! If you're a good hiker and approach acclimatisation with respect then it can be done - but it goes without saying the fitter you are, the easier it'll be. Besides, as we were struggling and pushing on, the guides were perfectly fine, not out of breath, and ready to support when you needed it!

I feel I was also lucky to have all brilliant people on the trip. We all gelled well and worked as a team. A view that was echoed by everyone.

Lastly, every single moment of my week spent here was some of the best I've had and I couldn't recommend this trip more! Book it ASAP, treat the trip with respect and an open mind, and thank me later!

Firstly, the mountain itself and the landscape in which it sits is stunningly beautiful, and whether you make the summit or not, it's a pretty life changing experience just to trek and climb in that environment. This trip is rated at the top end of the difficulty scale for good reason. I trained pretty hard for months in advance, and on the day I had to turn back 250 m short of the summit due to absolute exhaustion rendering it unsafe for me to press on. At 41, I certainly wasn't the youngest in the group or the fittest, but please understand that as the guides explained to us, 5054 m is a significant challenge, and Mount Kazbek is anything but an easy climb. There is not a lot of time to acclimatise, and personally I think one extra day in order to rest would've given that preparation for the summit attempt.

I brought equipment with me I use for winter mountaineering in Scotland, but was advised by the guides that my gloves and boots were not warm enough, and that the technical axes I brought we're not appropriate. I would recommend to anyone coming that it's easier to rent the equipment from MPlus if you have any doubt whatsoever about the suitability of your equipment for this kind of a mountain. Don't underestimate just how brutal the wind and cold can be.

Really enjoyed the trip and the guides were great at not only taking us up the mountain but also showed us the night life in Tblisi. Altihut is very comfortable with good food, wifi, beds, toilets meanwhile meteo station not so much but it's only for one night before the summit. If you've prepared beforehand the hiking is pretty easy it only gets a harder on summit day when there's more walking to be done and obviously the summit when ice axes and crampons need to be used. Overall a great trip with a good views, food, and great company.

Best holiday ever! Everything was exceptionally organised and we hadn't a care in the world. The guides were tremendous - on our first attempt the weather turned really bad halfway despite a good forecast, so they made the right call of getting us safely down the mountain. We had another attempt the next day in truly fantastic weather. Everyone had a blast, the guides even toured Tbilisi's night life when we got off the mountain. Tremendous experience, couldn't recommend it enough

We had a fantastic trip, the scenery was stunning. The trip was operated sustainably, the kit we rented was in good condition, but I do wonder if it needed to be so big. The H&S on this trip was very good and of high standards. My only concern would be that a guide should follow the group at the back at all times, in case there is a problem with the last person. This is an excellent, and I would do it again.

Great trip. Really enjoyed it! Good level of difficulty / challenge. Mountains are beautiful. Accommodation and food is solid. The Altihut is actually very nice. The Meteo Station less so. But you don't go on this trip for luxurious hotels. The outdoors is why you go, and that was more than what I hoped for!

Stunning scenery with great acclimatisation hikes and excellent professional mountain hikes making sure we were safe at all times. However there are few luxuries on this tour.

Well organised ascent, no complaints.

Not for the faint hearted at all. Harder than stated. The altitude is not to be underestimated and it’s a big elevation gain in a short space of time, might be better spread out or altitude medication recommended beforehand. Beware the kit list inaccuracies and there are no shower facilities at all until day 5/6 depending on when you summit. So prepare to be dirty and smelly for the duration. The kit rental should be checked before leaving the shop as some of the group were given substandard or wrong items.

The local guides who take you up the mountain (we had Bekar, Gua, David and Ramaz) were absolutely incredible and did their absolute best to make up for the above. They’re the only reason I’d recommend this trip and do another MBA trip. They love the mountain and they love what they do.

This was an amazing experience. I loved it and would happily recommend the trip to others. Just a bit more customer service from the local host, and better info/kitlist, would really help.