Hike the Way of the Heroes in the Western Caucasus

Follow Alex on a psychological hike in the Caucasus, spending over two weeks on a transformative journey to develop both your mind and body. By trekking ¨The Way of the Heroes,¨ you will find new ways to understand yourself through a gorgeous mountain tour.

Caucase

1 Day

Sep

High

Beginner

Description

Let me guide you on a personal journey through the glorious Caucasus in Russia. This two-week hike allows you to center the mind and body, using nature as a tool for discovering new depths of yourself.

¨The Way of the Heroes¨ is a deep adventure that is more than just a hike through the mountains. Taking place in the southwest of Russia, we will focus on self-knowledge and development over the course of 15 days, assisted by the aesthetic beauty and natural powers of this incredible region.

There are deep-rooted psychological aspects to this trip, and you will discovering new ways of personal thinking. The way of the hero is to meet with ourselves by realizing what we truly need to accomplish to be at peace. This idea is compounded by both physical and mental elements, and ours will be an all-encompassing adventure.

Developed by American researcher Joseph Campbell, this concept is based on the changing phases of a person´s life and their place in its sequence. Our goal is to live out this cycle over the course of our trip.

This trek will include psychological work, in both personal and group settings. You will get back to the basics of nature, focus on breathing and body work, and dissect your inner workings and thoughts to reach new areas of understanding about who you are.

In essence, you will wander to find yourself. Through nature and its revitalizing energy, you will be able to interact with yourself in fresh and newly gratifying ways. We will leave the distractions of everyday life and the constant communication for the invigorating peace of the great outdoors.

From the moment you arrive in Mineralnye Vody, the journey begins, and that busy first day carries over into the beautiful process of two weeks being with yourself in an absolutely stunning landscape. The northern Elbrus area of the western Caucasus is uniquely magnificent, and you couldn´t ask for a better place to discover yourself.

This program is for anyone with a desire to learn more about psychology and themselves, and for anyone with a passion for the mountains. A general physical fitness is definitely an asset for this sustained trip. I will be guiding you accompanied by two psychologists.

Book NOW and join me on this life-changing hike through the Caucasus for two weeks in one of the world´s most beautiful mountain ranges!

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Guiding fee

- Transport during the trip

Price details

This is the price in rubles to join our group tour.

The price includes the guiding fee, transportation from Mineralnye Vody to the trek and back, sports medical insurance, accommodation in the Uzunkol Alplager, psychological support, and three personal meetings.

The price does NOT include the flights to and from the program, meals, personal expenses, personal food and drink(s).

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Mineralnye Vody

You will arrive at the airport in Mineralnye Vody to begin your journey. We will meet and board a bus that will take us up into the mountains. We will stop at a market in Pyatigorsk (or Kislovodsk) to purchase and gather any last products and items we should need.

We follow a road to Gili-Su, which will take a good amount of the day. Once we arrive, we take our packs and head up to Emanuel Glade to set up camp. We will reach 2,500 meters in altitude.

Day 2 to 4: Glade Emanuel

These days will consist of getting acclimated to our new environment. We will climb to the ice fields on the north side of Mt. Elbrus, visit an ancient cemetary, and gain invaluable skills as hikers for the rest of our trip.

Day 5: Irakhiksirt

We travel west to the plateau of Irakhiksirt for our first night above 3,000 meters. Covering roughly six hours of hiking and gaining 700 meters in altitude, we will arrive at camp early and spend the evening resting for the following days.

Day 6 to 7: Balkbashi Pass

We wake up early to cross the Kichkinekol River, before heading up to 3,700 meters at the pass. Our descent will cover about six kilometers and we will drop 1,000 meters. We will set up camp for the following day at Gyly-Su, which will be a day of rest.

Day 8: Uzunkol Alplager

We will visit a rural shop in Khurzuk before making our way to the housing accommodation at Uzunkol Alplager. This will include both hiking and renting a bus or truck.

Day 9 to 11: Uzunkol Gorge

Our days here will involve getting accustomed to the region, swimming in the mountain rivers and waterfalls, and exploring the Myrda Valley. There will be various altitude changes, so the goal is also to acquaint yourself with the air and become familiar with the landscape.

Day 12: Trezubets

You will climb to Trezubets and set up camp, preparing for the next day.

Day 13 to 14: Myrda Circle

Our destination today is the peak of the Myrda Circle. We will leave early, and reach the top by 12:00pm. After radio contact is made, we will descend down to Uzunkol for the evening, and the following day will be a day of rest.

Day 15: Departure

We will say goodbye to our alpine camp and return to Mineralnye Vody to head home.

Details

More info

Recommended gear and equipment includes but is not limited to: - Tent, foam mat, and sleeping bag - Personal clothes, hiking boots, thermal clothes , weather / sun protection, swimwear, light shoes, outer jackets and pants, hat(s) - Backpack, a rain cover for the backpack, document protector(s) - Passport, money, pone, medical insurance - Personal hygiene products (toothpaste, soap, personal wipes, etc.) Registration AFTER June, 30, 2018, is based upon a separate agreement.

Meeting point

We will meet at 12:00pm at the airport in Mineralnye Vody.

About the guide

Alex

Mountain Leader

I fell in love with the mountains in the summer of 2010, in the Sayram-su canyon in the northern Tian Shan range. A month later, back in St. Petersburg, I enrolled in an alpine club and, since then, the mountains have been a constant source of interest for me.

From early on, I realized that the mountains had a very special effect on me and decided to try to convey this knowledge to others. A mountain experience has many points in common with a psychotherapy session so the idea of combining a simple mountain trek with a full-fledged psychological training seemed so natural and obvious to me that I still wonder why nobody had thought of this.

Mountains to me are not just a hobby but a way of getting to know yourself, to feel actually alive. Mountaineering helped me part with what I didn't like about my life, rebuild it and become more honest with myself.

Languages

Russian | French | English

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