Bazarduzu Blitz

Whether you fly in to Azerbaijan’s capital Baku this morning or arrived yesterday, you’ll meet your guide at a pre-arranged point in Baku, then take off for the scenic, 3-hour drive to Quba. Your guide will complete final shopping for supplies in Quba and you’ll proceed on the 2-hour drive to Khinalig village, where you will check in to your guesthouse and eat lunch. After lunch you’ll take a 6 km acclimatization hike to Mount Kharibulbul (2783 meters) and return to the guest house for the night, sleeping at 2150 meters altitude (7050 feet). The village of Khinalig is renowned for its hospitality towards guests and you’ll enjoy some authentic mountain cuisine today.

After breakfast at the guesthouse you’ll depart for Bazarduzu Mountain base camp in 4x4 vehicles. It’s a 2-hour drive through Shahdag National Park, where you’ll stop along the way at Shahyaylag to take in amazing panoramic views of Azerbaijan’s 4,000 meter peaks. The drive continues to Bazarduzu’s lower base camp at 2,900 meters, where you’ll take your pack and continue on foot for 2 hours to the second base camp at 3,250 meters. Horse porters are included to carry the majority of your gear to upper base camp. Upon arrival at base camp, you’ll set up your tents, have lunch, and set off on a 2-hr acclimatization hike to 3,400 meters. You’ll want to retire early and get a good night’s sleep before summit day tomorrow!

It’s Summit Day! You have a 6 to 7 hour climb ahead of you, so you will wake up at 4:00 am for the beginning of the ascent to Bazarduzu summit. After reaching the summit and taking in the views (and lots of pictures!) of the neighboring region of Dagestan (Russia), you’ll start the 3 to 4 hour descent to base camp. Once at base camp, you’ll pack your tents and gear, hike to the car and return to Khinalig village for a tasty dinner and well-deserved night’s sleep in a guest house.

Pack your bags and say goodbye for now to the Caucasus Mountains, a place we hope you will come back to for another adventure very soon. After breakfast we’ll transfer you back to Baku, where you’ll either fly out of the airport back home, or spend another night before flying home tomorrow. We hope to see you again soon!