Heydar Aliyev and Ataturk peaks: two days in the Qizilqaya massif

Heydar Aliyev peak (3751 m) is one of the most striking points of the Qizilqaya massif. The best thing about the route is that it lets you experience a summit with a tent without the weight of a full expedition.

How it works

Day one: Baku → Quba → Khinalig, then a 4x4 climb to the area near Atashgah. Only 2.2 km of walking remain to the camp — no long hours under a heavy pack. You pitch the tents and spend the evening acclimatising.

Day two: an early start and 2.9 km with roughly 814 metres of ascent to the summit. The summit walk takes about 6 hours, after which you return to camp and drive back to Baku via Khinalig.

Programme: Heydar Aliyev & Ataturk peaks expedition.

Why this route is good for a first night in a tent

• The distance to camp is short — even if something goes wrong, turning back is easy.
• You stay one night: enough to test your gear, not enough to exhaust you.
• Summit day is done with a light pack.

What 814 metres of ascent means

The number looks dry, so picture it like this: climbing roughly 270 floors of stairs without a break — on a rocky slope, in thin air. It is not something to take on unprepared.

The simplest preparation: two uphill walks of 45–60 minutes a week, starting 4–6 weeks before the tour. In Baku, the Highland Park steps are steep enough for that.

A note about Khinalig

Khinalig is one of the highest settlements in the Caucasus and a village with a language of its own. If you have an hour there before or after the tour, spend it slowly — the most memorable part of a route is sometimes not the summit.

If you would like to see the region in a lighter format: Eh yolu, Khinalig–Kryz hike and Qalakhudat–Kryz.