Georgia, Russia & Europe’s Highest Mountain
Written on October 14, 2008
When war broke out between Russia and Georgia in August earlier this year Abdelhamid Abouyoussef, Mohamed Kamel, Omar Samra were just beginning their climb of Mount Elbrus near the Russia/Georgia border, amidst the worst weather conditions the mountain had seen in the last 10 years. Their ascent was documented for a short film titled “From Sand To Snow” directed by Elia Saikaly.
Mount Elbrus is a strato-volcano and part of the Western Caucasus mountain range that stretches 750 miles through Russia from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. It’s often disputed whether the Caucasus mountains belong to Europe or Asia, and as a result whether the 5,642 m Mount Elbrus can claim rights over 4,810 m Mont Blanc in the French Alps as Europe’s Highest peak. Geographically the border between Asia and Europe is formed by the central ridges of the Urals and the Caucasus mountains, positioning Mount Elbrus eight miles inside Europe.
Climbing Elbrus is unpopular amongst Russian climbers who view it more as a training mountain due to its low technical difficulty. Cable cars and a chairlift run from its base to above the snow line at 3,800 m where the heated Barrel Huts are several minutes walk away. Another 350 m higher is the unheated 50-bed Diesel Hut, and another 500 m from there is the tented camp at Pastukhov Rocks – both accessible by Snowcat from the Barrel Huts. Whilst the ascent is not technically demanding, the combination of variable weather conditions and altitude ensures the climb is challenging. An ice axe, crampons and rope are all required equipment for reaching the summit.
Extreme skiers can rely on the upper slopes of Mount Elbrus for quality snow year round, even in the height of summer. The region has already been selected as a reserve location for the 2014 Winter Olympics taking place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
World Snowboard Guide says:
“Freerider’s dream: lots of perfect and unexplored off-piste terrain. The only letdown is the long lift queues and badly maintained runs, but you won’t notice if there’s lots of snow.”
The proximity of this region to Chechnya means that any travels aren’t without risk. You can reach Elbrus via Mineralnye Vody, which has a train station and an airport. It’s a 28 hour train ride from Moscow.
Reading
Caucasus: A Journey to the Land Between Christianity and Islam
By Nicholas Griffin
Published by University of Chicago Press, 2004
A traveller’s blog about the rail journey from Moscow and the climb itself
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Georgia, Russia & Europe’s Highest Mountain
Elbrus Trailer: From Sand To Snow
When war broke out between Russia and Georgia in August earlier this year Abdelhamid Abouyoussef, Mohamed Kamel, Omar Samra were just beginning their climb of Mount Elbrus near the Russia/Georgia border, amidst the worst weather conditions the mountain had seen in the last 10 years. Their ascent was documented for a short film titled “From Sand To Snow” directed by Elia Saikaly.
Mount Elbrus is a strato-volcano and part of the Western Caucasus mountain range that stretches 750 miles through Russia from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea. It’s often disputed whether the Caucasus mountains belong to Europe or Asia, and as a result whether the 5,642 m Mount Elbrus can claim rights over 4,810 m Mont Blanc in the French Alps as Europe’s Highest peak. Geographically the border between Asia and Europe is formed by the central ridges of the Urals and the Caucasus mountains, positioning Mount Elbrus eight miles inside Europe.
Climbing Elbrus is unpopular amongst Russian climbers who view it more as a training mountain due to its low technical difficulty. Cable cars and a chairlift run from its base to above the snow line at 3,800 m where the heated Barrel Huts are several minutes walk away. Another 350 m higher is the unheated 50-bed Diesel Hut, and another 500 m from there is the tented camp at Pastukhov Rocks – both accessible by Snowcat from the Barrel Huts. Whilst the ascent is not technically demanding, the combination of variable weather conditions and altitude ensures the climb is challenging. An ice axe, crampons and rope are all required equipment for reaching the summit.
Extreme skiers can rely on the upper slopes of Mount Elbrus for quality snow year round, even in the height of summer. The region has already been selected as a reserve location for the 2014 Winter Olympics taking place in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
World Snowboard Guide says:
The proximity of this region to Chechnya means that any travels aren’t without risk. You can reach Elbrus via Mineralnye Vody, which has a train station and an airport. It’s a 28 hour train ride from Moscow.
Reading
Caucasus: A Journey to the Land Between Christianity and Islam
By Nicholas Griffin
Published by University of Chicago Press, 2004
A traveller’s blog about the rail journey from Moscow and the climb itself
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