Mt. Elbrus Climb

Mt. Elbrus is Europe's highest mountain reaching an altitude of 18,510 feet. Climbing Elbrus is similar to Mt. Kilimanjaro, but this mountain comes with a few more risks. Kilimanjaro requires nothing more than hiking boots and normal camping equipment, but on Mt. Elbrus you will need to step it up a notch with basic mountain gear including climbing boots, crampons and an ice axe. When I attempted the mountain in August of 2006, more people that year had died on Mt. Elbrus than Mt. Everest. Of course, Elbrus is no where near as dangerous as Everest, but often there are climbers who attempt the mountain without the proper gear or experience. Many assume that if the mountain isn't some giant Himalayan peak then not only is it not difficult, but there is also the assumption that it poses no significant danger. Every outdoor challenge should be taken serious, and any mountain with glaciers that stands over 5,000 meters should never be considered easy. Some where half way up this mountain, I learned what crampons and an ice axe were, and my lack of experience gave me some serious exposure to the dangers of mountaineering. To this day Elbrus, the second easiest of the Seven Summits, probably remains the closest I've ever come to killing myself.

Mt. Elbrus Links
	Before I talk about my actual climb, I'd like to make a comment about the controversy that a few people bring up concerning whether Elbrus is even one of the Seven Summits or not. While the far majority agrees that Elbrus is Europe's highest peak, a small minority consider Mt. Blanc to be the true summit of Europe because of its location. I personally believe Mt. Elbrus is within Europe's borders for the following reasons. First lets agree on the eastern border of Europe, which is known to be Russia's border with Kazhakstan and the Ural mountains in Siberia. I've never heard of anyone disagreeing with this, but even if someone questioned it all you have to do is consider one of the most fiercest battles of World War II, when Germans fought Russians in the city of Volgograd (then Stalingrad). This city is far west of the Ural mountains and west of Kazahkstan, and aside from these two facts I'm pretty confident that anyone reasonable person would agree that this famous battle did not take place on the Asian front. With Volgograd on roughly the same latitude of Elbrus, we can now agree that the mountain is within Europe in regards to its eastern border. All we need to do now is go directly south from Volgograd and find where Europe ends. Of course randomlly drawing a southern border line makes absolutely no sense, but if you travel only 300 miles below Volgograd you'll find a wall known as the Caucaus range which spans from the Black sea to the Caspian sea and has several peaks reaching over 5,000 meters. With Elbrus located on the northern part of the Caucasus wall, this should prove it is within Europe's southern border. should close the argument in my opinion. If you still need another reason then you can still stick with political boundaries which I think are a weak way to determine geographical locations, but still the mountain is not located in the country Georgia but in Russia. Of course you're a long way all the luxuries of western Europe, but with nothing else geographically, politically or culturally different between this mountain range and Volgograd, I see no logical reason why the border of southern Europe should be north of the Caucaus range. The two photos above were some of my first impressions of the Caucaus mountains, with a tiny village barely visible in the upper right photo where I spent the night.

The town around Elbrus was small without much that attracts the eye. Here are some photos from the area you'll likely stay in before actually stepping onto the mountain itself. Even though the town is very small it has enough shops and smokey restaurants to eat at, and at least one internet cafe to keep you entertained for a few days. Don't expect to find anyone who speaks English in the village, and definitely don't expect to find an English menu or a menu with photos at any of the restaurants! I saw a lot of Russians training here using some type of ski rollerblades that they used to go down the steep streets at some incredible speeds. They appeared to be training for a serious event rather than just having a good time, I regret not taking any photos of them.

From the town itself, we did several acclimatization hikes to help prepare for the higher altitude. The town was about 7,000 feet, but we hiked high enough to find snow and some beautiful scenery. When we finally went to Elbrus itself, we actually took ski lifts from the town that dropped us off at 12,000 feet! From here, we stayed in a camp known as the barrel huts, since they are quite literally barrels that form shelter and have a nearby outhouse. The barrel huts aren't the cleanest and most comfortable place and the restroom is still an outhouse similar to that of Kilimanjaro. It was better than a tent only because you could get more room inside. These hikes were challenging because of the higher altitude, but physically I felt well so it was nothing that I hadn't prepared for.

It was during some of the acclimatization hikes that I got my first great view of Mt. Elbrus seen on the upper left. The peak on the left looks lower, but it's actually the true summit of Elbrus and only looks less in altitude since it is farther back. On the right is a photo of my group while we are doing another hike but on the actual mountain, with myself third from the front. Once I was on the actual mountain, things began to get interesting for me and not in a good way. As I mentioned before I made some serious mistakes which actually happened the day before we were supposed to summit. Our group was descending from 15,000 feet to our camp after an acclimatization climb. Everyone broke up from the group and we all went at our own pace. Actually, let me cut in and mention that when I arrived in Moscow I was walking around in the rain with a T-shirt on since my luggage was lost and ended up getting sick. Going from 100F in Washington DC to 60F and being wet and stressed because of lost luggage didn't do my immune system any good. By the time I got to Elbrus my nose was a waterfall and I couldn't sleep for more than a few hours at a time. While I was hiking down to camp solo, I felt great physically despite being sick. In fact it seemed I felt more sick when I wasn't doing anything rather than when I was moving. My problems happened after what seemed like a significant amount of time had passed without anyone else being in view other than a Russian camp. There are no actual trails on Elbrus since it's all snow; but fresh foot prints from groups like mine in the upper right make it obvious where people were traveling from. I decided to continue on the path but as time went on I began to question myself and get worried. Had I somehow come across two tracks in the path and mistakenly taken the wrong one which was leading me farther and farther from my camp? There was also something else that made me question my judgement. From the barrel huts, the false summit appears almost in front of the true summit, but where I was standing at now they appeared to almost be side by side, similar to my photo above. Worried that I might be hours from my camp and with the sun getting lower and lower in the sky, I made the foolish decision to cut across a large hill that appeared to be the way I should be going and see if I could see people on the other side. About half a mile above me was the Russian camp so I figured since I was in the sight of people I couldn't get lost and would try to give it a shot. My concerns at this point were things like not returning in time and having my group worry, or doubling my trek and being physically wasted on summit day not to mention gettng more sick. My logic was to peek over the hill and if I didn't see anyone then go back and continue the way I had been going. I hiked for about 20 minutes in this direction only to find white glacier when the view of the other side of the hill came into place. Since these trails are just footprints, it would be impossible to see where people had trekked earlier in the day from any distance. I couldn't see any people or camps at all, so I realized I had to go back. It was around this time that some people from the Russian camp saw me and came up to the hill and began yelling. I had no idea why they were yelling or what they were saying because they were so far away. Finally when they realized I didn't speak Russian they said something I did understand, go back, go back! I thought they meant to not continue in the direction I was going, so as I began to walk towards their camp when one of my legs suddenly fell straight into the snow all the way up to my hip. I was able to catch myself with my arms and my left leg which was lying horizontally across the snow while I held myself. I then realized what the problem was and why I was told to go back; I was standing right in the middle of a crevasse field! Before this trip, I never considered the risks of crevasses and to be honest I didn't even know what they were. Crevasses are holes in the ground that can be 10 to 100 feet deep or more and are usually completely covered with snow. This makes them look no different than the rest of the terrain and I had just demonstrated one of the most efficient methods of finding them. Had I fallen all the way inside I could have been knocked unconsious and without someone to rescue me in a reasonable time I'd likely not last long against the cold. If I had fallen in without the Russian camp spotting me then the chances of being heard or climbing out on my own would be next to impossible. I was able to pull my legg out and then look back into the hole where I could not see the bottom. I took out my ski pole and poked around in the ground and just about everywhere around me my ski pole went straight through the ground all the way up to my wrist with no resistance. I spent about 20 minutes poking my way out and zigzagged to safety. At one point I had to jump over a very long but skinny crack in the ground that was probably 50 feet in length. The whole time while I was doing this I had about 30 figures up on the rocks watching to see if I would make it out or not. Once in the Russian camp everyone was extremely nice to me and gave me lots of food and made me do shots of vodka saying where I was at was extremely dangerous. I was taken inside their camp and was asked to stay the night. I didn't want to be rude so I took the vodka shots they offered and before I knew it they had given five toasts so I was pretty buzzed. I didn't mind spending the night in their camp but someone from my group came inside a few hours later as everyone else was still looking for me. The Russians here had told me that my group was aware of my location after I asked them repeatedly, but apparently they didn't understand my questions. Back at the my own camp, my guides said we had to celebrate for a happy ending which meant several more shots of vodka. Below are two photos of me inside the soviet airplane at 14,000 feet right before I take my first vodka shots, and outside before my departure back to my camp. This incident may not sound like a big deal itself, but four people had died on Elbrus just days before my climb, and in the previous May, an entire group of 9 people climbing together were all killed when they fell down a steep slope on the mountain. It just seemed like death was everywhere here, and I was disappointed that I had given Elbrus such an easy opportunity to add me to its toll. Lesson learned; unless you're a world class mountaineer never climb solo, and if you get lost, never trek through unexplored terrain!


	I appreciated the shots and hanging out with these guys above in the Russian camp. I really did not want to drink immediately before summit day but felt that by not doing so would be rude. The next day I woke up at 12,000 feet physically exhausted, sick, and with a slight hang over. Supposedly you need about 10,000 carlories on summit day, and I literally was probably behind a few thousand since I hadn't ate much the day before and trekked much farther than I had to. While approaching the summit I remember I had been given an orange as part of my lunch. Peeling an orange with a hang over, a cold, not enough calories and already being exhausted from lack of sleep was the last thing I wanted to do. I didn't have the energy to eat the orange and simply kept it in my back. While laying down for one of our breaks I almost fell asleep and finally felt quite comfortable in that moment until I was woken up to continue going higher.
	Above is the only photo I took on the way to the summit, it's more difficult to take photos at the higher altitudes because it's extremely cold and the lack of oxygen makes everything you do that much harder. Taking a photo doesn't take that much effort itself, but you have to consider stopping, then taking off your pack, pulling your camera out and having the group wait on you. On the right is myself at the summit on 8/8/06 with my hood all messed up. The trek to the summit was by far the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life at this point. I remember after returning to the barrel huts that day telling myself in my strongerest words, never ever ever climb another mountain! If I had some supernatural ability to remove the chance of me ever attempting to climb again, then that day I would not have hesitated to use it. The best I could do though was to try to convince my future self, who I suspected might one day forget the suffering I had endured here and once again be pulled towards the idea of adventure and challenge. My suspicions were right, and only two years later in 2008, I climbed another Seven Summit which is Cerro Aconcagua, twice as hard as Mt. Elbrus, and the following year in June 2009 I climbed my forth Seven Summit Denali, which is twice as hard as Aconcagua.

Claudio from Italy: Hi, as we're going to attempt Elbrus summit later this month, any special final hints?

George: Hi Claudio, I imagine that since you are from Italy you probably have some climbing experience already. As Elbrus is mostly just hiking, the only technical aspect you should worry about is using an ice axe for self arresting since you will have some steep ice slopes. The size of your pack is also a common question. Many groups also use the barrel huts as a base camp and from there you go directly to the summit, if you do this itinerary you will never have to carry your own pack, only a day pack. The only real big tip I think maybe to bring some of your own food since you will burn up to 12,000 calories on summit day for example. Many people didn't like the food that was served on our climb so it is sometimes difficult to force youself to eat nasty food at high altitude. Every person has their own preference of course, some liked the food but most did not, but this also will differ between companies. Good luck on the climb, let me know how it goes!

Hao from USA: Great write-up. I am climbing Mt. Elbrus this August. I am trying to decide whether to buy a pair of plastic boots or one. I do have a pair of leather boots which I used for climbing Mt. Blanc last summer. Do you thing it is enough?

George: Thanks Hao, I would highly recommend using plastic boots for Mt. Elbrus! I passed by/talked with dozens of other climbers on Mt. Elbrus and everyone had plastic boots. Leather boots are good for hiking but not for longer periods of time in snowy or icy conditions. The disadvantage with leather boots is that even with water repellent they can eventually soak up melted snow and ice and will become very difficult to dry. Damp boots high up on a mountain can be pretty dangerous and will probably mean you have to give up the summit if you find yourself in this situation. If you are not sure whether to make the purchase then you should just rent boots for Mt. Elbrus as I did. If you are doing a guided climb they should have plenty to offer for a reasonable price.

Lucy from England: Hi, how long did it take to actually climb Elbrus?

George: Lucy, this is actually a very good question, and the real answer is it took only 1 day! Including airport pick up and acclimatization the trip itself was 1 week long. The first day we were picked up from the airport and taken to our hotel. The second day we did a local hike and on the third day we took a ski lift to base camp. The fourth day was another acclimatization hike and then the next morning we climbed the whole mountain in one day to the summit and returned to base camp. Unlike Kilimanjaro or most other mountains, you do not travel between different points on the mountain and set up different camps. Some companies are different, but the majority have you follow the itinerary I just mentioned; getting used to the altitude and then climbing in one day. Day 6 is a reserve day in case of bad weather, and day 7 or 8 takes you back to the hotel and then airport.

Sebby from USA: How young do you have to be to do a summit attempt, and would you say elbrus is harder or easier to climb then kilinmanjaro?

George: I'm no guide but I'd think that anyone who is in their teens or older would be able to summit the mountain provided they are in shape and will enjoy this type of activity. As far as comparing Kilimanjaro to Elbrus I personally believe Elbrus is a slightly harder mountain. On Kilimanjaro I felt like a tourist going hiking while on Elbrus I felt more like a climber. The altitude is about the same, but Elbrus is much colder, (covered in snow & glaciers), and the summit day is more demanding than Kilimanjaro's. I believe anyone who can climb Kilimanjaro can also climb Elbrus as long as they do some additional training and are prepared for the colder weather.

Jock from Scottland: Would like to do elbrus in 2010! do you have any good contacts/companys, I can e mail! for prices further information etc? has it been done in kilt before,did kilimanjaro in it,all the way,even the summit!

George: I'm not sure of anyone climbing Elbrus with a kilt and I'm not even sure if you can pull it off on Elbrus but it might be possible if you layer up the rest of your body pretty well. I did meet a Scottish guy in Antarctica who went hiking with his kilt, but it was just 0C there so it probably was much colder on Kili. I will give you the email address of my guide, he has climbed Elbrus over 50 times! Good luck!

Jock from Scottland: Thanks for George, I will think long & hard about the kilt, but it would still go with me! I have the mountains around me in Perthshire to do some good walking etc, so I would love to visit Russia and of course do Elbrus, and have the odd pint or 10 with the locals,aye Jock

Dave from USA: George, How heavy was your pack on summit day? Also, was there a place to keep extra gear while doing the summit? Thanks

George: David, You will have a base camp or be staying in the barrel huts where you can leave most of your gear, so you'll only bring with you what you need for summit day. If you figure my camera, lunch, and the liter of water I was carrying were each a couple pounds, plus an extra layer or two in case you get cold, I'd figure my pack was around 10lbs.

Catherine from Hong Kong: Thanks so much, George, for sharing your story and for your information. I'm planning to go to Mt Elbrus this coming July or August (2010). I'm pretty serious about this trip, as I went to Kilimanjaro to see if I can handle the altitude and to S. Korea for learning cramponing techniques.

Hannah from USA: Hi George, how important is it to have prior experience with crampons and ice axes, etc? Is it possible to practice these techniques during the acclimatization days, and if you're physically fit, would this be enough?

George: For Elbrus being physically fit is the most important concern. The first time I ever put crampons on in my life and used an ice axe was on Mt. Elbrus. Of course it's certainly better to get some experience before hand but it's not absolutely essential. Part of most climbing itineraries on this mountain do include a course on self arresting with your ice axe on acclimatization days.

Maxim from Russia: Just a short note about Elbrus: it is not a technical climb (unless you climb it not by the "highway", but from the West), however, it's known for sudden changes of weather. When you are on its slopes do not be complacent, keep in mind that Reinhold Messner himself did not manage to reach the top from the first attempt following the normal route.

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Climbing Mt. Elbrus

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