Mount Elbrus

Overview

Standing at 18,513 feet, Mount Elbrus is the highest peak on the European continent and one of the Seven Summits. Located in the heart of the Caucasus Mountains, this extinct volcano offers moderate climbing with spectacular views of one of the most rugged mountain ranges in the world. We begin in Moscow, Russia's capital. We recommend arriving early to explore Red Square and the iconic subway system. We fly domestically to Mineralnye Vody, then drive to Cheget where we spend a couple of days hiking the surrounding hills to acclimatize. Our hotel provides breakfast and dinner throughout. Once acclimatized, we take a tram and chairlift to our mountain accommodations, where we are fed and looked after by our Russian Babushka, Elana — who prepares local cuisine with a smile and genuine charm. The day before our summit bid we hike to Pastukhov Rocks (15,300 ft). Summit day: from Pastukhov Rocks we climb steeply toward the East Summit, then traverse to the saddle at 17,769 ft. From the saddle we climb the headwall — often fixed with ropes — to the summit plateau and the true summit. With the snowcat approach, summit day is about 3,000 ft and typically 8–9 hours round trip. Skiing Elbrus One of the best-kept secrets of the Seven Summits: Elbrus is skiable. The descent is not technical — the broad, open snowfields of the summit plateau and upper mountain offer a quick and genuinely fun ski back toward the huts. Guests who bring skis or splitboards can enjoy a memorable descent from high on the mountain without any complex terrain management. It's a natural extension of the summit experience and one of the most effortless ski descents at altitude anywhere in the world.

Highlights

Gallery