Are you plotting a future trip to Mount Elbrus? If you want to get excited about your expedition (or simply want to impress your fellow trekkers with your brainpower, we’ve got some facts about Mount Elbrus that are sure to impress…
8 facts about Mount Elbrus
- Elbrus is part of the Caucasus mountain range, near the Georgian border in the south of Russia. The Caucasus technically sits in Asia and Europe, although most geographers place it in Europe. So it’s a mountain range that spans two continents!
- Elbrus is the tallest mountain in Europe and one of the Seven Summits.
- Mount Elbrus itself has two summits. The highest is the West Summit, at 5,642m. Just 21cm shorter is the East Summit. It doesn’t matter which you climb, though. Summit at either point and you will have climbed Elbrus.
- Mount Elbrus is home to 22 glaciers that feed 3 rivers, Baksan, Malka and Kuban.
- The mountain is covered in snow all year round (so pack your thermals!)
- The first person to reach the summit of Elbrus was Kabardinian Killar Khashirov in 1829. He was a guide for the Russian army scientific expedition.
- In 1997, the Russian adventurer Alexander Abramov actually drove a modified Land Rover all the way to the summit. That little jaunt was the highest mountain ever climbed by a vehicle.
- The best time to climb Elbrus is in July and August, when the weather is at its most stable. But even in the summer, the temperature can drop to -8c at night. Fog can also appear out of nowhere, at any time of the year.
Ready to pack your hiking boots and make your way to Elbrus? You can read all about our expedition to Mount Elbrus here.
