 | Elbrus from the north (photo by Robert Walker) |
Elbrus
18510 ft (5642 m) Highest point in Europe . |
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| Major Peaks: |
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| Location: | Western Caucasus, just north of Russia-Georgia border | ||||
| Lat / Long: | 43.3° N, 42.5° E | ||||
| Volcanic Type: | Stratovolcano | ||||
| Volcanic Status: | Active, solfataric; last eruption about 50 AD | ||||
| First Ascent: | East Peak: D. W. Freshfield, C. C. Tucker, A. W. Moore, and F. Devouassoud, 1868 West Peak: F. Gardiner, F. Crauford Grove, H. Walker, and P. Knubel, 1874 | ||||
| First Ski Ascent: | C. Egger, 1914 (to West Peak) | ||||
| First Ski Descent: | same | ||||
| Skiable Vertical: | over 11500 ft (3500 m) | ||||
| Lift Served Vertical: | about 5300 ft (1600 m) | ||||
| Elbrus is one of the world's great stratovolcanoes, with distinctive twin summits which tower above the western end of the central Caucasus Mountains. A huge glacial system radiates from the summit in all directions, with glacial tongues extending down below 10000 ft (3000 m) in many of the surrounding valleys. Ski lifts extend from the valley near Terskol at 7000 ft (2100 m) to about 12500 ft (3800 m) on the southern flanks, and the standard climbing route follows the moderate glaciers above the lifts to the saddle between the two peaks. Numerous other routes on glaciers on all sides of the mountain have been climbed and skied. As one of the "Seven Summits", Elbrus is an extremely popular climb and ski descent throughout the spring and early summer, and there are numerous guide services and even heli-skiing operations. | |||
