Mt. Elbrus Expedition- “The highest peak of European continent”

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• Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Russian and European continental plate, is one of the 7 Summits.
• Elbrus is the tenth most prominent peak in the world standing high at 5,642 meter (18,510 feet), ris­ing approximately 914 meter (3,000 feet) high­er than sur­round­ing peaks.

• • The most people think Mt.Blanc in France as the highest mountain in Europe but Mt.Elbrus in Russia holds the record of being the highest peak in Europe because many of its glaciers extend onto the European continental plate.

   

  • Elbrus lies in the Caucasus Mountains, between the Black Sea on the west and the Caspian Sea on the east. On the south of Mt.Elbrus lies the main body of the Caucasus Mountains. It rises majestically from the lush green plains which extend northward into Russia. Hence, it is geographically on the territory of Russian Federation, lying just 20 km from the Georgian border.

   

  • Elbrus is a dormant volcanic mas­sif. The last explosion occurred about 2000 years ago. Mt.Elbrus has two summits: “West” and “East”, with a gentle col, Sedlowina Saddle between them. These two summits are actually two craters of volcano. Hence, you will see debris of solidified lava everywhere on the slopes. Being of volcanic origin, the summits are quite rounded and the slopes less angled; contrary to the other peaks in the Caucasus range.

   

  • The “West summit” is 5642 m high and the “East summit” is 5621 m, ie. 21 m shorter than the West summit. The two peaks correspond to two different volcano vents: Zapadnaya forms the Western peak and Vostochnaya forms the eastern peak. The gigantic crater is spread over 250 m in diameter.

   

  • The circular lava massif of Mt.Elbrus has a diameter of 18 km and more than 70, large and small glaciers flow from its slopes.

   

  • There are two routes up the Mt.Elbrus, the Northand the South. The mountain is almost symmetrical, making the contours for climbing the North and South sides almost similar.

   

  • There are two routes to climb up Mt.Elbrus: North route and South route.

   

  South side: This side is a ski resort in winters and has villages with the facilities like hotels, restaurants, cable car and chairlift up to the Barrels Hut (Garabashi) at around 3000 m this. Hence, making the South route more favourable for the less experienced climbers, who can actually get trained in snow climbing during this expedition. This side has snowmobiles and ratracks/ piste groomer to assist. All said, this shouldn’t be underestimated to be a cake walk as it still demands a significant amount of stamina especially on the summit day when the climbers will have to ascend 1000m over 9-10hr. Unpredictable weather and high altitude makes the ascend even more challenging.

  North side: This side has no village in the vicinity. There are a few tented camps run by locals during the season. As there are fewer facilities, the climbers need to be self-sufficient and ready to manage any crisis without any support. Clear enough, the north route is for those with a mountaineering experience, seeking a more traditional expedition experience. On the summit day, the north side involves crossing the whole length of col between the two peaks which is often choked with snow, making the summit day longer and harder as compared to the south side. The route through the col between the two peaks is nearly a kilometre which is quite significant at this altitude. North side is not technically difficult but the ascent of 1900m on the summit day (12-16 hr) makes it challenging.

• Summer is the best time to climb Mt.Elbrus. Even during the summers, the temperature at the night remains minus 8°C but during the winters the temperature at the higher altitudes can drop to minus 30°C during the day.

• Mount Elbrus is an inland, midway along the Caucasus Range, between Caspian and Black Seas. These two massive water bodies influence the wind and precipitation on the Caucasus range. Although the impact of the winds are also moderated by the nearby mountains.

• The area of Mt.Elbrus is officially classified as ‘Arctic climate’. The climate on Mt.Elbrus is dominated by the humid westerlies and the altitude. The Caucasus range acts as a barrier to the northerlies, whereas the warm winds blow from the south from the Mediterranean.

• Springs and Summers are generally dry and warm with an average temperature of 20°C during the day, accompanied with a frequent thunderstorms.

• Autumns and Winters are mainly cold, dry and clear with temperature dropping several degrees below zero during the day. Winter is from December to February. Above 2000m of altitude, it extends from October to April, with a frequent snowfall. Snow cover reaches around half a metre on exposed ground and 3m in sheltered areas.

• Avalanches are not uncommon during the winters and early spring. Warm dry winds descend from the mountains into the valleys and can cause thawing leading to snowfall. Annual precipitation is of around 600mm in the valleys, but it is 1000mm south of the main ridge due to the humid westerlies.

• Summer is the best time to climb Mt.Elbrus. Even during the summers, the temperature at the night remains minus 8°C but during the winters the temperature at the higher altitudes can drop to minus 30°C during the day.

• Challenges due to Climatic condition: Even though there are no major crevasses or objective dangers on either of the routes (north or south) the expedition is quite challenging due to the fact that the weather is very temperamental and the visibility can drop rapidly. Sudden storms and extremely cold weather are common, even during the peak of summers (July and August). There are incidences of climbers becoming disorientated when the cloud comes causing them to wander off the route. Danger of frostbite and cold weather injuries can’t be overlooked.

• Like any other high altitude mountaineering, Mt.Elbrus expedition demands a proper acclimatisation and adequate hydration by increasing the liquid intake. This holds true especially on the summit day which is a long day with a significant gain in elevation. Making it essential to keep one hydrated and energized with plenty of snacks and energy bars.

• Being a non-technical moderate-altitude mountaineering, Mt.Elbrus expedition is a perfect way to start off with your Seven Summits. Elbrus expedition is a great way to learn the Basic Alpine skills like self-arrest, use of cram­pons, ice axe, and roped travel.

• The sum­mit offers breath-­tak­ing views of Cau­ca­sus Moun­tains and the trib­utary val­ley sys­tems feed­ing the rag­ging Bak­san Riv­er. Trekking through Bak­san Val­ley will take you to the fields of wild­flow­ers stretched over poplar and pine forests.

• Being approximately 20 km north of the main Caucasus range, the best view of the Caucasus is seen throughout the south route of Mt.Elbrus expedition. 

• Due to the volcanic origin of Mt.Elbrus, the summits are quite rounded and the slopes gently angled, unlike other peaks in the Caucasus range.

• Apart from the expedition experience, the climbers will also get an opportunity to experience Europe’s richest and most unique cultures, one climbs in Russia near the border to Georgia.

• Extend your itinerary, to explore Russia’s greatest cities, Moscow and St.Petersburg to experience Russian rich culture and history closely.

Confirmation policy

• Email on booking@meandmountain.com or WhatsApp on +91-9051055011 the following details: Name of the participant(s), Name of the event, Date of the event, Email address (Note: This is not the Enrolment form) and proceed with the online payment either via the payment link shared via WhatsApp or the payment section on the website.
• Mode of payment: only online
• The participants will receive the Confirmation email and Ticket via email within 48 hours.
• Ater the confirmation, you will need to send the dully filled, signed and scanned forms (Enrolment, Medical & Self-declaration) to booking@meandmountain.com, before commencement of the expedition.
• The forms can be downloaded from the links below or ‘FORMS’ section in the home page.
• It is mandatory for all the participants to submit all 3 forms before the expedition, in absence of which Me and Mountain shall have a full right to deny the entry of that participant to the particular expedition.

Cancellation policy

• Cancellation done by 60 days before the commencement of the expedition: 100% of payment will be refunded.
• Cancellation done between 45 days to 60 days before the commencement of the expedition: 50% of payment will be refunded.
• In case of cancellation done within 45 days before the commencement of the expedition, the amount shall be adjusted in any of the events done later with ‘Me and Mountain’.

Discontinuation policy

• In an event of a participant deciding on discontinuing the event mid-way due to any circumstance other than medical condition requiring emergency evacuation, he/she will require to do so by signing the ‘Discontinuation form’ after which he/she is set to go on own. In such situation the participant will neither be eligible for the Refund or the Adjustment voucher.