Mt. Elbrus: Trip Report and Tips
October 2007Steve Goryl on the summit of Mt. Elbrus in Russia. Photo by D.N. Neary.
Summary: Steve Goryl reports on his ascent of 18,512-foot Mt. Elbrus in the Caucasus Mountains in August 2007.
A climb of 18,512-foot Mt. Elbrus is well worth the many obstacles encountered. The view of the Caucasus Mountains from the climbing route is simply spectacular, and it serves as a strong lure for the many serious mountaineering efforts that could be experienced in this large range.
As a dormant volcano, the peak itself is fairly simple, and of course it is one of the “Seven Summits.” Because Elbrus is the highest point in Europe, many people of all levels of ability attempt this famous summit. The ease of the initial ascent, the overall popularity of the peak, and the diversity of skills and experience make this a very "active" mountain. However, the standard route does allow an experienced team to hide from the occasional chaos that can occur during the more popular climbing periods.
As with any mountain that is over 18,000 feet, there are inherent weather and altitude considerations. David Neary and I spent 10 days on or near the peak, and we saw several patterns and days when the summit would have been in full white-out conditions.
Documents To travel in Russia, it’s necessary to secure a visa. This requires having a “sponsor” or written reservations at some locations you will be staying at in Russia. The government does not understand the concept of long-term camping expeditions, so you will need “in country” support. There are many visa-assistance agencies, and we used Pilgrim Tours, whose website can be very helpful with many of the travel details. The two-page visa application is more complete than many job applications forms. You have to physically send your passport with the application and lodging reservations to the Russian embassy. There are several levels of response available, based on how much you want to pay.
The instructions on the Russian embassy website are fairly specific in the requirements. The minimum cost is $100, and you should declare 30 days even if you don’t plan to stay that long. We planned two weeks, including travel, and then spent six days total on the mountain with the ability to stay almost 10 days with food and fuel. We saw several parties forced to purchase new visas when theirs had expired, in order to leave the country. The Russians are very proud of their system and the enforcement of every regulation.
Now that you have official entry papers and verification of your stay in Moscow, you can work on airline reservations, in addition to a park permit and border-area documents, as well as the two Russian immigration forms you need to carry with your passport at all times.
The first two documents can be acquired upon arrival, but again an in-country liaison can be very helpful in setting this up in advance. You end up with some 12 pieces of documentation, and I suggest you carry several color copies of the passport and visa so you do not have to leave them with a desk clerk. There are many times when the copies have come in handy during travel.
Logistics Several airports serve the Elbrus region, and we chose one of the largest and elected to go with Aeroflot for all travel. We thought this might help leverage any possible changes. The reality is any flight changes in Russia are expensive and difficult. By landing at Mineralnie Vody, we were about a three-plus-hour drive from the ski area called Terskol at the end of the road and the base of the mountain.
We had a pre-arranged transport from the airport to the ski area. The drive follows the Baksan River, which at one point had washed out the road, causing a rough detour. Our support company had rented a lodge for all of its clients, and we had a room waiting that included a packing area for a tent and a balcony for stove tests. The lodge is right at the start of the cable lifts and is about 7,200 feet above sea level. This is very close to the border with Georgia, hence the border-area papers.
The Ascent An Elbrus climb begins on the ski lifts. We purchased round-trip tickets and rode two cable cars with packs to the location known as the Mir Station. From here it is a chairlift ride, and you have to load your own packs onto a chair. This is an interesting process. You get off at a location known as the Barrels (due to its round shelters) at just over 12,400 feet. We located a fairly isolated campsite on dry rocks around 12,500 feet. The plan involved staying there two nights for acclimatization and taking a day hike higher.
We then moved up above the Priut Hut (which can house 120 people) to a site around 13,900 feet. My partner and I decided not to try and camp any higher, but there is good camping at Pastukhova Rocks at around 15,800 feet, which would allow greater acclimatization as well as a shorter summit day. Most guide services take their clients from the hut at 13,700 feet to the summit at 18,512 feet after some acclimatization ascents. There is also a diesel “cat” that gets used in rescues and for early-start ascents from as high as 15,500 feet.
We left our camp at 13,900 at 3 a.m. and made the summit around 2 p.m. at a pace that made us the last to reach the summit. The descent was very easy, and we were back in camp by 6 p.m. for a well-deserved rest.
Observations The ability for anyone to quickly ascend via the cable car and then chairlift makes for some interesting encounters. We observed people staggering from the altitude and even begging for water to aid their descent! The guides seemed to have an understanding of the conditions and would call the snow-cat for additional assistance. You are required to register with mountain rescue and check out.
Because of this easy access, there are also conservation issues that could be improved. Many of the experienced people and the guides carried plastic trash bags up and down as “flags” to indicate they were caring for the environment. There could be more locations for the public to place trash and greater use of signs to indicate the need for conservation. We did observe some careless littering by a few of the tourists.
In summation, I would say the peak is well-worth the effort and would serve as an excellent visual gateway to the many other beautiful peaks that await serious climbers in the Caucasus area.
AAC member Steve Goryl is a systems administrator for the Computer Science Department of Washington and Lee University in Virginia.