Mt. Elbrus Expedition, Russia [5642 m]

Dates: 19th July to 30th July 2019 (Summit day: 26th July, 2019)

Mt. Elbrus is a dormant volcanic peak geographically located on the continental plates bordering Europe and Russia. Mountaineering community and geography experts consider Mt. Elbrus as one of the seven summits (highest mountain in Europe/Russia). The mountain has two summits, west summit (the highest, 5642 m) and the east summit (5621 m) separated by a col.

Mt. Elbrus west (5642m) and east (5621m) summits

I don't remember a clear reason to why I chose Mt. Elbrus over several other Himalayan peaks or Alps, but whatever it was, was a good challenge ;) The pre-expedition planning started with basic web search for arranging my own- food, transport, equipment, lodging, people etc. overlooking the language barrier. A thorough scan through several websites, including Russian websites, helped me find information about relevant people, mountain guide, arranging local transport, local permits, arranging a Visa, renting equipment, special medical insurance etc. The overall pre-expedition planning took nearly three months. Visa application procedure took 2 weeks for me in total, thanks to the good India-Russia ties :)

Start: Mineralyne Vody or MinVody in short, which literally translates to 'Mineral water' in English, is the nearest Airport for Elbrus. Although it can be accessed by train from Moscow (19 to 24 hrs) it is wise to take a flight (2 to 3 hrs from Moscow). From MinVody, regular taxis ply from the airport to Terskol (2100 m) and Azau (2350 m), the villages from where the climb to Elbrus begins. The place is popular for mountain springs, skiing during winter and for hiking and mountaineering during the summer season. I had arranged my lodging in Terskol, where I pent two days for acclimatization (upto 3100 m and descend for night).

A cafe in terskol

Acclimatization hikes: Terskol (2100 m) and Azau (2350 m) offer many options for acclimatization upto 3800 m. Mt Cheget (3100m), waterfall trail (Водопад Девичьи косы) (2800 m) are popular for hiking. The Baskan valley has even more secluded and scenic trails, some along the Baskan river and some deep in the forest. The treeline is visible until 2500 m altitude. I had packed moderately for my acclimatization training and gradually built-up the intensity. People on acclimatization hikes with a 10 L mini-packs was also a common sight (I do not recommend that- gradual building up the training is a must. Always start with 45 to 50 L back-pack).

Border Georgia-Russia

Equipment required: Mountaineering boots with crampons, alpine or climbing harness, sling/chord for twin-self anchor (Y-chord), carabiners (3 for self use, additional for safety), down jacket, down mittons, sleeping bag (-25 rated or -5, depending on your camping options), gaiters, walking poles, UV sun-glasses, head-lamp. The villages have many options for renting equipment. I rented the C2 Grivel crampons and B2 mountaineering boots, ice-axe and a good pair of down gloves and a down jacket for up to -25 C. I used my own sport-climbing gear for the rest- the self-anchor with 2 biners, seat harness and extra set of slings for additional measures. Ice-axe and crampons are required (and knowledge of how to use them) as some sections of the climb have steep slopes and require walking on ice for the final 200 to 300 m climb. Self-arrest techniques, experience of walking on glaciers, snow, ice are essential for climbing Elbrus. I saw 3 people slide ~50 m down the slope, live before my eyes, which would have been averted had they known how to use their ice-axe.

Note: Mountaineering equipment is required, yes. But most important is to know how to use it and get used-to with how everything works.


My mountain guide, Maxime, introduced me other people who would be climbing Elbrus. Apart from our group, there were many people (ranging from experienced mountaineers to amateurs). To give an idea, I met 3 mountaineers from a French and Indian team who had climbed Mt. Everest in the 2019 climbing season and had planned-out seven summits for the 2019-2021 calendar year. On the other hand, I also met some people who did not have practical knowledge of how to fix crampons on their boots, or how to tie knots, and were completely dependent on their guides.

A clear segregation of weather; stormy at higher elevations, sunny at base

Base camp: Base camp of Elbrus is known by the name of Garabashi or Barrel huts (3800 m)  and can be reached by a ski-lift or by trekking on foot. The huts are literally made from empty barrels, housing 6 people in one barrel equipped with basic amenities. No shower facilities or tap water; water from nearby stream is used for drinking and cooking purposes. Base camp also has a ski-resort, which charges 100 EUR (8000 ₹) for a heated toilet, per use.

From base camp (3800 m)

The summit of Elbrus was always hidden in clouds since day-1. On the fourth and fifth day we climbed up to an altitude of 4600 m and descended to 3800 m for sleeping. The snow and winds continued for these days.Acclimatization treks from base camp had to be altered due to bad weather. A 4800 m elevation day was cut down to 4500 m and so on. The weather forecast predicted rains for the whole week and snowfall at base camp with the possibility of snowstorms, high-speed winds at higher elevation. The weather forecast also predicted the first summit-gap would open for 26th July (which was hopefully within my backup summit days).

 As per the forecast, weather for 26th July showed strong winds (30 to 45 kmph) and less snow. The good part was that the mountain which was hidden amidst the clouds was now visible for the first time in these four days. Along with our team, many teams were gearing up for the summit attempt for the 25th night - 26th morning. In any expedition, this one specific day is 'inconveniently long and tiring'. On 25th night, we had dinner at 7 PM, at 12.00 AM (midnight) we had our breakfast and we started the climb at 1 AM. The snowfall had stopped, but the strong winds made the snow to enter into the face-masks, jackets and every opening possible. The wind chill made the temperature -22 C (real feel) from -10 C. You can see the photo below, 2 teams are walking close to each other trying to reduce the effect of winds. 

Battling strong winds, one step at a time...

We reached the Elbrus saddle (5400 m) at 6.30 AM. The west summit is roughly 250 m climb from the saddle. This climb is on ice, and sure-footedness is required. Many people gave-up at the saddle itself. I personally feel it is mandatory to know the use of ice-axe especially at these altitudes and in these situations. Fixed lines are setup from the saddle. They might be hidden due to snow and winds. The gradient and hard-snow makes walking with caution a necessity. We reached the top at 7.45 AM. To avoid traffic jams at the summit, two separate lines, one for climbing and another for descending were set. The wind speed was receding gradually as we descended and tiredness and fatigue had taken over (resulting in a zombie-like behavior with shaky legs). Our team reached the basecamp at 4.00 PM. 

Written by Deovrat Dilip Phal. My expedition planning is available as a document. Drop me a comment if you are planning for Mt. Elbrus or if you simply want to glance through my plan, expenditure, tips etc. A shout-out to my colleagues, Timofei Volkov and Benjamin Ezepu, who helped me with translating the Russian websites to English, planning the flight tickets, and cross-checking every bookings I made in Russia.

With my Guide, Maxime