Among the mountain ranges practically parallel to one another, the principal one, the axis of the whole Caucasus, is the Glavny Range whose highest peaks reach over 5.000 meters. These are: Dykh-Tau, Koshtan-Tau, Skhara and other giants, which attract many challenged climbers over the world. In front of these peaks - unassailable Besengi Wall. In 30-es the first Soviet climbers traversed this remarkable 13 km long wall stretching higher then 4.500 meters. To the north of the Glavny Range at a distance of 10-15 km towers the two-headed volcano Elbrus. Its western cone is 5.642 meters - the summit of the Caucasus. And it was the Elbrus area to become one gigantic center of tourism, mountaineering and skiing, which was called later Elbrusia.

ELBRUSIA

Elbrusia is a conventional name. The borders of the area have been suggested by nature. At a point beyond the village of Elbrus the highway enters a forest where lots of tourist's facilities stand amid the trees. Here the first Soviet mountain camps were set up in 1935 and the story of Soviet mountaineering began. The equipment used then was almost completely home- made: iron pitons, heavy geological boots and hammers, tarpaulin rucksacks. Against to the western attitude to mountaineering, Soviet mountaineering was rather a team sport secured by many stages of training. One who wished to go for mountain ascents had to get a set of courses to prove his ability. None was allowed to go for ascent alone. At the certain level of qualification climbers had to get an official course of the national mountain rescue during several weeks at Elbrusia. Finally successful climbers were rewarded by a national mountain rescue team badge where the red cross's shown in front of mt.Ushba, the most dangerous summit in Elbrusia.

 

Mt.ELBRUS: climbs, names, dates.

The first Everest's conqurier Tentzing Norgey and famous Soviet climber D.Kokhiani at the Priyut of 11th.

Ascent on the mt.Elbrus usually takes 10-12 hours from the Base Camp at Priyut of 11, the high altitude Refuge. For the better and proper acclimatization climbers go up to the Pastukhov Rocks, which are in 4 hours from the Refuge and return back. As experience shows it helps greatly for the successful ascent. The western summit of Elbrus is on 50 meters higher then the Eastern. However most of climbers prefer to climb the Eastern head, because the time limit and the superb panoramic view from the top. It's believed that mt.Elbrus is not a difficult one to climb (even a newcomer can do it), but rather a coward one, which requires to be aware on the weather and on the certain strategy of climbing it.

 

Some local names of Mt.Elbrus

ALBORS - Persian "the High Mountain",
YAL-BUZ - Georgian "the Snow Horse Tail",
MINGHI-TAU - Balkarian "the Mountain of Thousands",
OSHKHAMAHUA - Kabardinian "the Mountain of the Day",
KUSKA-MAF' - Cherkezian "the Mountain of Happiness",
ASH-GAMAKHO - Cherkezian "the Holy Height",
SHAT-GORA - Russian "the Snow-Capped",
URO-KHOKH - Osetian "the White Mountain",
STYR-KHOKH - Osetian "the Big High Mountains".

 

The brief history of conquering Elbrus.

1813 Russian Academician Vishnevskii for the first time defined the height of Elbrus - 5421 m.
1829 Killar Khashirov, a local Kabardinian mountain guide from the Russian geoghraphical Expedition leaded by General G.A.Emmanuel, first put his feet on the top of Europe.
1868 English expedition leaded by Douglas Freshfield conquered the Eastern summit of Elbrus.
1891 Gottord Mertzbacher and Ludvig Purtcheller got to the Western summit , covered the distance from Terskol village to the top for the record time - 8 hours.
1932 At the elevation of 4.200 m a wooden Refuge "Priyut of 11" was built and could contain 40 persons.
1939 V.Gippenreiter, a skier from Moscow skied down from the top of Elbrus to the "Priyut of 11".
1939 The 3 storage hotel "Priyut of 11" started working.
1966 Helicopter "MI-4" for the first time landed on the top of the Eastern summit.
1997 A 4x4 "Landrover" was driven to the top of the Eastern summit.
1998 The mountain Hut "Priyut of 11th" was burnt down by accident that made ascents on the summit more severe due to the absence of comfortable BC.