Mount Elbrus – Parent Information

Continent: Europe (though Russia itself spans 2 continents, Europe and Asia, the mountain is in the Europe part.)

Country: Elbrus is in the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia, near the border with Georgia.

Height: 5642m (18 510 ft)

Interesting facts

• Mount Elbrus is a volcano which is dormant and there is no record of it ever erupting. However, there are about 260 square km of lava fields and volcanic debris on the mountain. • It actually consists of two summits, one about 40 metres higher than the other. The higher peak was first climbed in 1874 by a British expedition led by F. Crauford Grove. • The name Elbrus probably comes from a legendary mountain in Iranian mythology. • One of Europe’s highest outhouses, or toilets, was located on Mount Elbrus. It was covered in snow and ice and perched at the end of a large lump of rock. • In 1956, a group of 400 mountaineers climbed Mount Elbrus at the same time. • About 30 climbers die on the mountain each year, making it one of the deadliest. • A cable car built in the 1960s takes visitors to a height of 3,800 metres. From there it is a simple climb to the summit and there are several refuges, or mountain huts, offering shelter. • In 1997, a Russian team tried to drive a Land Rover to the summit. They used a winch and chains to pull it the last few metres to the summit and constantly had to replace the parts. • Mount Elbrus is important in Greek mythology. It is the place where Zeus imprisoned Prometheus and sent an eagle with long wings to eat his liver. • The Elbrus world race first took place in 1990. It is a series of winter sporting events on and around the mountain and in 2014 attracted over 350 athletes from 16 countries.