The Caucasus has stirred man's imagination since the beginning. Covered with eternal snow and glaciers, the crests of the Caucasian mountains are truly majestic. From above, they look so cold and silent that it is hard to imagine there could be life among these immovable, forbidding giantsЕ
From time immemorial Elbrus attracted people's attention by its enigma, inaccessibility and severe beauty.
Elbrus rises on a northern spur of the main Caucasus ridge at the western end of the Baxan Valley.
The upper Baxan Valley is a chief home of the Balkar, a Muslim Turko-Tatar people who, like the Karachay th their west, were exiled for supposed collaboration on WW II but returned in 1957.
The village of Terskol is at the upper part of the Azau Valley along which are sprinkled several hotels. At the western end of the valley, the road ends where the Azau cable car and the Elbrus mountain trail begin.
Peak season here is Desember to April and June to August , with the former being the busier.
Elbrus is nearly 1000m above anything else in the vicinity. It's a volcanic cone with two peaks, the western being the higher at 5642m; the eastern peak is 5621m. Though geographical purists may argue, it is the highest mountain in Europe as it lies on the Caucasus ridge thet in the geographical border of Europe and Asia. The upper slopes are said to be covered in ice up to 200 m thick, numerous glaciers slide down its flanks and several rivers, including the Kuban, start here. Its name, meaning Two Heads, comes from Persian. In the Balkar language it's Mingi-Tau ( Thousands mountains)
The first unconfirmed climb of Elbrus was in 1829 by a Russian expedition, but it was a lone Circassian hunter named Killar who was hired as a guide and he apparently reached the peak on his own.
The lower east peak was not officially conquered until 31 July 1868 by a British expedition with DW Freshfield, AW Moore, CC Ticker, a guide Francois Devouassoud and two local hunters. It was not until 28 July 1874 that the higher west peak was climbed by another British expedition, consisting of F.Gardiner, FC Grove, H Walker and P Knubel.
In the 1980s had groups of up to 400 climbers at one time reaching the peak. Nowadays, the ascent and descent have apparently been done in many ways just to be different: on skis, by the landing of light aircraft, hand gliding and para-gliding,, but the most unusual one was apparently on a motorcycle fitted with skis.
The Azau cable car rises in two stages from 2350 m to the Mir Bar at 3500m, which is open in the main Caucasus ridge. A chairlift continues to 3800 m, which in some summers might be above the snowline, with year-round skiing but it requires walking as there are no lifts there.
There are fine views across to Elbrus from mountain Cheget, a spur of 3769 m mountain Donguz-Orunbashi on the south side of the Baxan Valley. Two chairlifts in front of the hotel Cheget both ascent to Kafe Ay at 2750m, then another lift reaches 3005m for some stunning views. From the top, a 45 minute walk on a gravel path takes you to a small peak.
From Kafe Ay there's an easy path of about 7 km round the side of mountain Cheget , passing Donguzorunkyol Lake to Donguzorun Camp North (Severny Priyut) at 2500m, south of mountain Donguz-Orunbashi, mountain Donguzorun - Chegetkarabashi, which is about 4450m, soars behind the lake.
Mountain Cheget is one of the two main skiing locations, with skiing from December to April and with February usually being the best month. Skiing is possible year round on the slopes below mountain Elbrus, reached via two cable car - a high - altitude chairlift might be open in summer if there is enouth snow. If not, than it is possible to walk up a trail alongside the chairlifts and then continue along the Garabashi Glacier to the Camp II site or even farther, and ski down to the top of the chairlift.