Concerns in Russia Disrupt Climbing The Renowned Seven Summits

With the dire geopolitical situation disrupting Russia and the surrounding region, the quest to complete the Seven Summits is on hold.

Mt. Elbrus / Ekaterina Buyakova

Mont Blanc Stands-In for Mt. Elbrus

With chaos and geopolitical challenges in Russia, climbing one of the renowned Seven Summits is largely on hold. Mt. Elbrus, which stands 18,510 ft., is the highest mountain in Europe and one of the renowned Seven Summits—the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents. Located in the western Caucasus Mountain range in Russia, near the border with Georgia, Elbrus is a dormant volcano with twin summits: the west summit (18,510 ft.) and the slightly lower east summit (18,442 ft.). Mt. Elbrus, though dormant, it is in the crosshairs of the turmoil that has enveloped the region around Russia for the past two years.

Consequently, climbers pursuing the famous Seven Summits have put their dreams on hold, and some are getting creative in temporarily filling the void with another iconic mountain in Western Europe – Mt. Blanc. Mt. Blanc is the highest peak in the Alps and Western Europe, standing 15,774 ft. Elite mountain guiding company Climbing The Seven Summits (“CTSS”) has anointed Mt. Blanc as an appropriate ‘stand-in’ for Mt. Elbrus during these precarious times. Known as the birthplace of modern alpinism, Mont Blanc offers a legitimate mountaineering experience, even if it’s not an actual member of the Seven Summits.

Mont Blanc / Michiel Annaert

Climbing The Seven Summits

CTSS founder and lead climber, Mike Hamill, has the credibility to get creative in temporarily altering the Seven Summits, as he literally wrote the book on climbing the iconic 'Seven Summits'. His book, 'Climbing The Seven Summits', provides great detail about climbing the these extraordinary mountains. Additionally, CTSS has guided on Mont Blanc for years, and is a trusted expert on the mountain. Mike is a world-class mountaineer, having summited Mt. Everest 6 times while making 6 successful laps of the Seven Summits. Climbing Mt. Elbrus is described by Mike Hamill in the following video.

Climbers Will Return to Mt. Elbrus

When the geopolitical situation calms down in Russia and neighboring countries, mountaineers will once again attempt to climb Mt. Elbrus in their quest to complete the Seven Summits – even those that enjoyed the detour to climb beautiful Mont Blanc in the interim.

Mount Elbrus is a massive stratovolcano, formed over millions of years through the accumulation of volcanic material. Despite its dormant status, Elbrus is geologically active, and exhibits thermal activity. Elbrus's twin peaks are distinct and formative, with the mountain’s white and icy top making it the defining feature of the Caucasus Range. The west summit is believed to have last erupted around 50 AD, while the east summit last erupted around 5600 BC. The mountain's name is thought to be derived from the Persian word "Alborz," which means "high watch" or "guard."

Elbrus's east summit was first climbed in1829 by a Russian army team led by General Georgi Emmanuel. The higher west summit was first ascended in 1874 by a British expedition led by F. Crauford Grove, Frederick Gardner, Horace Walker, and Peter Knubel.

Mt. Elbrus Climbing Route

The climbing route to the west summit is the most popular, where climbers begin in the village of Azau and climb to the Garabashi Hut. From the hut, climbers ascend to the Diesel Hut or the LeapRus Hut at 13,451 ft. for further acclimatization. During the final push to the summit climbers must navigate ice and steep snow-covered slopes when crossing the Saddle (a plateau between the twin summits) before reaching the west summit. When you are ready to climb Mont Blanc, or Mt. Elbrus when the time is right, I suggest you contact Mike Hamill and CTSS to make it happen.