highest peak in Europe

Have you ever wondered what is the highest peak in Europe? If you want to meet him, you will have to travel to the Caucasus, since it is the Mount Elbrus. It has a height of 5642 meters, although, to be exact, we would have to call it a massif.

Because, next to this elevation or West Elbrus, has the so-called peak Elbrus East, with 5621. Curiously, they are followed in height by another peak of the Caucasian mountain range, the Mount Shkhara. And, after them, we must now travel to the Cordillera de the Alps to find the fourth, which is the Montblanc, with 4810 meters of altitude. As for the fifth, it shares an alpine location with the previous one, but in its case in the Swiss part, since it is the dufour peak, with 4634 meters above sea level. But now we are going to get to know this Russian colossus better, which is the highest peak in Europe.

Geographic situation

Mount Elbrus is located on the western side of the Caucasian mountain range, which, together with the Urals, marks the border between Asia and Europe. It belongs to the Russian Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria and is located about sixty kilometers from the city of Kislovodsk, famous since the XNUMXth century for its medicinal waters.

To give you an idea of ​​the dimensions of Elbrus, we will tell you that its permanent ice cap preserves twenty two glaciers, in which three rivers are born: the Malka, the Kuban and the Baksan. On the other hand and as a curiosity, you should know that the local name of this mountain is Mengi Tau, which means "the mountain of a thousand mountains".

But the most important thing, if you like mountaineering or simply visiting mountain ranges, is that it is a wonderful landscape of snowy peaks, slopes populated by huge virgin forests, calm lakes and mighty rivers.

The weather or when to visit the highest peak in Europe

If you are thinking of traveling to the area of ​​the highest peak in Europe, it is very important that you take into account the weather because it can play tricks on you. In winter, the top registers temperatures below 50 degrees below zero. However, the valleys are warmer and this can lead to heavy snowfall and rainy precipitation. As for the latter, they can easily exceed 1000 millimeters.

For its part, in summer, approximately half of the days are sunny. However, the winds make the weather conditions not good at all. In fact, above four thousand meters, there are conditions of arctic blizzard that almost completely impede visibility. In short, if you are thinking of climbing Elbrus, you must bear in mind that the weather will not give you any ease.

A bit of history of Mount Elbrus

Geologically, this mountain originated, like the entire Caucasus, by Arabian and Eurasian plate colliding, which gave rise to large earthquakes in the region. Mount Elbrus began to form about ten million years ago due to volcanic eruptions. They covered an area of 260 square kilometers with fragments of tuff, rhyolite, rhyodacite and ignimbrite. Subsequently, uranium-lead eruptions continued until about seven hundred thousand years ago.

On the other hand, more poetic is what mythology tells about Elbrus. According to this, on the mountain he was chained Prometheus, the titan who stole fire from the gods to give it to men, for Zeus. But more historical rigor have the first two ascents to the tops.

The first to arrive at the East was the guide Khillar Khashirov, at the head of a scientific expedition of the Imperial Russian Army sent by him General Emmanuel. According to the Julian calendar, it was July 10, 1829. On the other hand, the arrival at the West summit was later, specifically in 1874. The new feat was due to a British group led by Florence Crauford Grove which also included Frederick Gardner, Horace Walker, Peter Knubel and the guide Ahiya Sottaiev. They even published a book about their deed with maps and photographs of the route they took.

Already in the Second World War the German army occupied the area of ​​Mount Elbrus for a few months. The commanding general even sent an expedition to the top, which apparently angered Hitler as pointless.

Subsequently, a system of cable cars reaching a height of almost four thousand meters. However, the ascent to this colossus of the Caucasus by the classic route is not, technically, difficult. The biggest problem that you are going to find if you want to do it is the weather, which, as we said, makes it very difficult to advance towards the top even in summer.

Greater complexity covers the northern route. It offers you less infrastructure than the previous one and you will have to camp at an altitude of 4800 meters. In addition, weather conditions are even less predictable and ice and snow abound.

Flora and fauna on the highest peak in Europe

As for the first, up to two thousand meters huge virgin pine, birch and ash forests in which different types of mushrooms and berries grow. For its part, in the highest meadows you can see one of the most beautiful flowering shrubs in the area, the caucasus rhododendron, which survives winds due to the depth of its roots. And, if you continue ascending, in the glacial and snowy areas you will find lichens on the clean rocks.

Regarding the fauna of the highest peak in Europe, the forests that we have mentioned are the home where they live the brown bear, the marten, the wild cat, the squirrel, the mole, the polecat or various types of cervids. Chamois and different kinds of goats such as the wild mountain or the caucasus tour. There is also no shortage of foxes, wolves and lynxes. Regarding birds, you can find threatened species such as the caucasus grouse, but also the saker and peregrine falcon, the royal and imperial eagle or the bearded vulture.

Finally, as regards reptiles, there is an abundance of kaznakov's viper and, regarding amphibians, species such as the common newt, the green toad, the brown bat or the black frog.

How to get to Mount Elbrus

Regardless of your point of origin, once you reach Moscow you will have to take another plane to get closer to Elbrus. The flights that come closest are the ones that leave you in Mineralnye Vody o Nalchik. The latter is the capital of the Republic of Kabardino-Valkaria, belonging to the Russian Federation. You could also make your trip by train, but it is much longer and heavier.

We advise you to bring exchanged currency because in these places it will be more difficult for you to do so. Once you have got there, you will need a vehicle to take you there. Terskol, in the baksan valley, which is the point where the ascent to Mount Elbrún begins. Curiously, in this last locality everything is easier, including understanding each other in English. The reason is that it is the point where all the foreign visitors who come to the area are concentrated.

From there, the normal thing is to go to the bottom of the valley, specifically to Azau, where you can take one of the cable cars that take you up to approximately three thousand five hundred meters in height. A little higher is Diesel Hut, from where you can already attack the top in one day.

What to see near Mount Elbrus

If you are going to climb this mountainous colossus, you can also take the opportunity to get to know some towns in the area. As we told you, Nalchik It is the capital of the Republic of Kabardino-Valkaria and has almost three hundred thousand inhabitants. In the Place de la Concordia you will find the Goverment house, an imposing neoclassical building.

However, the main attraction of the town is its gigantic park: the Atazhukinsky gardens. In this you will find numerous attractions, a zoo, auditoriums and other entertainment. But even more beautiful is the orthodox cathedral of mary magdalene, completed in 2012 and with clear Byzantine influences. Next to this, the other great religious monument of Nálchik is the central mosque.

On the other hand, the union with Russia more than four centuries ago is devoted to the arch of friendship and monument to Maria Temryukovna, daughter of a Kabardin prince and one of the Tsar's wives Ivan IV, known as "the Terrible". Likewise, the building of the train station, whose facade is adorned with ten columns and a tower ending in a needle.

In turn, the racecourse It was inaugurated in the thirties of the XNUMXth century and responds to the equestrian tradition of the area. Finally, in the outskirts of the city you have the blue lakes, whose hydrogen sulfide deposits are due, according to legend, to a dragon that lives at the bottom and sheds tears, and the Chegem gorge and waterfalls. This last natural monument is made up of three waterfalls, each one more beautiful.

We have also talked about Kislovodsk, which belongs to the so-called Stavropol Krái, and its medicinal waters. In this town, we advise you to visit the saint nicholas cathedral, the mosque and the interesting Museum-Fortress. But above all, get close to the precious spa gardens and Castle of Deceit and Love, which is a hotel. All this without forgetting the Kurortny Boulevard and the imposing Temple of Panteleimon the Healer.

In conclusion, we have shown you the highest peak in Europe. As we have told you, it is located in the Caucasus region, within the gigantic territory of the Russian Federation, more specifically in the Republic of Kabardino-Valkaria, an extension of almost thirteen thousand square kilometers full of natural wonders. Don't you want to know such a unique place?