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Pressure at the top of Elbrus?
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My collection of routes to Elbrus is here
The main difficulty that climbers face during their ascent to Mount Elbrus - regardless of route, weather, experience or season - is the influence of altitude and low oxygen level in the air.
Quiet evening before climbing the Southern slope of Mount Elbrus. Altitude 4000 m
The influence of the altitude factor on the human body is that strong due to the unusually low level of atmospheric pressure and, accordingly, the low level of oxygen content. The material presented below is about how the level of atmospheric pressure affects the oxygen content in the air, as well as about the peculiarities of the influence of altitude on the human body at different geographical latitudes.
The main objective difficulty of climbing Mount Elbrus is the lack of oxygen in the air and the high intensity of the physical loads
Let's figure it out from the very beginning. What is atmospheric pressure? Let's imagine that we live at the bottom of an ocean of air, and the thickness of the atmosphere above us is approximately 1000 km. The entire air shell of the earth is subject to the law of universal gravitation and, therefore, has mass. The closer to the surface of the earth (which is the bottom of the air ocean), the denser and “heavier” the atmosphere becomes - the greater becomes the mass of the air column.
Illustration of the structure of the atmosphere of the Earth
Since our usual habitat is the surface of the earth - the majority of the population lives between 10 and 500 meters above sea level, the atmospheric pressure at this level is familiar and comfortable to us.
The proportional amount of oxygen is directly related to air pressure, and is approximately 21% of the total volume. Oxygen is vital for all the processes occurring in our body - therefore, when gaining altitude while climbing high mountains, it is the lack of oxygen that causes many difficulties and problems.
Dependence of atmospheric pressure and oxygen content in air relative to altitude
To monitor changes in the air pressure, several conventional measurement systems have been adopted - the usual scale for us is millimeters of mercury. The norm for 99% of the world's population is a pressure of 760 mm, which corresponds to altitudes of 0-100 meters above sea level.
As you climb above the surface of the earth, the atmospheric pressure decreases - so, at an altitude of 1000 meters, the atmospheric pressure will be 675 mm, and at the altitude of the summit of Mount Elbrus that will be 389 mm, which is almost half of the usual norm, including the proportional oxygen content.
Visualization of the concept of the dependence of atmospheric pressure to altitude
The atmospheric pressure on the top of the highest mountain of the Earth - Mount Everest - is 265 mm (30% of the norm) - life activity at such altitude without additional instruments is far beyond normal human capabilities. Although the facts of oxygen-free ascents to Mount Everest indicate that the real capabilities of our body are much wider than is commonly believed.
A line of people waiting to climb the highest point on our planet - Mount Everest
The capabilities of the human body in terms of adaptation to external conditions, including the oxygen content in the air, are quite extensive. For example, it is argued that the upper ceiling of human life is an altitude of approximately 5500 meters - at this level some high-mountainous peoples in the Himalayas and Andes live all their lives.
Nepalese Sherpas are a people genetically adapted to life at the critical altitudes.
Altitude above 6,500 meters with an atmospheric pressure below 350 mm and an oxygen content of approximately 40% of normal are considered uninhabitable. A person, without special means of supporting life, can stay at such altitude for a very limited time.
This altitude level is called the “Death Zone” - at this altitude, full acclimatization is impossible, and rapid irreversible changes occur in the body. Depending on preliminary preparation and acclimatization, a person can survive at such an altitude from several hours to several days.
At the top of Lenin Peak at an altitude of 7134 meters
All the figures and calculations presented above illustrate only the general principle of the relationship between altitude, atmospheric pressure and oxygen content in the air. This rule cannot be applied universally to all the mountains of the Earth, since the oxygen content at the same altitudes, but at in different geographical latitudes, will differ significantly.
The fact is that the air shell of the earth does not correspond to the shape of the globe - it is, as it were, flattened - the greatest thickness of the air layer corresponds to equatorial latitudes, and towards the poles the thickness of the atmosphere decreases.
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Distance from the equator of the highest mountains of the 7 continents
Accordingly, the influence of altitude will be more noticeable the further north or south we move from the equator. For example, the Mount Kilimanjaro climb, a 5895 m high peak in Africa located just 342 km from the equator, can be done much more comfortably than climbing Mount Elbrus (5642 m high and 4810 km from the equator).
On the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa
The lack of oxygen and the feeling of the influence of altitude on Mount Elbrus is felt much more strongly.
A general rule in mountaineering is that, given equal altitudes, mountains become harder to climb as they are located further from the equator - this factor should be taken into account when choosing a mountain and acclimatization schedule for those planning to take up mountaineering and choosing their first truly high mountain.
Mount Elbrus at dawn on a clear frosty autumn morning
Based on this rule, the difficulty of the climbing programs in our collection is determined not only by the actual altitude of the mountains, but, to a greater extent, by their geographical location. In accordance with these features, an appropriate acclimatization schedule is built, which is necessary for a safe ascent to a particular peak. In order to maximize the chances of a successful ascent and reduce the risk of possible health problems.
The author of the texts and photographs Alex Trubachev
Your professional mountain guide for Mount Elbrus and other mountain climbing routes in Caucasus
MCS EDIT 2024
Other related questions:
- How much does it cost to climb Elbrus?
- How to get to the base of Elbrus from Moscow or Saint Petersburg?
- Which city is next to Elbrus? Transport logistics of the Mount Elbrus routes.
- How to prepare for the ascent of Elbrus?
- Is it possible to climb alone the highest mountain of the Caucasus and Europe - Elbrus?
- In what mountains is Elbrus located?
- At what time of the year is it better to climb Elbrus?
- How long does climbing Elbrus last?
- What clothes and shoes do you need to climb Elbrus?
- What sights are there on Elbrus on the way to the top?
Our Principles
AlexClimb Rule #1 - Safety First
From the very beginning of our activity, here nearly 16 years, the first Principle of work of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb is the Safety Priority. On the basis of this Principle all process of training is based, all programs and rounds are developed and carried out only within this main principle. We consider that at professional approach to development of programs, at personal discipline and correctly put motivation - occupations by mountaineering and rock-climbing are COMPLETELY safe. And from the return - all troubles and accidents in our sport come from nonprofessionalism, from ignorance or neglect by elementary standards of safety, from irrational motivation, from revaluation of own forces and opportunities. All these prerequisites we COMPLETELY EXCLUDE in our work - ours Rock-climbing, Ice climbing and Mountaineering are based on one Principle - the Safety Priority. In rock-climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing, the Priority of Safety of MCS AlexClimb-is your personal security and comfort irrespective of, than we are engaged - we train muscles and we work technology of the movement in the sports hall and on the rock climbing wall, we make the way through snowstorm to top or we relax on golden sand of the Caribbean beach after hot day of trainings on rocks. The Safety priority - the main credo of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb.
AlexClimb Rule #2 - Leave No Trace
Closely interacting with Nature, working with the active programs in mountains, woods, lakes and rivers, we perfectly understand the importance of carefull and respectfull bahavior towards the Nature, for its resources. From the very beginning of our outdoor-activity we adopted rules of Leave No Trace technique - the standard of behavior of the person accepted in all the civilized world in relation to environment and especially - to the wild nature. After all on the relation of people to the nature near which they exist, itself can draw dalekoidushchy conclusions on the relation of these people to... Where and as we didn't travel - we don't reserve any garbage, we try to reduce whenever possible our influence on environment to a minimum. We clear earlier zagryazyonny tourist parking of the left garbage, we take out and we take out to utilization places that to us other people left there. We consider that only thus, at personal individual consciousness of each citizen, each tourist, climber or autotraveller, we will be able to keep the nature surrounding us in its state, natural, suitable for life, - in it pledge of the healthy future for ourselves and our children.
