Clothes for Mount Elbrus?

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What clothes, shoes and special equipment do I need to climb Mount Elbrus?

The maximum set of equipment and clothing for climbing Mount Elbrus along the West (most complicated)

route The most important aspect of safety of climbing Mount Elbrus is a properly selected set of high-quality equipment. The main recommendations outlined in this article will concern basic equipment for climbing the Southern and Northern routes of Mount Elbrus.

On the West summit of Mount Elbrus in good weather - you don’t even need your down jacket

These routes require a minimum amount of specialized climbing equipment. The main accent should be placed on the careful selection of special clothing and shoes that protect against cold and adverse weather conditions.

Regarding the set of clothes for moderate-altitude ascents, some explanations should be given.

• The feeling of cold at altitude is subjective. First of all, it depends on the general condition of the body (lack of acclimatization, poor health condition, fatigue). For example, even using high-quality equipment, it is easier to freeze your toes or hands under these conditions than at similar temperatures in normal conditions or familiar surroundings at lower altitudes.
• In case of unfavorable circumstances (delay on the route, forced slowdown), even with a slight lack of warm clothing, your life may be in danger.

Based on these important factors, you should pay maximum attention to the set of high-altitude clothing and shoes for climbing Mount Elbrus, and also choose the most suitable acclimatization schedule before climbing.

Climbing Mount Elbrus, even by the simplest South route, may involve exposure to extreme weather conditions

The basic requirements for a set of clothing are a combination of light weight and high quality. That is not only your comfort and convenience during the climb, but also your health and safety on the route depends on these parameters.

Many travel companies offer to the participants of their Mount Elbrus climbing programs rent of climbing clothing and footwear.

Renting shoes for mountaineering is not only unhygienic, but also impractical. There is a chance that you go down the route barefoot

Since the requirements for a set of clothing for alpine climbing are very high, the rental option should be considered only in case of extreme need.

Choosing shoes for climbing Elbrus

Modern technologies allow manufacturers of high-quality mountaineering shoes to achieve excellent results in the weight/thermal insulation ratio.

The optimal category of boots for climbing Mount Elbrus in summer

There is a wide selection of climbing boots on the market. For summer climbs at the altitudes of 5000-6000 m, I recommend considering the middle line of mountaineering shoes - models in this category weigh 1.2 - 1.8 kg (pair) and provide protection from low temperatures down to -30C. In most cases, this is quite enough for summer climbing Mount Elbrus, Mount Kazbek, Mont Blanc, etc.

Some people use super-warm (double-layer) mountaineering boots designed for climbing to the altitudes of 7000 - 8000 meters while their climb of Mount Elbrus.

For summer climbing Mount Elbrus, these boots are not suitable in most respects. But can be considered for winter ascent of Mount Elbrus

From my point of view, this is a very expensive and impractical option. Of course, such shoes will provide 100% protection from low temperatures, however, under comfortable conditions on the approaches or during acclimatization, these shoes will be useless and uncomfortable.

The other extreme is the use of trekking boots, even well-insulated ones. This option is suitable only for experienced climbers who understand all the features of wearing light shoes at the low temperatures. Trekking shoes are comfortable during the main part of the Mount Elbrus program, but problems are possible during the ascent to the summit and after the descent, when the surgeon will cut off frostbitten toes.

Consequences of reckless use of light shoes when climbing Mount Elbrus

When choosing your climbing boots, you should very carefully select the model and size - even the slightest discomfort or compression can lead to chafing or frostbite.

An ideally selected climbing boots fully match the shape of your foot, leaving enough space to wear it along with a pair of warm socks - as a rule, climbing shoes boots should be chosen 1-2 sizes larger than the regular shoes worn. But this fully depends on the specific model and manufacturer.

When the lacing is tightly secured, there should not be any space for excessive movement of the foot.

Choosing clothes for climbing Elbrus

Information regarding basic alpine clothing is detailed in the article “Equipment Recommendations for the Basic Mountaineering Programs”

In addition to the information presented in this article about a basic three-layer set of clothing, which is relevant for any acclimatization program before climbing Mount Elbrus, as well as for approaches to the routes, it should be mentioned that for the summer climbing of Mount Elbrus an additional insulated layer will be required.

Lightweight summer mountaineering down jacket suitable for climbing Mount Elbrus

This can be a jacket (900-1100 g) with down or synthetic filling. To protect your hands from the cold, you should have light fleece gloves and good thick insulated mittens. It is preferable to have mittens rather than warm gloves - they make your hands much more comfortable at low temperatures.

Special equipment for climbing Mount Elbrus

This category includes equipment designed to provide safety and belay when climbing technically difficult mountaineering routes. This section includes a large number of different devices, the set of which depends on the specifics of a particular route.

Climbing equipment that you most likely will not need when climbing Mount Elbrus

Of the special equipment for climbing Mount Elbrus along the classic routes from the south and north, you will need a minimum set consisting of trekking poles (there is a separate article on the use of this piece of equipment) and light alpine climbing crampons.

For summer ascents of Mount Elbrus, during which you do not have to deal with climbing the open ice, you should choose lightweight crampons for walking on the soft or packed snow.

The ideal solution for summer climbing of Mount Elbrus - Petzl Vasak crampons

Unlike professional crampons for technical mountaineering, lightweight models have a relatively low weight and can be attached to any kind of shoe.

Having experience of more than 100 ascents to Mount Elbrus along different routes, I can say that on the north or south Mount Elbrus routes under the normal summer conditions, the use of additional climbing equipment is not required.

At the Summit of East Elbrus

The demands of various organizers of Mount Elbrus climbing programs to use a full set of climbing equipment for the summer ascents of Elbrus from the north and south are not justified by the technical features of the routes.

This is just "dust in the eyes" and increasing complexity in order to increase the cost of the program - as a result. Helmets, harnesses, ropes, ice axes and ice screws are not necessary on these routes.

At the West Summit of Mount Elbrus

If you don’t know how to use this equipment, it’s just a useless extra weight. Which leads to an increase in the total load creates additional difficulties when climbing.

On any alpine climbing route, and Mount Elbrus in particular, your mobility and speed are the very important condition of your safety and success of the ascent.

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

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