Seasonality of climbing Mount Elbrus

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Seasonality of climbing Mount Elbrus, what time of year is best for climbing?

The summits of Mount Elbrus are accessible at any time of the year, but different seasons have their own characteristics and peculiarities - in this short article I want to share with you my experience regarding climbing Mount Elbrus in different seasons.

At the foot of Mount Elbrus in late autumn, East side, Tyzyl gorge

Officially, summer (June - August) is considered to be the best climbing season for Mount Elbrus - this is the most popular season for climbing the highest mountain in the Caucasus and Europe.

Among the summer months August is the peak time of mountaineering and tourist activity in the Caucasus.

The popularity of August for climbing Mount Elbrus is caused more because generally accepted stereotypes and standards for holidays, rather than by any natural factors.

At the summit of Mount Elbrus in August - at the peak of the climbing season

We can say that the weather and routes condition on Mount Elbrus in August are not much better than in July or September, but the impression of climbing Mount Elbrus can be spoiled by high tourist traffic and the huge number of people on the route.

In other words, crowds go to Mount Elbrus in August; it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy the majesty of the mountain and their eternal peace, especially on the southern slope.

These are not bird droppings... These are crowds of climbers on the southern slope of Mount Elbrus in August

In addition, August is the peak of the summer heat, when the snow cover on Mount Elbrus almost disappears, and everything that remains after hundreds of years of active use of the Mount Elbrus routes melts out from under the snow.

This is especially true of the most developed South route - after the disappearance of the snow cover, you can admire the abundance of construction and household waste, the remains of engineering structures, abandoned infrastructure objects of all recent historical horizons.

The author of this text against the backdrop of the sights of the Southern slope of Mount Elbrus

During especially hot seasons, even the garbage from the Second World War melts out on the slopes of Mount Elbrus.

There were fights during the WWII on Mount Elbrus

In other words, if you want to get more aesthetic pleasure from your climbing Mount Elbrus, it is better to choose a snowier and less crowded period of the summer season - June or July.

Based on my mountain guiding practice of the recent years, September can be called the most favorable season for climbing Mount Elbrus.

Mount Elbrus in September - it is quite fresh but perfectly clear and beautiful

In September, traffic on the Mount Elbrus routes noticeably decreases, the air temperature drops slightly down compared to August - the weather becomes more stable, also the amount of precipitation decreases.

If we add to the whole picture the autumn colors of the Baksan Gorge, crystal clear air, the absence of summer clouds and dust in the atmosphere, we get the ideal condition and environment for climbing Mount Elbrus.

Briefly about the advantages and disadvantages of the Mount Elbrus climbing seasons

Graph of temperature and number of sunny days in different seasons at the base of Mount Elbrus

October, especially its first half. It becomes a little colder on Mount Elbrus than in September, but the weather is still consistently good and, in general, favorable for climbing.

November. The beginning of the winter season. The conditions of Mount Elbrus winter ascents dictate very serious requirements for the level of technical and physical training of the participants.

Excavation of the entrance to the Gorabashi shelter after a snowfall on Mount Elbrus in November

Officially, the winter months are considered the most unpopular and dangerous season for climbing Mount Elbrus. The beginning of the winter season is characterized by a sharp deterioration in weather conditions, prolonged periods of bad weather, and frequent heavy snowfalls. The temperature significantly drops and the wind speed increases. These factors make climbing Mount Elbrus in November a very difficult, unpredictable and risky undertaking.

Moonrise over Mount Elbrus glaciers in the evening at sunset, November. It was really cold

December. Winter is fully coming into its own, the condition of the Mount Elbrus routes acquires characteristic winter features - extremely low (down to -50°C at the summit) air temperatures, vast areas of bare, wind-polished and very dangerous ice open up on the slopes, requiring the organization of belay when crossing.

Winter Mount Elbrus ice is one of the most dangerous features of the winter ascents of this mountain

The density of winter Mount Elbrus ice is so high that even the sharpest points of crampons leave just light scratches on the wind-polished surface. “Bottle ice” as it is called is a condition of glacier ice that is very typical for winter Elbrus, one of the most serious dangers throughout the entire winter and, partially, spring season.

It is easy to fall on such terrain even with a slight steepness of the slope, but stopping a fall on the ice slope even with an ice ax is almost impossible in case if the stationary belay was not organized.

For the approaches to Mount Elbrus routes in winter, ski touring is the ideal solution

The duration of daylight in December is the shortest - this is another unfavorable factor that introduces its own difficulties into the tactics of winter ascents of Mount Elbrus.

January - February. In terms of conditions and level of risk, these months correspond to all the features of the winter season on Mount Elbrus.

There quite are few climbs during this period, and the complexity and danger of the routes increases significantly. The conditions for climbing winter Elbrus can be compared with climbing mountains 7-8000 m high, and tactical difficulties (length of the route, changeable weather conditions, difficulty in the belay organizing) make climbing Mount Elbrus in winter more difficult and more dangerous than many popular “eight-thousanders”.

Setting up a tent in the snowstorm conditions during the winter climb of Mount Elbrus

March - April. In the first months of spring, almost winter conditions still remain on Mount Elbrus - there are open areas of hard ice on the routes, and the air temperature remains at critically low levels.

However, the duration of daylight and solar activity increases, and it becomes much warmer during the daytime. At the beginning of spring on Mount Elbrus there is still a high probability of serious snowfalls and strong winds.

Even the moderate wind can turn your climb of Mount Elbrus into a very adventurous undertaking

Sudden weather changes are the cause of many failures and even accidents during the attempts to climb Mount Elbrus in the first months of spring.

Climbing the summit of Mount Elbrus in such conditions requires serious mountaineering experience and a successful combination of circumstances, while remaining an extremely risky undertaking.

The spring months on Mount Elbrus are ideal for skiing and ski touring. Depending on your qualifications, you can even ski down from the summit

May. Transitional month from winter to summer season in the Caucasus Mountains. In May, the condition of the Mount Elbrus routes changes significantly in a favorable direction. The average air temperature rises, areas of bare ice on the slopes shrink and get covered with snow.

In May Mount Elbrus is still winter white, but already gets some summer impression

Daylight hours get longer and continue to increase. However, due to the large amount of snow and still quite harsh temperature conditions, May is considered a difficult month for climbing Mount Elbrus, although this period is not as harsh and treacherous as March or April.

In May the number of successful ascents of Mount Elbrus increases, and at the end of May the conditions of the routes approach to the almost summer state.

At any season, the unforgettable silhouette of Mount Elbrus soaring in the clouds can break your heart forever

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