Climbing Mount Elbrus solo

Is it possible to climb the highest mountain of the Caucasus and Europe - Mount Elbrus alone - without team and guide?

Spoiler: in fact, everything is very simple - if you ask such a question, the answer will be NO.

Mount Elbrus from the south - looks so cozy, accessible and harmless

Those who, from their own experience, can afford to climb alone in the mountains, understand without question the complexity and danger of such project.

In addition, experienced climbers understand their personal responsibility to family, friends and complete strangers who, in case of an accident, will risk their lives to provide help and assistance.

On the Mount Elbrus climbing route from the east

Understanding all these aspects, having special technical and tactical skills, and sufficient physical fitness, one can afford the luxury of challenging the mountain alone. Although even among professionals, there is no clear attitude towards solo climbing in the mountains.

Romantic evening on the southern slope of Mount Elbrus

However, I can say with complete confidence - if you are a beginner, if you are driven to the mountains by romantic feelings or the desire to prove yourself as a hero - better to find a good team, to gain experience. As you grow in mountain climbing, the urge to climb solo will most likely go away.

Reliable team is the key to safety on a climbing route

Is it even possible to go to the mountains alone? The truth is that it is hard to answer this question unequivocally. From a safety point of view, solo climbing is completely unacceptable.

From its very beginning, mountaineering involved working in a team - this is the only way to withstand the forces of the elements and achieve truly high goals.

At the dawn of the birth of mountaineering traditions, it never occurred to anyone to climb the mountain peaks alone. Climbing Mont Blanc, 18th century drawing

However, the time of exploits and heroes is becoming a thing of the past. Nowadays, for most mountain climbers, mountaineering is a vacation, a change from a familiar and boring environment to something new and fresh.

In this format, many people take mountaineering just as a psychological reboot or a radical change of scenery. It is not surprising that thoughts often come to go to the mountains alone - just as, tired of the hustle and bustle, one can go alone fishing or to the forest to pick mushrooms.

Sometimes, the desire for climbing mountains takes on strange and mysterious forms.

Of course, that is familiar to many - the romantic desire to enjoy the mountains, finding themselves face to face with snow-white giants... Listen to the music of the wind and immerse in the cosmic harmony of the mountain nature.

Many are consumed by the desire to get away from everything, to stay for some time in perfect solitude in the most beautiful corner of the earth, inaccessible to the world’s bustle and the Internet. With a cup of hot coffee, admire the best show in the world - the sunrise over the endless mountain ranges. Sounds tempting? Yes.

Being alone with the majesty of the mountains is a rare and exquisite pleasure

But it could also be like this: a tent destroyed by the wind, freezing rain and a wet sleeping bag. Attempts to call for help from a wet and discharged phone - all the charge was spent photographing flowers and sunrises the day before.

Or even worse - an inglorious death unknown to anyone in a deep glacier crevasse, in which it is almost impossible to find a missing person.

There are thousands of crevasses on the Mount Elbrus glaciers up to 50-70 meters deep - looking for a solo climber who has fallen into a crevasse is a task with almost zero chance of success

Very often people do not understand the price they can pay for their whim, for a rash or downright stupid act.

Ask any mountain rescuer what they think of “soloists,” especially “dreamer soloists.” With a high probability, the answer will be rude and completely unromantic.

Watching the sunrise after spending the night on the Elbrus Col is beautiful. But cold

I have been involved in mountaineering for a long time, quite successfully (I didn’t kill myself) I went through all the stages of technical and psychological growth in this type of activity.

I have experience in solo ascents not only to Mount Elbrus, Mount Kazbek, Mount Belukha... But also to much more difficult peaks.

Altai, climbing Belukha - before it became a 'crime'

During the period of the most active desire to “become cool” in my own eyes, I made solo technical ascents along vertical rock walls up to 1000 meters high, along different routes I climbed solo the Matterhorn, Khan Tengri, climbed solo vertical frozen waterfalls in Norway.

Without being proud of such “achievements”, I can say that solo climbing in the mountains is not romantic or reckless. This is an extremely complex technical and tactical task, which can only be overcome if you do not have unhealthy ambitions, if you have sufficient climbing experience, ideal physical shape and a clear understanding of the task at hand.

To even think about any solo routes in the mountains, you need to have experience in much more difficult team ascents

If you are beginner in the mountaineering, but don't want to learn from other people's mistakes and are thinking about going to Mount Elbrus alone - this is a bad idea and an irresponsible act.

In other words, an attempt to climb Mount Elbrus alone for a beginner is a desire to step on a large rake with a clearly visible sign - CAUTION, RAKE!

The classic way to gain personal experience

Well. If the above reasons were not enough and the decision to go to Mount Elbrus alone still excites the imagination, below are several practical recommendations.

N. B. The written below concerns only the Southern route to the Western Summit of Mount Elbrus - with high climber traffic, good cellular coverage and infrastructure.

Relatively safe conditions for solo ascent to Mount Elbrus

Trying to climb Mount Elbrus alone along any other route is a form of potential suicide, which, if successful, will be a big dirty trick for everyone around you.

Follow the basic guidelines:

Check out my article on solo mountain climbing and trekking tactics;

Get registered with the local rescue service, inform them of your plans, schedule, dates of entry and exit from the route;

Try to keep close to any organized group;

Keep in touch with one of your friends, report your condition, location;

If there are any signs of discomfort of any origin, return immediately.

When climbing alone, the decision to turn back should always be taken much earlier than if you are climbing in a team.

The author of the text and photographs Alex Trubachev
Your professional mountain guide for Mount Elbrus and other mountain climbing routes in Caucasus

MCS EDIT 2024

Climbing Mount Elbrus solo

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