Amazing with its beauty, grandeur and height, which has become a goal for climbers and a muse for writers and musicians, Elbrus is a mountain that gives life and takes it away. This is the source of mighty rivers, a home for millennia-old glaciers and a volcano that still only sleeps, waiting for the moment to wake up and prove its strength.
Serving as the place of imprisonment of the Greek god Prometheus, according to legend, who gave fire to people, Elbrus often becomes a grave for tourists, incorrectly assessing their capabilities. In our ranking, we will tell you about interesting facts related to Mount Elbrus.
10. Is a stratovolcano
Few people know that Elbrus is actually a real volcano. Or rather - stratovolcano. The stratovolcano has the shape of a cone and its landscape consists of solidified layers of lava during cooling. This type of volcano is characterized by steepness of slopes, high altitude and eruptions similar to an explosion.
Elbrus last erupted more than five thousand years ago, forcing cavemen living on its slopes to leave their homes and seek new lands. Scientists argue whether Elbrus can wake up again. Some say that maybe, moreover, this should happen in 50 years. Others argue that this will not happen and even claim that the last eruption did not happen five thousand years ago, but more than 22.
9. Is the highest peak in Russia and Europe
Elbrus is the highest peak in Russia and Europe. Its peak reaches an astounding height of 5,642 meters above sea level. Elbrus has not one but two peaks, the difference in height between them is no more than twenty meters. They are located at a distance of three kilometers from each other.
The exact height of Elbrus was established by the Russian scientist Vishnevsky in the distant 1813. Elbrus competes with another giant in Europe - Mont Blanc, whose height is 4,810 meters, which is 732 meters less than the Caucasus. Despite all the greatness, Elbrus gives way to the highest mountain in the world to Everest, whose height is as high as 8848 meters.
8. From the top of the mountain you can see the Caspian and Black Sea
It's no secret that the most gorgeous view opens from the peaks. The mountains themselves are a very beautiful phenomenon that justifies the risk when climbing them. But only having risen to the very top, you can appreciate the beauty of wildlife and look at everything from a bird's eye view.
It is for the sake of panorama that many climbers annually make a dangerous climb. And Elbrus in this regard takes a leading position, rewarding conquerors with personnel who will forever plunge into the memory of the most brave.
Due to the particularly clean air and due to the height, climbers have a chance to enjoy a particularly amazing view. Under favorable conditions, at the peak you can see two seas at once - the Caspian and Black. But it is worth remembering that nature is moody, especially at such an altitude. A change in pressure, temperature, or a rising snowstorm can make it impossible to see all the beauty in full.
7. Atmospheric pressure at the top is about 50% of normal
From the school curriculum, we know about the presence of atmospheric pressure and its effect on the human body. Atmospheric pressure greatly affects the functioning of vital systems. With an increase in the level, a person will practically not feel changes, but with a decrease, things are different.
With a decrease in atmospheric pressure, a person experiences oxygen starvation and is prone to the so-called mountain sickness. As you go up, the pressure gradually decreases. With every ten and a half meters, it drops by a millimeter of mercury. Using simple calculations, you can find out that the pressure at the top of Elbrus is half the norm and is 380 mm RT.Art.
6. First conquered by man in 1829
Today Mount Elbrus has become a favorite destination for experienced climbers. You can climb it both alone and as part of a tourist group. But for a long time, Elbrus remained an unmanaged peak.
Everything has changed July 22, 1829, when, as part of a military scientific expedition led by General Emmanuel, the first man stepped on top. He was a Karachai Kilar Khashirov. It was he who received the title of the man to whom Elbrus first submitted. We know very little about him and his life, but he forever inscribed his name in the history of the mountain.
5. “Shelter of the Eleven” - the highest mountain hotel in the world
Hotel for tourists is a familiar thing. This, in our understanding, is a comfortable and soft bed, the All Inclusive service and the next stage immediately after the airport.
But in the world there is a completely unusual place for a tired traveler to relax. A place to which you need to overcome 4 kilometers. And not along a direct asphalt road, but along the slopes of one of the highest mountains on Earth. The Shelter of the Eleven institution is the highest mountain hotel in the world..
Interesting fact: The toilet of this hotel was recognized as the worst bathroom on Earth. The reason is simple - few plumbers come to a call at a height of four kilometers to clear the blockage, and with the cleaning lady, it’s worth the same story.
4. The top of the mountain was conquered on an SUV
Each climber goes his own way from the foot to the top. Everyone has their own goals, thoughts and hopes. Everyone has his own way to conquer the mountains. Many people tried to conquer Elbrus and many, unfortunately, paid for it with their lives.
But the mountains love the brave and submit to the brave. One of these was Russian climber Alexander Abramov, who managed not only to climb the top of Elbrus, but also to do it by car. Of course, it was not a simple passenger car, which is familiar to us, residents of cities and villages, but a specially prepared Land Rover SUV. But this does not make the least of his actions less brave and heroic.
3. Elbrus has more than ten different names
The familiar name Elbrus is not the only name for this mountain. Different peoples living and living next to this giant had their own name for him. In the Turkic dialect, it sounded like "Gin padishah", Which means the ruler of the spirits. In Georgian, Elbrus was called Yalbuz, or snow maneand the Abkhaz language gave grief the name "Orfi Tub"- a mountain of blessed ones.
2. The mountain is listed as Seven Wonders of Russia
Russia is rich in miracles and wonderful natural phenomena that amaze a tourist and a local with its beauties. The mighty Mount Elbrus is one of such miracles and is listed as the Seven Wonders of our immense homeland.. A dream and muse for hundreds of travelers from all over the world, Elbrus also occupies the title of one of the highest mountains of six parts of the world.
1. From the slopes of Elbrus 23 glaciers flow down
The slopes of Mount Elbrus are covered with centuries-old glaciers, giving the mountain a special, unique look. But they play not only a decorative role in the life of the mountain itself and the surrounding territories.
The water that forms as a result of the melting of ice caps flows down to the foot of Elbrus and feeds the largest and most important rivers of the Caucasus and Stavropol. The melt water fills the rivers Malka, Kuban and Baksan.
Baksan, which is the right tributary of the Malki River, passes through the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. Malka, passing through the same republic as Baksan, borders on the Stavropol Territory. The Kuban flows into the Sea of Azov.