Mount Elbrus

Mount Elbrus, 28^th August 2012 at an altitude of 5,642m

 

On 28^th August 2012, I reached the summit of Mount Elbrus, the tallest peak in Europe at  an altitude of 5,642m. Mount Elbrus is a dormant volcano along the Caucasus mountain range. It has a permanent icecap and, in bad weather conditions, the wind chill effect can reduce temperatures down to -50°C.

 

Faced with the possibility of extreme conditions including high altitude, fog, wind and extreme cold, on the day of the climb to the summit, I was faced with a tough decision – a storm was brewing that would make conditions considerably worse. When asked by the guide if I wanted to take the risk or wait four days for the weather to improve, I decided to move forward.

 

“The day of the summit climb was characterized by strong winds at (100km/hr). It was picking up snow and throwing it at me. In the face of skies that would not clear up and temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius, I did not want to turn back; I was determined to continue trudging forward to reach the goal I had set out to achieve.