Mount Elbrus Khillar Khachirov, and the west summit in 1874 by a British expedition led by F. Crauford Grove and including Frederick Gardner, Horace Walker, and the Swiss guide of St. Niklaus. Khachirov's nationality is claimed both by Kabardians and Karachay and used by nationalists of both sides. He was a guide for an Imperial Russian army scientific expedition led by General Georgi Emmanuel. While authorities differ on how the Caucasus are distributed between Europe and Asia, most relevant modern authorities define the continental boundary as the Caucasus watershed, placing Elbrus in Europe due to its position on the north side in
Mount Elbrus 100 people to be attempting the summit via this route each day. Winter ascents are rare, and are usually undertaken only by very experienced climbers. Elbrus is notorious for its brutal winter weather, and summit attempts are few and far between. The climb is not technically difficult, but it is physically arduous because of the elevations and the frequent strong winds. The average annual death toll on Elbrus is 15–30, primarily due to "many unorganized and poorly equipped" attempts to summit the mountain. Since 1986, Elbrus has been incorporated into Prielbrusye National Park, one of the Protected areas of Russia.