Mount Elbrus Mount Elbrus Mount Elbrus (; , "Miñi taw" or "Mın̨i tau" ; , "’Wāśhamāxwa" or "Ꜧuas̨hamaxua" ;) could be considered the highest mountain in Europe, notwithstanding the fact that Caucasus mountains are at the intersection of Europe and Asia, and the tenth most prominent peak in the world. A dormant volcano, Elbrus is in the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia, near the border with Georgia. Elbrus has two summits, both of which are dormant volcanic domes. The taller west summit is ; the east summit is . The east summit was first ascended on 10 July 1829 (Julian calendar) by
Mount Elbrus (). Before reaching this saddle, the route passes through a gently sloped basin filled with snow. At the saddle there is a shelter, from which the route heads west, then – left, in the direction of rocks forming the shoulder of the west summit, in the form of a narrow, exposed snow path that allows for a straight dash to the summit ridge. The descent of Elbrus takes about 3–6 hours. While returning from the Elbrus summit, the most common mistake that climbers make and that often turns out fatal is heading low and down too early after their half-traverse