Mount Elbrus

The highest peak in Europe

Explore Fahad Badar’s 2018 Mount Elbrus expedition in Russia, with photographs from Europe’s highest peak at 5,642 metres.

In August 2018, following my first climb on Kilimanjaro, I travelled to Russia to climb Mount Elbrus. At 5,642 metres, Europe’s highest peak became my second of the Seven Summits.

My preparation was becoming more focused. After meeting fellow Qatari climbers joining the expedition, I began training on the stairs of Doha’s Torch Hotel. On Elbrus, I learned to walk in crampons, move across glaciers and complete acclimatisation rotations. Although still a beginner, I found myself helping teammates with equipment and encouraging them when fatigue or altitude made the climb difficult.

Our summit push began at 1 a.m. in cold, windy conditions. About an hour into the climb, I removed my mittens to adjust my harness and lost one down the glacier. Fortunately, our Russian guide lent me a spare. It was a simple mistake that taught me a lasting lesson about securing equipment and carrying spare gloves.

After around seven hours, we reached the summit in clear sunshine. The final stretch had felt painfully slow, but standing above the surrounding peaks brought an extraordinary feeling of achievement. I felt stronger than I had on Kilimanjaro and spent much of the descent singing.

Elbrus was also where Everest began to feel possible. Conversations with our expedition leader, followed by the confidence of reaching my second summit, turned a distant dream into something I wanted to prepare for.