Late last summer, I visited Elbrus, a monumental mountain in the Caucasus

Late last summer, I visited Elbrus, a monumental mountain in the Caucasus and Europe's highest peak (5,642 m), situated on the borders of the Kabardino-Balkarian and Karachay-Cherkess Republics. It was my first time there. The journey to the Elbrus area took approximately two hours by car from Pyatigorsk. To get to Pyatigorsk, I traveled about six hours from Krasnodar, my home city.

It is worth noting that Elbrus is a dormant volcano. By geological standards, its most recent eruption was relatively recent - roughly two thousand years ago. I hope the volcano remains dormant in the near future so that we may continue to enjoy skiing on its slopes.