The Normal Route is the easiest, safest and fastest on account of the cable car and chairlift system which operates from about 9am to 3pm.
Starting for the summit at about 2am from the Diesel Hut or Leaprus mountain hut should allow just enough time to get back down to the chairlift if movement is efficient.
A longer ascent, the Kiukurtliu Route, starts from below the cable-way Mir station and heads west over glacier slopes towards the Khotiutau pass.

The ascent of Elbrus from the south takes about 6–9 hours, with a total height difference of 1,700–2,000 m (5,600–6,600 ft) between the Barrels Huts and the western summit of Elbrus.
From Terskol village one can walk 5 km (3.1 mi) to the first elevation, Azau (2,350 m; 7,710 ft).
A cable car service is available from Azau to the normal starting location for the Elbrus climb, known as Barrels Hut or Garabashi Station (3,720 m; 12,200 ft).
The next destination – the Diesel Hut at 4,050 m (13,290 ft) – is located north of the Barrels Huts and up the slopes of Elbrus.
From the Diesel Hut the route heads straight up towards the east summit of Elbrus, continuing north up the slopes.
The slopes surrounding the classical route to Elbrus from the South contain large crevasses.
Heading towards Pashtuhova Rocks (at 4,550–4,700 m (14,930–15,420 ft) elevation), the classical route up Elbrus becomes steeper after passing between two linear rock bands.
After leaving this section, the Elbrus route heads on – first northward, to the east summit of Elbrus, or rather the saddle between the east and west summits of Elbrus (5,416 m; 17,769 ft), but soon turns left to the west summit (5,642 m; 18,510 ft).
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 proves fatal is heading low and down too early after their half-traverse below the saddle, especially under conditions of low visibility in stormy weather.
On descent after the saddle, instead of going down the slope too early, one should stay high up on the slopes of the east peak, otherwise the route will become very steep and feature dangerous crevasses and falls.

The north climbing route requires more commitment and is more remote than the south route.
Also contributing to this is the fact that on the lower altitudes of the mountain this route can offer less in the way of infrastructure.
However, this also means less human intrusion onto the landscape.
With mechanical support brought to a minimum, the tour to Elbrus from the north is mainly camping, with the summit route being longer and harder, and requiring good teamwork and/or winter camping skills since, if the weather is favourable, it involves an interim camp at 4,800 m (15,700 ft) or gaining 2000 vertical meters/6561 vertical ft up and down.
The Elbrus ascent by the north route offers a rich ice and snow experience under unpredictable weather conditions.
The Normal Route is the easiest, safest and fastest on account of the cable car and chairlift system which operates from about 9am to 3pm. Starting for the summit at about 2am from the Diesel Hut or Leaprus mountain hut should allow just enough time to get back down to the chairlift if movement is efficient. A longer ascent, the Kiukurtliu Route, starts from below the cable-way Mir station and heads west over glacier slopes towards the Khotiutau pass.
The ascent of Elbrus from the south takes about 6–9 hours, with a total height difference of 1,700–2,000 m (5,600–6,600 ft) between the Barrels Huts and the western summit of Elbrus. From Terskol village one can walk 5 km (3.1 mi) to the first elevation, Azau (2,350 m; 7,710 ft). A cable car service is available from Azau to the normal starting location for the Elbrus climb, known as Barrels Hut or Garabashi Station (3,720 m; 12,200 ft). The next destination – the Diesel Hut at 4,050 m (13,290 ft) – is located north of the Barrels Huts and up the slopes of Elbrus. From the Diesel Hut the route heads straight up towards the east summit of Elbrus, continuing north up the slopes. The slopes surrounding the classical route to Elbrus from the South contain large crevasses. Heading towards Pashtuhova Rocks (at 4,550–4,700 m (14,930–15,420 ft) elevation), the classical route up Elbrus becomes steeper after passing between two linear rock bands. After leaving this section, the Elbrus route heads on – first northward, to the east summit of Elbrus, or rather the saddle between the east and west summits of Elbrus (5,416 m; 17,769 ft), but soon turns left to the west summit (5,642 m; 18,510 ft). 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 proves fatal is heading low and down too early after their half-traverse below the saddle, especially under conditions of low visibility in stormy weather. On descent after the saddle, instead of going down the slope too early, one should stay high up on the slopes of the east peak, otherwise the route will become very steep and feature dangerous crevasses and falls.
The north climbing route requires more commitment and is more remote than the south route. Also contributing to this is the fact that on the lower altitudes of the mountain this route can offer less in the way of infrastructure. However, this also means less human intrusion onto the landscape. With mechanical support brought to a minimum, the tour to Elbrus from the north is mainly camping, with the summit route being longer and harder, and requiring good teamwork and/or winter camping skills since, if the weather is favourable, it involves an interim camp at 4,800 m (15,700 ft) or gaining 2000 vertical meters/6561 vertical ft up and down. The Elbrus ascent by the north route offers a rich ice and snow experience under unpredictable weather conditions.
Mount Elbrus