Europe's highest mountain is located. Carpathians - the largest mountain system in Central Europe
Mountain peaks are one of the most interesting geological phenomena that are popular among climbers. The European mainland with its highlands, of course, cannot compete with the Himalayan mountain ranges, but still among them there are those that deserve attention.
Presented to the attention of the curious highest mountains in Europe.
Height 4 466 m
(Azerbaijan) opens the list of the highest mountain points in Europe. The hill is located on the border of two states - Russia and Azerbaijan. Bazarduzu is the peak of the Dividing Range Greater Caucasus. The mountain rises to 4,466 meters above sea level. Translated from the Turkic Bazarduzu means "market square". This name was given to one of the highest European points in memory of the annual large fairs that were held in the valley during the Middle Ages. It was here that merchants from four parts of the world gathered. The conquest of Bazarduzu took place in 1847. Then the ascent to the peak was made by the Russian climber A. Alexandrov. At the beginning of the 20th century, eight glaciers descended from the summit, the largest of them was called Tikhitsar, its length was about 1 kilometer.
Height 4 478 m
(Switzerland/Italy) is one of the highest mountains in Europe, rising to 4,478 meters above sea level. Its location is the Pennine Alps, between the Swiss resort of Zermat and the Italian resort of Breuil-Cervinia. Until 1865, many attempts were made to conquer the Matterhorn, but they were all unsuccessful. Only in 1865 the climb was made by a group of climbers led by Edward Whymper. During the ascent, four people died during the descent due to broken ropes.
Height 4 506 m
(Switzerland) ranks eighth in the ranking of the highest mountain peaks in Europe. The mountain is located in Switzerland and borders Italy. The region of the hill is the Pennine Alps, which are located in the western part of the Alps. The height of one of the highest European points is 4506 meters. The peak was first summited by the British climber John Tyndall together with guides Johann Josef Bennen and Ulrich Wenger in 1861. Translated from English, Weisshorn means "white peak". All mountain climbing routes are considered difficult.
Height 4 538 m
Liskamm- a mountain hill, which is located on the border of Switzerland and Italy. Is a part Western Alps. Liskamm is one of the ten highest mountains in Europe. It consists of two peaks, one of which rises to 4,538 meters above sea level. The mountain has received the nickname "eater" among climbers because of the numerous descending snow avalanches and blocks that hang from the ridge. People first climbed the mountain in 1861. It was then that Liskamm managed to conquer for the first time an expedition of fourteen people, which included 8 British climbers and 6 Swiss guides.
Height 4 545 m
One of the highest mountains in Europe is called (Switzerland). The location of this peak is the Pennine Alps. House - component mountain range Mishabel. Translated from German name pica means "cathedral" or "dome". It was named after Canon Berchtold of Sion Cathedral, the man who began exploring the local area. The former name of the peak was Mischabel, meaning "villas" in Russian. So the hill was called due to the fact that the peaks of the array are located very close to each other. For the first time, the Briton J. L. Davis and his guides J. Zumtaugwald, J. Kroenig and H. Branchen climbed the House in 1858.
Height 4 634 m
(Switzerland/Italy) ranks fifth among the highest mountain points in Europe. It is part of the Monte Rosa mountain range, which is part of the Pennine Alps. The summit was conquered in 1855 by a team of English and Swiss climbers. The mountain hill got its name in honor of the Swiss engineer and topographer Guillaume-Henri Dufour, who is the creator of a detailed topographic map of southwestern Switzerland for military purposes. Peak Dufour rises to 4,634 meters above sea level.
Height 4 810 m
(Italy / France), located on the border of two states, ranks fourth in the list of the highest European mountains. One of the highest mountain points is part of the Western Alps. Mont Blanc, which means "white mountain" in Italian, is a 4810 meters high crystalline massif. The conquest of one of the highest points in Europe took place in 1786. The first climbers were Jacques Balm of Savoy and Michel Paccard of Switzerland. Under Mont Blanc there is a tunnel that connects Italy and France. The mountain has two popular ski resort, one of which belongs to France (Chamonix) and the other to Italy (Courmayeur).
Height 5 200 m
(Georgia) opens the top three highest mountains in Europe. It is part of the main Caucasian ridge and rises to 5200 meters above sea level and is the highest point in Georgia. Shkhara was first conquered by a Swedish climbing team in 1888. Soviet climbers climbed Shkhara a little later - in 1933. Today it is one of the most simple mountains for climbing, therefore it has considerable popularity among tourists who wish to conquer the mountain peak. The Enguri River originates from the mountain glacier of the same name.
Height 5 204 m
(Russia) ranks second in height among European peaks. One of the highest points is part of the Caucasus ranges. Dykhtau is located on the lands of the Kabardino-Balkar high-mountain reserve. It has two peaks - Main and Eastern, which are separated by a saddle. Main peak has a height of 5204 meters, thanks to which Dykhtau takes second place in the list. The mountain point is popular among climbers: more than a dozen climbing routes. The first to climb to the top were Briton Albert Mummery and Swiss Heinrich Zarflu at the end of the 19th century. Translated into Russian, Dykhtau means "steep mountain".
Height 5 642 m
(Russia) tops the list of the highest mountains in Europe. Elbrus is considered part of Caucasus mountains and is a vent extinct volcano of two peaks connected by a saddle. The western summit rises to 5,642 meters above sea level. These indicators give the right to say that Elbrus is the highest European point. This peak was first conquered by British climbers in 1874. The mountain is popular for sports, tourism and climbing. Elbrus glaciers are a source of food largest rivers Caucasus and Stavropol Territory.
Surprisingly, in our enlightened XXI century, there are still disputes about what is the most high peak Europe. Some scientists believe that this is Elbrus, while others - Mont Blanc. It would seem, what is so difficult? With the help of modern technology, you can easily install any top. But just with the levels there are no problems. The heights of both Elbrus and Mont Blanc were established a long time ago with an accuracy of up to a centimeter. The problem is in the sphere of borders. That is, in the statement “the highest peak of Europe is ...” the emphasis should not be on meters, but on which territories are considered included in this continent. And if everything is clear with Mont Blanc: the alpine peak is, of course, Europe, then with Elbrus, everything is not so simple. Let's take a look at this problem.
A question of magnitudes
"White Mountain", Mont Blanc, is located on the western side of the Alps, on the border of France and Italy. This array also had problems with territorial affiliation. But a different plan. After the loss of independence of the Duchy of Savoy, the mountain and the valleys around it repeatedly passed from Italy to France and vice versa. Now, after the redrawing of the territory of Europe in the post-war period, it has been established that a cordon between these states runs along the main peaks of the Mont Blanc massif. Thus, the town of Saint-Gervais, lying on a slope, belongs to France, and located nearby, to Italy. The height of Mont Blanc reaches 4810 meters. Next to this peak, other peaks of the array rise, only slightly inferior to the head. This is Mont Blanc de Courmayeur (more than 4700 meters), and also Grand Bos, Rocher de la Tourmet and more than a dozen four-thousanders. And the height of Elbrus is as much as 5642 meters. Unconditional record holder! The question lies elsewhere. This is the highest peak in Europe or the usual
A question of boundaries
As you know, nature loves continuity and smoothness. Continents pass one into another. If it had not been formed not so long ago by geographical standards, then both Americas would have been merged with Eurasia. But man is a strange creature: give him clear boundaries. Therefore, the division of our continent into Europe and Asia is purely arbitrary. And in many ways, besides geography, politics is involved here. From the time of Herodotus until the fifties of the twentieth century, everything was more or less clear. The border separating Europe and Asia ran from the coast along the main peaks of the Urals, then along the river of the same name, then along the northern Caspian and, following the Main, went to the Black Sea. Further, the cordon ran through the Bosphorus and the Dardanelles. There was no confusion in the Mediterranean either: the coast of modern Turkey is Asia, everything to the north of it is Europe, and Africa outlines the water area from the south. In the system of these coordinates, Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe, because it is located to the north of the main ridge of the Caucasus.
Indefatigable All-Union Geographical Society
With the borders between Europe and Asia, everything was clear until 1958. The confusion began through the fault of the All-Union geographical society. Pundits set about revising long-established norms. They decided that it was not appropriate to divide natural landscapes in half. They ranked the Caucasus mountain system as such, despite the obvious differences in the climatic characteristics of the northern and southern slopes. The same was done with water areas and river valleys. With one stroke of the pen, the Urals were completely and completely in Europe, and the Caucasus - in Asia. Thus, Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, whose height is 832 meters ahead of Mont Blanc, was far from the first mountain on the new mainland, significantly losing to Everest.
Various systems
During the Soviet Union, the inhabitants of one-sixth of the land lived in isolation from the rest of the world. And it was not the Iron Curtain. Distorted was not only the idea of how life is under decaying capitalism, but also about neutral concepts that are quite far from politics. So, in all the geography textbooks of the Soviet Union it was written that the border between Europe and Asia runs along eastern edge Ural mountains, then (which is illogical) up to its confluence with the Caspian Sea, then along north coast water area to the source Further, the cordon passed along the Kuma-Manych depression to the Don, and then to its mouth and Sea of Azov. As a result of this division, not only Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, passed into Asia, but the entire Taman Peninsula.
What about the meaning?
But let's try to guess the course of logical reasoning ... No, not Soviet geographers, but those whose mouthpiece they served. In the late 50s, not only America was the main rival of the Land of the Soviets, but also the state Western Europe. The ideology (which covered all spheres of society) opposed the socialist system to the decaying bourgeois one. The USSR was supposed to stand apart, and it was believed that the fewer things that would connect it with Europe, the better. The fact that Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe, and at the same time in Russia, greatly tormented the Soviet leadership. Therefore, the borders between Europe and Asia were revised. It is this, and not at all concern for integrity natural landscapes, was the real reason for this decision.
Diversity in reference books
Despite the fact that the decision of the All-Union Geographical Society was supported in the next 1959 at the World Geophysical Congress, most countries ignored the Soviet innovation. And the discrepancies continue to this day. Let us turn, for example, to the very authoritative reference book "Wikipedia". The English version claims that the border between Europe and Asia runs "... along the watershed of the Ural Mountains, along the river of the same name, the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus to the southeast ..." This means that in most countries of the world they believe that the highest peak in Europe is Mount Elbrus. But the Russian-language version gives completely different data.
A small legacy of the past
Although Soviet Union has long sunk into oblivion, some of his decisions still live in the minds of people. So, what will the Russian-language "Wikipedia" tell the inquisitive seeker of geographical truth? What is the highest peak in Europe? It turns out that this version of the world directory defines the boundaries between Europe and Asia in the spirit of conciliation with the 1958 resolution and the generally accepted concepts “along the eastern foot of the Urals, Mugodzhary, Emba, north coast Caspian, along the Araks, Black and Seas of Marmara…” What do we see in the modern interpretation? The entire Ural system, as proposed in 1958, is considered Europe. But the whole Caucasus is also considered to be it! new frontier passes along the flowing at the southern foot of this mountain system. And this means that, according to the Russian-language Wikipedia, Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe. A photo of this two-humped snow-covered peak adorns the corresponding article.
Roof of Russia
It's time to tell about Elbrus. What is it, the highest peak of Europe, and at the same time Russia? Turns out it's a volcano. True, faded. Last eruption, according to geologists who studied the frozen lava, occurred in 50 AD. A two-horned peak was formed, like the entire Caucasus, twenty million years ago. The mountain is located on the border between two republics of the Russian Federation: Karachay-Cherkessia and Kabardino-Balkaria. Unlike Mont Blanc, which bristles into the sky with numerous peaks, Elbrus has only two of them. These are, in fact, the edges of the cone of the volcano. Between them about three kilometers. The highest is the western peak. Eastern - slightly lower (5621 m above the sea surface). But the saddle between the two peaks does not fall below the level of 5300 meters. Academician V.K. Vishnevsky determined the height of Elbrus in 1813. The first to be conquered, of course, was the eastern peak. This happened in July 1829. It took nearly fifty years for a man to set foot on the western peak of Elbrus. The highest peak in Europe was conquered in 1874 by a group of English climbers. F. Grove led the expedition. But among the discoverers was the Balkar A Sottaev.
I don’t know how to characterize it more correctly - sclerosis or deja vu? I remember exactly what I wrote about this. But today I spent the whole morning shoveling through my computer archive (it must be said, a large and confusing one) and found nothing. I tried to find it on the Internet - also to no avail. Maybe it was in the letters that I accidentally deleted during the next cleaning of the computer? Or maybe he didn’t write anything, but only wanted to write, saying this topic to himself many times?
Early in the morning (!), making a plan for the next "cleansing" of the accumulated photos, I came across a record of a flight trip to Terskol, and there the phrase "which mountain is the highest in Europe?" The traditional question about knowledge of geography for those who come to Terskol... I wrote about it, but not where? I didn’t find it, I began to look for info on the Internet - I finally got confused.
In short, you need to clearly record what I remember and add what I found today.
What is the highest mountain in Europe?
Answer: unknown! Some sources say - Elbrus in the Caucasus, others - Mont Blanc (Alps).
With the heights of the vertices, there is a fairly clear definition.
Elbrus- 5642 m (Western summit) and 5621 (Eastern). Although some sources hold other values (for example, 5633 - it looks like the arithmetic mean of two peaks). The mountain is located in Russia. On the edge of the short Side Range, a few kilometers north of the Main Caucasian Range. It is undeniably the highest peak in the Caucasus and Russia.
Mont Blanc.There are discrepancies here. The Russian Wikipedia says - 4808 m.
In the English WikiPedia - 4010, it is specified that these are the data of the latest measurements made in 2002. Before that, it was believed that its height was 4807 m (I remember this value from childhood). The summit is located in France, the border between France and Italy runs along the Mont Blanc mountain range a little south of the summit.
Regarding the "most", here's what it says:
Wikipedia:
Mt. Elbrus (west) stands at 5,642 meters (18,510 ft) and it is the highest mountain in Europe. Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco (French and Italian- "White Mountain") is the highest mountain in the Alps and in Western Europe.
Three additional boundary lines on the map show alternative, for the most part non-geographic, boundary definitions:
Line A - runs along the peaks of the Ural Mountains and, further, along the Ural River
Line B - runs along Kuma-Manych depression and further along the Sea of Azov
Line C - follows the watershed of the Caucasus Mountains
Note! Wikipedia believes that almost the entire Caucasus belongs to Europe (the border along the Araks).
So, what happens: there is no unequivocal answer to the question "is Elbrus in Europe or in Asia"? Those. everyone can choose the one that he likes, referring to an authoritative source suitable for the occasion.
But it should be noted here: all sources admit that there is no scientific justification for this or that version of the border between Asia and Europe based on geological or geographical concepts (climate, tectonics, etc.). From this point of view, it is necessary to talk about a single continent of Eurasia.
By the way, here it is necessary to recall the difference between the concepts of "mainland" and "part of the world." The division into continents is made on the basis of separation body of water from other continents, and parts of the world - the concept is rather historical and cultural. So, With this point of view North Caucasus(and perhaps the entire Caucasus), most likely still refers to Europe.
OK. Geographical boundary is a controversial concept. But the height marks are quite measurable values.
As we noted above, there is no particular discrepancy regarding the heights of the peaks. But for some other points of Elbrus there are.
How high is Shelter 11? I always thought - at an altitude of 4200 m (Wikipedia also says). But in some Internet publications I found - 4100 (perhaps these are typos).
But about the Pastukhov rocks - complete confusion. I have always believed (according to various sources) that their height is 4810 m. This was fundamental: it was believed that going up to the rocks could be equated with climbing Mont Blanc (although conquering Mont Blanc is an order of magnitude more difficult).
Wikipedia (and a number of other sources) says otherwise - 4700 m (and in some places I found even lower - 4600 m.)
It is also written there that the Saddle of Elbrus is located at an altitude of 5200, although I remember the figure of 5300 m.
That, perhaps, is all.
This one shows 4 photos: Elbrus from the side of Cheget (this is my picture) and from Kislovodstvo (below), as well as Mont Blanc - a view from France (above) and from Italy.
Our planet holds many secrets and mysteries. Most of them are hidden in the highest mountains of the Earth. There is an opinion that the first people descended from the mountains when the great water began to recede.
Hundreds of thousands of archaeologists, historians, topographers, geographers, biologists and ordinary travelers every year make a pilgrimage to the great mountains, which are most closely associated with the word eternity.
The 7 highest peaks of the world are not the highest mountains on the planet, they are the highest points of each continent.
There is even an informal climbing society called the 7 Peaks Club, which includes people who have successfully climbed all 7 mountains.
This idea first appeared in 1981, since then very few have been able to climb all 7 peaks of the world.
There are some disagreements, and specifically they relate to the highest point of Australia and Oceania. If only the continent of Australia is taken into account, then highest point there will be a Kosciuszko (or Kosciuszko) peak, 2,228 meters above sea level. But many do not agree, since the peak is of no climbing interest.
If we take into account Australia and Oceania, then the highest point is the Karstensz Pyramid, or Puncak Jaya, whose height is 4,884 meters above sea level, located in Indonesia. In order to avoid eternal disputes, today there are two programs for climbing 7 peaks. Everyone chooses the peak that he considers correct, in any case it will be counted as the conquest of 7 peaks of the world.
Some manage to climb 8 peaks, thus leaving no room for omissions.
The very first conqueror and creator of the idea was Dick Bass, who completed the program on April 30, 1985 by climbing Everest. In his version, the Kosciuszko Peak was included in the program.
The first with the version of both mountains of Australia and Oceania was Reinhold Messner, who was not satisfied with the role of the second, and he decided to conquer all 8 peaks.
The race for records in climbing the 7 peaks of the world has been going on for a long time, and every year new records and new disagreements appear. There is a special site where detailed and clear statistics are kept about each ascent.
What kind of mountains so attract conquerors of peaks that beckons them up. To quote the first person to climb Everest, you can say: "I climb this peak because it is."
The second name of Mount Chomolungma. Height above sea level - 8 848 meters. This is the highest point in Asia and the whole world, according to all versions. It is located on the border of Nepal and China, these days, several hundred people every year try to conquer the roof of the world, but not everyone succeeds. Every year, many die while pursuing their dreams.
Despite all these factors, more than 1,000 people have already been to the top of the mountain. The cost of the ascent will be about $40,000.
Pyramid Carstensz. The second name is Puncak Jaya. Height above sea level - 4884 meters. Being on an island New Guinea. The top itself is easy.
Discomfort and difficulties are caused by inaccessibility and unusual climate. The cost of the ascent will be about $19,000.
Height above sea level - 2228 meters. For climbers, this mountain is of no interest, since it can be climbed without special preparation. It's more like a checkmark, in the list of 7 peaks of the world.
The cost of the ascent will be about $ 5,000.
I would also like to note some records related to the conquest of the 7 highest peaks of 7 continents.
The youngest conqueror of the 7 summit program was Jordan Romero at the age of 15. The oldest conqueror of the program was Carlos Soria, at the age of 71.
This once again proves that the impossible is possible, you just have to want it. And if you are currently sitting on the couch and reading this article, then get up and go to conquer the highest point in the district, for example, climb a 20-story building on foot.
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Europe cannot boast of high mountains, which, against the background of the Himalayan giants, look like dwarfs, hardly reaching up to five thousand meters. Plus, scientists here have a complete confusion about which territories, and accordingly mountain systems, belong to Europe. One believes that the Caucasus does not belong to Europe, while others, on the contrary, are sure that the Caucasus Mountains are part of Europe. We will stick to the second option, on the basis of which we have compiled a list of the ten highest mountain peaks in Europe. Keep in mind that in mountain ranges stretching for tens of kilometers with numerous peaks, only one, the highest, is taken into account.
10. Bazarduzu, Azerbaijan, 4.466 meters
Mount Bazarduzu with a height of 4.466 meters is part of the large Caucasus Range, located on the border of Azerbaijan and Russia. The name of the mountain from the Turkic languages is translated as " market Square”, in memory of the annual big fair in the valley in the Middle Ages, which brought together merchants from all four corners of the world. The peak was first conquered in 1847 by the Russian explorer A. Alexandrov.
9. Matterhorn, Switzerland/Italy, 4.478 meters
The Matterhorn peak at 4.478 meters is located on the very border of Italy and Switzerland, in the region known as the Pennine Alps. After several unsuccessful attempts, the peak was conquered by a team of English climbers in 1865, in which four people died during the descent, breaking into a cliff.
8. Weisshorn, Switzerland, 4.506 meters
Weisshorn Peak, whose name translates from German as "White Peak", has a height of 4.506 meters. The mountain is located on the border of Switzerland and Italy in the region of the Pennine Alps, located in the western part of the Alps. For the first time, Briton John Tyndall was able to conquer the peak, with a group local guides, in 1861.
7. Liskamm, Switzerland/Italy, 4.527 meters
Mount Liskamm is located almost on the border of Italy and Switzerland in the western part of the Alps, the famous Pennine Alps. The top has two peaks, where the highest one has a height of 4.538 meters. This mountain is famous big amount snow avalanches and numerous blocks hanging on the ridge, for which she received the nickname "cannibal" among climbers. For the first time, climbers were able to climb the mountain, climbed in 1861. The expedition was attended by 14 people, among whom were eight British and six local Swiss guides.
6. House, Switzerland, 4.545 meters
Peak House, with a height of 4554 meters, is located in western part The Alps, in the region known as the Pennine Alps, is the second highest mountain in Switzerland. The name of the mountain "House", translated from German language as a "dome" or "cathedral", as if hinting that this is the highest peak in the area. The mountain was first climbed by Briton J. L. Davis with Swiss guides in 1858.
5. Dufour, Switzerland/Italy, 4.634 meters
Peak Dufour, 4.634 meters high, is the highest point of the Monte Rosa mountain range, which is part of the Pennine Alps, located almost on the very border of Switzerland and Italy. By the way at a time, this mountain is the highest mountain peak Switzerland. For the first time, an international team of climbers, consisting mainly of British and Swiss, conquered the mountain in 1855. The peak is named after the famous Swiss engineer and topographer Guillaume-Henri Dufour, who made a detailed topographic map southwestern part of modern Switzerland for military purposes.
4. Mont Blanc, Italy/France, 4.810 meters
Mount Mont Blanc with a height of 4.810 meters, which can be called the highest of the real European peaks, is located in the western part of the Alps on the border of Italy and France. Formally, the mountain is in the possession of both countries, in order to avoid constant political squabbles for the right to call Mont Blanc their own national treasure. The mountain was first conquered in 1786 by a Savoyard (now this region is part of France) Jacques Balma and Swiss Michel Paccard. It is very popular today tourist place, and a tunnel was cut through the mountain connecting Italy with France.
3. Shkhara, Georgia, 5.201 meters
Mount Shkhara, having a height of 5.201 meters, is located in the central part of the main Caucasian ridge on the border of Georgia and Russia. For the first time the summit was conquered by the Anglo-Swedish team of climbers in 1888, which was attended by Yu. Almera, D. Konina and S. Rota. Today it is one of the easiest top ten peaks in Europe to climb, and has become a real Mecca for tourists who have a soft spot for mountains.
2. Dykhtau, Russia, 5.205 meters
The second highest mountain peak in Europe, Dykhtau, is also located in Russia on the main Caucasian ridge, in its highest mountainous region of Bezengi. The peak rises to a height of 5.205 meters above sea level, was first conquered by the British Albert Mummery and the Swiss Heinrich Zarflu in 1888. The name of the peak Dykhtau is translated from the language of the local people as "Steep Mountain".
1. Elbrus, Russia, 5.642 meters
Mount Elbrus, which is located in the Russian part of the Caucasus Mountains, is the mouth of an extinct volcano consisting of two peaks connected by a saddle jumper. The western peak of the mountain rises to 5.642 meters above sea level, making Elbrus the highest mountain peak in Europe. For the first time, Elbrus was conquered in 1874 by a team of British climbers led by Florence Grove. Now the mountain has become something like tourist attraction, which amateur climbers with average training are trying to conquer.
