The highest peak in Europe is not what you think. It is not found in the Alps.
In the collective imagination, Mont Blanc is considered the roof of Europe, with an altitude measured at 4,805.59 meters in 2023. The highest peak in the European Union, it dominates the Alps, on the border between France and Italy.
A highly monitored natural heritage, Mont Blanc is one of the destinations favored by mountaineers from around the world, in addition to other peaks in the Alps. This mountain range is indeed home to a constellation of mythical peaks such as Monte Rosa (4,634 meters), the Dom (4,545 meters), the Weisshorn (4,506 meters) and the Matterhorn (4,478 meters).
However, if we respect the criteria in force in modern geography, Mont Blanc is not the highest peak in Europe. The European continent extends as far as the ridgeline of the Greater Caucasus. And that totally changes the situation.
In this region of the Russian Caucasus stands Elbrus, an extinct two-domed volcano whose highest point reaches 5,642 meters. The other dome reaches 5,595 meters. Located in the Russian republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, this mountain covered with impressive glaciers therefore surpasses Mont Blanc by almost 800 meters.
Elbrus is one of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent, attracting hikers and mountaineers every year. Its ascent, via regular slopes, requires high acclimatization and excellent physical condition. For its part, the ascent of Mont Blanc is a more technical exercise, because you have to cross glacial and rocky passages which require more alpine skills and preparation.
Other peaks in the Caucasus, such as Dykh-Tau (5205 meters), Chkhara (5193 meters), and Kazbek (5033 meters), also greatly exceed Mont Blanc. Unfortunately, for Mont Blanc mountaineers who thought they had climbed the highest peak in Europe, the regular variation in its altitude, due to weather conditions, has absolutely no impact on this ranking.
