Kalitsky Peak

Kalitsky Peak (Pik Kalitskogo) is a solitary pyramid-shaped rocky mountain, 3,581 metres high, in the eastern Elbrus area, at the north-eastern foot of Mount Elbrus. The summit lies in the Zolsky District of Kabardino-Balkaria, within Prielbrusye National Park, at the head of the Malka River and not far from the Dzhily-Su area.

Geography and geology

The base of the mountain sits at about 3,350 metres, so the peak rises only 200–230 metres above the surrounding glacier and scree. It stands in the Dzhikaugenkyoz basin next to the Birdzhaly lakes, between the Birdzhallychiran and Chungurchatchiran glaciers. Lake Dzhikaugenkyoz is considered one of the highest lakes in this part of the Caucasus. At the foot of the peak, on the lake shore, gas seeps have been noted, and the water tastes slightly bitter.

Geologically the mountain is a laccolith, an intrusive or subglacial body of light-coloured granite and diabase. Its regular pyramid shape makes it easy to pick out against the glaciers of Elbrus's northern slope.

Origin of the name

The mountain is named after the Russian and Soviet geologist Kazimir Petrovich Kalitsky (1873–1941), an expert in the geology of oil fields. In 1910 he worked here with an expedition of the Geological Committee that, led by A. P. Gerasimov, was carrying out a geological survey of the Caucasus.

The expedition members remembered Kalitsky for trying to climb Elbrus in a single day with no high-altitude experience. Altitude sickness forced him to turn back before the summit, but his persistence impressed his colleagues, and the peak was given his name.

Legends

Many esoteric stories surround Kalitsky Peak. Bioenergy enthusiasts claim that a powerful energy field acts on and around the summit and that the mountain works as a kind of antenna or channel linking the Earth with outer space. One legend places the entrance to the mythical Shambhala inside the peak.

On the north side of the mountain there is a flat platform that some consider man-made and call a megalithic temple. Visitors are shown "sacred" stones there: the Earth Stone, a large boulder set on three stone supports, the totem stone, the Stone of the Clan and the ritual stone, each with its own legend. There is no scientific evidence for either the energy phenomena or the artificial origin of the platform.

Getting there

The route to Kalitsky Peak is long and suited to experienced hikers. Most people come from the north through the Dzhily-Su area: from Emmanuel's Glade, the camp of the first Elbrus climbers, past the Valley of Narzans, the waterfalls and "stone castles" of Dzhily-Su, then along a trail to the glacier and Lake Dzhikaugenkyoz. The other option is from the south side of Elbrus, over the Irik-Chat pass.

Good to know

• The area belongs to Prielbrusye National Park, and a visitor fee is charged.
• Climbing the peak itself may require crampons and glacier experience.
• At over 3,000 metres altitude sickness is possible, so acclimatisation is needed.