Ushba

Description

Ushba is a beautifully steep mountain with twin peaks, draped in snow and glaciers. It has been called the "Matterhorn of the Caucasus," although Ushba is nearly one thousand feet higher than the Matterhorn (14,688 ft.), and is much more massive. Its second peak (15,407 ft,) is located just northeast of the slightly higher main peak. Ushba's high steep faces and icy ridges have captured the interest of mountaineers for over a century. Despite its remoteness, the mountain received much attention around the turn of the twentieth century, and was climbed by all the obvious routes within a twenty year period after its first ascent. Today there are fifty official routes to the summit. None are easy.