Participants of the "Clean Mountain" festival on Elbrus collected 15 tons of trash.
The ecotourism festival, organized by Kavkaz.RF, concluded at the high-altitude resort in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic. This year, for the first time, it was held in a two-day format: over 5,000 people from across the country participated in the trash cleanup and educational program. A total of 15 tons of trash—the equivalent of seven full trucks—was collected from the slopes of Elbrus.
Participants from Stavropol Krai, Dagestan, Tula Oblast, Krasnodar, Tyumen, Sochi, Volgograd, Tver, Rostov-on-Don, and other cities and regions participated in the cleanup. Experienced hikers, families with children, tour operators, and corporate teams joined in the cleanup. For example, teams from Rosseti (60 people) and the Association of Tour Guides of the Stavropol Krai (37 people) participated in the cleanup.
This year, the campaign's scope also expanded: in addition to the immediate resort area, from the Azau glade to the Mir station, the groups cleaned eco-trails in the Baksan River valley and the surrounding area of Terskol. Each group was accompanied by experienced guides and rescuers.
"This is my first time participating in Clean Mountain, but I've been dealing with the problem of garbage in the high mountains for a long time, in all countries and on different continents. One climber can collect their own garbage and make the mountain cleaner, but together we are a much greater force, creating a multiplier effect and a true sense of camaraderie. The campaign was excellently organized," says climber Alina Pekova, Elbrus Ambassador.
For the first time, the Clean Mountain program included an environmental lecture. Speakers included Rustam Tapayev, Deputy Director General of Kavkaz.RF; glaciologist Nelly Elagina; and Elena Khaerdinova, a staff member at the underground Baksan Neutrino Observatory.
Nelly Elagina, a researcher at the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences, presented data on changes in Elbrus glaciers: since the 1970s, the mountain range has lost more than 25% of its snow and ice cap. In particular, the Garabashi Glacier, which has been regularly monitored since 1982, has shrunk by half.
"Clean Mountain is perhaps the most important event of the year for our team. Not only has the campaign been running for nine years, originating within the Elbrus resort, but it's also growing, becoming larger and more vibrant each year. It's a major celebration of a conscious lifestyle and behavior in the mountains, and we certainly plan to strengthen this educational track. The fact that so many people are looking forward to it, coming from all over the country, preparing, gives us tremendous energy," shared Olga Kravchenko, Marketing Director of Kavkaz.RF.
Another new tradition of Clean Mountain is the planting of birch saplings along the road near the resort's parking lot. Elbrus's marketing team also planted several trees, which, according to the participants, will grow along with the growing tourist flow to the legendary resort.
The "Clean Mountain" festival has been held on Elbrus since 2018. In 2025, more than 3,700 people, including over 500 children, took part in the environmental campaign, and 14 tons of trash were removed from the slopes of Elbrus.