Olympic flame reaches Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest peak
- 10 years ago
Less than a week before the Sochi Winter Olympic the organizers showed on Saturday (February 1) the Olympic torch reaching the top of Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest peak at 5,642 meters (18,500 feet).
The torch relay leading up to the Sochi 2014 Winter Games is making its way across North Caucasus where Mount Elbrus is located. However, the lighting of the Olympic flame took place in October 2013 and was made public when the actual torch relay passed nearby.
The Sochi Olympic organizers said the weather would have made it impossible to make a safe ascent to Mount Elbrus in winter, that's why the journey to Russia's highest mountain was taken in autumn.
One of the two torchbearers to reach the mountaintop was Karina Merzoyeva who climbed Elbrus 130 times in her life.
Russia's four-month, 65,000-km (40,000 mile) torch relay is the longest in the Olympic history.
The torch relay leading up to the Sochi 2014 Winter Games is making its way across North Caucasus where Mount Elbrus is located. However, the lighting of the Olympic flame took place in October 2013 and was made public when the actual torch relay passed nearby.
The Sochi Olympic organizers said the weather would have made it impossible to make a safe ascent to Mount Elbrus in winter, that's why the journey to Russia's highest mountain was taken in autumn.
One of the two torchbearers to reach the mountaintop was Karina Merzoyeva who climbed Elbrus 130 times in her life.
Russia's four-month, 65,000-km (40,000 mile) torch relay is the longest in the Olympic history.