Elbrus — Racing to Europe’s Highest Summit
In May 2016, Ilyas Galimbekov and Chingiz Baikashev represented Kazakhstan at the international Red Fox Elbrus Race festival with the support of the Kazakh Geographic Society. They competed in the Vertical Kilometer and the speed ascent to Elbrus’s 5,642-metre western summit. The project connected high-altitude sport with KazGeo’s wider expedition programme.
Kazakhstan at an International Mountain Festival
Red Fox Elbrus Race took place from 1 to 8 May 2016. For the Kazakh participants, it offered an opportunity to apply their mountain experience in a competitive setting.
The two athletes brought different backgrounds to the event. Ilyas had experience in climbing and high-altitude mountaineering. For Chingiz, the festival was his first international high-altitude skyrunning competition. Their shared objective was to complete the scheduled events and reach the summit.
A Race Defined by Ascent
Elbrus’s western summit rises to 5,642 metres above sea level. In a speed ascent, reaching the top is combined with a timed sporting challenge.
Skyrunning brings running fitness together with mountain movement skills. Sustaining progress on a long climb requires pacing, endurance and efficient movement over changing terrain.
The Vertical Kilometer was a separate event within the festival. Together with the main summit race, it gave the athletes experience across different competitive formats.
The Athletes’ Backgrounds
Ilyas Galimbekov began sport climbing as a child before moving into mountaineering. His experience before Elbrus included ascents of Lenin Peak and Talgar Peak.
Chingiz Baikashev initially visited the mountains as an enthusiast, then became involved in mountaineering, skyrunning and trail running. Technical climbs and mountain competitions contributed to his preparation.
The festival provided a new setting in which to test those skills. Racing alongside international competitors also offered a useful reference point for future development.
Two Events on Elbrus
KazGeo’s programme records that Ilyas and Chingiz competed in the Vertical Kilometer on 5 May. On 7 May, they took part in the SkyMarathon ascent from Azau to the western summit.
The Society’s account gives the starting elevation as 2,350 metres, meaning the route involved more than 3,000 metres of elevation gain.
According to KazGeo’s event update, Ilyas finished 12th and Chingiz 15th in the Sport category. In a later personal account, Chingiz recalled taking 5 hours and 1 minute to reach the summit from Azau. Before this journey, he had never climbed above 5,000 metres.
The Project’s Outcome
Both athletes reached Elbrus’s summit and raised the flag of the Kazakh Geographic Society. The ascent formed part of KazGeo’s Seven Summits and Two Poles programme.
For Chingiz, the 2016 event prompted a new ambition: to return and improve his performance. He also recalled meeting leading skyrunner Karl Egloff at the festival.
For KazGeo, the project demonstrates how supporting athletes at an international event can contribute to their development. Elbrus combined a geographical achievement with competitive experience and helped turn one completed journey into a starting point for further sporting goals.