The cable cars on Elbrus are closed to tourists.

Three of the five cable cars at the Elbrus resort have been shut down due to strong winds, and one ski slope is also closed.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, all cable cars and ski slopes at the Elbrus resort were closed on January 10 due to the risk of avalanches. They reopened the following day.

The Mir-2 – Bashtala, Bashtala – Chiran, and Mir – Garabashi cable cars are closed "due to weather conditions (winds over 15 m/s)," the Elbrus administration reported on its Telegram channel at 10:44 a.m. Moscow time.

The Mir – Krugozor ski slope is also closed "due to poor visibility," the publication noted. As of 11:58 a.m. Moscow time, commenting is disabled on the resort's Telegram channel.

As a reminder, in 2025, according to authorities, two million tourists visited the resorts of Kabardino-Balkaria, tourist flow grew by 13.7%.

After many countries closed their borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, Russian tourists turned more attention to resorts within the country, particularly in the North Caucasus. Elbrus became one of the most popular ski resorts. However, vacationers complained about queues for the ski lifts and traffic jams.

In September 2025, three people were killed and several others were injured as a result of a cable car cable break on Mount Elbrus. The director and chief engineer of the cable car company were detained and arrested in connection with the deaths. In January, the case was referred to court.

The prosecutor's office also filed lawsuits on behalf of the sons of two of the deceased men. One of the victims demanded 10 million rubles in compensation for his father's death, while the other demanded 15 million rubles.