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Mt. Elbrus South Dispatches
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July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 23, 2010
July 23rd - Group departs the US for arrival in Moscow on July 24th.
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 25, 2010
Hello Everyone,
Casey here checking in from Moscow.
All is well and the team arrived yesterday evening. We had a quick meet and greet, then headed out for a bite to eat before calling it a night as everyone was feeling the jet lag.
Today we had a wonderful breakfast and then set off on today's adventure. We spent most of the morning in and around Russia's famous Red Square. We started off with a quick visit of Lenin's Tomb, then headed to the Kremlin for a few hours. Up next was a short subway ride to one of Moscow's many Cathedrals and then headed back to see the beautiful St. Basil's. Several team members did a little exploring on their own and others got a quick cat nap back at the hotel. We have just returned from a nice meal and are getting ready for bed again. Tomorrow we have an early departure and catch one more flight before we get to the mountain.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 26, 2010
Hello Everyone,
Today the team left behind the busy city life of Moscow and have arrived safely at the base of Mt. Elbrus. We caught an early flight to Mineralnye Vody, which is known for its abundant mineral springs and then headed to the mountain via a four hour bus ride. The drive was reminiscent of the rural Midwest we have back home, full of farms and beautiful sunflower fields that stretched on as far as the eye could see sometimes. The only difference was that the cows seemed more content standing in the middle of the road than in the fields. It sure made for an exciting ride to say the least!
The plains quickly gave way to the deep Baksan Valley that sits at the base of Caucasus Mountains.
Everyone still seems a little tired from all the travel, but we are all happy to be in the mountains now.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 27, 2010
After a good night's sleep and a hearty Russian breakfast the team headed out for our first acclimatization hike. The weather was beautiful with plenty of sunshine and clear skies. Our hike was on the flanks of a neighboring mountain called Cheget, named for the small town below it. Cheget rises sharply out of town and is a steep ski resort in the winter. It has several chair lifts that came in handy for the ascent and descent. Along the way we were treated to some amazing views of Elbrus and a large portion of the Caucasus mountain range. Everyone was thoroughly impressed!
After our hike we returned to town for a traditional Caucasus lunch of borsht, carrot slaw, and a meat roll. The team then headed back to our hotel and started packing for tomorrow's move to our base camp on Elbrus.
Everyone is doing great and we are all excited about tomorrow.
That's all for now.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 28, 2010
It's another beautiful day here in Russia, which was perfect for our move to our base camp. We started with two gondola rides and finished with a single chair lift to reach our home for the next few days (sounds tough I know). Our base is a series of giant barrels that sit at 12,000' about half way up the mountain. There are 12 barrels in total and they are shared by climbers from all over the world.
After our move and a quick lunch we headed uphill to further help our acclimatization. We climbed uphill for about 2 hours and reached just over 14,000'.
The team has return to camp and are currently awaiting dinner. Everyone is doing great and looking forward to a good night's sleep.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 29, 2010
Hello everyone,
Today the weather was beautiful again, and the team went on another acclimatization hike. This time we set a few new altitude records by climbing up to about 15,000. The team did great and even made better time than yesterday, which is a sure sign that everyone is adjusting to the altitude.
We spent most of the afternoon relaxing here in camp, people watching and socializing with all the climbers. We've even managed to befriend the local cat, who we are calling Brus, short for the mountain we are hoping to climb, Elbrus. Not much else to report. Everyone is in good health and seems to be having a great time.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 30, 2010
We got up early this morning to make use of the night hardened snow to review cramponing. We then rolled into breakfast and just relaxed until lunch. After lunch we reviewed a few more basic climbing skills and began preparing for tonight's departure. Everyone and everything is looking good so far. If all goes well we hope to be climbing just after 2am. The climb usually takes between 6 to 8 hrs to reach the summit and just about half the time to descend.
We will have dinner early tonight and get to bed by 7pm, and hopefully the team will get a little rest before we head out. We'll check in as soon as we are safely back down.
Wish us luck!
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
July 31, 2010
100% on Top!!!
The team has safely returned to our high camp after an amazing climb. The day started pretty early with breakfast at 1:00 a.m. We departed camp at 2 a.m. and rode a snowcat for about 30 minutes which dropped us off at 15,000'. A rather convenient start, but it's the norm here and was enjoyed by all.
The climb took about 6 hours to reach the summit (which is the highest point in Europe) and 5 hours to descend. The weather continued to be perfect, with only a slightly chilly breeze blowing out of the north. It was an incredible adventure with a great team.
Currently everyone is relaxing back at camp and we are all looking forward to sleeping tonight.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
August 1, 2010
Showers was the word of the day! That's all anyone could think about after such a great night of sleep, that and having not bathed in four days.
After breakfast the team descended back down to our hotel in the Baksan valley via the 2 gondolas and single chair lift. The weather continues to be sunny and very warm here in Russia. Tonight we will have a celebratory dinner and I'm sure there will be a little sampling of the local Vodka too. Everyone is smiling.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
August 2, 2010
Hello everyone,
We spent the entire day traveling to St. Petersberg. It was a long and tiring journey that has left everyone tired. We are currently relaxing at our hotel and are looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow.
Casey and crew
July 23 - August 4, 2010 Mt. Elbrus South Expedition
Lead Guide: Casey Grom
August 3, 2010
Well it was an amazing last day to a great adventure. The group left the hotel early this morning if different directions as there are so many sites to see. Some went to the famous Hermitage Museum that houses more art than any other single exhibit in Europe. Others went to St. Isaac's Cathedral, The fifth largest cathedral in the world, and other palaces that are throughout the city.
Everyone enjoyed the day and we finished the evening off with a city tour on a boat. St. Petersburg was built with Dutch influence and is similar to Amsterdam. There are rivers and canals that tie this beautiful city together and there is no better way to see the city then from the water.
Most of the team heads home tomorrow.
Thanks for following along.
Casey and crew
RMI Guide
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Casey Grom
Climbing Team
Ben, James, Bruce, Michael, Rick, Matthew, Spears, Sandra, and William
Itinerary
Day 1: Depart U.S.A. Depending on flight times and connections, travel to Moscow typically takes almost 24 hours from the U.S.
Day 2: Arrive in Moscow (SVO). A group transfer is arranged from the airport to our hotel at 4:00 p.m. We can arrange a personal transfer for you if your flight arrives after 3:00 p.m. This will be at an additional cost, but is much less expensive than taking a taxi. Once we check in to our hotel, the afternoon is free to rest and explore the city. A team orientation meeting is held at 7:00 p.m. We spend the night in Moscow at the Park Inn Sadu.
Day 3: Today is spent exploring the city. We take a walking tour to visit Red Square, the Kremlin and Lenin's Tomb. The afternoon is free to explore the city. We spend the night at the Park Inn Sadu. (B)
Day 4: After breakfast, we drive to Moscow's domestic airport for our flight to Mineralnye Vody. A three hour drive brings us to the village of Cheget at the base of Mount Elbrus. Cheget sits in the Baksan Valley at 7,000 feet. Cheget, and is a small village full of skiers in the winter and a quiet center for climbers in the summer. We spend the night in a hotel in Cheget. (B, L, D)
Day 5: We awake for an early breakfast and to begin our acclimatization hike. Our trail begins at 7,000' on a gravel road then travels through forest and a high alpine environment before turning into a climbers trail. We continue through a rocky area which requires some scrambling and complete our hike at 11,500'. We have the option to descend back to Cheget via a single chairlift or return by our ascent trail. We have lunch at the hotel, and spend the afternoon organizing our gear for our climb. (B, L, D)
Day 6: A short drive from our hotel brings us to the start of our climb. We ride two gondolas up to the Mir Station, and then take a chairlift to Garabashi Hut (12,000'). Also referred to as "The Barrels", Garabashi Hut is where we stay while on the mountain. We take an acclimatization hike on the lower reaches of Mount Elbrus' glaciers and snowfields to approximately 13,000' (B, L, D)
Day 7: We spend the day reviewing basic mountaineering techniques such as ice axe arrest, crampon techniques and roped travel. An afternoon acclimatization hike finishes the training before returning to the Garabashi Hut for the night. (B, L, D)
Day 8: Today's focus is on acclimatization and rest. Final preparations are made for Summit Day, and we settle in early in anticipation of tomorrow's summit attempt.(B, L, D)
Day 9: Summit Day! We get an early alpine start for the summit. We begin our ascent with a Snowcat ride to Pastukhova Rocks (15,000'). From there, we climb the low angle snow slopes as we traverse towards the Saddle (17,700'). Mount Elbrus has two large summit domes and the Saddle separates the East Summit from the West Summit. Both are comparable in size and height, but the West Summit is slightly higher, and our objective. Our route gets a little steeper as we gain the upper summit plateau, and then we follow the ridge to the Summit. After enjoying the summit and its impressive views of the Caucasus mountain range, we descend back to the Hut. Depending on our schedule, the time of day, and the weather we have the option of taking the tram back down into the valley or spending one more night on the mountain. Climbing time: 8 to 10 hours. (B, L, D)
Day 10: This extra day is scheduled into the itinerary in case we encounter bad weather or need additional time for acclimatization. Having this extra day has proven to dramatically improve the team's success. If we do not use this day for our summit attempt, we can spend the day in Cheget relaxing, horseback riding, fishing and/or visiting the local market. Overnight in Cheget. (B, L, D)
Day 11: We have an early transfer from our hotel to Mineralnye Vody for our flight to St. Petersburg. A transfer from the airport brings us to the city and our hotel. There are no plans for this afternoon, except relaxing and enjoying one of Russia's most beautiful cities. Overnight at Hotel Arcadia. (B)
Day 12: We take a half-day tour of the stunning city of St. Petersburg. Attractions include a visit to the State Hermitage, the Church of the Savior of Spilled Blood, St. Issac's Cathedral, and walking along the banks the city's many canals. The afternoon is free to check out any of the numerous churches, palaces, museums, or parks that make up this wonderful city. We finish the day with an evening boat cruise on the canal, and spend our final night in Russia at the Hotel Arcadia. (B)
Day 13: Return flights from St. Petersburg to the U.S. (B)
Key: B, L, D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.