Entries from Expedition Dispatches
With the wind and rain pelting the Barrels last night we slept soundly, warm and dry inside our sleeping bags. The skies were again clear in the morning and we enjoyed a cup of coffee admiring the views of the Elbrus coated in a fresh layer of snow.
Before returning to the valley we stopped at a small museum housed in the tram terminal at the top of the ski area. Dedicated to the fighting that took place in this area during WWII, it was strange to look out on the slopes above, now crawling with vacationers and climbers from all corners of the world, and imagine the battlefield it once was as the Russians fought to protect the oil reserves further to the south from advancing German troops.
After returning to the hot showers and flip flops that awaited us in Azau. Freshly showered and reveling in the feel of cotton, we found our way to an amusing little restaurant nearby in the village of Terskol. Before we could eat, we first grabbed fishing poles and threw in our hooks. Sara once again proved her boundless skills and landed the first fish. Twenty minutes later we sat down to a delicious meal of fresh fish and salads, a change of pace from the Cliff Bars we've been eating on the trail.
The rest of the afternoon was spent browsing the stalls of local women selling woolen shawls, hats, and other souvenirs from the area. We ended the day with a celebration dinner in a local cafe alongside a group of Irish climbers bent on proving their drinking prowess to the Russian hosts.
Since we didn't use our weather day on the mountain we are going to explore more of the Baksan Valley tomorrow, relaxing and enjoying some down time before departing for Moscow on Friday.
Our luck with good weather persisted this morning and when we woke up for our summit bid perfectly clear night skies greeted us. After pulling on our boots and gobbling down breakfast we grabbed our packs and climbing gear and headed out.
It was a gorgeous night with the stars speckling the sky. Being in the heart of the main climbing season on Elbrus dozens of other climbers were attempting their summit bid as well and their headlamps danced up and down the route, reflecting the stars above. We climbed strongly, picking our way up the broad snow slopes below the East Summit, and by dawn we were approaching 17,000'. Just before sunrise, in what seems almost cliche in retrospect, a barrage of shooting stars streaked over the mountain's shoulder, eventually obscured by the rising sun.
It was crisp climbing in the darkness and we kept our breaks short to keep from getting cold. The sun finally found us leaving the saddle between the East and West Summits at close to 18,000'. We warmed up quickly in the morning sun as we climbed the steep slopes to gain the plateau of the Western Summit and we were quickly shedding our coats and thick gloves. Around 9 am we ascended the final snow ridge to Elbrus' summit and suddenly there was no more left to climb.
Standing atop Europe's highest point, the views were nothing short of spectacular. To our south stood the chain of the Caucasus, the peaks looking a bit less imposing when viewed from above. Behind them we could peer into Georgia while looking north into Russia the rolling alpine pasture land of the Caucasus foothills stretched to the horizon. A light haze layer - most likely from the wildfires raging far to the east - hung just below us, giving the sky striking layers of different hues of blue. There was hardly a breath of wind on the summit, by far the best weather I have experienced up there.
After celebrating on the summit we turned our sights back to where we had started and began the descent. We made remarkably quick work of the 6,000' descent and by midday we were back at the Barrels, with tired legs but feeling quite content.
True to its pattern, the clouds built by midafternoon and as we rested in our bunks rain spattered the metal barrels, making the sleeping bags all the more alluring. We are tired but thrilled with the climb this morning, we couldn't have hoped for a better day. It was a fantastic climb and we feel very fortunate to have gotten so lucky on a mountain notorious for its fickle and uncertain weather.
We are staying here at the Barrels tonight before descending to Azau tomorrow for hot showers and to celebrate our climb.
Dobre Veycher,
The morning again broke perfectly clear, only a faint trace of wind and blowing snow visible on the summit of Elbrus. After a leisurely breakfast we decided a little adventure and relaxation was in order so we headed back down to the top of the tram where we hopped a ride back down to Azau. Taking a couple of hours at lower altitude we enjoyed a quick shower, the chance to shoot a quick email home, and a fantastic order of french fries. It was a spontaneous little side trip and a welcome treat before the climb.
Returning to the mountain we went on a short hike to stretch our legs and then spent the rest of the afternoon preparing our gear for the morning and resting. Tomorrow we will wake up early for our summit bid, planning on returning to the Barrels by midafternoon.
The weather remains unchanged and the group is feeling strong and excited for our climb tomorrow. We will check in after the climb and let you know how it goes.
We slept well in the Barrels last night, the paneled walls providing a surprising amount of insulation from the cold mountain night. The morning again dawned clear and after breakfast we headed out on our final acclimatization hike. The fact that our bodies are already growing stronger at this altitude was evidenced by our pace this morning as we made it to our high point of yesterday a bit faster and with far less effort.
We continued upwards, donning our crampons and picking our way across the rushing rivulets of surface water beginning to run down the glacier as temperatures warmed. By midday we reached our goal, an outcropping of rock at 15,300' or so. Above us stood the east summit of Elbrus towering another 3,000' higher. Below us stretched the massive rolling glaciers of the mountain, enveloping all sides of the mountain like an apron. It was a beautiful view and we were pleased to be up there.
Retracing our steps, we descended back to the Barrels in time for an afternoon lunch before relaxing for the rest of the day. The weather once again turned unsettled in the afternoon, occasionally spitting rain and hail on us. A fairly consistent trend has emerged while we have been here - clear skies in the morning followed by light afternoon precipitation. It appears as though it will continue for the rest of the week, boding well for our planned summit bid the day after tomorrow - keep your fingers crossed!
A light hike and some rest is planned for tomorrow.
Thunderstorms rolled into the Baksan Valley last night as we ate dinner, temporarily cutting the power, but again the morning broke clear, with a few scattered clouds dispersed across the sky. We packed up our bags and left our hotel, climbing onto the first tram of the morning with all of our gear for the mountain. Two tram rides and another rickety single seat chairlift later we reached the toe of the glacier.
Perched along a fin of rock jutting uphill into the glacier sits the Garabashi Huts, also known as the Barrel Huts. Consisting of several massive fuel barrels retrofitted into bunk rooms and painted in the colors of the Russian flag, the collection is a bit odd looking compared to the alpine huts most of us are used to. But when the winds start to blow nothing could be more inviting up here.
After setting in we headed out for a small acclimatization hike, climbing up the glacier a ways, getting ourselves back in the habit of walking on snow and giving our bodies good exposure to still higher elevations. Above us Elbrus' twin summits danced in and out of the clouds whirling around them.
Returning to the huts for lunch, we watched the clouds descend down the mountain, growing ever darker and occasionally spitting rain on us as the afternoon progressed. But by early evening they once again dispersed and the skies have cleared, giving us gorgeous views across the Caucasus into Georgia, the peaks illuminated in evening light.
Tomorrow we will head out on a more substantial acclimatization hike before returning to rest at the Barrels. We will check in tomorrow night.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Jambo
We are now back at the Dik Dik hotel for a last dinner and shower. We had a wonderful final game drive, with the great luck of a leopard sighting. It was a fantastic way to finish the Safari. It's off to the airport, where we will fly to Amsterdam and then to our respective homes.
We have had an amazing adventure, and made some new friends for life. We hope to see you on a trip with RMI in the future.
Until then,
Get out when you can! Thanks for checking in.
We reached the small village of Azau last night as daylight shrank from the mountains, their presence only hinted at by the dark forms obscuring the stars around us. Thankful to put an end to the traveling for a bit we dumped our bags in our rooms, grabbed a quick bite to eat in the restaurant, and collapsed into our beds.
Upon waking this morning we immediately caught glimpses of the mountains, the craggy summits of the Caucasus visible through the skylights of our rooms. With the morning sun quickly burning away the cool mountain morning we set off on a day hike, walking down the valley to the village of Cheget. The rural areas of Russia are a contrast in times, old homes of concrete slabs and rusting corrugated roofs sit along the road, gardens sprouting in the front while livestock grazes on the hillsides behind, while a store next door advertises rentals for the latest ski gear from Western companies. This was even more pointed yesterday as we drove past old Soviet factories used to build tractors and parts for their space program, long since abandoned and now occupied by grazing cows that walk the roads, causing the Mercedes and vans of climbers coming from the airport to weave between the wandering bovine.
Yet overlooking the continually changing landscape stand the stunning summits of the Caucasus. Upon reaching Cheget, we hopped on an old single seat chairlift, each chair painted in bright colors to hide the age, and quickly emerged from treeline. To the south lay the jagged heart of the Caucasus, the knife edge ridgelines cutting through the sky and delineating the Russian/Georgian border, to the north loomed the glacier capped twin summits of Mt. Elbrus, the mountain we traveled so far to climb. At 10,000' the air was thin and we walked slowly along narrow trails weaving through slopes, exposing our bodies to the new altitudes, which will benefit us tonight when we return to 7,000' to sleep. With that exposure to higher elevations our bodies will work harder to prepare for the increased effort needed at high altitudes.
Returning to Cheget for lunch we dined on "Shashlik" - chicken kabobs roasted on the open fire burning on the patio, before returning to our lodgings in Azau to sort our gear for tomorrow and get some rest. Tomorrow we leave the valley and ascend to the toe of the glacier on the south side of Elbrus. We plan on spending some time in the afternoon to climb a portion of the glacier before returning to our hut for the evening.
The team is doing well and pleased to be here in the mountains. We are looking forward to pulling out our climbing gear and heading onto Elbrus.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Here at Kikoti Camp, just outside Tarangire National Park. All is well as we enjoyed another great day of game watching. One more game drive tomorrow, en-route to the airport for a 9pm flight that will take us away from this magic land.
We are checking in from Azau at the base of Elbrus after settling in at our hotel. All is well, and we're adjusting to the time zone changes. Our plan is to do a short hike tomorrow to prepare for the climb. The 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'll then work our way back to Azau where we'll spend the rest of the afternoon organizing our gear for our climb.
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Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
We are back at the Plantation Lodge after a nice day of Game viewing. A few new animals and great scenery. Off to a new lodge and park tomorrow. Believe it or not, a bit of dust on us travelers.
Wishing everyone well back home.
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