Once, having come to visit a friend, I received an offer: – “And let’s go to Elbrus? “. The proposal seemed tempting to me, because this is the “Top of Europe”, it is very symbolic to be above everyone else in this parts of the world. Armed with a tablet, I started reading about this Great the mountain. A friend in a hurry and insisted on a speedy climb, Elbrus seemed to him “poppy” and he did not see any difficulties in climbing this mountain independently. Having read stories and articles, I concluded for myself that you do not need to relate to this grief frivolously and should thoroughly prepare for the ascent, because the majority of deaths on Elbrus occurred precisely because its imaginary simplicity. In general, it was decided to go to Elbrus in a year, those. in 2017 in July, accompanied by an experienced guide.
After analyzing reviews of several clubs that represented my services on the Internet, my choice fell on the company “Fear no. “About them were read several positive reviews, studied proposed climbing programs and acclimatization schedules. what for the latter, the club offers a wide range of tours for this the mountain. From comfortable climbing with oxygen to extreme expeditions.
I chose to climb Mount Elbrus from the south along the classic route, no lifts, snags, snowmobiles, porters, etc. Only hardcore!
Regarding physical fitness, she was also given Attention. He started with runs of 3-5 km. in the morning, then increased a distance of 10-12 km. Training in the hall was replaced by a summer cottage. crossfit. He started drinking vitamins, Mildronate, paid attention proper nutrition, forced myself to have breakfast, to the maximum excluded alcohol.
The backpack is assembled, the fighting spirit, and here I am in Pyatigorsk in Fear No headquarters, located at the Mashuk Hotel. The guys from the club checked my equipment and through the administrator for the symbolic price kneaded me in the room. In the morning, I went on balcony and discovered the landscape from the screen saver transmission “Sev Kav TV”, immediately But the greeting of the presenter Zhorik Vartanov was recalled: – “Hello dear residents of sunny Pyatigorsk.”
In the morning we learn about the first losses, one of the participants fell ill and together with his wife decided not to go up the mountain, so us 10, we are loaded into a gazelle, we go to Terskol.
Upon arrival to Terskol, we are camped, the weather is good, everyone’s mood is good, we cook dinner, we communicate, we laugh, share on tents. I was lucky, settled with two girls. Thanks to my charm and charisma, the whole trip lived in raspberries. I find out that one of my cohabitants won the climb in the contest reposts “There is no fear.” Before that, I never believed that anything could be done. win in repost contests. Fall asleep on the first night for a long time, the reason is constant rzhach and good mood, as well as a stream, babbling near the tent.
The morning of the second day. Moved light on Mount Cheget on acclimatization output. The climb goes down the ski slope very cool in places. At one of the halts, get acquainted with malamute by nickname Best, owned by Vladimir Kotlyar, member project “Gene of height”, conqueror of the top of the world of Mount Everest. we climbed to the top station of the Cheget cable car and sat in a cafe on acclimatization. Salam alaikum, Khichiny, Chebureks and delicious tea !!! In the evening we cook dinner, share our impressions of the first exit, glue fresh corns, laugh, wet in the rain and go to bed sleep.
The morning of the third day as always began with breakfast, dressing thermoses. We collect wet and heavy tents, move forward. By We pass the Maiden’s Spit waterfall on the road, we pay special attention to it. In fact, it is much larger than it appears in the photographs. After lunch, we go to the observatory, and we are obsessed with clouds. Here you understand how changeable the weather in the mountains can be literally twenty minutes ago it was the sun, then you sit in tuche, and it’s showering you with hail, after another fifteen minutes the weather clears up. In the evening, after a delicious dinner, the guides produced medical measurements, measured the pressure and level of oxygen in the blood. By the way, throughout the campaign such measurements were made on in the evenings, entered the table, we were under supervision Sergey.
The next morning an amazing view of Elbrus opened, the first time I saw it so close, he hid behind the clouds, then freed himself from them, and sometimes it seemed that some clouds cling to the top. In that the next transition awaited us with a climb of several hundred meters. As we climbed, we had a very beautiful view of distance traveled. Many going uphill, as many conquering it, cannot answer one question, “Why?”, but one of our the participants’ answer was ready, it was simple: – “I want to touch clouds. “When you climb a mountain, all the time it seems that it’s about such an opportunity will present itself, but you yourself without noticing it you’re in the same cloud and now it’s under your feet, hanging on the background of a large Caucasian ridge.
At the next parking lot, a free hut was waiting for us, in which we settled down for the night. According to the schedule, the duty fell on me exactly this stage of the hike. Prepared pickle from their own sublimates and received a lot of flattering reviews. Conclusion – home always tastier.
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast and collecting things, we move forward further, before us is an ice field. In July, the glacier begins to thaw, and crossing the ice field requires special attention and caution. Part of the cracks we passed not only on the toes, but crawled literally on the belly. Having passed the ice fields, we went to slope of Elbrus, teeming with comforters, skyraners, snowmen, snowmobiles. Slowly but surely we approached the shelter Maria, which It is located at an altitude of about 4,000 m., where they camped. Moving towards this time was getting harder, and time to rest was needed more. Elementary trip to the toilet turned into a mini radial outlet, and the closet itself deserves special attention. It is located on a small wooden platform near a steep cliff, a railing is hung out on the way to it, and during all processes occurring in it, you catch all the winds that are in these latitudes. When I first looked for this place, one the climber showed me the way and advised me to take ice ax and cats. Well, what do you want – the highest mountain toilet in Europe.
The next two days we went through acclimatization, studied chopped up on a slope, went down to the pastukhov rocks. After this release two more participants stopped climbing. On the rocks of Pastukhov they were finally covered by the miner, and they decided the descent.
All these two days were sunny and clear weather. Coming out at night from tents, I noticed that I had never seen such a “low” night the sky, you could reach the stars with your hand, and on the moon to dry wet cracked socks. Closer to the morning begins to break the idyll the rumble of motors of snowmobiles and reprisals – these are comforters slept and We went to “climb” the mountain. On the second acclimatization day the weather began to deteriorate, and it was decided to move to the Maria Shelter, which after the tents seemed to us a five-star hotel.
Waiting is annoying and tiring. All participants are nervous and waiting. day X, sorting things out, constantly discussing the path to the mountain. In the evening at dinner every half hour we ask instructor Edward to look weather report on the Internet, hourly go outside, evaluating wind speed. Here we get to know other groups, play jokes, play into the cards, but all this through the experiences, in my head there is one question: – “When already?”
On the fourth day, the weather improved, and we went to storm the mountain.
Waking up late at night, we quickly got dressed, put on cats, and moved up the mountain. There was a strong wind that night, and halfway to one of the participants said that he froze and accepted Pastukhov’s rocks the decision to go down to the Maria shelter. Around the middle of the oblique shelves, I greeted the miner. And he said hello, it’s soft said she hugged me and caressed me. In the halts I started falling into a dream, my head hurt, my legs didn’t want to go straight. At the end of the slanting shelf I once again sat down to rest and myself didn’t noticed falling asleep. I was woken up by a guy who was returning with the mountains. He asked if it was warm for me to sleep in the snow, for which I replied that I have everything under control and those who go behind they will surely wake me up. To my optimistic answer from a guy a new question has ripened: – “Who? These?”. I looked towards the guy’s hand pointed, and saw at a distance of about 50 meters yet three sleeping guys from our group. And here it was fear that overcame me. Where is the guide? Who will wake them up? I got up and headed for the first sweetly sleeping companion, but then guide Sergey appeared and I calmed down, we are not abandoned, everything is under control, he just walked at the end chain, and it was not visible because of the turn. Sergey gathered everyone sleeping in a bun, and we moved further to the saddle. Sleeping some time on the saddle of Elbrus, we decided to go down to the shelter Maria accompanied by a guide Sergei, and part of the group in the amount of three the man led by guide edward decided to continue ascent. I came down with a lump in my throat, a figure spun in my head 350, because just so many meters in height I didn’t have enough reach the top of Europe. On the descent, I saw amazing beauty landscape: all the clouds were at my feet, the sky was clear, the wind practically was not. Going down to the shelter, we began to collect things, and after a few hours the second part of the group returned, which were able to reach the top. I looked at them with envy and promised I’m sure to come back here and realize our plan.
Tip: do not underestimate Elbrus, which seems simple, it is very complicated, use the services of experienced guides. Pay attention physical fitness, to climb to the top of Europe – it’s all the same, that run 10 kilometers uphill in a gas mask, with a hangover snowdrifts and with a 30 kilogram backpack behind him.
Conclusion: The summer winter was a success, a lot of impressions, but Elbrus is not let it go! There is a reason to return and redo everything.
Author: Azanov Andrey