Entries from Elbrus Southside
Hello fellow mountaineers! A picture speaks a thousand words and a video speaks millions! So please enjoy our team's video from today.
We covered a lot of ground and our team soaked up the sights, sounds and even smells of Moscow. Our city guide was the famous Nina who bombarded us with all the interesting facts and history of this famous area.
Red square, Kremlin, theaters, KGB, Lenins Tomb and heck...even Sbarro pizza! There is so much to see you simply have to see it for yourself.
Our team had a fantastic dinner tonight and "Mo", one of our climbers was adventurous enough to see the Swan Lake Ballet. I forgot my tutu so instead, I am writing this dispatch.
The highlight for me was the changing of the guards of the unknown soldier. It is featured in the video. If our team marches as well as the guards, we will summit for sure!
We will touch base tomorrow from our tiny little mountain town at the base of Mt. Elbrus.
RMI Guide J.J. Justman
Hello from Moscow!
It is official, our Elbrus expedition has officially started. Well...not quite. However, everyone has arrived gear and all minus one late comer who will meet us tomorrow for dinner.
We spent the evening discussing our itinerary but more importantly we just kicked back and got to know one another. Some of the team have climbed together while others are meeting for the first time.
Tomorrow we will spend the day touring the city of Moscow and arguing about which fantastic restaurant we will have dinner. Tonight's choice was Italian and it did not disappoint.
It's a rough life getting started on Mount Elbrus but we are somehow managing. Dessert cappuccinos are in their way...gotta go!
Please check back tomorrow for an in depth look at some of the magnificent sites we explore...
RMI Guide JJ Justman
Hi Neal,
Glad you arrived safely. Seeing Moscow brings back memories. Much success to you and your team. Our thoughts and prayers are witth you.
God Bless,
Pat and. Dan
Posted by: Pat and. Dan. Nolan on 7/22/2012 at 7:56 pm
We enjoyed a leisurely day in St. Petersburg on our last day in Russia. From our hotel we walked the several hundred yards to St. Isaac's Cathedral, climbing the 211 steps to the Colonnade that offers sweeping views of the city below. Built in the early 1700s, Peter the Great designed St. Petersburg after European cities and the city is often referred to as the "Venice of the North". Dozens of canals wind through the city, connecting to the Neva River running through the heart of St. Petersburg. From the Colonnade we could see over the rooftops of the city's early fortress, it's palaces and government buildings, and its beautifully restored churches.
Descending from the Colonnade we made our way to the Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood, an ornately decorated Church built over the stones where Tsar Alexander II was stabbed. Although built on a gloomy premise, the church's interior is incredible, with intricate, colorful mosaics covering the multistory interior. Lastly, we visited the Hermitage Museum, Russia's largest museum and home to over 4 million pieces of art. While the artwork matches any museum in the world, the building alone, built by Catherine the Great, is worth the visit in itself. Stretching out along the banks of the Neva, each room and hall is decorated in it's unique style.
After dinner (an excellent seafood restaurant) we climbed on board a boat and toured St. Petersburg's canals, winding through the buildings, under the roads and bridges, and along the Neva. Many of us leave early in the morning for flights home. It's been a great trip through Russia to Europe's highest peak, and we are looking forward to sharing the stories and photos with all of you at home.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
We left the mountains this morning, piling all of our gear into the back of our van and following the small, twisting road out of the Baskan Valley and into the farmlands surrounding Mineralnye Vody. The fields of sunflowers were in full bloom and the day was clear enough that we could see Elbrus off in the distance.
Thanks to the upcoming winter Olympics in nearby Sochi they have recently finished renovating the Mineralnye Vody Airport and it was an easy process to get checked in, even with all of the excess baggage and climbing gear. Before long we were airborne, flying north across the country. We arrived in St. Petersburg in the early evening under grey skies, where the temps are far cooler than the planes to the south. We navigated the crowded streets of the city to find our hotel before heading out into the city for a nice dinner at a nearby cafe.
It's been a long day of traveling and we are happy to be here. St.Petersburg has a very different feel than Moscow and the Caucasus Mountains and we are looking forward to seeing the city. We are spending tomorrow, the last day of our trip, exploring St. Petersburg.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
After a long summit day, we slept soundly last night. When we poked our heads out of the hut this morning we found a clear day on the mountain above, but plumes of snow were being whipped across the summit - another windy day. Instead of looking uphill, we turned our attention to packing up and returning to the village of Cheget.
We loaded all of our duffels back onto the series of chairlifts, tram cars, and vans to reach Cheget and by early afternoon we were showered, dressed in clean clothes, and sitting down for lunch at a small cafe in Cheget. We enjoyed a great lunch and have been spending the afternoon relaxing in Cheget, wandering through the stalls of local goods, sitting at the cafes and sharing stories of the climb, and taking the opportunity to send emails back home. Tomorrow we head back to the airport in Mineralnye Vody to fly to the north of Russia to the city of St. Petersburg, sitting along the edges of the Gulf of Finland. We will spend two nights in St. Petersburg, visiting one of Russia's most beautiful cities, before heading home. We will check in tomorrow from St. Petersburg.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
On The Map
July 14, 2012
Posted by: Linden Mallory
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside
Elevation: 18,510"
After a few hours of fitful sleep, interrupted by the anticipation of the climb, the alarm went off at 1:05 a.m. this morning. We pulled on all of our gear, forced down a quick breakfast, and then loaded onto the snowcat for a lift up to 15,000'. The night was perfect, an awesome amount of stars covered the sky and a faint crescent moon was rising in the east. Well, almost perfect: the
temps were cold and a steady wind was blowing out of the west. It was cold. We began climbing in our big down parkas and didn't end up taking them off until we were back down off of the summit many hours later.
Besides the biting wind the climbing was perfect, wind compacted snow that was great for climbing but still soft enough to keep the slopes from being too slick. The sun began to rise as we approached 17,000', casting long shadows of mountains across the landscape below us. But, unfortunately the wind didnt let up with the sun and it stayed cold. The team did a fantastic job of keeping themselves warm, avoiding even the smallest bits of frost nip. By 8 am we reached the saddle between Elbrus' twin summits and we started up the steep slope above to reach the summit plateau. We were briefly sheltered from the wind until we reached the summit plateau and traversed across to the highest point, a small rise on the far side perched over massive slopes descending the west and north side of the mountain.
Despite the wind, it was wonderful to reach the summit and we spent 20 minutes or so admiring the views, exchanging high fives, and snapping photos, before we beat a hasty retreat back down from the top.
By midday the afternoon clouds were already building and they blew in and out around us as we made the long descent back to our hut. We are now settled back into our bunks, tired from a long day of climbing but happy with the climb. Tomorrow we will descend back to Cheget for hot showers and clean clothes.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Linden Mallory Callling from the Summit of Mount Elbrus
On The Map
Congratulations to all on a great climb. Can’t wait to see more pictures.
Posted by: Mary Ann Papp on 7/14/2012 at 10:50 am
July 13, 2012
Posted by: Linden Mallory
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside
Elevation: 12,000'
The weather has been steadily improving each day on the mountain and today was no exception: we've had beautiful clear skies all day here on Mt. Elbrus. We enjoyed a relaxed breakfast this morning of French toast and fresh fruit before heading out on the surrounding glacier to cover some additional mountaineering training in preparation for tomorrow's climb. By lunch the team was well versed in a variety of climbing techniques, including ice axe arrest, climbing as a rope team, and crampon techniques for a variety of conditions.
In the afternoon we took a walk down to the top of the tram station where a little museum sits. In translated Russian, the museum keeper walked us through the small rooms, explaining the significance and events of Mt. Elbrus during World War II. So close to Russia's oil supply at the time, the Caucasus were a major focus of Hitler's advances into Russia and there was a great deal of fighting between 1941-1943, including on Mt. Elbrus itself as the mountain held symbolic importance in the fighting. It was a very interesting tour and a very different change of pace from the climbing focus we've had.
We returned to huts in the afternoon and prepared our gear for tomorrow's climb. The weather forecast looks promising and the team is feeling strong so we are going for the top tomorrow morning. We will make an early start, getting up around 2:00am, and hope to reach Europe's highest point by mid morning. We will check in tomorrow to let you know how the climb goes; keep your fingers crossed for good weather and smooth climbing conditions for us!
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
On The Map
July 12, 2012
Posted by: Linden Mallory
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside
Elevation: 15,100'
We caught our first real views of the mountain this morning when we emerged from the Barrels. The clouds were low in the valley below us, and above Mt. Elbrus rose clearly in the morning light. We could see the entire first portion of the route and high above, several teams were visible traversing into the saddle between the two summits of Mt. Elbrus.
We set out on our acclimatization hike shortly after breakfast. The cold night temperatures left the snow still frozen firmly, giving our crampons good purchase. We retraced our route from yesterday, quickly passing our high point and gaining elevation. By late morning the clouds returned and we climbed in a fog bank, occasional rock outcroppings appearing out of the mist ahead and gradually disappearing below us. By the time we reached around 14,400' - the same height as Mt. Rainier - a cold breeze picked up and we climbed the remaining portion in our jackets with the hoods pulled closely to protect us from the wind.
We reached Pastuhkova Rocks, at 15,100', and dropped our packs, resting in the thin air of today's high point before returning to the hut for a late lunch. The team climbed well today, negotiating the altitude and varying weather conditions well. It was a long day on our feet and we are looking forward to a mellow day tomorrow to brush up on some of the final training we still need to cover and get in a restful afternoon before our planned summit bid on Saturday.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
On The Map
July 11, 2012
Posted by: Linden Mallory
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Elbrus Southside
Elevation: 12,000'
The thick rain clouds that have been covering the region for the last several days began to dissipate overnight. Leaving our hotel this morning, the sky above was a patchy mix of clouds and blue sky. We loaded our mountain gear into our van and made the ten minute drive up the valley to the tiny village of Azau. In Azau we hauled our gear from the van and through the base terminal of the tram station. A few minutes later the red cabin dropped down from the station above and we piled our team and gear into the tram.
We made two tram rides, going from the green valley floor to the top station, sitting on a rocky morraine along the edges of Elbrus' glaciers. To get our gear the final 700' we took turns loading our duffels, packs, and climbers onto a little single seater chairlift. Despite the slow moving chairs it was still a tricky transfer to put on and pull off the bags from the chairs as they swung by.
Nevertheless, it was a smooth process and by midday we were settled into out bunks in the Garabashi Huts, a series of old diesel tanks that have been converted into bunk rooms. Despite the long cylindrical shape, they are quite comfortable inside, especially when the hail and rain starts up outside.
After a great lunch of borsch, meats, cheeses, and French toast we set off on an acclimatization hike. The clouds once again settled onto the mountain, although with no moisture in them. We climbed for a couple of hours, ascending the glacier right above the hut and getting used to hiking in climbing boots and traveling on snow. After reaching just over 13,000' we turned around and descended back to the hut.
We are resting in the huts now before dinner. Everyone climbed well today, making the transition from low elevation trails to the high altitude snows well. After close to a week of traveling to reach this mountain, we are happy to be here and comfortable in the huts. Tomorrow we are planning on making our final acclimatization hike up to Pastuhkova Rocks at 15,000' before resting on Friday. We will check-in when we return from the hike.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
On The Map
Hi - glad to hear that all is well and that you are enjoying the mountain!! Photos look great too!
Posted by: Cindy Papp on 7/11/2012 at 10:40 am
Just because we climbed Europe's highest mountain Mt. Elbrus, it doesn't mean the adventure is over. After a great celebration dinner last night we boarded our flight and we are now in St. Petersburg. It has been a tiring day flying so we are going to relax tonight, order a little room service and maybe have a little spa time. Tomorrow we are going to begin exploring this amazing Russian city. We will have some photos and video to show you.
RMI Guide J.J. Justman
What an exciting time for this group! The wait is finally over and your adventure begins! I wish complete safety and totally success for everyone in the group! I look forward to updates! Peace!
Posted by: Mary Helen Martin on 7/21/2012 at 4:39 am
Hey JJ Whoo Hoo congratulations JJ and team!! What an accomplishment. I have been following all your posts and climbs. You seem like an awesome upbeat guide. I’m doing the 4 day climb of Rainier August 11-14th. I was hoping you would be one of the guides. I heard great things about you. So hurry back to the states!!
Posted by: Kristen Farris on 7/11/2012 at 10:08 am
The Kremlin has never looked so good and your report was great!
На саммите в Санкт-Эльбрус!
Posted by: David + Mitchells on 7/25/2012 at 8:14 pm
Elsie- you have a career in broadcasting. Loved the video and good to see you and Charlotte finally. Been checking the website for days. Looks warm there in Moscow. Can’t wait to see you all on the mountain. Kathryn
Posted by: Kathryn LeBey on 7/23/2012 at 9:32 am
View All Comments