Climbing Elbrus from the south - report. Climbing Elbrus: beginner's impressions Shoes are one of the most important points

All things. We need to set new goals. But somehow all this was in very distant plans and conversations. In July 2015, Transaero (fond memory) put everything in its place. By chance I came across tickets from St. Petersburg to Minvody and back at a price of 5300r. It was immediately decided that we would take it. We wrote a post in contact - and in a couple of days there were as many as 8 people who wanted to climb Elbrus. Then there were 2 months of preparation: search for a guide and a more budgetary option, correspondence, discussion of details, digesting in my head what we really fit into and the search for equipment. They flew by unnoticed. Came September 10 - the day of departure.

First day: departure and Mineralnye Vody

The most ordinary airport. Nothing special.

The flight was not without incident. One of the members of the expedition “prepared for the flight” so hard that in the end he overslept and had to go and wake him up on an emergency basis. And this is two hours before departure. The telephone receiver was turned off. Fortunately, the flight was eventually postponed by an hour. All were in time. It is worth noting that due to problems with work, one of the alleged participants in the trip still could not escape. 6 people flew out of St. Petersburg. And the seventh character (an aborigine of the city of Sochi) joined us already in Minvody. There is nothing to write about the flight. What is the cost of such a flight. Killed Boeings, 20-30 years old. Do not fall well. The transfer in Moscow was short according to the plan - only an hour. Due to the postponement of the flight St. Petersburg-Moscow time, we barely had time to run for a transfer. The plane was waiting for us on purpose, but there was no time for the transfer.

Minvody

Compared to the cloudy, cool September St. Petersburg in Minvody it was just like summer heat. Still, a couple of thousand kilometers to the south. Not the tropics, of course, but still. As mentioned above, our luggage did not arrive. A common story for connecting flights with short stops. We spent about half an hour on bureaucracy. They promised to deliver our luggage to the hotel, and it was supposed to arrive on the next flight from Moscow at about 8 pm. Then we went to look for something to get there. Traditionally, we refuse to take a taxi and get on some kind of minibus. Having passed by sensations half the distance to the desired address, we unload, and the rest of the distance we go on foot.

Guesthouse "Sofia" and surroundings

In Minvody we had to spend only 1 night. The next day at 12:00 we had an appointment with the guide at the railway station. They did not stand on ceremony for a long time with the hotel: a couple of weeks before departure we went to Agoda, chose a cheaper option and booked. The room was, in fact, a one-room apartment in a one-story private house. There are 6 beds in the room. A folding sofa in the kitchen was supposed to be the seventh berth. The whole thing cost about 3500r. for everyone. That is, 500r. from the nose. There is a shower / bath, everything is in order, there are even towels and a full kitchen. It's okay to flip 1 night. After checking in, we walked down the street in search of a store. Found a dining room. They ate almost everything that remained unsold at the end of the working day. They asked how much vodka cost. 140 RUR In the cafe. Bottle!

Second day: meeting with the guide

We go to a meeting with the guide at the railway station.

Live in the mountains.

Clean, nice, a little Soviet.

At the end of the evening, we were half an hour late for the meeting. But it seems to be in the admission. The guide met us at the station and escorted us to the meeting point, where 2 minibuses, an assistant guide and the eighth participant of the hike were parked. It turned out to be Pavel from St. Petersburg. He, as it turned out later, made the decision about the trip just after seeing my post on VKontakte. We load up and go to the Adyr Su gorge.

Mountains in the clouds.

There we had to pass the acclimatization part of the program: getting used to the heights, living in tents, and at the same time admiring the mountain beauty of the North Caucasus. But, something went wrong. The gorge is located in the border zone and a special permit is required to visit it.

The scale of the stones cannot but amaze!

The lift only lifts machines. No car - walk up the stairs.

But I had to go down on foot.

The drink, of course, but it warms up quite well.

The stream of the river is quite strong. You shouldn't swim there.

Caucasus "Chocolate Hills".

Adyr-su is a right tributary of the Baksan River.

Muddy streams of the river. They are cloudy because of the minerals in the river.

After the awkward moment with customs. We go down and wait for the car.

The organizers of the campaign did not take into account one detail that one of the participants in our campaign was a citizen of Ukraine. According to the border guards, to find her in the border zone required a special permit, which is made in advance. Attempts to resolve the issue on the spot have led nowhere. We were not allowed into Adyr-Su. The situation was not very pleasant, but nevertheless not hopeless. The program of the hike was promptly changed and for acclimatization we went straight to Cheget, Elbrus region. Another couple of hours of waiting and we are loaded onto the bus again. Two hours later, we arrive at the Cheget glade at the base with the touching name "Zapovednaya Skazka".

A very shallow but fast stream.

This is our house.

Overlooking the mountains.

Alcohol in the Elbrus region

Despite the fact that we, it seems, were going to conquer a mountain that is quite difficult in terms of altitude, the issue of alcohol was studied in detail. Bottom line: in the Elbrus region, in small shops everywhere, you can buy fired vodka without any problems. It costs by the metropolitan standards just indecently cheap 100-150r. for half a liter.

Light beer after a long journey.

Already in the camp. We drink beer =)

Real Zhigulevskoe. Locally brewed beer =)

Beer, on the other hand, is relatively expensive. A bottle of local beer, mostly unpasteurized, costs an average of 70 rubles. In many local cafes and restaurants, alcohol usually costs about the same as in stores. You can also bring alcohol purchased outside the establishment. There are no problems with this.

This time, the Mountain gave us a thorough check. Wind up to 50 km / h - it is not often necessary to storm the summit in such conditions.

The first acclimatization trip was made not to Cheget, as usual, but to the observatory at Terskol peak, and they did not regret it. This is an excellent sightseeing route, perfect for acclimatization or just for trekking.

One of the main attractions of the route is a picturesque waterfall.

All the way we are "pursued" by a powerful panorama of the Main Caucasian Ridge and the beloved North of Cheget.

The observatory adds some extraordinary character to the landscapes.

And, of course, the view is attracted by the peak, which is getting closer and more tempting ...

Ascent from 2000m to 3300m is a quality program for the first day.

The weather was fine, but the forecast predicted worsening. Therefore, on the second day, it was decided to accelerate. We went up the old cable car to the upper station of Garabashi (3700m). From there, thanks to a rather vigorous state of health, we were able to make an exit under the Pastukhov Rocks, at 4600m.

On the third day, we checked into the shelter at 4100m and were ready to take the storm at night, but that night a cyclone came and the weather turned bad. It was snowing and raining, a strong wind was blowing and later thunderstorms began.

The weather turned bad for several days and there was no point in staying at the shelter. Therefore, we temporarily went down, but all our thoughts were about the top ...

While we were waiting for the weather, we went off another beautiful radial route: from the village of Elbrus along the valley of the Irik River we climbed almost to the glacier. The length turned out to be about 25 km with a climb of about 600 m. A pleasant bonus is the source of delicious Narzan on the route.

In the village, we rejoice in the local flavor. We notice how modern technologies come to life in Kabardino-Balkaria.

The last chance, on this trip, to storm the summit, the forecast promised us the day before the return flight. Having moved upstairs again, now in the barrels, we admired the sunset, thinking about the upcoming assault night.

Less than a month later, it was pleasant to look at Ushba again, now from the other side.

A decent wind was blowing in the area of ​​the shelters at night. The concern was that closer to the top he would be much stronger, but there was nowhere to postpone the assault.

It is much more difficult to walk in such conditions. You have to fight not only with the height, but also with the wind. The forces go away quickly.

We originally planned to walk on our own, but in this situation it was the right decision to take a part of the way by snowcat.

We left at about 2 am and reached about 5000m. And they were at the mercy of the elements ...

Raising a leg, it was not always possible to put it in the planned place due to a gust of wind that imbalanced. At such moments I had to stop and wait to go up again ...

Frost in the region of -5 degrees plus wind up to 50 km / h give, it feels like -20. The "effect" is heightened by a high pitch. Accidentally exposed skin easily gets frostbite.

Usually, having come to the saddle, people have a good rest before the final leg of the journey, but not this time. A few sips of tea is all one could afford in such a piercing wind.

All these "charms" went to Ksyusha on her first ascent. But she got it, and it's very cool!

At 7:40 am we were at the Western Summit.

On the descent, the wind rushed at us with pieces of ice so that we could feel it through the jacket, but these were already trifles.

Participants: Katya (Krasnaya Polyana), Sanya (Adler), Roma (Maykop), Vadim (Yekaterinburg), Daniil (Monchegorsk), Dmitry (Murmansk) Route thread: Mineralnye Vody - aul Khurzuk - per. Balk-Bashi - plateau "German airfield" - northern sites - Eastern summit of Elbrus "- northern sites - Djikaugenkez glacier - lane. Irik-Chat - river valley Irik - pos. Elbrus - vil. Cheget - Cool

Our journey, the purpose of which was to climb Elbrus, began in Mineralnye Vody, where all members of our team arrived from different cities of Russia: from Adler to Yekaterinburg. We loaded into a pre-ordered minibus and drove off. The entire organizational part was handled by Katya, who ordered a transfer from Minvod to the village of Khurzuk (+79283475869 Vladimir, the cost of a minibus for 6 people is 6000 rubles)

We arrived in Khurzuk at 12.45. Here "Megafon" catches. They called the Emergencies Ministry, got registered - 8-866387-14-89 Ministry of Emergencies KBR Terskol, 8-86638-7-12-32 Thiolv Boris Osmanovich - early. PSO Terskol.

Local residents came up to us and greeted us. They helped us find a car to drop off on a mountain road. We sat in a UAZ (Sashok - UAZ from Khurzuk to Dzhilysu, 3000 rubles) and already at 15.00 were at the confluence of the Ulu-Khurzuk and Bitiktebe rivers at the mineral springs in Karachaevsky Dzhilysu. Having climbed the path for another kilometer, we set up our first camp (N 43 ° 24´04.1´´ E 042 ° 21´28.8´´).

Approach to Elbrus: winter in summer

In the morning, the entire herbaceous talus slope was covered with snow. The visibility was low. The fog hung.

After having breakfast, we decided to make exploration and walk along the trail towards the Balk-Bashi pass (aka Palbashi) (N 43 ° 23´33.2´´ E 042 ° 24´11.2´´). After taking a walk, we realized that the trail was quite visible under the snow. We returned to the camp, thoroughly refreshed ourselves and at 11.45 went to the pass - 3700 m, 1 "a".

The ascent took 5 hours.

Description of the ascent to the Balk-Bashi pass from Bitiktebe

The trail from the river immediately goes up to the left spur, crosses a shallow stream and steeply climbs, goes to the middle of the ridge and goes along its tops to the very pass. Thus, the exit to the pass seems to be on the left, from the ridge. Descent straight down, steep at first, then flattening begins. From the slope you can see a puddle (overflowing stream) and parking spaces at an altitude of 3600 m.

When the snow was lifting it was ankle-deep, on the pass it was clear - the snow was blowing away, and on the descent it was knee-deep and higher.

There were already groups in the parking lots under the pass. We approached, got to know each other, set up our second camp (N 43 ° 23´32.8´´ E 042 ° 24´30.3´´).

Snow fell all night.

One of our tents, the four-person Red Fox tent, sagged and twisted under the snow due to its design. I had to get out every 2 hours and shake off the snow cap from it.

Here is the morning. Some of the participants felt the first signs of a miner and gave up breakfast. We got together and left the camp at 8.40.

Let's go down. The trail was not visible, we walked on the GPS knee-deep in the snow. Lower the snow became less and a trail appeared that took us to the tundra plateaus. The snow is over.

We crossed a rather stormy river. After the crossing, we had a dinner. We went out onto the road going along the steppe plateaus to the Dzhilisu valley to the springs, but we had to go to the German airfield.

According to the descriptions of those who climbed Elbrus, whose report we read in preparation for the journey, somewhere there had to be a lapel to the "German airfield". It seems that we did not reach it and, on the recommendation of a local shepherd, who was overtaking us on horseback, turned off earlier and walked across the field. The field turned into a slope, then into a very steep slope. We doubted, thinking that we had been sent incorrectly and were already about to turn back, when suddenly in the grass we stumbled upon a trail winding with a traverse and gradually dropping the height, which led us to a turbulent stream.

Crossing the stream, she led us up between the rocks of the lava flow and finally brought us to a huge plateau with tundra vegetation - the German airfield.

We crossed it and on the other side saw a well-packed wide path leading to the Northern camps and shelters from which the ascent to Elbrus begins from the north - to the Eastern summit. On this trail, at 2880 m, we set up a camp (N 43 ° 24´48.4´´ E 042 ° 29´39.7´´) and spent the night.

In the morning, the entire plateau was covered with snow, and at about 11 am the groups went up the trail from Emmanuel's glade to the Northern Shelters. At 11.50 we went up the path as well.

Description of the ascent from the "German airfield" to the northern parking lots

Right from the plateau, next to a falling drying stream, the trail rises sharply. At the top of the slope, it bifurcates: to the left it leads to the "mushrooms", to the right to Elbrus.

Along the right path, another sharp ascent leads to a spur called the Gray Range. The trail goes along the ridge with a smooth climb, to the very top and leads to a snowy field, where it bifurcates. The left one leads to the northern parking lots, the right one leads to the Oleinikov Shelter. After crossing the field, you need to climb the stones of the lava flow behind them and there are Northern parking lots and two boxes of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (N 43 ° 23´17.3´´ E 042 ° 28´39.8´´).

Arrived at 15.20. Height 3780 m. We saw a lot of stone "nests" - places for tents. We took two - we set up and looked around - the ascent path is clearly visible. At the Northern parking lots, Megafon catches, so they phoned their relatives. All are in normal condition. We began to prepare for the ascent.

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Climbing Elbrus: from the north to the Eastern peak

For this day, an acclimatization hike to the Lenz rocks was planned at 4700. In the morning there was a very strong wind, but still at 10 we got off.

According to the description, the beginning of the ascent when climbing Elbrus goes along closed cracks. So we went in a bundle. We reached the first protruding stone, took a breath and moved on to the lower cliff (with tablets). It was difficult because of the height and strong wind. The slope itself is not steep and does not present any technical difficulty. Having reached the rock, we took a deep breath and went down. We were more exhausted than during the day trip with backpacks.

On this day, we decided to rest. There was no wind in the camp, but it was visible how snow was blowing off the mountain. The climbers who made an attempt that day did not go to Elbrus because of the strong wind on the mountain. And we rested: ate, slept, etc. The hike was planned for 2 am.

Storm. Wake up at one in the morning, breakfast. Exit at 2.30 (late). The lanterns are already visible on the slope. This time they reached Lenz in a little over two hours and were not even tired.

Going around the lower rock, on the right we went between the outcrops sticking out here and there. The slope became steeper, we passed the kung (4820 m) (N 43 ° 21´49´´ E 042 ° 27´51´´) - a landmark place that saved many lives when climbing Elbrus, reviews of which we have read many times.

At an altitude of 5000, the height began to be strongly felt. My arms and legs felt heavy. The Lenz Rocks remained below, and an endless snowy rise, resting against the sky, appeared in front.

But step by step and against the background of the blue sky, small stones appeared. The eye clung to them as a target. We approached them, the GPS showed 5620. It seems that this is the top, but no - this is the edge of the crater. From here one could see the path and the chains of people going to the Western Summit and the Main Caucasian ridge and all the mountains and valleys surrounding Elbrus.

It is necessary to go around the edge of the crater on the right and reach the tour, for which I no longer had the strength. The guys approached the tour at 11, took a picture at an altitude of 5621. I waited for them by the stones.

Down went easier. From the slope, one could see how huge Elbrus is, the mountain of which has been climbing since the 19th century. Having reached the lower cliff, we rested, contacted and went to the camp. The last meters seemed especially heavy, they came to 16 o'clock.

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Through glaciers and moraines

In the morning we had breakfast and at 11.15 we left the Northern overnight stays.

We climbed 100-150 meters up to the neighboring moraine, caught the trail and went down the edge of the Mikelchiran glacier to its lower edge, to the Gryaznoe Lake.

At 17.00 we came to the confluence of two rivers at an altitude of 3045. We crossed them, caught the path leading to the glacier. Jikaugenkez and walked along it. We planned to stand on the lake (sometimes it is called Emerald) 3324, but we slipped through and went to the moraine leading to the Kalitsky peak.

We stopped almost under the peak on madder and set up camp at 19.20 (N 43 ° 22´22.0´´ E 042 ° 32´29.7´´).

In the morning there was no visibility and a strong wind was blowing, we decided to wait. The fog began to swell and at 10.30 we went through a huge ice field to the Irikchat pass. We walk along the Jikaugenkez glacier in bundles and crampons.

The cracks are clearly visible. A strong wind is blowing with cereals. After the meeting, we decide to approach the pass. Closer to Irikchat we find a path.

At 12.25 we begin to climb. Strong wind knocks down. Crossing cracks all the time. At 13.10 we are at the Irikchat pass 1 "b" 3667m (N 43 ° 20´46.4´´ E 042 ° 32´17.8´´).

Description of the passage of the lane. Irikchat from the side of the glacier

On the western side there is a snow pass. In the lower part, there are closed cracks that go through the bundle. It is better to ascend the pass along the oblique from right to left, to the crossing point go to the left. There are parking places on the pass. The descent of talus from stones and clay must be adhered to the left side, in the direction of movement down, there is a path.

At the pass, we met groups from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus, leaving Elbrus from the route along the Achkeryakol lava flow.

We went down the trail, going along the grains, went out to the greenery. The trail twisted along the shore, here and there tents stood. Then the path began to sharply lose height and led us to the confluence with the right tributary. The first pines appeared, and a waterfall rustled to the side. Here we set up camp (at 18.00), it started pouring rain, which continued all night.

In the morning the weather improved, without haste we hung out our things to dry, ate, packed up and walked along the 7 km trail through meadows and forest trees.

We went to the incredible sandstones, traversed them and went down to the village of Elbrus, where a "gazelle" was waiting for us. She took us to the village. Cheget.

Here we spent 3 unused spare days at the Zapovednaya Skazka camp (Abu 8-928-704-40-36, lived in houses 200-250 rubles per person plus 50 rubles for using the shower, the same in Terskol costs 500 rubles per person and above). We ate kebabs, rode the cable car.

August 8 (day 13)
Loaded into the "gazelle" and left for Prokhladny (2500 rubles for all).

Dmitry Ryumkin, specially for Zabroska.rf

Why do people go to the mountains? It seems to be a simple question, but for some reason you will never hear a definite answer. Maybe because there is no universal, correct answer? Everyone who goes to the mountains has his own goal, his own motive. To achieve something previously impossible for you. Test yourself. Test a friend or girlfriend with whom you go on a hike. To prove to someone that you are no worse than that you could, reached. Switch, escape from reality. Take a wonderful photo at the edge of the world. You can think of many more reasons. But is it necessary to do this? Probably, not. Still, mountaineering is not mountains. These are people who go to the mountains together.

For me, mountaineering in general and Elbrus in particular began six months before the ascent. Thinking about how to spend the upcoming vacation. There have already been underwater adventures. Aquatic too. What's next? Or higher? The mountains? Why not? I had no experience of mountain trekking, let alone mountaineering. I started by studying the issue on the Internet. And what kind of mountains do we have? What do you need to know and be able to go to the mountains? What equipment do you need? How hard is it physically? Even a cursory acquaintance with the materials of the Internet sites dedicated to the mountains was enough to realize that this is not entertainment at all, but a lot of hard work and struggle. Fighting with yourself. Not with a mountain. She cannot be “conquered,” as some say. They stood long before us, and they will stand for a very long time when we are no longer there. A person can only climb the mountain for a short time if SHE wants to let him in. Spend some time at the top, momentarily soaring above the clouds. And go downstairs, if SHE so decides and wants to let go of the little man who disturbed her peace.

At all this time, people respected the mountains. The legends of many peoples say that gods live on the tops of the highest mountains. The Greeks believed that Zeus lived on Mount Olympus. And, according to the Chechen legend, Pharmat (Prometheus) was chained to Mount Kazbek. According to this legend, Prometheus was a giant who stole fire for people. For this, the gods severely punished him. But the hero's suffering did not end there. Every evening the Hoopoe bird flies in and pecks at his heart. The Balkars have a legend that during the Flood, Noah's ark touched the peak of Elbrus sticking out of the water. It hit with such force that the top of the mountain split in two. Noah, tired of sailing at the behest of the waves, asked the mountain for refuge. Not forgiving the disrespectful attitude, the mountain refused. Then Noah cursed the peak: "And even if there is spring at your feet, and the flowers bloom, let the middle always be in autumn, and the peaks - eternal winter." And since then, the top of Elbrus, bifurcated by the ark, is covered with eternal ice and snow.

This mountain, covered with various legends in the epic of many peoples, was to be climbed. A prerequisite for a successful ascent is, among other things, the availability of equipment necessary for such an event. By the way, very expensive. At that time, I had practically nothing. I had to study on the Internet what people wear to the mountains now. I learned a lot about modern high-tech clothing. Little by little I bought the necessary equipment for half a year. I tried to take goods only from well-known, proven brands that make equipment for climbers - Sivera, Bask, Marmot, RedFox. When the question more or less cleared up with the equipment, I thought about the physical preparation for the hike. To begin with, as a warm-up, I went on a hike across the Crimea in May. To my chagrin, I realized that there was nothing to do with such a physical form in the Caucasus. I had to urgently, tk. time was already running out strongly, to do physical education. And the best way to prepare for mountain climbing is by running. Swimming is also very helpful. In winter it would be nice to go skiing. But now it was already summer, the time for skiing was gone. What loads should you give when running? For myself, I decided simply - I start with 2 kilometers a day, gradually increasing the distance, after 3 weeks I bring it to 10 kilometers. I completed the task, although of course, with 10-kilometer jogging, daily training was out of the question - the body did not have time to rest. It was necessary to reshape the training regime and composition. After consulting with a professional trainer, I settled on three full workouts a week. As practice has shown, this was enough to prepare for the campaign. For 3 months of such training, I lost 10 kilograms of excess weight. This result was encouraging, but certainly not guaranteed. It was necessary to start classes earlier, at least half a year, and preferably a year before going to the mountains, 2-3 weeks before the ascent, to slightly slow down the pace of training to restore the body's strength. Indeed, with such active training before the trip itself, there is another risk - a decrease in immunity. Sores that you did not even suspect may suddenly "emerge". And the course of disease in high mountains is much more acute than in the plain. On the eve of departure, my temperature rose to 38 degrees. No more visible, for me, a layman, symptoms were observed. There was no more time to run to the doctors. The question arose - to go or not. Having weighed all the pros and cons, I decided to take a chance. In the end, I had several days for treatment on the way south with a transfer in Moscow. As it turned out, I made the right decision. After a couple of days, I felt fine.

I traveled by train to Pyatigorsk, where a meeting of the group was scheduled. I was somewhat surprised by the guide's question about my documents. It turned out that the train was going through Ukraine and we had to cross the border twice. My documents were in order. I did not expect any trick from the customs officers. But in vain. As it turned out, knives with a locking blade are not allowed on trains. And I had just that. And a young boy from Udmurtia, with whom we were traveling in the same compartment, also had a knife of this type. We passed the border of Russia-Ukraine normally. Already on the territory of Ukraine, a policeman comes to our compartment. I asked my fellow traveler, Misha, if he had a knife with him. Of course have. Show. I am sitting next to me, and my knife is on the table. But the policeman doesn't even look at him. In short, after a short conversation in the vestibule, Mikhail's knife leaves with the policeman.

In Pyatigorsk, the group gathered in the early morning at the station. There were three of us in total: our guide Alexander, Ivan and me. It was several hours before the opening of the grocery store, and we decided to walk a little around the city, along its old part. The city is pretty clean. Narrow streets. There is a small house right on the street where you can drink narzan for free. Typical seaside town.

our team

Pyatigorsk, Lermontov St.

Having bought provisions, we returned to the station, where a minibus had been waiting for us for a long time. We plunged and went on a three-hour trip to the Adyl-Su gorge in the Elbrus region. I felt the local flavor on the road when we stopped at a gas station. I haven't seen such old gas stations for a long time. And none of them worked. But on the other hand, there was a gasoline tanker nearby, and those who wished could refuel directly from it. Great service!

Herds of cows roam freely along the road, feeling like masters. No one looks after them. And where can you go from the gorge? Especially a lot of cows accumulate on the bridges. They are cool there from the river and blown by the wind. The condition of the road surface on the bridge is appropriate - as in a stable. Local horsemen, on their iron horses, carefully go around the herds, trying not to hurt anyone.

Several stationary checkpoints passed along the road. The soldiers on duty at the checkpoints do not like being photographed. The city of Tyrnyauz, the center of the Elbrus region, was built as a city of tungsten and molybdenum miners. It is located at an altitude of 1300 m above sea level. When in 1938, as a result of geological exploration, it became clear that tungsten and molybdenum ores are suitable for industrial development, it was decided to build a tungsten-molybdenum plant. The combine worked in Soviet times, making it possible for the entire city to live, was a city-forming enterprise. In the nineties, the plant was closed. At the present time, attempts to reanimate the plant are unsuccessful, since the tungsten and molybdenum mined here are very expensive and cannot compete with the metals supplied from the PRC.

We stopped at a tent camp in the Adyl-Su gorge. We walked to the border post. Behind it were the Shkhelda, Elbrus, Dzhantugan alpine camps. But without a pass to the border zone, they cannot be entered. And the pass must be ordered 2 months in advance. Having photographed against the background of the mountains and the post, they began to descend back to the camp.

Camping

The next day we had the first acclimatization hike to the mountains with two nights. We went out in the morning. We went down the road to the village of Elbrus. We went through it, briefly going into the store to buy additional bread. After gaining a couple of hundred meters in height, we went to the Narzan spring. Unusually tasty water flows in a powerful stream from a pipe neatly inserted into the slope of the gorge. An unforgettable and incomparable refreshing taste. The beauty of the mountains around you. And below, as in the palm of your hand, the village of Elbrus is visible. But it's too early to relax. It's time to go.

Elbrus village

We went along the Irik river along the Irik gorge. On the way, there are climbers to Elbrus from the East. Regular dialogue: Hello! From Elbrus? Have you gone down the Mountain? Sometimes Alexander asked a few more questions, or suggested some points to the travelers. And further and higher. We did not go to the Irik glacier, but turned into the Irikchat gorge. Perhaps the most vivid impression of the beauty of the mountains is associated with this gorge. Unfortunately, photography cannot convey all the greatness and power of the mountains. This must be seen, must be experienced on the spot.

Irik gorge

Having risen to a height of 2600 meters, we arranged the first overnight stay. Not far from the tent was a mountain stream flowing from the glaciers. Ivan went to freshen up in a small baptismal font formed by a dam on a brook just downstream. To say that water invigorates is to say nothing. Scorchingly cold, icy. Meanwhile, the sun went down behind the mountain. Immediately it got very cold. We got into our backpacks for warm jackets and fleeces. A cloud of fog crept along the gorge. This cold air descending from high mountains meets the sun-warmed earth in the gorge, forming a cloud before our eyes. Ten to fifteen minutes pass - and we are in a fog. Visibility is no more than a hundred meters and continues to decline. It's time, having previously removed all things under the canopy of the tent, thereby protecting them from getting wet, go to bed. But I can't sleep. We talk in an undertone about life. About the places where we went with our backpacks. About plans for the future. Suddenly the silence of the night is broken by a sharp cry of a bird. Let's freeze. Silence. Darkness. Stop, where is Ivan? He wanted to read some book in English before going to bed near the tent by the light of a headlamp. But there is no light near the tent. We stick out of it on different sides. Screaming into the night. We peer intensely into the darkness, hoping to notice a ray of light. What happened to him? Different thoughts rush through my head. After a few infinitely long seconds of waiting, we saw a light flashing about fifty meters away. I felt relieved from my heart. It turned out that he had gone to take several night photographs of the mountains without warning anyone. A rash act. These are mountains. You have to be careful. And walking alone at night with a flashlight on a scree of stones can lead to very disastrous consequences. Before going to bed, we all measure the pulse. I counted 117 beats per minute. This started the acclimatization process. Once in the mountains, especially for the first time, you need to listen very carefully to your well-being in order to avoid the negative consequences of the effects of altitude.

First overnight place

The next day we went further, under the pass of the Russian officers. Gradually, the grass underfoot becomes less and less. Only stones. Bigger and small. More and more often snow islets come across. We leave on a small flat area at an altitude of 3600 meters. There are large boulders and a snowfield nearby. We leave our backpacks and go to the pass light. Along the way, Sasha tells how to walk in the mountains. For example, when going up and down a slope, keep the minimum possible spacing between participants. With such a movement, a stone that accidentally fell from under the foot of the leading stone, not having time to pick up speed, will be stopped by the next tourist. While talking, we gradually ascend to the pass. This is my first pass. The difficulty category of the pass is 1B. Height 3819. Technically, it does not represent anything complicated. But on the emotional side - a huge step forward. First step. And the first step is the most difficult. And here we are at the top. We open the plastic bottle left on the tour of stones at the pass. There's a note from the last group that went through here. Who is going and where. When they passed. Someone's note was taken away with their own. I ask, will we write? It turns out that they write it only when passing the pass, i.e. climbing the pass on one side and descending the other. Our descent follows the path of the ascent.

On the descent from the pass, we noticed three mountain goats - tours, which closely followed us from the mountain slopes. With incredible ease, as if on wings, they galloped along the sheer walls. I imagined how fast I would go this way. The comparison is clearly not in my favor. And not in favor of the person in general. After observing us from afar, they descend below. Hope to profit from something tasty. But we ourselves count the provisions. Feeding three hefty rounds is not in our plans. Before the lights out, all supplies must be safely hidden so that the next day of the campaign does not become "unloading" in terms of food.

On the way to the camp, trouble occurs. Having stepped on a mobile, "live" stone, I unsuccessfully fall on the trekking stick and bend it in the middle. Looked like there were no cracks. I'll try to straighten it if I don't break it. It's hard to go to Elbrus without her.

Pulse was measured in the evening. 97 beats per minute. The body gets used to the height. The head is a little heavy, but it doesn't hurt. It's good. We spent the night normally. The tours didn't come close. They had nothing to make money in the camp. They probably felt it.

We got up in the morning. We had breakfast. The tent is damp with dew. But until the sun rises, it cannot be dried. I had to wait. We managed to take a photo, sunbathe, slowly collect our backpacks. In the sun, the tent dried up quickly. We started the descent. Many climbers came across, mostly foreigners - Czechs, Slovaks, Italians.

We drank cold water from a narzan source, stocked up for future use. In the village of Elbrus, they bought a bottle of Ayran homemade. It is so thick that it should be eaten with a spoon. There is no comparison with what they sell in our stores. Just two different products.

We came to "Saklya" - our guest house. We set up a tent. Rest tonight. You can relax a little. We had dinner with two Czechs. One turned out to be the director of a large furniture store. The second is a lieutenant colonel, chief of the criminal police. Both understand Russian well. Still, they were taught Russian well in Czechoslovakia. They treated us to Czech vodka. We are theirs - local beer. Cooked borscht. We had a great time and relaxed. The next day they were also going to Elbrus. Moreover, they planned to go up next night. Just monsters.

In the evening, another problem with ammunition was discovered. My trekking shoes did not pass the test of the Caucasian trails. The soles of both boots snapped. There was no way to climb in such shoes. I should have rented the boots. Buying normal climbing shoes at one time is too expensive.

The next morning a gazelle was to come for us to take us to the foot of Elbrus. We plunged into a gazelle. On the way, we left things unnecessary during the ascent for storage in one of the hotels. I rented high-quality and inexpensive shoes, 250 rubles a day. Subsequently, he was repeatedly convinced of the correctness of this decision. They made the ascent so much easier. In addition to the physical component - good shoes on your feet, the psychological component is also important - confidence in your equipment and, as a result, confidence in achieving your goal.

The lift went up to the Mir station, located at an altitude of 3500 meters. Here it was already wet, cool and the wind was blowing. Temperature + 5 ° С. Put on warm clothes. It's good that we had plenty of them. It was a pity to look at those who climbed here just to take a ride on the lift and look at the mountains. A sharp rise to the height, windy weather with drizzling rain and the absence of warm and wind-proof clothing made the excursionists real martyrs. Many, just leaving the building of the cable car, took a couple of pictures for memory and, frozen, quickly returned back to bask. Our path lay even higher. Take a chairlift up to 3870 meters. Everything. Further on foot. You can, of course, go up and on a snowcat - a special machine on a caterpillar track used for preparing ski slopes, as well as for the transportation of goods and rescue operations. But this is somehow uninteresting, unsportsmanlike. We decided to climb on foot to an altitude of 4200. This will be our forward base camp, from which we will go to the summit. On the way we pass the "Barrels" - a camp for climbers, which is a huge iron barrels, in which there are 4 beds and a small table. They are accommodated if it is necessary to carry out acclimatization on the mountain. You can go out to the assault from the barrels. Although walking is a bit far away. On a snowcat just right. But we were already at this height. We need higher. At 4100 meters there are the remains of the highest mountain hotel in the world, burnt down in 97, “Shelter 11”.

We stopped on a rock ridge formed after the passage of a lava flow here. The place is excellent, level, protected from the wind. Only here is a huge stone that hung right above the tent ... I looked at it from one side, from the other. It seems to be strong. But all in deep cracks. And just below the parking lot, I saw a piece that had once broken away from it. The words from Vysotsky's song "... and the stone that gave you peace ..." does not look like a monument. And then I remembered the other words “Leave talk. Forward and upward, and there ... After all, these are our mountains, They will help us! " We must calmly prepare for the ascent.

I couldn't sleep at night. At altitude, I generally fall asleep badly and sleep is superficial. This is the influence of height. The higher we go, the less the pressure. And consequently, the oxygen content in the inhaled air. At first, the body tries to deal with its lack of respiration. The heart rate rises. Shortness of breath appears. If we go higher, then this will not be enough. Deeper changes must occur in the body. Full acclimatization is obtained by being at an altitude for 3 weeks. If you climb too quickly, altitude sickness can develop. Its manifestations, on the rise: headache, sleep disturbances, mood swings, loss of appetite; weakness, nausea and vomiting, fever; development of cerebral or lung edema, coma and death.

The next day it was planned to go to the Pastukhov Rocks. This is a stone ridge named after the Russian military topographer, climber, geodesist, glaciologist and explorer of the Caucasus Andrei Vasilyevich Pastukhov. The lower edge of the rocks is at 4600 meters. Upper - 4800. Climbing these rocks is not technically difficult, but important in terms of acclimatization before climbing the summit. One final check of yourself and your equipment. We put on cats before going out. We learn to walk in them. These skills will come in handy tomorrow. We got to the rocks quickly. The weather is excellent. But for how long? She has already been in favor of the climbers for 3 weeks. Sometime this must end. Typical clouds appear in the sky - the harbingers of bad weather. Tomorrow you should definitely try to go down the mountain. The weather will most likely not provide a second chance.

Three heroes

Having photographed on the rocks, we go down to the tent. The snow is wet. Streams murmur under the melted snow. We try to get around them carefully. Even though we are in waterproof mountain shoes with a membrane, nobody wants to wet our feet unnecessarily. It will be difficult to dry it out.

Alexander went to the camp. And Vanya and I decided to go to the neighboring rock ridge, where we hadn’t been yet. To get used to the height better, one should not sit, but move. Not fast, without harsh stress. But constantly.
After walking for another hour, we also went to the tent. We must have supper, prepare for tomorrow's ascent and go to bed early. The summit is set out at about 3 o'clock in the morning. Ascent usually takes 8-10 hours. At one o'clock in the afternoon, regardless of whether you have reached the summit or not, you have to turn back to return to camp before dark. A cold sleepover should not be allowed. This is the name of spending the night without a tent and sleeping bag. After all, we go light, and we do not take anything with us to spend a comfortable night on the mountain. Only an ice ax, a thermos with hot tea. Snack - a handful of nuts and dried fruits. Spare gloves and jacket. We went to bed. But something is not sleeping. All sorts of thoughts creep into my head. How will the mountain meet us? What will the weather be like? And dozens of more questions. Important and not very important. You try to think them over, to let them pass through yourself. Then it dawns on me - the same height is playing such a joke with us. One of the symptoms of altitude sickness is poor sleep. We need to calm down and try to sleep. Can I take some pill from my first aid kit? No, I'll try to sleep without medication. If I don’t sleep in half an hour, then I’ll accept it. For now, I'll just count the rams. And not simple ones, but mountain ones. One mountain ram, two mountain rams, three mountain rams. And imperceptibly I fall asleep. At about ten o'clock in the evening through my sleep I hear the hysterical rumble of snowcat going upstairs. So something has happened. A bit late for walking. After a while they went downstairs. Already with unlucky climbers on board. It turns out that a couple of tourists, not having gained sufficient acclimatization, went to the Pastukhov Rocks. And there they were covered by the miner - mountain sickness. They could no longer move independently. I had to call the equipment for an urgent descent down. Losing altitude is the best and only cure for altitude sickness. All kinds of medications only relieve symptoms without eliminating the cause itself. And there is a great risk behind this. By suppressing the signals that the body sends - "You can't go higher!" - we can reach the heights, from where we can no longer descend without assistance, thereby driving ourselves into a trap. It should be understood that rescuers are, of course, strong, hardy, with excellent acclimatization People. But they are People (just like that, with a capital letter), but not GODS. There is no need to deliberately bring the situation to the critical point when you yourself can no longer cope with it. It is necessary to predict possible scenarios for the development of events. The rescuers, of course, will do their best so that the mountain tourist (climber) who has received his portion of adrenaline is brought down alive and as healthy as possible. And they do this, often risking their own lives. If a person has a desire to test himself for strength in extreme conditions, then let his own life be at stake. And not the lives of dozens of people trying to save him.

We woke up at about one in the morning. Backpacks have already been collected in the evening. Sasha got out of the tent first. He examined the sky critically. Clouds. The stars are not visible. This is bad. The weather is starting to deteriorate. Last nights were starry. We accept (or rather, we are informed) the decision that an attempt to ascend should be attempted that night. Because there may be no other opportunity in the coming days. But you have to be prepared that in bad weather you will have to retreat before reaching the top. Well, let's take a chance. We dress cats, backpacks behind the back, and forward.

We leave from the rocky ridge into the snow. On the route, garlands of lanterns are already visible, with which the climbers illuminate their path. Moreover, the lights are visible both above and below us. We start moving. One step, one more step. We go zigzag. We spread our legs wide, to the width of the foot, as was taught, so as not to hit the leg with sharp cats, not to fall on the slope, and not to injure the leg. A snowcat, coming from somewhere below, is catching up with us. Probably from Shelter 11. He has 20 climbers on board. Let's go take the top, damn it. No, we don't need such mountaineering. We ourselves, on our own two will reach.

We are approaching the resting place, from which about a dozen climbers have departed. There is a 1.5 liter plastic water bottle on the ground. We call out to the group that has departed - who forgot the flask? In response, they shout - "Not needed, take it if necessary!" Indeed, its contents froze in the cold, crystallized and moved inside the jar like thick sour cream. There is little sense from such a drink. And the rise has just begun. Someone was left without drinking. Although the group is going big. Share. There will be no problems. I had to take a thermos for the ascent. Preferably with red tea. At altitude, it goes better than black or green. Or, you can use special energy drinks for athletes. And in general, taste sensations at altitude change. I want to eat more hot spices. Regular food may not go at all, seem bland and tasteless.

We approach the rocks of Pastukhov. I adjust the flashlight on my head. And suddenly it dawns on me - I didn’t take my sunglasses. Yes, it's a number. I'm talking about this to Alexander. He brings his hand in his head - he also forgot to take glasses. And without them on the mountain in any way. Situation. He swore. What to do? If we turn back, we won't have time to ascend again that day. I start looking for options. I have a windproof mask. The mask has a breathing mesh at the level of the lips. If you pull it higher, at eye level, then the road, in bright light, will be visible. I’ll try to do so. Sasha has a spare set of glasses in his backpack. Let's break through!
Just above the Pastukhov Rocks, they overtook the first large group of climbers. These are ratrachiks who overtook us on the way. And now we are overtaking them, despite the big head start. Let's go well. The path slowly turns to the left. I understand that we are entering a slanting shelf. It is getting lighter. You can already walk without flashlights. Step. Step. Step. There are many, many more steps up the hill. The sun is shown over the mountain, illuminating the mountains of the main Caucasian ridge with its light. I recognize Donguz-Orun with its "Seven" glacier. Indeed, this glacier in the middle of the mountain makes a 90-degree turn, forming a profile that resembles the number seven. We saw him at the exit to the Irik gorge. Opposite us is Cheget. And many more peaks and glaciers with unusual hearing, but beautiful and sonorous names. So we met the dawn at the top of Europe. Time to put on my impromptu goggle mask. Its front part is made of windproof material - windblock. You can only breathe through a special mesh. I pull the mask over my head, try to inhale - it was not there. Windblock blocked the access of oxygen in an already highly rarefied atmosphere. I take a couple of gasps. The lack of oxygen immediately becomes cloudy and floats in the eyes. You feel like a fish washed ashore. There was still not enough to "lead" you and you fell on a steep slope. In the hands of trekking sticks. The ice ax is fastened to the backpack, they will not be able to hack to death. You can drive many tens of meters until you manage to stop. I pull the bottom of the mask off my face, opening my mouth and nose and leaving only my eyes closed. I take a few deep breaths. It gets easier. So I will go further. Forward. Gradually, the slope becomes flatter and flatter. We go to the saddle. This is a huge flat field between two peaks of Elbrus, East and West. It seems huge. 800 meters long. The sun is already shining brightly enough. It gets hot. They had a small snack on the saddle. We ate a handful of dried fruits each and took a sip of tea. The food doesn't make any impression. He just threw food into his mouth on the machine, chewed a little. Swallowed. No taste sensations. This is also one of the manifestations of height - loss of appetite and a change in the taste of familiar foods. Well at least the food is not asked back. It lies quietly at the bottom of the stomach and is slowly digested. But they drank tea with great pleasure. When driving in the mountains, you lose a lot of water, up to 5-6 liters per day versus 2-3 liters under normal conditions on the plain. This occurs mainly with sweat and through pulmonary respiration, since the air at altitude is very dry. After 5 minutes we moved on. We pass by fumaroles. In our case, these are holes located on the slope of the volcano and are a source of hot gases. The gases that come out of them may be unbreathable. But these fumaroles are completely harmless. On the contrary, you can wait out the bad weather in them, as the air inside is warm, not poisonous, and the entrance to the fumarole is narrow, but a person can freely enter it .. The fumarole itself resembles a cave, which can accommodate up to 20 people. Remains of a hut destroyed by winds are visible 50 meters from them. It was put up a couple of years ago so that tourists, caught by bad weather on the mountain, had a chance to wait out the bad weather in a hut, in relative comfort and coziness. However, the wooden structure was unable to withstand the hurricane winds blowing on the saddle. Maybe a more secure shelter will be built later. But so far, nothing has been invented for salvation than to hide in fumaroles.

Behind the saddle there is a steep ascent to the western peak. We carefully pass it, and we leave on the plateau. The top is already visible from it. This is a small elevation, 15 meters high. We overcome it in one breath, one more dash, and that's it. URAAAA !!! Come on!

What do you feel when you stand on the top of the mountain? Of course, the joy of reaching the top. They went up. Have reached. Wherever you turn your head, you look down at the mountains. The clouds are somewhere below too. You are at the top. And you understand that from this point the road only goes down. Breathing hard. The height presses, makes itself felt. We drop our backpacks. We take out cameras. Must take a mandatory photo at the top of the tour. On the western summit of Elbrus, it is a stone a meter high. There are many flags left by the climbers near it. Several panoramic photos. We are at the top for 10-15 minutes. Then you have to go down. The weather is getting worse.

Vertex. 5642 meters.

We quickly reach the saddle. On the slanting shelf, I feel that the movements become somehow smooth, as in slow motion. Covered. Slowly but walking. It is necessary to drop about a kilometer in height to let go. We drank a sip of tea. Feelings as if born again. From somewhere there were forces. No wonder I took a large thermos, 1.5 liters, instead of the recommended liter. Without these tea breaks, it would be much more difficult.

In the middle of the slanting ledge, the neighbors are catching up with us. Our tents are side by side. It turned out they had a spare set of glasses that came in handy for me. You can finally take off your mask and put on your glasses. Although the absence of side curtains on the glasses played a cruel joke on me - in just a couple of hours I managed to burn my left eye in the sun. As if "bunnies" were picked up during welding. The last kilometer of descent walked, looking broadly at the world with his right eye, while screwing up his left. We have already passed the oblique. Now straight down to the Pastukhov Rocks. The height is still making itself felt, but the condition is improving.

I turn around, take a farewell look at the peaks. A cloud had already formed above them. Those who are now at the top will not only be unable to take good pictures. If it were not for the landmarks, which stand every 30 meters, you can get lost at the top, go to the dump, or break.

The sun is melting the snow that holds the individual stones. One of them, the size of a large watermelon, breaks down 15 meters from me and begins to slowly roll down. I shout "Stone!" The speed is low. Maybe it will stop by itself, braking on firn? No. Having rolled a few meters and without encountering an obstacle, he accelerates along a steep slope. It hits another, larger stone and jumps up a couple of meters. It flies about fifteen meters in the air and hits a solid firn, carving a fountain of snow splashes, and continues, bouncing like a ball, to fly down. A boy is walking two hundred meters below. The stone flies straight at him. I've never seen people run so fast with a backpack. I managed to run away. The stone was three meters away from him. The sun is melting the snow that holds the individual stones. One of them, the size of a large watermelon, breaks down 15 meters from me and begins to slowly roll down. I shout "Stone!" The speed is low. Maybe it will stop by itself, braking on firn? No. Having rolled a few meters and without encountering an obstacle, he accelerates along a steep slope. It hits another, larger stone and jumps up a couple of meters. It flies about fifteen meters in the air and hits a solid firn, carving a fountain of snow splashes, and continues, bouncing like a ball, to fly down. A boy is walking two hundred meters below. The stone flies straight at him. I've never seen anyone run so fast with a backpack. I managed to run away. The stone passed three meters from him.

About 30 minutes later I reached the tent. Sasha poured an energy drink. Every sip literally gave me strength. Congratulated on the ascent. Congratulations on the mountain below, upon arrival at the base camp. By the way, most emergencies do not happen on the rise, but on the descent. Fatigue, melted snow, increasing avalanche danger and the likelihood of rock falls. Changeable weather in the afternoon. The onset of dusk and many other factors can lead to an accident in the mountains.

The ascent took us 6 hours. They usually run for 8-10 hours. So we walked at a pretty good, athletic pace. The descent took me 3 hours and 40 minutes.

After such physical exertion, I do not want to eat at all. I would lie down with my legs stretched out for at least a couple of hours. But there is no time. We must have time to go down to the camp today. I toss a few pieces of food into my mouth. I'm chewing. I swallow. No taste is felt. Just replenishing the calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates expended.

The tent is assembled. The mountain is already covered with a solid cloud. Humidity begins to be felt, which, with the loss of altitude, turns into drizzling rain. On the way to the Garabashi station, we walk through the snow porridge. We try to bypass, as far as possible, puddles in the snow. True, not all of them are visible. A couple of times I fall into the snow, under which there is water. If not for good-quality shoes, as if all feet would be soaked through and through. And these are nothing, they endure, they resist water. We approach the cable car. The queue is about 50 people. Mostly sightseers. Lightly dressed, not for the weather. Everyone rushes down. Our turn is coming. We sit down in the wet chair of the cable car. It is already raining quite heavily. The wind dangles you in the air on a small seat. Lightning strikes are visible in the distance. It smells like ozone. The water running down the legs fills the boots with water. I got my feet wet after all. Not from below, but from above. The leggings would have saved me from this, but I have already taken them off.

We went down to Azau, the car was already waiting for us "under steam". On the way to Saklya, I rent out the rental shoes that helped me out so much. We fill ourselves with the branded beer "5642". We have the right to go down the mountain! We celebrated the ascent in a cafe. Balkarian khychins, lagman, beer.

This is how we went to the highest point in Europe, the highest mountain in Russia - Elbrus, Western peak, 5642 meters, difficulty category 2A. What's next? There are many more interesting and beautiful places on the globe where I have not been. And where you should definitely visit. Maybe even together with you, dear reader? So to be continued ...

Valery Smetanin

Meeting with the group in Kislovodsk. Anatoly is an instructor, Vladimir and Dmitry are experienced climbers.

From Kislovodsk on a gazelle to the village of Khurzuk, Karachay-Cherkessia, we drove in about 3 hours. We stopped at the Gumbashi pass, had a snack with khychin with airan, admired the wonderful views and rushed on.

In Khurzuk, having agreed with a local resident for 3000r. (Then it was about $ 100), we continued on the UAZ. We drove through a pine forest with numerous crossings across the river along log bridges.
Every time we approached the river, the driver poured a bucket of water into the radiator to cool the animal car. In 2 hours we covered about 20 km and got to the last point of civilization called Dzhily-su, set up tents near the closed base of the Ministry of Emergencies, ate porridge and went to bed.

Day 2:
We woke up, washed ourselves with water from a well, ate muesli, drank tea and set off. We walked along the ridge, terribly uncomfortable, because of the slope, often one leg is higher than the other. Beauty, wild nature, except for us, not a soul. We communicate, from conversations I begin to understand where I got to smile emoticon. Elbrus is not for beginners, Elbrus is from the north, even more so. The horror stories of the mountain accidents turn out to be true. Anatoly is not dramatizing, but confirms the reliability of all the accidents that I have heard about. From the very beginning I decided for myself that the ascent would be without fanaticism. While everything is under control. Dmitry and Vladimir share their past exploits and are worried if they can conquer the top. Will you have enough strength to climb, and suddenly there will be bad weather, because the previous group did not rise because of the weather? .. Suddenly the mountain will not start up? Looking ahead, I will say that climbers are wildly superstitious. Dima refused to go “for water”, it’s like being carried away by the river, so we went “on the water”. And I already considered the ascent to have taken place, a lot of impressions from yesterday and I already set my high-altitude record when I ate khychin).

Stop for a modest lunch, sneakers with tea. There is no time for a full-fledged lunch, and it is impossible to eat densely because it will be difficult to move on. Even before dark we arrive at the parking lot, Balk-Bashi pass, height 3600, fresh air, clear spring water from the stream.

An enchanting view of the Elbrus glacier, the rumble of breakaway blocks of ice is periodically heard. We cook porridge with stew, dinner is our main meal. We drink tea, discuss tomorrow's route, prepare mentally for what will be difficult. We go to bed.

Day 3:
A difficult section of the route, descent into the valley to the source of the Malka River. Constant ups and downs. Going down the crib from a hill the size of a skyscraper was a real adventure. A very steep slope, small and not so stones move in a stream with you. We descended by traverse in two, parallel to each other, so that the rockfall did not hit the one below. Anatoly and Volodya went first, it looked very nice and smooth, roughly like skiing, only instead of skis, boots, instead of snow, stones. Dima and I are sitting and waiting, have already lost sight of the first bundle. Anatoly shouts that they are already below, it's time to go down. I cannot get up, the slope is so steep that it seems that if you stand up straight, you will immediately roll down, a heavy backpack interferes with catching balance and straightening up. The sticks that are supposed to help get in the way due to lack of experience. After several unsuccessful attempts, I manage to get up and move down, periodically fall and rise with difficulty. After 2/3 of the descent, I learned to keep my balance, I slide further with pleasure. At the bottom we pour stones out of the shoes, go further.
We came to a stormy and wide river, we need to cross to the other side. We were looking for a convenient place for about an hour. Balancing and jumping from stone to stone with 20 kg on your back is not at all easy. We insure each other and find ourselves on the other side, change our shoes and continue our journey. Since the river was winding, we had to repeat this trick several times.
We pass by the dragon's teeth, it starts raining with hail, we increase the pace. Wildly thirsty, and I suck on the grains. For a long time already gone. Anatoly says that they have almost come, on the hill is our camp, "Aerodrom". Gathering all the willpower into a fist, we climb the plateau, walk another 2 km and we are on the spot.

Day 4:
Today we have to get to the base camp, climb 900m. We leave part of the equipment and food on the way back in the drop-off. Over the past few days, I have understood the meaning of each gram in the backpack, so I leave everything unnecessary. For example, a second thermal shirt and a silicone mug turned out to be superfluous, because you can drink from a thermos cap. I propose to take one toothpaste for all, and Tolik wonders why we did not do this from the very beginning.
It's very hard to walk, a steep endless ascent. The landscape changes every year, so there is no permanent trail, you have to blaze a trail through trial and error. We stop several times for 15-20 minutes to catch our breath and up again. A group of climbers descends, we say hello, Dima asks: "Where are you from?" - they answer: "Above" smile emoticon.
In the evening we arrive at the base camp. We find only a few tents, there are few climbers, it's already the end of the season and the last shift of the Ministry of Emergencies.
When you take off your backpack, there is a second wind, we go to the glacier "on the water".
I wash my face with ice water, a smile appears on my face, the mood is wonderful. It seems that the top is just a stone's throw away, but it only seems ...

Day 5:
Acclimatization hike to the Lenz rocks (4700 m), climb 1000 m. Our dress rehearsal before the ascent, the purpose of which is to test the equipment and the body's response to an altitude that has never been reached.
The fear of any climber is mountain sickness. "Miner" can develop due to oxygen starvation along with aggravating factors such as physical fatigue, cooling, dehydration, severe weather conditions, sudden temperature changes, etc. "Miner" is a terrible thing, it can lead to pulmonary edema and brain. Therefore, when symptoms occur, the best remedy is down, down, and down again.
In a nearby shelter I rent 2 sizes larger boots, they are wildly smelly, I'm lucky to have found them at least. For the first time in my life I put on crampons, sharp spikes so as not to slip on the ice. There are many cracks on the glacier that you can fall into, so we walk in a bundle. I control every step so as not to get caught by the cat and not to step on the rope. Tolik has an ice ax ready in case someone falls. His task is to quickly "hack to death" in order to delay us from sliding down. On the rocks of Lenz we conduct snow and ice classes and return to the camp.
Despite the strong fatigue, the state of health is good, the body perfectly adapts to the altitude and lack of oxygen. We are resting.

Day 6:
We have two days to climb: today and an extra day tomorrow.
If everything goes well, at night we go out to storm the summit.
We eat, relax, gain strength, enjoy the views and walk around the camp. Only in the mountains can one get sunburned and frostbitten at the same time. We are sitting near the tent, the bright sun burns our face, but our back is freezing. In a matter of minutes, clouds envelop us, the weather deteriorates, and it starts to snow. We hide in a tent, play cards, communicate. The probability that today there will be suitable conditions for the ascent is very small, but there is hope. Wild coldness, zero visibility.
Under such conditions, there is not the slightest desire to attempt an assault, I do not even want to get out of the sleeping bag. I decide for myself that if the weather suddenly "improves" and Tolik says "forward", I will stay in the camp and wait for the return of the group.
Snow is falling, we take turns digging out the tent so that it is not completely covered with snow, and we do not suffocate.

Day 7-8:
Tonight is the last chance to walk along the Elbrus summit. I do not like the expression "to conquer the summit", in the mountains you understand how small and helpless you are. A strong gust of wind can carry you into a crack, and you will not be found in the next hundreds of years, you can stumble and die, you can freeze something or break ...
In the evening, the weather on Elbrus worsens, so the ascent begins at night in order to have time to return safely before the evening. We wake up at about one in the morning, the weather is excellent, there will be an ascent. The climb is 1900 meters. The Lenz Rocks, where we went for acclimatization, is half the way. But mathematics in the mountains does not work, in terms of time and complexity of the Lenz rocks - this is only 30% of the ascent. If I knew how difficult it would be to get to the top, I would have stayed in the tent.
We leave at about two in the morning, we go with headlamps. The beauty is incredible, the stars are not only above the head, but also on the side. It seems that you are at the same height with them. The stars are so close you can touch them. We overcome the familiar route to the Lenz Rocks, continue to climb.
We were joined by a large group led by the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Saving people is a dangerous and ungrateful business, so the Ministry of Emergency Situations prefer to be instructors during working hours. Tolik was appointed treadmill, and he ran far ahead, the rescuer was the last one.
At the last section of the climbers a magic stone awaits, and the magic is that the closer you come to it, the further it seems. To increase my chances of climbing, I don't look at him. Dima is far behind. I follow Volodya, it’s easier psychologically.
On the ascent, when it is already very difficult to go forward, there is a technique of "counting steps". For example, you set a goal of 50 steps, reach the goal, stop, set the next goal, and so on. Tolik explained in advance that 50 steps is very good, 20 is also very good, and 5 steps is also very good. I decide to take 200 steps in order to quickly get to the magic stone, from which the peak is already near. But this system did not work, the forces ran out long ago, the magic stone is infinitely far away.
I go around Volodya, he stood for too long, and my legs are already starting to freeze. Tolik is standing near the magic stone, I go up to him, and he says that this is not the top yet ... We are waiting for the others and together in about half an hour we climb to the eastern peak of Elbrus, height 5621 m.
It is difficult to describe the wonderful views that have opened up to us. But there is no time and special desire to admire for a long time. There is a strong wind at the top, it is very cold, I would like to be in a warm and safe sleeping bag as soon as possible. We take pictures and begin our descent down. If already on the ascent there was no strength, how to descend is not clear.
The feeling that if you close your eyes, you will immediately pass out. The weather is worsening, the wind is strong, it is snowing, the visibility is poor. Most of all, the glacier frightens us, we barely drag our feet, and there we have to be very careful not to fall into the crack. We drink snow with tea, we collect a thermos cap with snow, pour tea on top, so it turns out more.
Dima is really bad, Tolik gives him vitamins and the last tea, we take apart the contents of his backpack among ourselves, we go further. We safely pass the glacier and about 3 days we are back in a warm tent. The ascent was successful !!!