The highest mountain on the European continent is Mt. Elbrus at 18,510ft. It's situated in a wild and mountainous region called the Greater Caucasus range which runs from northwest at the Black Sea to southeast at the Caspian Sea and generally forms the border between Russia and Georgia.
For someone who grew up during the cold war, traveling to this part of the world has a special meaning. My first job out of college was designing nuclear submarines for use against our number one enemy the Soviet Union. Now I was traveling to a remote part of Russia to climb a famous mountain. It's strange how things change over time.
The jumping off spots for Elbrus are the small mountain towns of Terskol and Cheget. Traveling to this region required a stopover in St. Petersburg which is a beautiful city and worthy of bucket list status. After a couple days experiencing Russian culture, we flew to a small town called Mineralnye Vody and took a van ride for 5 hours past multiple sketchy roadside checkpoints. Arriving in the mountain region, we came to a lodge in Terskol and were happy to have a home and be on foot for a while.
We spent the next few days taking hikes and exploring the local region. the scenery was strikingly beautiful and rugged. One day, we hiked up an old ski area and got a nice view of Mt. Elbrus in the distance with it's distinctive double summit.
After a few days of acclimatization hikes, gear sorting and eating well, it was time for the main event. There's a small ski area on the flanks of Mt. Elbrus so why not take our backpacks on the lift and get a ride up to 12,000ft? In some ways it felt a little like cheating but really, where's the challenge in hiking up a trail for a few thousand feet? Arriving at the top, we had a couple mile trek to a small hut with two bunk rooms and an eating area. These were high class accommodations although sleeping in the same room with 6 or 7 other people takes patience and ear plugs.
The lower part of the mountain was surprisingly warm during the day and we wore short sleeves during an acclimatization hike up to the Pastukhov Rocks. Shown below is the well-oiled Colorado team.
The next day was summit day. Unlike previous big mountain climbs, we didn't stay in multiple camps on Elbrus. Everything above 13,000ft or so is open country and very exposed. Summit day is a huge 5,000 foot plus effort from the hut. Unfortunately our day started with winds in the 40 mph range well before sunrise and continued for the entire day with gusts over 60 mph. Wind direction was basically in our faces all day and it really took a toll both physically as well as mentally. Remember previous explanations about practicing suffering? This is why.
Photos cannot convey the miserable nature of our summit day but maybe the look of the ground blizzard above gives some indication. We trudged up the broad slope, stopping only briefly a couple of times to take a quick drink, eat a snack and add a layer on the way to the saddle between the two summits. Lingering any longer and the cold seeps through your layers and into your bones.
At the saddle, we rope up for the exposed ascending traverse. We're a good 5 or 6 hours into it by now and the notorious wind is unyielding. Finally after another 90 minutes or so, we reach the summit. The photos below could be from any miserable snow covered summit well above treeline on any continent in the world, but it was Elbrus and Alan, Debby, Kriss & I had it all to ourselves.
The descent is generally the most dangerous part of any big climb. Fatigue is setting in and the inspirational pull of the summit is replaced by the realization that you've still got a long way to go before getting back down to camp. Descending the traverse in high winds with shifting snow under foot and significant steep exposure to our left requires a high intensity focus. As the anchor at the back of the rope, I'm watching everyone's feet, hyper aware that one misstep could rip our team off the mountain and send us sliding down the steep slope.
Thankfully we reach the saddle without incident, stow the rope into my pack and continue the slog back to the hut and a hot meal. This was the biggest summit push so far in our experience and we feel good about our accomplishment. Without the wind, it would have been tough but enjoyable. We found out later that wind on Elbrus is one of the biggest factors for teams not reaching the summit.
Back from the climb, we had the chance to view Mt. Elbrus one last time from across the valley. What a striking view of a beautiful mountain!
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