Ski route from Shepherd's Rocks. Pastukhov Rocks: description

Double-headed Elbrus

Starting from a height of 4000 meters, the steepness of Elbrus in some places reaches 35-40 degrees. There are steep sections up to 750 meters high.

Below the glaciers, alpine meadows are spread along the mountain, coniferous forests grow under them. The northern slope is more rocky.

Elbrus was formed more than a million years ago, it used to be an active volcano, and disputes still do not subside, whether it is extinct or just sleeping. The version of a dormant volcano is supported by the fact that hot masses remain in its depths and heat the thermal springs up to +60 °C. In the bowels of Elbrus, the famous mineral waters of the resorts of the North Caucasus - Kislovodsk, Pyatigorsk, Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk - are born and saturated. The mountain consists of alternating layers of ash, lava and tuff. The last time the giant erupted in 50 AD. e.

The climate of the Elbrus region is mild, the humidity is low, thanks to which frosts are easily tolerated. But the climate of the volcano itself is harsh, similar to the Arctic. The average winter temperature is from 10 degrees of frost at the foot of the mountain, down to -25 °C at the level of 2000-3000 meters, and up to -40 °C at the top. Precipitation on Elbrus is frequent and plentiful, mostly snow.

In summer, the air warms up to +10 °C - up to a height of 2500 meters, and at an altitude of 4200 meters, even in July it is never warmer than -14 °C.

The weather is very unstable: a clear windless day can instantly turn into a snowy storm with strong winds.

The history of the conquest of Elbrus

The idea of climbing the legendary Mount Elbrus haunted many daredevils, they were not afraid of either eternal snow or cold winds. Climbing Elbrus gave rise to mountaineering in Russia. The first attempt to conquer the mountain was made in 1829 by the expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences, but only a guide reached the eastern peak from the whole group. After 45 years, the British, accompanied by a local guide, managed to climb the western peak.

The first map of the volcano was made by the Russian topographer Pastukhov, who conquered Elbrus without guides.

It is known about the Balkarian hunter Ahiy Sattaev, who climbed the tops of Elbrus 9 times, and he made the last ascent at the age of 121 years.

In Soviet times, the conquest of Elbrus became very prestigious, mountaineering on its slopes became widespread.

Today, Mount Elbrus is the Mecca of climbers, skiers and freeriders.

Panorama of Elbrus

Skiing

Elbrus is considered the most skiable mountain in the world. You can enjoy winter sports in the Elbrus region from November to May, and some tracks are available all year round. There are 35 kilometers of ski slopes and 12 kilometers of cable cars along the mountains. Both experienced skiers and beginners can ride the slopes, for whom there are specially allocated simple routes and training in skiing skills is organized. The favorite places of most skiers are the slopes of Mount Cheget, which are not inferior to the slopes of the ski resorts in Austria, Switzerland and France.

There are three lines of pendulum lifts, chair lifts and towing roads in the public ski area.

Those who wish can use the services of a high-altitude taxi - snowcats, which will take you to the "Shelter of Eleven" or to the Pastukhov Rocks (4800 meters), from where unparalleled views of the peaks of the Caucasus Range open.

The Stary Krugozor resort invites lovers of long descents to the longest Elbrus track, 2 kilometers long and with a height difference of 650 meters.

On the southern slopes of the mountain there is the Elbrus Azau resort, the routes of which are distinguished by great freedom of movement - there are a minimum of nets, there are no separators. The resort offers: rental of climbing equipment, sleds and snowmobiles, a ski school, snow groomers and helicopter flights.

Experienced snowboarders and skiers can drive off the eastern slope of Elbrus to the northern side of the mountain.

Freeride masters are delivered by helicopter to the untouched slopes, from where they rush at great speed across the virgin snow.

At the foot of Elbrus, cafes, billiard rooms, and saunas await guests. You can have a bite to eat at each station on the slopes of the mountain. In the village of Terskol there is a zone for playing paintball.

The ski season on the slopes of the five-thousander lasts from mid-November to April. It happens that a strong snow cover is kept on some tracks until mid-May.

Video: Descent from the top of Europe / Expedition to Mount Elbrus

Mountaineering

Every year, thousands of climbers and tourists storm the slopes of Elbrus. Thanks to the improvement of climbing equipment, anyone with acceptable physical fitness can visit the top of the mountain.

For those wishing to climb, routes are organized in different directions. Climbing Elbrus along the classical path from the south side does not require special mountaineering training from tourists. People of average physical shape will be able to participate in such a campaign. Tourists can use the cable car that delivers the conquerors of Elbrus to the "Bochki" shelter, located at an altitude of 3750. The guests of the Caucasus are at the disposal of the restaurants, bars and hotels of the shelter, where you can relax and refresh yourself before throwing to the top.

The northern route, passing along the path of the first ascent, is the same in terms of difficulty. But, unlike the southern route, along the way you will not meet any shelters or a cable car, which will add extreme sports to the hike. It will take more time for the northern ascent, but as a reward you will receive unique views of the Caucasian nature, untouched by civilization.

The eastern ascent passes along the Akcheryakol lava flow and is conquered only by physically strong people. This route is considered the most beautiful.

The routes are designed in such a way that the climbers have enough time to acclimatize.

The most favorable period for climbing is from May to October.

The cost of a ten-day tour is from 38,000 to 85,000 rubles. The price depends on the complexity of the route and on the set of services provided, of which the mandatory ones are: transfer from the airport of arrival and back, accommodation in a shelter or base, meals, instructor services. In addition, the services of porters and cooks, equipment rental, medical insurance can be paid.

All participants of a successful ascent are issued a certificate "The Conqueror of Elbrus".

In addition to climbing and skiing, guests of the Elbrus region are offered paragliding, rock climbing and ice climbing, mountain biking, heli-skiing, trekking, kiteboarding. In summer, mountain biking is possible on the gentle slopes.

Attractions

Hiking through the Chegem Gorge with its magnificent pine forests, harsh canyons and amazing waterfalls falling from the rocks will leave an indelible impression on tourists.

The picturesque Baksan Gorge originates in the glaciers of Elbrus. If you have time, be sure to take a walk through its green valleys, framed by mighty snow-capped peaks. The gorge has its own attractions - the monument "Grieving Highlander" and a geophysical observatory that studies the Sun. In the Narzanov Glade you will see rusty earth - it has become so due to the abundance of iron in the water of local sources. On the slopes of the mountains you can find caves with traces of the presence of ancient people in them.

Jily-Su

The Djily-Su tract, located on the northern slope of Elbrus, is known for its healing mineral springs. Warm water flows directly from the rock and collects in an artificial bath, updated every 10 minutes. Swimming is scheduled. Local narzan have a beneficial effect on the heart, nervous system, cure some skin diseases and allergies. In total, there are 14 springs in the tract, each of which has its own specialization: “kidney”, “eye”, “liver” and others. In Jily-Su there are stunning waterfalls - the famous forty-meter giant Sultan and Karakaya-Su with a height of 25 meters. Popular with tourists are the Valley of Castles, the Valley of Stone Mushrooms and the German airfield located in the tract.

On Mount Cheget, at an altitude of 2719 meters, there is an observation platform where, sitting in rented sun loungers, you can admire the majestic nature of the North Caucasus for an infinitely long time. Those who wish to refresh themselves are met by the “Ai” cafe.

Station Mir

At the Mir station, in the highest mountain museum in the world - the Elbrus Defense Museum, expositions will tell about the dramatic events of the Great Patriotic War. There is also a monument to the soldiers-defenders of the North Caucasus.

50 kilometers from Nalchik, in the valley of the Cherek-Bolkarsky River, there are karst Blue Lakes fed from underground sources. It is worth coming here to admire their beauty. But even professional swimmers do not risk swimming in the lake Tserik-Kel - the circular flow of the reservoir creates a whirlpool from which it is impossible to get out.

Accommodation

Hotels in the Elbrus region can be conditionally divided into three categories: those built back in Soviet times; small semi-lux hotels for 20-25 people; premium class hotels - a modern boarding house "Elbrus", hotels "Ozon" and "Seven peaks".

The recreation center "Elbrus" is waiting for guests in a pine forest on the banks of a mountain river near the village of Tegenekli. Hotel "Balkaria" is located on the slopes of Elbrus at an altitude of 2300 meters. A little higher, in the village of Terskol, there are the Vershina, Seven Summits, and Antau hotels.

For climbers, shelters have been built to meet climbers on the glaciers. At an altitude of 3750 meters, you can spend the night and gain strength in the insulated trailers of the Bochki shelter. A more comfortable shelter "Liprus" welcomes guests at an altitude of 3911 meters. The highest mountain hotel in Russia, Shelter of Eleven, is located at an altitude of 4130 meters.

Prices for accommodation in hotels in the Elbrus region range from 1000 to 8000 rubles per double room per day, depending on the season and the class of the hotel. As a rule, the price includes two meals a day and a transfer to the ski slopes.

Inexpensive housing is offered by the private sector of the villages of the Elbrus region - Tegenekli, Elbrus and Terskol.

Yak

At the service of tourists who want to climb to the tops of Elbrus, both large companies that have their own shelters on the slopes, and single guides. Carefully consider the choice of the organizer of the ascent. Your safety will depend on the professionalism of the escort.

Be sure to find out in advance what clothes you will need and what things you need to bring with you.

Climbing participants of any complexity need to be prepared for the fact that on the way to the top of Elbrus, adverse natural factors await you: cold, wind, rarefied air, increased solar radiation, sulfur dioxide emissions and lack of visibility in inclement weather. You will have to carry a heavy backpack and make long walks. You will spend the night in tents and cook your own food on gas burners. Soberly assess the state of your health in order to avoid accidents.

All disputes are resolved before the ascent and after the descent.

It is necessary to unquestioningly follow all the instructions of the guide. All controversial points are discussed either before the ascent or after the descent.

The organizers of the ascent have the right to stop or shorten the tour for individual climbers or the entire group in the event of:

Violations of safety rules and behavior in the mountains;
Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages;
Failure to comply with the norms of public order;
Disrespectful attitude towards nature and local residents.

Tourists from 16 to 18 years of age must provide written permission to climb from their parents. Children from 14 years of age are allowed on simple routes together with their parents.

If you went to the mountains on your own, you must register at the local department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, have communication sources with you - a walkie-talkie or a cell phone. It is preferable to use the services of Beeline and Megafon operators, MTS does not always provide a stable connection.

All climbers must have identification documents and a medical policy with them.

morning panorama

How to get there

By train or plane to the cities of Kislovodsk, Mineralnye Vody, Nalchik or Cherkessk, from where a taxi or bus will take you to the desired place in the Elbrus region. If you arrived as part of an organized group, you will be provided with a transfer.

Day

Moscow Terskol

55.755826,37.6173

43.2571143,42.5139979

Moscow - Terskol

Hotel: Wolfram

distance: 1728.9 km

travel time: 19 hours 47 minutes

gasoline cost: ⃏7086.00

The road from Moscow to Terskol takes about 20 hours, including a stop for 1 hour in Rostov, to refuel the car and people (12,000 diesel was burned on the way back and forth). Almost all 1700 km are rolled with excellent coverage, even for the most demanding taste, so the speed can be kept decent enough. The town itself is full of hotels, which are mostly empty in late August - early September, and many are even closed, because the Elbrus region is a ski resort, and at the end of summer there is still no snow on the ski slopes and only climbers live in hotels, and there are not so many of them. a lot of. Good, brand new hotels were occupied, and we settled in the Wolfram Hotel, this establishment will never get stars, but the friendly staff, normal (and even good by the standards of the Soviet canteen) food and practically free (500 rubles per person) are a little "pulled out" impression.

Terskol Cheget

43.1947222,42.515

Terskol - Cheget

Hotel: Wolfram

in order to climb Elbrus painlessly, you need to acclimatize to the height, so today it was decided to conquer Cheget (3770 m). I must say that the town itself is located at an altitude of about 2000m, so the "conquest" of Cheget is a fairly easy walk for about half a day. And yet, unfortunately, many "conquerors" of Cheget do not know that the peak they climb, where the path leads, where everyone sighs with relief and turns down, is not Cheget, it is 300 m lower than the real peak, which is quite a lot in the mountains, and without special equipment, I'm afraid you can't take it, and we were no exception and went downstairs in our sneakers. In the photo, the peak is visible on the left, and if a public place in August has only specks of snow, the real Cheget is heavily covered with it, here you have a 300 m difference. A cable car goes to Cheget, there is a restaurant at the last station, but the cable car is not suitable for acclimatization purposes. It's cool and windy at the top, so it's best to take a fleece and a windbreaker, as well as food and drinks for half a day.

Cheget Waterfall girlish braids

43.2611844,42.492734

Cheget - Waterfall girl's braids

Hotel: Wolfram

Today we continue acclimatization and take a longer route in order to be on top longer. The goal is the Waterfall of the maiden braids, the Observatory (3100m) and the Ice Camp (3800m). The walk is not difficult, there is a dirt road everywhere, which becomes less well-traveled only above the observatory. From the ice camp, where there is a military unit of contract soldiers who seem to be collecting the remains of those who died during the Great Patriotic War from the slopes of Elbrus, but at the same time they are equipped with ammunition, machine guns and larger weapons, and so from the Ice Camp there is an excellent view of the Shelter 11 and Barrels.

Waterfall girlish braids Shelter-11

43.335343,42.4558422

Waterfall girlish braids - Shelter-11

hotel: Barrels

distance: 8.7 km

travel time: 0 h. 51 min.

gasoline cost: ⃏35.56

In the morning we leave Wolfram and go to Alpindustria (although now the store is called something else, which does not change its content at all), we rent boots and windproof pants, sticks and masks, a down jacket and windbreakers, gloves and mittens, we buy fleece - pants and a sweatshirt, and a balaclava, because they don't rent them. all pleasure for 10 000 r. The service is top notch, it’s a pity that I don’t even remember what the name of the shop, which used to be Alpukha, is now called. We throw everything superfluous into the car - a car for paid parking - a taxi (150 r, however!) And go! we call in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, make a mark, get an informative leaflet about how not to behave on a slope, and to the cable car. The cable car of the first stage is a fairy tale, brand new comfortable trailers with automatic doors gently and silently lift us to the transfer station, where we transfer to the second cable car. This one is obviously Soviet-era, the open seats are covered with hundreds of coats of paint and look haggard but go. We are on Barrels, here we simply find a free trailer for settlement, the height of our trailer is 3800m, accommodation is like in Wolfram, 500 r from the nose. Amenities: light for 1 hour from 10 pm to 11 pm, water from a melt stream, a toilet over the abyss, gas in a cylinder, even bed linen, but we preferred our sleeping bags. After accommodation, a short outing to Shelter 11 (4000m) to check the equipment.

Shelter-11 Pastukhov Rocks

43.2611844,42.492734

Shelter-11 - Pastukhov Rocks

hotel: Barrels

distance: 8.7 km

travel time: 0 h. 51 min.

gasoline cost: ⃏35.56

We continue acclimatization, today we go to the Pastukhov rocks (4600m), the ascent was easy and we decide to storm the summit tomorrow without waiting for the end of acclimatization.

Pastukhov Rocks Elbrus

43.2611844,42.492734

Pastukhov Rocks - Elbrus

Hotel: Wolfram

We went out on the assault at 3 o'clock in the morning, practically did not sleep, almost did not have breakfast, the snowmobile takes us to the Pastukhov rocks, the snowmobile rises, as it turned out, quite slowly and we start from the Pastukhov rocks after 4 in the morning. There are a lot of snowmobiles and it is not a problem to come to an agreement, each person pays 2500 rubles. The weather is excellent, there is practically no wind, we start climbing. Any person with a relatively decent physical fitness can climb to the top in favorable weather (we read that if a person can run 12 km, he will go to Elbrus, we have been running since May, and 12 km was not a problem). You need to go slowly and calmly, keeping your breath, because already at an altitude of 4500m the lack of oxygen is noticeable, on an oblique beam it becomes much easier, despite the fact that the height is added, but a gentler rise facilitates movement, at about this height the sun rises confidently and becomes warmer and somehow more comfortable. Behind the oblique beam there is a saddle (5300m) where you can rest easy, we left backpacks and extra equipment so as not to drag weight to the top. Climbing from the saddle to the top is the most difficult test of the entire route, these last 350 m of height are characterized by a rather sharp climb, so that people are already quite tired, and there is even less oxygen, but it warms the thought that now you have definitely climbed, although we came across two people who decided to return before reaching the top. At the steepest place of the ascent to the upper platform, someone hung a rope and everyone is trying to use it, it seemed to us that in good weather, when the wind does not blow you away, it is completely useless, and fussing with it and the line take the last strength, we just walked along and we thought it was the right decision. On the site, after the ascent, almost everyone makes a halt, to the top you still need to cross a small plateau and climb a small hillock. All. The top is conquered, protocol photo, panorama - you can go down. I must say that the descent is, according to sensations, no less of a problem than the ascent. Your strength is running out, you don’t have time to make halts and rest, because you are at the top at noon, and the cable car closes at 16.00, and you didn’t want to spend the night in the trailer one more night, and you still need to get ready, pay, etc. in short, we hurried down, as a result, we entered the trailer with a desire to lie down for a long time, however, having realized it after 30 minutes, we were back on our feet and, having handed over the trailer, rushed back to Wolfram, further to the restaurant to celebrate success and sleep - in the morning we leave for Moscow. By the way, many climb to the top using pills, this can be quite avoided if there are a couple of extra days for acclimatization, in our group of 3 people, two took the course and one did not, as a result, he had quite a headache at the top.

Finally, I found time to finish my story about the trip to Elbrus. Broken into sections to make it easier to read.

Now I am in full swing organizing a trip to the South Urals, again I am in such a pre-trekking, pre-jittery, pleasant state, when only anticipation gives a sea of \u200b\u200bjoy.

So, on the 9th day of our journey, an exit to the "Shelter of the 11th" was scheduled.

We returned to Itkol the day before, so we had time to buy additional magnets and rent equipment - the hike leader rented cats for everyone, but we got everything we needed ourselves.

I bought a cool head torch, a softshell jacket and two compression bags for future trips. I saw such a jacket in Prague, but then there was not enough money, and it was embarrassing to ask my mother. So I didn't miss this opportunity.)

The whole evening was spent in picking up backpacks: thick jackets stubbornly did not want to fit into a backpack.

I appreciated the compression bags right away: they contained not only a jacket and pants, but also an inflated vest, all fleece jackets, T-shirts, various small things, which, of course, came in handy on the way, but which I packed so securely that I was surprised later.

We needed to get a good night's sleep, so we charged our phones and got ready for bed. It so happened that I got into a double room with a girl who never went hiking, but turned out to be strong like our guys, so I had no doubt that she would climb. For her, the most difficult thing at the beginning of the campaign was to socialize. But already on the third day, she relaxed when she realized that the team gathered was exceptionally friendly. So about the girl ... When she saw my prayer book, she asked me to read the prayers for the night and aloud, saying that she fell asleep better that way. The girl adheres to a different religion, but this is not the first time I see this not just tolerance, but even respect for a foreign religion. Not everyone is like that, but I'm lucky for such people so far. I read prayers every night while we were staying at the hotel and she and I slept like babies. What can not be said about the boys: they had nightmares in the hotel and often woke up.

By the way, I completely missed the description of the command. IN 24 people went on a hike: 4 girls, the rest guys. To be honest, I always liked this alignment: the fewer girls, the better for me. Firstly, girls with character, and if we have hard days, whims begin, which are difficult to put up with in extreme situations. In general, I love to bathe in male attention and take care of all our boys when they are hungry, sick or tired. They are all “my boys” if they come under my care and care)) It’s funny, of course, but sometimes I just become “Chole’s mom”.

…In the morning we leave the Itkol with all our belongings. We load them into our long-suffering bus. The leader of the hike decided to save money for us for a festive dinner and a bath on our return, so only the team of drivers, the girl who accompanied them and one of the boys who managed to fall in love with her remain in the hotel. He perfectly passed the acclimatization exit and could easily ascend. But I stayed at the call of love))

Therefore, in the morning only 23 people went to the Terskol cable car, loaded to the very top. The leader of the trip took pity on us girls again: in our backpacks there were only whips for ourselves. The boys were loaded like little donkeys.

On the cable car there are two large red cabins with MTS advertisements. Before us is a large team of foreigners. Among them I see a red-haired Irishman who struck me the day before in the market: he looked like a typical mountaineer and looked a bit like a sea captain with his bright red hair and a small beard. And in general, I have a weakness for redheads. Next to him is a very young blonde. So thin, thinner than me. He looks about 20 years old. However, he is holding himself confidently.

We stuff ourselves into the booth and begin a fairly quick ascent. While we are climbing, one very elderly woman with a stick begins to tell how many decades ago she worked here as an instructor, and while there was no cable car, she and her teams climbed from the Azau valley on foot with backpacks. It is a pleasure to look at her.

We get to some station, from there we again make the ascent to Mir station where we change into warmer clothes. It's getting pretty chilly. Things are packed in such a way that everything that was shoved before in a compression bag suddenly became necessary now. It's a hassle to uncover a compression bag, to cover it. finally, after more or less changing clothes, we transfer to another cable car - a chairlift - where you ride yourself and hug your backpack and at the same time try not to slide backwards and not fly away with valuable cargo down to the stones. I don’t have the strength to hold the camera - I press it with my chin to the backpack and read prayers all the way. I do not like such a fast rise, because I know how it will respond to me. Below is an area that a friend described as "completely alien." Before the "Mountain-Bashi", in the common people "Barrels", foreigners call it "Containers", we get pretty quickly.
1. Chairlift to "Barrels"

To "Shelter-11" 40 minutes walk along the path through the snowy fields in a northerly direction. At the same time, it is strictly forbidden to leave the trail, because. the glacier on which the trail is laid is covered in abundance with cracks hidden under the snow. But the leader of the trip explains to us that he has budgeted the rental of a snowcat. So part of the team rides on a snowcat to Shelter 11, part is waiting below. I ended up in the second part and became a witness of the Meeting. A very elderly grandfather talked to us. Or we talked to him. Here, of course, is another question. He is in his 87th year and once again he is going to climb Elbrus.

- If you can't get up, don't cry, he told us. I just shook my head angrily. I heard this phrase for many weeks and now I don’t need it either. But he continued: - The mountain has stood for millions of years and will still stand. And in your life, if anything else, there will be an opportunity to return and ascend. It's not worth risking your life.

I do not know why. I have not listened to anyone until now, stubbornly, like an ant, I went forward, and then his words stopped me. The reason for this was, probably, a rather difficult acclimatization hike, which came as a surprise. Rather, it was a combination of events and incoming information. And so Det was probably the first person whose words I actually heard.

I took a photo of him, but with the team, I won’t post it here.
While waiting for the snowcat, it starts to snow. Elbrus shows us its character for the first time. And this is unexpected: raincoats, of course, at the bottom of the backpack, although within reach, but getting them is troublesome. We girls, as always, are the very first to find fundamentally important strategic objects with the inscription "EmJo". We have different organisms than boys, so when someone wants to go to the toilet, they can safely ask the girls about it - such gentle girlish eyes, especially tourist ones, have learned to determine the stroke.

After 30 minutes, the snowcat came back for us. A very strange transport, I’ll tell you: it has special tracks, it occupies a large area, therefore, apparently it doesn’t fall into cracks, it rushes forward like a tank, and if it can’t and rolls back a little, it doesn’t slip, but firmly presses its tracks into the snow and , rumbling, moves on.
2. Ice expanses on which the snowcat rides

Arriving at "Shelter 11", quickly populate in wagons.
3. Shelter 11 existed as a normal hotel until 1998, I have already spoken about this. After the fire, booths were set up here for living, cooking, and somehow everything got better.

I get a shelf with one of our "starters" - a tall blond who is sick more, but also bares his teeth the most. With an indestructible sense of humor. At least it's good: if it's bad at night, instead of shedding tears, you can laugh. In general, our cabin was the most restless: we laughed even at night, falling asleep with difficulty at night. It was so hard to fall asleep at the height. But only one of the guys decided to drink the sleeping pills that I took with me. it was he who slept best of all and was healthy, strong and cheerful. And we are suckers, we were sick all night and suffered from insomnia. This whole prejudice against sleeping pills worked and the fear of not waking up when needed.

The hike leader gives us an hour and a half for food and tells us to get ready for the acclimatization hike. The attendants hardly boil water: at a height, by the way, it is very difficult to boil water in its normal form, it reaches 90 degrees and does not even boil, but simply blows bubbles. The boys brought water from a stream that flows along the surface of the mountain: it is the snows that melt and create a path for themselves - as if a key is beating somewhere. The water is clear blue, clean and beautiful.

We eat bichuhi again, we eat someone's jerky - either the neighbors gave us, or the boys stocked up, we get together, put on crampons, take some telescopes, some ski poles and go to the Pastukhov rocks.

I am making several mistakes. Firstly, I am one of the last to go out and find myself paired with our girl who always trudges at the end. You have to wait for herwhich of course doesn't make me happy. I'm slowly catching up with the other guys. A strong wind rises, it is still far to go, but at the chosen pace, resting often, often, you can go.
Secondly, I hang a camera around my neck and it crushes it.
Thirdly, that piece of dried pork, which I don’t eat at all in the world, but then I was seduced by the proposal of this cute blond.
I'm getting sick. The fourth reason for this is a sharp climb, but here I could not change anything. It's bad when you feel sick, dizzy, you stagger and sausage not like a child, and it seems that you can lie down now and die, if only not to endure this state.

Tea is in someone's backpack in front. I note to myself that I will take tea myself for the ascent, I will not rely on anyone, everything I need - tea, medicine, some clothes, gloves - everything will be with me.

Barely weaving with one of the team members. He is not feeling well either, the part of his face protruding from the mask becomes gray. As the “experienced” tourists later explained to us, when such dullness appears on the face, a person urgently needs to be lowered down.

I'm not going to the Pastukhov rocks - I'm going to tea. Here is my short term goal.Suddenly, I notice an incomprehensible movement ahead: the guys quickly move back and forth, bunch up, consult about something. After some time, we see that they are dragging someone by the arms. Judging by the color of the jacket - not ours. So it is: the boys helped lower some Cypriot who made the ascent. but broke down from the miner on the Saddle.
4. Rescue operation. The photo was taken when the rescuers arrived. They lowered it themselves to "Barrels". There they should have been waiting for the snowcat.

I go down hard. We met a Czech and a Ukrainian who treat me to water with diluted ascorbic acid. I feel a little better, but still I almost fall from the headache and nausea.
- When do you go to the top? - With a wild accent, the Czech asks our leader.
Hearing that tomorrow, shakes his head.
This young woman needs two more days. Too short acclimatization for her, he says.
I am silent. and I myself know that it is so. But in the team there are people with different backgrounds. Because of me alone you will not delay the ascent. Yes, we don't have free days. Due to red tape with the bus, we lost two days, which could have been used for additional acclimatization and take a supply for the ascent.
"Bastards!" - I hiss inside myself with annoyance, remembering the amoebic drivers and the broken-down bus.

I can hardly crawl to the shelter. I just want the pain to stop and nothing else.

This situation with the Cypriot greatly shook our self-confidence: both mine and the guys. And this meeting changed something in me: in SUCH a state I would not want to return to the shelter. And I thought that I would not allow myself to be dealt with in the same way. And yet I hoped, hoped to the last, that everything would work out and I could do everything.

The leader analyzes our condition and decides that we will spend the night in a shelter and will not go to the top. By evening, terrible snow begins, we are slightly frozen warming ourselves against each other, laughing, although we are writhing in pain, and go to bed satisfied. At night I start to suffocate, the blond makes me get dressed and takes me outside to breathe.
Returning to the cockpit, we hear someone vomiting all night. And every exit of this unfortunate person to the street responds in our stomachs and heads with unimaginable pain. Only then do I understand how easily my mine flows, and how

we are all lucky.

Very little time was allocated for acclimatization - 4 days, the ascent was scheduled for the fifth. Therefore, without wasting time, on the first day we arranged a walk to the Terskol observatory and the Maiden's Braids waterfall.

The Azau glade is located at an altitude of 2300 meters, and the Terskol observatory and the waterfall are at an altitude of 3150 m above sea level, so the climb will be 850 meters. The duration of the walk is about 6 hours. Since then, my understanding of “walking” has greatly expanded!

The path starts from the village of Terskol with a smooth climb.

I advise you to definitely take drinking water with you, as the road to the waterfall is long. Also, a windbreaker, despite the fact that we went in July and the air temperature was about +30 degrees Celsius, a cool wind from glaciers often blows in the mountains. You can safely go on this walk in sneakers, trekking boots are not needed. In the early days, I jumped like a mountain goat, for which I received a couple of comments in my direction from Lena, a gymnast, about why this world is so unfair, I jump, but for some reason it’s hard for her. But nothing. Everyone will be rewarded. Then I just didn't know it. A walk to the waterfall is a must even if you are not going to climb, as the road winds over the gorge and offers breathtaking views.

Glade Azau at a glance.

Mount Cheget with cable car and part of the glacier "Seven".

But to pass by this and not pay attention to it is definitely impossible! This geological formation is called "Basaltic columnar" or sometimes colloquially "Lava Organ". Basalt is a rock of igneous origin, that is, arising from an eruption, and we must not forget that Elbrus is a volcanic mountain, and it was once active. By the way, even now they say that somewhere there, on Elbrus, there are small fumarole fields, of course, not like in Kamchatka or Iceland, but the gases are slowly coming out. So, basalt rock is formed during the eruption of magma, and when it solidifies, such pillars are formed, if the surface is flat, then the pillars are even, if the surface is bent, then the bend of these pillars goes behind the surface, perpendicularly. And here is just such an example!

To get to the waterfall you have to get off the road leading to the observatory.

Suddenly, two peaks of Elbrus appeared from the clouds.

As well as the Irik glacier.

We also reached the observatory itself, and some along the road, and some straight along the embankment. The most interesting thing is that it turned out to be almost the same in terms of time, since it took all the time that was saved by shortening the path to fight the loose-leaf. But there we were met by a fence and guard dogs. We decided not to tempt fate, there were no sausages.

Acclimatization: ascent to Cheget.

The next day we decided to climb Cheget, but not a full ascent from the very foot, but using a cable car.

Tyrnauz.

A small path leads to the top from the last station of the cable car, and we went along it.

At such heights, even in summer, snow remains here and there. The height of the top of Cheget is 3761 m above sea level. Here you definitely need to go in trekking boots. On mountain trails, stability is important, as is ankle protection. Then I did not attach much importance to this, but simply followed the recommendations. But much later, in full, I felt how unpleasant it is when a sharp stone crashes into the flesh, if you lose your vigilance a little and stumble, looking at the surrounding beauty. And also listened to the stories of the older generation about the seriousness of the mountains. No, this is not insidiousness. But they just do not forgive negligence. It is the quintessence of life. There, all decisions lead to quick results. In life, the consequences can stretch for years.

And then he stepped in the wrong place, got injured or left along with the stones along the slope. I didn’t choose the right place for spending the night with a tent, and at night there was a rockfall and in the morning you watch with a broken leg how slowly but surely your friend with an open craniocerebral injury dies, how he moves around in delirium on all fours, and you do nothing can't help his agony. And another died immediately. The weather is non-flying, a snowstorm, and rescuers will come only in a few days to pick up one, but there were three. Or how an avalanche covers the entire alpine camp in one night, with all its inhabitants at that time. Which, so quickly managed to become close people to you. Or a group of children with an instructor is walking, 10 children stepped on a flat stone on the path, and the eleventh stepped on and slid down into the abyss with him. Why? This is not deceit. It's just life. And in the mountains, if you want to return there, you must consider all possible options, and there is no place for recklessness. But there is room for mutual assistance. All these stories are not read, but heard from the lips of my teachers. Therefore, even climbing Cheget, I slowly but surely began to understand the seriousness and monumentality of these places.

The top was hidden in a cloud, so we decided to stop in the gap of this milk and there was a little bit left, so it was a formality. Despite the fact that at the beginning of the ascent we were wearing T-shirts and shorts, we finished the ascent in pants, sweaters, vests, windbreakers and hats. In my experience, even in good weather in the mountains, almost everywhere above 2500 m there can be a cold wind. And sometimes very cold. Therefore, no matter how hot it is from below, always take a small backpack and the kit described or close to this with you. Still always rescues hot tea in a thermos and water.

Also pay more attention to sun protection. At altitude, the sun burns the skin instantly. And to the state of peeling the skin in layers. Therefore, be sure to take hats, caps, arafats, balaclavas and sunscreen with you. And, as always, trekking poles will help you. It might seem that you are young and full of energy, and why do you need some kind of sticks like those old Nordic-walking people have. But, this is only at normal pressure and normal tilt. Sticks greatly facilitate walking and climbing mountains, and sometimes save lives. We descended in heavy cloud cover.

Acclimatization: transfer to Shelter 11.

On the third day, the weather was still cloudy, as it was during the ascent to Cheget. We decided that maybe it was cloudy only in the lower parts, and there could be a clearing on Elbrus. In any case, Azau did not want to sit in the clearing. But, here we were waiting for another consequence of the CTO regime and in general the case. The cable car was not working, they were waiting for some spare parts from France. The solution was found - to ride in the back of a GAZ-66 truck along with building materials for the "Shelter" or "Barrels".

The transfer to the GAZ-66 cost us 2000 rubles. from a person and some percent of our nervous system and gray hair, especially in our women who rode in the cab, and fellow American Bogart. Not only was it raining, visibility because of the clouds was poor, the slope of this road we were driving along was decent, so this GAS also periodically overheated and stalled. The driver jumped out of the cab, lifted it up and poured water on the carburetor, cooling it, and then, when the water ran out, threw snow. How did he get on, do you think? With a pusher so to speak. Rather, it was a very special, local pusher. Since no one pushed him anywhere, the car simply rolled down the mountain in reverse, and turning on the reverse gear after a powerful transmission blow, he started up. At this very time, our women were usually ready to jump out of the cab and walk on foot. We, in the back, simply took the rack corresponding to the slope and clung to the handrail. So slowly but surely we drove for about two hours. Poor American snowboarder Bogart has been through a lot, and I haven't listened to anything. He lamented at his own recklessness that he had gone down to the inn to fetch some things. It turned out that these things are not so valuable. That everyone here is crazy, especially the crazy driver. Why did he even come here? How does he want to live? So I had to calm him down part of the way.

Thus, on the miracle car GAZ-66, we drove to the camp site "Gara-Bashi" in the common people "Barrels".

Their height above sea level is 3800 m. This is an intermediate hotel for climbers, skiers, snowboarders. On barrels, we moved to a snowcat and rode it to Shelter 11.

Shelter 11 is the highest mountain hotel in Russia, it is located at an altitude of 4100 m. It was once considered the highest mountain shelter in Europe. It was created in 1932, and from 1938 to 1998 there was a three-story building, which was captured by German troops during the war. In 1998 there was a fire and the hotel was gone. At the time of 2009, Shelter 11 was a group of container houses scattered over the rocks. We settled in one of these. Also, one of the containers is a common dining room with a gas stove, the use of which is included in the price. Then it was 500 rubles per person per day. The containers are not heated; for some time they provide electricity from a diesel engine to recharge the electronics. So you have to warm up only with warm clothes and sleeping bags. Sleeping bags, even for a shelter, should be taken in the calculation of a comfortable temperature of -10. The temperature overboard is about 0 or a slight minus or a slight plus. But the weather in the mountains changes often, so this is about. There is no reason to live there for long. Since at such a height the body is not fully restored even in a dream. Therefore, every day spent there and making ascents, you spend your reserve forces of the body. We had gas and gas burners with us just in case, but they were not useful, everything was in the dining room.

You might think that it was not sporty, first on a truck, then on a snowcat. But do not forget that we had little time and the load will still be enough in the future.

Acclimatization: ascent to the Pastukhov rocks.

The next day we decided to take an acclimatization walk to the "Pastukhov Rocks", at a height of 4800 m. It allows you to understand how you will feel at the heights, and also allows the body to get used to it a little. It came to me quite easily. I already thought, well, where is this famous miner? It's not time yet Misha, it's not time yet, you'll have a miner. Gornyashka, or altitude sickness, is essentially a state of hypoxia, that is, a reduced oxygen content in the body. And in the mountains, especially at altitudes above 4000 m above sea level, the oxygen content in the air begins to decline. Hypoxia also occurs with alcohol intoxication, and it is with this that some people have inadequate behavior in the mountains, which is sometimes fraught with loss of life. But this does not mean that you will feel like after a glass of cognac with a mountain drink, no, the sensations will be like after abuse in the morning, when everything is already bad.

This does not mean that I was not tired at all, of course I was tired, everyone gets tired, but there simply weren’t those negative sensations that I expected and about which I had heard so much. From the Pastukhov rocks, in good weather, excellent views of the Caucasus Range open. But we had clouds.

Everything that was higher than the Pastukhov rocks went into deep milk. People also went into the same milk, hardly for climbing, but rather also for training at high altitudes, as long as there is at least some visibility.

In winter, as they say, there is usually solid ice, sometimes called “bottle glass”. In such cases, only "cats" save. We had some pretty loose snow. But still, cats borrowed from a friend helped a lot.

It was the second day of my stay at Priyut 11.

Somewhere there is Georgia.

In the evening, the beautiful Elbrus opened. It was the first time we saw him so close. Like I said, the weather there changes quickly. It seems that at 13:00 we were on the rocks and everything was in the clouds. And now the evening, around 20:00, the sun is setting behind the magnificent Elbrus.

And it would seem to be within easy reach of him, so close, well, an hour, well, two, but here it’s quite a bit to run! Well, get up people and let's go while there is a gap! Here it is an oblique shelf, yes, you can see it from here! It's close here! But of course this is an optical illusion. Great to see from a distance. The word mountain in my imagination did not fit this object in any way! A mountain is something much smaller in my understanding then, but this is power, this is volume, this is such a stronghold that it was even difficult then to call it a mountain.

Equipment for climbing Elbrus

Now a little about the equipment.

For climbing you will need good plastic or so-called climbing mountain boots. Yes, they are expensive. From 10 tr. and higher. And mostly 15-25 tr. I went in regular Scarpa Kailash GTX trekking boots with gore-tex. So do No need! My inexperience and complete illiteracy of the seller in the tourist shop, who advised them, had an effect. According to her, they should have been enough. Well, enough is enough. But my feet were cold. Still, the boots are not insulated, gore-tex only so that they do not get wet. But they were still a little damp, and at the same time, there was no insulation and, out of ignorance, I put on some warm trekking socks and some thin ones, the result was wet and cold feet. Later, after climbing in another store, I asked their purpose, the answer was mountain tourism. “Is it possible to go to Elbrus?” I asked. "You can also go to Elbrus if you want to lose your health." But I got lucky.
Warm trekking socks with Primaloft, Merino threads. With a margin.
Thin, not cotton socks.
Thermal underwear, both underpants and a T-shirt with a sleeve. On the body was thermal underwear from Polartec PowerDry, on the legs Alpine Lowe Aleutian, an analogue of Polartec Powerstretch. Now I would wear a thinner either PowerDry or wool weave. But it could have been.
The upper layer on the legs are insulated ski pants. But in a good way, it is recommended to wear thermal underwear either storm membrane pants, or tourist softshell pants, on which in case of a sharp cold snap you need to wear insulated self-dumping pants - this is a more correct option.

I had a Vaude Polatrec 200 fleece on my thermal underwear, a windbreaker “Equipment” with a hood on it. And of course there was a down jacket. At that time, I did not have a membrane storm jacket without insulation, but I needed to have it instead of the windbreaker in which I walked. A down jacket should always be. Since at night and in case of weather changes you walk in it. And when it's hot, then in a fleece or a vest with a light fleece and a storm jacket. It is desirable to be multi-layered so that you can quickly adapt to the weather.
On the hands running gloves from Polartec PowerStretch. Plus, the "tops" are insulated. When your hands start to freeze, put them on top of the first.
Trekking poles are also required. An ice ax is recommended, but we did not take it in July.
On the head, a windproof hat made of WindStopper or with GoreTex, eVent, other membrane. Balaklava.
Neck buff. High protection sunglasses and ski goggles. I didn't have the last one. But it was necessary.
A backpack with which you will go on an ascent - 35-40 liters. It should fit a puff, a thermos of at least 1 liter with tea, a first aid kit, tops, a camera, a navigator, a walkie-talkie (if used in a group).
In general, at that time I barely scraped together the minimum set of equipment in which I would not recommend going. The down jacket was not mine either.

After the ascent, I realized that I was wrong. Equip properly and fully. Read lists on the Internet, consult in stores, consult experienced comrades and instructors. Mistakes in the mountains are unforgivable. Frostbite limbs or something else will remind you of this all your life. Or maybe they don't remember...