Elbrus Expedition Dispatch
July 23, 2008 – Entering Mountaineering’s Mecca: The Caucasus Mountains
Wonderful scenic views while in the Caucasus Mountains
That late night dinner at One Red Square on the 21st got us back to our hotel in Moscow quite late. So we had to get up very early the next morning to head out for the airport for our flight south to the Caucasus Mountains.
Moscow traffic is never anything to be taken lightly so we left early, but we did well and didn’t get stuck anywhere. Our flight took off at 9:30 in the morning and we headed south. Two and a half hours later we landed at Mineralnye Vody and we were, believe me, in a very different world. It’s very hot, of course we came from the mountains but out at the airport at Mineralnye Vody it’s still a very hot climate and you’re in the “old Russia” in terms of the bureaucracy and the paperwork as you get out of the airport. Karina, our chief guide met us and soon we were driving towards the Caucasus. We stopped when we got near some mountain streams and the cooler air before we got in to our hotel. We breathed the clear mountain air and we did get to our hotel quite exhausted.
First glimpse of the twins summits on Mt. Elbrus
This morning the 23rd, we took off for what is usually our first day hike, the hike up the mountain trail to the Kashkatash Glacier. We only hiked about 5 hours today but we finally reached an area where the cool mountain breeze is blowing off the glaciers, this reminding us that we were truly in one of the most spectacular mountain ranges in the world. In the distance we got an impressive view of those twin summits of Mt. Elbrus, which is of course our goal.
Now we are all back at the hotel. Some of the group are sitting out on the patio just enjoying the view. Some are swimming in a cool pool that is adjacent to the hotel with natural water flowing into it. Paul and I took a really great sauna to refresh and relax our muscles after our first day of walking.
It’s going to be a great adventure in the Caucasus Mountains. This place is amazing! You see athletic teams running, cross country skiers training on roller skis, people walking back down to the road off all kinds of trails with big mountaineering packs ladened with a lot of technical climbing gear and in every direction around our hotel there are big mountains with stunning glaciated walls. This is truly a mountaineer’s paradise. We are going to have a great time here in the coming days, so stay tuned for our updates.