Elbrus Expedition Dispatch

July 6, 2013 – Climbing Up to Garabashi

It is 2pm on the 6th of July and I am calling you from Refuge 11 at 4,050 meters on the slopes of Mount Elbrus. We’ve had cars, gondolas, chair lifts and snow cat; that was the means of transportation we used to bring our climbing gear and ourselves up to Garabashi, the Barrels, where we will be staying. We moved in our Barrel and just for some exercise and to get use to the high thin air, we climbed up here to refuge 11.

Our Barrel is great; it is Karina’s new Barrel. We’ve been dreaming about this for a few years and actually the Barrel was half way up the mountain last year. It got moved and put in place this year and it is really pretty deluxe. It is a very nice facility. So this is going to be our home while we climb Mount Elbrus and as you know, we are going to back down the valley tonight at our hotel, enjoy a sauna and one more night at low altitude before we move back up here and get focus on climbing to the summit of Elbrus. It is going to be great and the team is doing well.

Listen to Wally's call

The gang on the cat

The team climbing higher today - above the Barrels toward Refuge 11

Wally Berg at his best – Elbrus is one of his favorite trips