Elbrus: the practical guide for globetrotters

Before getting into the maelstrom of this trip, I cursed the scant information I had. Back there, I swore against the stupidity with which I had embarked on this one - how easy it would have been to plan everything a little more. But what can I do, I think there are a lot of "gaps" around this area. And I don't get caught asking for an "adventure company", with organised trips and so on. For the time being, we are still stubborn and square, and it seems that we are not doing badly at all. So on the way back I said to myself: "You're going to write down a few notions for visiting on Elbrus globetrotting". No doubt this may save some of you from the "rewarding experience" of arriving at Mineralnye Vody airport and finding that you don't have a "penny" in the local currency and, well, there is no currency exchange at the airport. Or, perhaps, arriving and thinking: everyone else has someone waiting for them, here, and we're on our own. Or, but, how, if nobody understands us, nor wants to understand us. Or, who knows, if it seems that we have to get such and such a permit, and the police are taking us for fools. And... many other things.

Relax, get comfortable and don't miss out on the new practical guide to the Elbrus.

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Material and procurement
For the proposed route it is necessary to go roped on a part of the glacier, so everything you need for it: rope, harness, ice axe... The technical warm clothing, the norm for this type of ascentIt depends a lot on the season we choose for the ascent, however, at any moment, after a radiant day, without warning, we can be surprised by one of those days to forget. Let's not forget the altitude we will be at. In short, the usual: good boots, warm clothes, jacket, poles, ice axe, crampons,... Ah! By the way, don't lose your warm clothes as soon as you set foot on Russian soil. This happened to a friend of an acquaintance of mine, and he remembered it very well when he was freezing cold on the ascent.

In the Baksan Valley, in Terskol, we can stock up on supplies of whatever we want: buying food, gas, renting equipment, etc.

Insurance, permits and bureaucracy. Getting a visa and not dying in the attempt
What was supposed to be a mere formality is now an odyssey. First, every mortal cannot enter the Russiayou will need a letter of invitation. Like when you're going to join a select club or something similar, but here we're talking about entering a huge country for a bit of sightseeing. So, you know, you'll have to ask that relative who emigrated to Russia in search of the love of his life. If it's not their case, well, I don't know, they'll think of something - ask the hotel they've booked, for example. Another thing is that they will have to plan the whole itinerary of the trip, routes, hotels,... they will present a detailed itinerary of their stay in the country -confirm route-. Another problem, by the way, for people who like to leave these details in the hands of chance, destiny, and the gazes of the moment. It will also be necessary to make hotel reservations. Another little problem. And what's more, ..... Simple, isn't it? And with all this, you'll have to go to the Russian embassy in your country and pray that you get a visa, or that the bureaucrat on duty doesn't give you the wrong eye. By the way, everything is solved if you go to an agency and put some money on the table. No invitation, no reservations, etc, blah, blah, blah, blah, etc. It smells to me that someone is taking advantage of this visa thing. Be careful, there are people who manage to get it on their own. A lot of patience, though. Here you have a link with the procedures for getting a visa.

Once on Russian soil, the bureaucracy does not end. We must register your passport when we are in the same place for several days. The formalities are usually carried out by the hotels where we stay. In order to visit certain parts of the Baksan Valley, you need to apply for a permit; these are valleys close to the Georgian border, for which you need the "..." permit.border permit"The Elbrus is outside these zones. At the entrance to these valleys there are military checkpoints, which may ask you to do so. Some friends of an acquaintance entered one of these areas without permission, but it is not recommended. I don't think they had it all their own way, and in addition to the uncertainty of getting through the checkpoint to enter the valley, there was also the uncertainty of the return trip. To climb Elbrus, in principle, we don't need a special permit; at least I didn't ask for one.

By land or by air
The destination to reach the area will be Mineralnye Vodygenerally, or Nalchik. There is scheduled flights from Moscow and St Petersburg. The companies operating are:
- Aeroflot
- Siberian Airways
- KMV Airlines
- Pulkovo Airlines

There is also the possibility of accessing in train from major Russian cities. Although I think this option may be less convenient, as the distances within the country are enormous. To give you an idea, the train journey from Moscow can take more than a day.

Arrival
To ensure that the arrival does not undermine the morale of the most optimistic, there are a few things to bear in mind. If you fly into the area, you will be dropped off at a rather cramped airport - Mineralnye Vody airport, for example - where there will be no room for foreign exchange. This is something to bear in mind beforehand, so that you don't find yourself "sold out" at the airport and have to help yourself to a charitable soul. Another thing to bear in mind, especially if you are arriving from other regions or cities in the country, such as Moscow, is that, unless you are defending yourself in the Russian languageHere you will have to use mimicry and other arts to make yourself understood. In addition, patience in bureaucratic positions is generally very limited and, on more than one occasion, you will be dismissed with no great subtlety. Everything changes with the people "on the ground", everything cannot be so black.

From the airport there is the possibility to take a taxi to the city, where we can staying overnight in a hotelOr we can go directly to the Baksan Valley. If time is of the essence, we can take a taxi to Terskol, the starting point of the Elbrus ascent. There are forgonetas that can take larger groups. If we have time to spare, we can use public transportWe can arrange for local people to take a taxi, etc.

Terskol - Baksan Valley
The Baksan valley is one of the most interesting and picturesque areas in Kabardino-Balkaria. It is undoubtedly a remote valley, a forgotten place, except for the last village in the valley, Terskol, where all the mountaineers and tourists who come to the area congregate. Except for this village, in the rest of the valley, you will feel like strangers. You can visit TyrnyauzThe buildings are rudimentary and look like they were built in the Soviet era. The constructions are rudimentary, they seem to be anchored in the Soviet era; the transports, the cars seem to be taken from a film set in the cold war; and the statue of Lenin could not be missing.

We travelled along a road with wide mountains on the left and right, heights of 4000 metres on each side, a huge valley, stunning scenery, a place to lose yourself for a few days in this area. At the end of the valley we arrive at Terskol. Here the atmosphere changes, there are more foreigners, more hotels, we can make ourselves understood in English - a luxury - and we are already at the gates of Elbrus.

The route
Now we have arrived, here the ascent begins. The normal route is to get to Azau, the end of the valley, and take the cable cars that take us to 3,470 m, from where we are in Diesel Hut; from here, in one day, we attack the summit (normal route).

But as we know that you are not into these stories of cable cars, people and more people, noise of caterpillars going up, etc, etc, etc, .... I am going to propose another one. alternative routeIt is a pleasant route, which will also help us to acclimatise gradually, full of atmosphere and a little more adventure.

Day 1 - See you later Terskol, "we'll be back in triumph".
The adventure continues. From Terskol (2,125 m)The hike to the summit of Elbrus begins. In the village itself we take a path. You can ask for the path leading to the observatory. It is a track, which first ascends through a forest and then opens up. In less than half a day we reach the observatory (3,050 m). Before reaching it, at the foot of the path, there is a refuge where you can spend the night or pitch your tent in the adjoining decking. It is a comfortable place to spend the night and there is also the possibility of getting water from a nearby stream.

Day 2 - Ice camp (3,680 m)
From the observatory the track changes to a minor road over volcanic terrain, which later becomes a path. The terrain is pleasant, the reddish tones brighten up the view and, in the background, the glacier tongues running through the valleys complete the magnificent scenery. The route is not very difficult. At the foot of the glacier is Ice camp (3,680 m) This could be the end of our day, if we want to continue with a gradual acclimatisation. We can sleep in the Ice Camp hut or in one that we will find before reaching this altitude.

Day 3 - Crevice field
On the next day we will join the normal route. The remaining route may be the most exposed of the entire Elbrus ascent. We will walk along the Terskol glacier with its abundant cracks waiting for us to give us a scare. This area is best tackled early in the morning, before the snow starts to melt, and don't forget to rope up. The area is very exposed, I repeat. An acquaintance of a friend of my cousin's friend has already had a scare or two in this area. If we have got up early enough, we will reach the last refuge of the normal route, Diesel Hut (4,157 m)This is the base camp to reach the summit, at a very good time to, if we feel like it, climb a few hundred metres more to continue with our acclimatisation. Diesel is the last refuge on the mountain. There are also the remains of another old hut called Priut 11, which burnt down in 1998. Remains, ruins, scrap metal and other rubbish; an embarrassing scene that clashes with the stunning views that surround us. We join the normal route. Noises of caterpillars, crowds, agglomeration, welcome us. There are sheltered areas where we can pitch our tents.

Day 4 - Elbrus summit (5,642 m)
We will have to get up early. The climb begins. In a few hours we reach a place called Pastukhova Rocks (4,690 m). From here the next step is to reach the pass that divides the two peaks of Elbrus. The slope is steep and does not present any technical problems. Also, given the numerous groups that make the ascent, the path is signposted. When we reach the pass we have to cross diagonally upwards towards the volcanic cone. There are only the last few metres to go. You have reached the summit of Elbrus (5,642 m)Europe's highest mountain. Congratulations.

Day 5 - Descent to Terskol
Here, it's up to everyone to organise it as they see fit; normal route or the alternative route again. At the bottom of the valley, Terskol awaits us, and a nice glass of beersalty cheers, "salty cheers up those glasses".