Factual summary

After spending a night in Moscow we arrived at the airport in Mineralnye Vody 20-07-2002. We were met at the airport by guides, interpreter and representatives for Plaza Tours and were transferred by minibuses to Terskol.

After a successful acclimatisation walk to approx. 3700 m the following day (21.07), we trekked around the eastern side of Elbrus for two days in order to reach our base camp, a small hut on the northern slopes of Elbrus at approx. 3750 m (22-23.07). As we realised that we could not return to Terskol in one day as the schedule suggested a different route was arranged for getting off the mountain after the summit ascent.

After arriving at base camp we had a day of rest (24.07) while the three guides replenished the food by going down to rendezvous with a truck 1200 m down and coming back with enormous backpacks. (An impressive feat!) A new guide (Titan) joined us.

On 25.07 we had a training and acclimatisation walk towards the Lenz Rocks and the summit. Kjell gave up at around 4500m and returned to base camp with one guide while the rest of the group had a successful walk up to approx. 4900 m.

26.07 was another rest day which was spent walking down to about 2800 m to see some rather strange and interesting rock formations.

27.07 was summit day. We got up at 2 AM and started walking at 3.30 AM. Conditions were excellent, a clear sky, full moon and about -5C. There was a good crust on the snow and walking was easy, especially after we put our crampons on. About 8 AM the sun came up and the temperature started rising. At around 4800 m Kjell turned around while the rest of the group carried on to a successful ascent of the Western summit. It was a ’first’ for everyone, surprisingly also for the guides. Apart from a few clouds the weather stayed nice throughout the day.

As our descent from base camp had been arranged for 29.07, 28.07 was another rest day. Two of the group (Stig & Kjell) went for a walk with a guide. The rest stayed in the camp.

29.07 we descended from base camp to rendezvous with a truck which would take us the 110 km to Kislovodsk, a car ride that was estimated to 6 hours if the road was there (not ’good’, just ’there’). The car was six hours late and we got into Kislovodsk just before midnight.

In Kislovodsk a magnificent, almost overwhelming dinner awaited us, something we all appreciated after a week in the wilderness.

The last day (30.07) we spent sightseeing in the wonderful town of Kislovodsk and in the afternoon we were transferred to the airport in Mineralnye Vody and flew to Moscow and our ’celebratory dinner’.

Comments

We are all in agreement that we had a great tour with lots of excitement apart from reaching the summit (like Yury and Edouard falling into crevasses, the thunderstorm on the glacier, the car ride to Kislovodsk, the ’stone mushrooms’). The guides and interpreter did a great job, and we were particularly impressed with Yury’s ability to find the hut in the fog/cloud on the glacier (we were less impressed with his time estimates) and everybody’s strength and ability to carry heavy backbacks (and still take over some of Kjell’s load at one stage). They all showed responsibility and respect for the mountain. The food was generally good and healthy and generous, sometimes too generous (see comments below, however). We would recommend the tour to our friends and relatives.

There are, however, also some negative aspects to our experience and some scope for improvement.

Our main ’complaint’ is within the area of communication and information, both before and during the trip. We received a program/schedule for the walk before departure. The actual walk differed so much from the schedule that they cannot be considered minor deviations. The fact that the trek along the eastern side of was scheduled to one day but actually took two long days seems bad judgement on somebody’s behalf.

Also the departure from Terskol to the lift in Azau could have been organised so that we had arrived ahead of the large group on their ’celebratory’ walk. Waiting there for one and a half hour was not fun and far from ideal.

The schedule said nothing about staying in a hut at base camp. We all assumed we would be staying in tents (according to the schedule) and brought our warmest sleeping bags. Some of them are meant for temperatures down to -25C and were far too warm for sleeping in the hut. All in all we only spent one night in tents. Obviously the hut was more comfortable, but it also had its downside.

In general the information we received before the trip should have been correct and a lot more informative. It is not that we object to an element of surprise, but the basic information necessary to plan the trip should be present and correct. Some group members also feel that they would have been differently equipped had they known that they would be spending so much time on glaciers.

During the walk we felt a constant lack of information, and that we were given information only on a ’need to know’ basis. We very often felt that we were not given the full picture. We are used to being fully informed about what is going to happen, when we are deviating from plans, and why. There were times when we felt like soldiers being commanded to do things without knowing or being told why.

One example: upon arriving at the farm where the truck was to pick us up we all saw that all we now had to do was to wade across the river to get to the road. There was even an obvious place for crossing the river. But no, we were led down another path and back up into hills. In a break we asked why and were told that it was because the guides were uncertain how good we were at wading rivers of that size. Nobody asked us! We are all experienced mountain walkers/climbers and most of us had made more difficult crossings than this one. Only later, when we came to the natural bridge across the river in the canyon were we told that this was what you wanted to show us. Why not gather us on the field by the river and tell us about it? It was well worth the detour but until we got to the canyon there was a lot of irritation among the group members.

One member of the group has commented on the hygiene at the meals in that the same spoons were being used both for serving (oneself and others) and eating.

There have also been comments about the windows in the base camp hut being too small for evacuation should the hut accidently be set on fire. The only way out is through the kitchen which is the place where such an accident is most likely to happen.

Having discussed our tour experiences with people who have experience with Russia, her people and her culture (which none of us had) we realise that many of our differences can be ascribed to differences in culture. However, the tour operator and guides should expect this and adjust accordingly.

As mentioned before, the food was generally good and generous. However, on strenuous days (acclimatisation walk and summit day) several of the group felt there was too little food during the walk. Perhaps it would have been better to let each member of the group bring a little packed lunch in addition to what the guides were supplying?

The final comment is the very late arrival of the truck coming to pick us up at the farm after we had descended from base camp. We would rather have spent those five-six hours in Kislovodsk than in a cattle field in the mountains, despite interesting sightseeing at the local farm. Again, no explanation was offered as to why it was late.

We feel that there is scope for improvement in the area of preparing for and managing a tour like this. We did feel that the north side of Elbrus is better (and certainly less crowded) than the south side. Some in the group are in doubt whether it is worth trekking around the mountain to go up the north side. My personal opinion leaves no doubt that it is worth it, however, it should be called "Adventures on Elbrus including an ascent" and more be made of the two days trek across the glaciers.

We would like to end this report on the same positive note that it starts and say that despite these few differences we had a successful and very enjoyable tour.

Please give everybody who took part our warm regards; we were very pleased with their efforts.

On behalf of the group,

Kjell Mathiesen (Jack)