The Barrels could be seen from here as well. Judging by descriptions online, the place was genuinely impressive, but I had no desire to descend at the time, especially as I would have had to cross wet snow in both directions. All I could do was take other people’s word that everything there was of the highest standard. A little above our refuge stood the orange cabins of the rescue service. During the night, I did not hear anyone’s crampons striking the ground. Apparently, we had all decided to climb to the summit on Wednesday to take advantage of the good weather and make a successful ascent. The men departed as early as possible, while I set off towards the Barrels at around ten in the morning. By then, the snow had begun to soften, so I walked without crampons. After judging the weight of my rucksack, I decided to descend towards Krugozor and use the cable car. The chairlift started running closer to ten. Until then, I happily photographed the mesmerising landscape and thought how wonderful it would be to climb from Azau to the observatory.
Only passengers who used the cable car for the ascent were allowed to descend free of charge. We had travelled uphill on the chairlift, but there was nobody nearby to ask. It had only just started running, so we simply sat down and rode. At the Mir station of the reversible aerial tramway, we had to be slightly crafty and again descended towards Krugozor without paying, pleased that we did not have to walk. We reached Azau quickly, warmly and in comfort, although we had to cross a crumbling slope several times. Once back in civilisation, I went straight to the shower. We then walked to Terskol to sign out with the rescue service and return our hired equipment, all of which was accepted without a problem. Afterwards, I learnt that the Narzan Glade was about five kilometres away. I had marked it on my map long before and thought the walk would be interesting. We eventually reached the glade. It was surrounded by souvenir stalls and cafes, and a trail led from there to a narzan mineral spring. We managed to see only one spring, although the place’s name suggested that there should be more. After the walk, we had worked up a good appetite and went to one of the local cafes. The food was excellent, especially the shashlik, which seemed the most delicious I had ever tasted. Well fed and content, we returned to Terskol, rested for a while and then headed back to Azau.
Rain was forecast for the following day. One companion badly wanted to go to Cheget and ride the cable car, while I wanted to reach the observatory by way of the Devichyi Kosy waterfall. We tossed a coin, and the waterfall and observatory won. The men set out after breakfast, and clouds gathered while we walked towards Terskol. We had covered a third of the route when the clouds became threatening and thunder began, so we decided to return to Terskol. Rain started as soon as we descended, and we quickly caught a car to Azau, dreaming of warming ourselves with hot tea. Rain was expected again the next morning, so we took a taxi to Cheget as early as possible. We queued for the cable car and travelled uphill. Cheget Glade offered a rich selection of souvenirs. The men bought everything they wanted, while I went for a walk. I wandered across slopes red with wild strawberries and enjoyed the views. When I returned, I treated myself to coffee with ice cream.
The following day, we arranged for a taxi driver to take us to Mineralnye Vody by two in the afternoon. Unfortunately, the shop in Azau did not have the homemade cheese and ayran I wanted to take with me, so we stopped in Cheget on the way, where the men bought everything they needed.
A small surprise awaited us at Mineralnye Vody airport: my return ticket had been issued using Kostya’s international-passport details, and he had not brought that passport with him. Everything worked out in the end, and we returned home safely.
What did I think of the journey? It was, of course, unforgettable. These memories will remain in my heart for ever. To me, Elbrus is a majestic and mysterious mountain, and I am sure that I will return one day. I will miss this place. It has a special atmosphere, and even without familiar comforts, you feel an astonishing closeness to nature. The sensation is impossible to convey. As the saying goes, it is better to see something once than hear about it a hundred times.