I liked this area very much, and as time passed, the mountain journey became even more exciting. We planned to begin climbing the very next day but had to postpone our departure because of rain. Clearly, no sensible person would go uphill in weather like that. We left some of our food and equipment with the rescuers and, after lunch, set out for the Irakhiksyrt Plateau. The route passes through a narrow gorge with a steep slope and a river roaring along the bottom. One woman in our group chose the upper trail. Although more difficult, it was safer because there was no risk of being struck on the head by a stone or falling into a fissure. I later crossed this section three more times but preferred the lower path: I had no desire to scramble up the steep, rocky trail. Here, the sense of danger merely added to the adrenaline. After passing through the gorge, we emerged onto a large plateau where German forces had built an airfield during the Second World War. Many legends surround it, although their authenticity remains in doubt. Several metal masts survive on the plateau, making it possible to imagine aircraft taking off and landing at the time. A steep ascent begins to the south of the airfield and leads to a glade surrounded by ridges, where we decided to establish our second camp. The place is called the “Cosmodrome”, and people say that UFOs can be seen there. The climb to the Cosmodrome proved difficult: the slippery path forced us to search for secure footholds. As Alexander observed, he had once regarded trekking poles as merely part of hiking culture, but now understood that they were indispensable in the mountains. Everything comes with experience.
On the way, we frequently met groups of climbers from Poland, America and other countries. It is pleasant when strangers wish you luck, something especially welcome in the Caucasus. Such sincerity is sometimes missing from everyday life. I reached the glade first, left my rucksack and went back downhill to help two women with their belongings. By five in the afternoon, we had established a camp of several tents, and it soon began to rain. After dinner, we went to bed. I stepped outside during the night and saw an extraordinary sky filled with stars, unlike anything I had ever seen before.
In the morning, everyone dried their clothing and equipment. The weather was good, and at ten we set out towards the Lunar Camps, passing the Stone Mushrooms. The route proved unsuitable because it required an ascent over scree and an unnecessary detour. The Stone Mushrooms looked impressive in photographs, but visiting them would have required us to push through the effects of altitude illness. We decided that, if we had enough strength, we would pass them during the descent to collect our cache.
The Lunar Camps are located at an altitude of 3550 metres, and the ascent took approximately four hours. Here, I felt signs of altitude illness for the first time but managed to suppress them with tablets. I believed that my acclimatisation in May was beginning to make itself felt. I went to bed at ten in the evening and fell asleep immediately. One of our companions had a birthday, so we arranged a small celebratory dinner with a cake baked in a cooking pot. It was delicious all the same.
The next day, some of the group returned to Emmanuel Glade to collect the cache. The descent took around two hours, and we met Mikhail, who had arrived in the Elbrus region later and caught up with us at the Lunar Camps. We gathered our belongings, set off back and returned to camp four hours later. We now had an experienced member with us, which was very welcome.
The following day was sunny and clear, with a temperature of minus two. We planned to climb to Mouse Ridge at an altitude of 3900 metres, approximately 150 metres above the Northern Refuge. While preparing, we noticed a helicopter. It belonged to the rescue service and was searching for a missing group of mountaineers. At that moment, I wanted to text my family, but there was no signal. We climbed to the Northern Refuge twice, carrying part of the load on each journey. In places, the trail was covered with ice beneath the scree, and we had to use ice axes. I found the rocky ascent to the Northern Refuge more difficult, however. There we met a group of foreigners on an acclimatisation hike. That evening, we established camp on Mouse Ridge and settled into the familiar rhythm of camp life, cooking food and drying equipment. After dark, several members began to feel worse. In addition to a headache, Sergey developed a nosebleed and had to be taken down urgently with another member. There were no rescuers nearby, apparently because they too were searching for the missing mountaineers.