There were only five of us in the team. The first three future Elbrus climbers set out from St Petersburg, and by the third day we had all arrived in Mineralnye Vody. At the railway station the taxi drivers met us with open arms, as they say, or rather a crowd of taxi drivers did. Every one of them kept offering to take us to Terskol, and their prices for the trip were perfectly acceptable. We were in no hurry, though. We decided to buy our tickets back straight away. Before long we found a driver who was ready to run us to Terskol at a perfectly reasonable price, and naturally we decided not to turn the offer down. So we get into the car and head for the market, where we bought all the food we needed and without which the trip would be hard going. As soon as we had everything, we left Mineralnye Vody for Terskol and for our dream. The drive to Terskol took us about three hours, and nothing in particular happened on the way. What is interesting is that there was no snow yet in Mineralnye Vody, whereas Terskol was already in the depths of winter. A great deal of snow had fallen. We unloaded, and within a couple of hours we managed to find reasonably decent lodgings, a well-equipped two-room flat. Six people could stay there quite comfortably: there are three beds in each room, and a television and hot water as well. So we took a hot shower and began waiting for the fourth member of the party, who, it turned out, was driving to Terskol in their own car. So we park the car and go off for coffee. We wandered about for a good half hour before we could find an attractive cafe that was open; the rest were shut, since it was out of season. In the cafe I had the good luck to meet an old acquaintance, the very man I had climbed the eastern summit of the beautiful Elbrus with not long before. That meeting really was important and useful to us. They gave us a great deal of good advice, and it was simply a pleasure beyond words to meet someone like that, sit down and drink a cup of coffee together.<\/p>\n\n
And then came the day when we had to go up Cheget. We slept well, had breakfast and set off for Cheget. In about half an hour we reached the foot of the mountain and began climbing quietly. The weather was overcast at that point, though the sun looked out now and then. On the ridge itself the wind was very strong, and there really was a great deal of snow. We can barely get through the drifts. Within two hours we manage to reach the cable-car station, where there is a cafe with the wonderful name of Ai. Here we stop to rest and eat. We start up again, but after half an hour of climbing we turn back down. One of my companions has a bad headache. Another’s boots have soaked through. We decide to send them down on the cable car, and everyone else walks down. On the way to Terskol we call in at a small market where a good many unusual things are sold, and we decide to buy face masks there. Today the wind was so strong that even our faces froze. Meanwhile, while we were on Cheget, another member of the climb flew into Mineralnye Vody, so the whole team was together. We go off to the cafe together.<\/p>\n\n
The next day we slept well and got up at half past seven in the morning. We pack our rucksacks and pick out food for two days. The rescue service registers our group. Then we go to the hire shop and take the equipment we are missing. Then we load into a UAZ and drive to the Azau meadow. Since today is Thursday there are not many skiers about. We got into one of the cable-car cabins and rode to the Stary Krugozor station, and then on to the Mir station. The weather and the visibility that day really were a pleasure. The only thing that spoilt it was the strong wind. In about an hour and a half we managed to climb to the Barrels, where we were put up in a small hut. It has not only a heater and light but six beds as well, which is not at all bad for a hut. There is also a separate hut with a canteen and a gas stove. As soon as we had eaten and had some tea, we set off up towards the hut higher on the mountain. We came back down at about six in the evening. It was dark by then. The altitude was beginning to make itself felt, and almost everyone had a headache. Some climb into their sleeping bags. We go off to cook supper. Sleep would not come to me that night, and not only to me: nobody slept well. The wind shook our hut all night long.<\/p>\n\n
The following day we were due to walk out to the Pastukhov Rocks. The weather is superb, but the wind still refuses to drop. It is fairly frosty. We have breakfast and set off upwards. Today the plan is acclimatisation, and as everyone knows no climber can do without it. It took us about two hours to reach the hut. We stop for a rest at one of the rock bands. We drink tea in the rescue service’s hut. One of my companions has frostbitten cheeks and goes down. The rest of us carry on climbing, and in the end we reach the Pastukhov Rocks successfully. Towards six in the evening we get back down to the Barrels. We had supper and go to bed. As everyone was tired, we slept better this time. Once again a strong wind blows all night long. Early in the morning we enjoy the smell of coffee. Having drunk a cup of coffee, or tea for some of us, we begin packing our rucksacks. We decide to leave some things behind in the hut. The weather that day really is warm. The wind has dropped and there is no visibility. Light snow has begun to fall. In about half an hour we were able to get down to the Mir station. Another half hour and we are in Terskol.<\/p>\n\n
The next day was a rest day on the plan. One of the party goes off snowboarding, and the rest of us go to the village of Elbrus. There are plenty of interesting places there that every visitor dreams of seeing. We eat in one of the local cafes and then go back to our flat. We need to get ready for tomorrow’s climb. We slept very well, but it soon becomes clear that one of the women in our group has fallen ill. She has tonsillitis, so it is decided to leave her in Terskol. The rest of us set off up the mountain. The weather that day was bad. There was almost no visibility, and above the Mir station a snowstorm was raging with a very strong wind. We start pushing our way up to the Barrels step by step and move into a hut. The storm raged all night long, and it did not drop during the day either. So much snow had drifted in that we had to break a trail, and we even had to break a way through to the lavatory, which is only twenty metres away or so. Today’s plan was to climb to the hut and then go for the summit of Elbrus at night. But there was no sense at all in going up in weather like that. Once again we idle the whole day away. Thanks to the phone signal we were able to find out what the forecast would be for the next few days, and it was plainly discouraging. Tomorrow there should be a slight improvement, and then another storm. And we decided that this really was our only chance to get down safely. One thing is clear: the mountain does not want to let us up, and there is no point arguing with it.<\/p>\n\n
The forecast turned out to be right. The wind was not very strong, so we pack our rucksacks and set off down. Elbrus cannot be seen and there is no chance at all of climbing it. Sad though it is, we understand that the mountain will still be standing and that there will be other chances to climb Elbrus. All you need is the will. The main thing is that everyone is alive and well. We marked our successful descent in a local cafe on Cheget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n