We were once out on Elbrus with clients in May. It was good to see that they were thoroughly enjoying themselves and moving briskly. Every so often, though, the thought crept in that if they carried on travelling at this rate they would simply run us into the ground.
It was easy enough to find a proper road, which turned into a perfectly ordinary path. Soon afterwards, just as quietly, the path vanished somewhere beyond yet another snow patch.
Since there is nowhere here to get lost, we traverse across the slope. The snow has warmed through during the day, and now and then we sink in up to the waist. After about an hour and a half the path is visible again. It is below us. Just as well it is not above. We drop down onto it and move much faster towards our objective for the first day, the Dzhily-Su ranger post. We reach the post itself at around seven in the evening. We are all in a strange state, tired and euphoric at once, because this is the start of the season’s first ascent of Elbrus.
So, the objective of the first day is behind us. The price of it was five hours of walking.
It was a pleasure to be met at the post with such a warm and cheerful welcome. Hot, fragrant tea was waiting for us. The complex’s management happened to be there at the time. A very good dinner, tea and, of course, interesting conversation put every one of us in an excellent mood. Even the weather seemed a great deal better, and that despite the snow piling up through the evening.
In the morning we woke to a proper «winter scene» – 20 centimetres of snow, low cloud, the summits of Elbrus completely hidden. Just 2 hours and we are already near the «airfield». Cloud all around. The snow does not stop. And visibility is down to a hundred metres.
I doubt we will be able to go up to the hut in weather like this. Our only hope is a sudden change. Towards evening it becomes hazier still. So our second day on Elbrus from the north ends in fog.
The third day begins on a fairly optimistic note. As for the weather – clear enough. Together we decide to head up to the hut. We cannot wait to get on with climbing Elbrus.
Both the weather and the depth of the snow up to 3000 metres could be called perfectly acceptable. We climb higher, end up in the cloud and walk through a genuine white soup. To be honest, if I were coming this way for the first time, I would almost certainly get lost.
Above the upper plateau, on the moraine that leads to the final rise to the hut, things get, so to speak, rather more dramatic. The snow gets deeper and the boulders get bigger.
On the way to the hut we are crawling from rock to rock, each of us waist-deep in snow. Ten hours of walking are behind us. Everyone’s patience is at breaking point. When is all this going to end? Another 150 metres or so to the hut. Our strength is nearly gone. It is astonishing that we are still moving.
It feels as though there is nothing left in the tank for those last few metres. I leave my rucksack under a rock. For now I am trying not to think about having to come back for it later. And here I am at the hut. I dig out the door and get a present from Elbrus – the porch is full of snow too. I dig, and the entrance is clear. What a joy that is. I am in the hut. It is such a pleasure to sprawl on the bunks and simply let go. I will not forget my rucksack; I fetch it an hour later. And here come my companions. We brew up and take stock of the day. So: a walk that would take no more than six hours in summer takes 11 hours in fog and snow.
Everyone is exhausted, though nobody shows it. Will we manage the climb itself? It is a good thought that tomorrow we rest all day. For now, we drink hot tea.
We are less tense now. The main thing is to be patient and to remember that absolutely everything comes to an end eventually, bad weather included.
We rest not for one day but for two. The reason is the weather. If we go outside at all, it is either to answer a call of nature or to clear the snow away from the door.
We have settled into the hut. The wood is crackling away in the stove. We are longing for good weather. But Elbrus goes on showing its difficult side. The wind is driving the snow hard.
In 2 days we manage to rest properly and get ourselves back together.
By the sixth of May the weather is doing us a favour. It is calm outside and the snow has stopped blowing about as it was.
And there is Elbrus in front of us in all its extraordinary beauty. It brings on a mixture of awe and reverence. We pack up in good spirits and set off to acclimatise as quickly as we can. Quickly and quite easily we find ourselves above 4 thousand metres. Our mood is excellent, nobody is complaining about how they feel, and we carry on up.
Below us we see a helicopter go past. It is dropping freeriders off on the rust-coloured moraine. Skiing in weather like this is a real pleasure. Later they head off towards the «airfield». It is time for us to go down too. Elbrus is famously capricious in spring. Linger, and it will wrap you in fog in an instant and cover every track. And if it takes against you, it will bury you in its snowy kingdom altogether.
We carry on down towards the hut. The gentle spring sun is still warm on us and we go on basking in it. We fancy a short rest and a drink. Everyone is glad the day’s objective has been fully met.
The next morning pleased nobody at all. Outside the wind is driving the snow hard. We spend the rest day in the hut.
The climb was planned for the eighth of May. At 4200 metres, though, the highest point in Europe puts a stop to every attempt. We have to turn back. There is no chance at all. It is snowing, the wind is getting stronger and visibility is zero. The snow is driving harder than ever.
On the ninth of May the weather leaves a lot to be desired again. Elbrus is barely visible; the summits have disappeared under a cap of cloud. There is still a chance, but only if they come into view during the day.
Above 4000 metres the wind is almost of hurricane force. Blasts of graupel fly at us and sting the face painfully. It seems simply impossible to push through it. We weigh up the pros and cons for a while and eventually decide to turn back and try Elbrus another time.
On the tenth of May everyone is delighted. The weather really is glorious. We set off on the summit bid and this time our efforts pay off. At last the crater of Elbrus’s eastern summit is in view. The wind is light and it is clear enough. Visibility is superb. We try to walk right round the summit, then photograph the panorama. It takes us over an hour. Then we head home.
By the hut they meet us with hot tea. Such a pleasure.
We are pleased with ourselves. Two good clear days and iron patience got us to the goal we had set: the summit of Elbrus.
The next day we have a new task – to descend to the Dzhily-Su ranger post. We decide to spend the night there. In the morning we head back to Kislovodsk.
Coming back to Kislovodsk, we had the strange feeling of having returned from another world entirely.
After a climb of Elbrus as remarkable and as demanding as that, the sense of elation stays with you for a very long time.