{"id":37417,"date":"2016-04-27T17:19:53","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T14:19:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mountainguides.pro\/?p=37417"},"modified":"2026-09-10T16:11:18","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T13:11:18","slug":"my-first-mountain-experience-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mountainguides.pro\/pt\/2016\/04\/27\/my-first-mountain-experience-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"My first mountain experience. Part one"},"content":{"rendered":"

This climb was my first experience of the mountains. Let me say straight away that if you have already made up your mind to go up into the mountains, start training \u2014 and the earlier you begin getting your body ready for the climb, the better. It hardly even matters how you train: running, swimming, squats. That is not what counts. What counts is that your body gets used to the effort little by little. It will help you enormously later on. Be in no doubt about that.<\/p>\n\n

Climbing Elbrus<\/a> with our guides<\/p>\n\n

So, on the first day everyone met up at Mineralnye Vody airport. But I am getting ahead of myself: first things first, as they say. As it happened, I arrived a day before the tour itself began, so I turned up at the airport towards evening, just as another member of the group was arriving. Often there is a single vehicle carrying all the participants, so it really is worth bringing plenty of patience, a book and, of course, a good mood. That will certainly make the wait easier. Since everyone is on a different flight, the waiting can drag on. That time can be put to use, though, by making a small adventure of it. There is a minibus from the airport to Pyatigorsk, and in Pyatigorsk you can already start getting ready. You could try going up Mashuk, for instance. The height is not great, of course \u2014 nine hundred and ninety-three metres in all \u2014 but even so it can serve as a bit of training and start preparing you for the demanding climb ahead. From that same hill you can also enjoy the view over the town. A tarmac road runs to the very top under the canopy of the trees, so it is clear enough that the walk will be an easy one, but it really is worth doing. The journey from Mineralnye Vody to Terskol, where you will be living almost the whole time, takes roughly four hours. If you are lucky you will make it in daylight. All the way along you can enjoy the view from the window, and the closer you get, the more that view takes your breath away. And after that everything really is simple. We arrived, checked in and started getting to know one another. There are various ways of going about that, but it is better not to overdo it. You are at altitude already and your body has quite enough stress as it is. So the conclusion of the first day was this: I am on holiday, and that means I ought to be resting.<\/p>\n\n

An acclimatisation walk was set for the very next day. We were to head for the waterfall with the wonderful name of the Maiden’s Braids. My second day began with mountains in the window. Then came the sun, which had simply surfaced out of the mist. Beauty that was, as they say, simply beyond description. So, after breakfast, we set off. If you do not know what is best to wear for the acclimatisation walk, the guide will advise you. And it is better, of course, to wear a shirt: that way you will not burn in the sun. The sun, in fact, may not even be visible. Trekking poles are another piece of kit that fully deserves to be called important. I did not have any to begin with, but on the way to the route we called in at one of the local hire shops, and that is how I came by mine. I deliberately decided not to buy poles, since I had no experience of walking with them and so did not know whether they would be of use to me in future. Now, though, I really do know a good deal about them, and if I do buy a pair I know exactly which ones I need. Then the learning proper began. The guide set the pace and we simply walked. At the very start it felt as though we were not walking but crawling, yet after a while we understood that this was exactly what we needed. On the way up we found ourselves inside a cloud. It really is a strange feeling, walking when you can see only a few metres ahead \u2014 and usually what you can see is the track under your feet. Then all at once the wind got up and an extraordinary sight opened in front of us: the Maiden’s Braids waterfall itself. We happily took a few photographs and set off again. I should say at once that this \u201call at once\u201d will keep you company often, so it is best to be ready for surprises of every kind. At the very least it makes for a calmer head. So, we came up to the waterfall, rested a little and went on. By then the cloud had lifted and the way back was the more scenic for it. That evening new members of our group arrived. What conclusions did I draw from that day? That poles really are quite a necessary thing \u2014 and not only on the way up, but on the way down as well.<\/p>\n\n

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What to read next<\/h2>\n

See the programme:<\/strong> Climbing Elbrus from the south, 9 days<\/a><\/p>\n