Bill called last night from the summit of Elbrus!
It sounds like he, Ephi and Con had a pretty amazing day and that everything went really well. They are back down at the Barrels huts and will be headed back to Moscow shortly.
Great job and a hearty congrats to Ephi, who is one step closer to completing the Seven Summits!
Here's Bill from the top of Europe:
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Heading up to the Barrels!
The team is camped in the very interesting Barrels huts at over 12,000' on the flanks of Elbrus. The huts are literally huge barrels, originally designed to hold diesel, which have been arranged in rows and rigged with supports to prevent them from rolling back down the mountain.
These accommodations are fairly basic, but they do provide nice shelter from the wind and are more comfortable than staying in a tent.
An interesting note is that the Barrels huts are also home to what Outside Magazine has labeled the "Worlds Nastiest" outhouse, following a 1993 search and article. Having used the same outhouse in 1998, it wasn't any better at that time, and still is a source of wonder and amazement that such a thing could exist. We'll get a report from the team when they get back home.
Here's the podcast:
These accommodations are fairly basic, but they do provide nice shelter from the wind and are more comfortable than staying in a tent.
An interesting note is that the Barrels huts are also home to what Outside Magazine has labeled the "Worlds Nastiest" outhouse, following a 1993 search and article. Having used the same outhouse in 1998, it wasn't any better at that time, and still is a source of wonder and amazement that such a thing could exist. We'll get a report from the team when they get back home.
Here's the podcast:
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Podcast after a trip to over 13,000'
Bill called in the following podcast after their acclimatization hike today:
Friday, August 6, 2010
Update from Bill in the Caucasus
We had another beautiful day in the Cheget valley here at the base of Mt Elbrus. We are staying in a lodge at the base of the ski lifts here, and imagining how great the skiing must be around here in the winter time. For now, the series of chairlifts and trams give us great access to the mountains around the valley for hiking and acclimating.
Yesterday we rode two chairlifts up the Cheget ski area to about 9,800 ft, and then hiked up the ridge to 11,300 ft. The views of the valley, the Caucuses, and Mt. Elbrus were beautiful. The weather has been great, with clear blue skies for most of the day and a few afternoon clouds and showers.
This morning we got a jeep ride up a rough road up about 800 ft above the valley on the opposite side from the ski lifts, and then hiked up a beautiful ridge to an old abandoned hut at the base of a glacier on Mt Elbrus. It was a longer hike today, and we all enjoyed the exercise. We went up to about 12,200 ft today, and tomorrow we'll ride up the tram right in front of our hotel and hike up to 14,500 ft for one more acclimatization day before moving up to the huts at just over 12,000 ft.
Yesterday we rode two chairlifts up the Cheget ski area to about 9,800 ft, and then hiked up the ridge to 11,300 ft. The views of the valley, the Caucuses, and Mt. Elbrus were beautiful. The weather has been great, with clear blue skies for most of the day and a few afternoon clouds and showers.
This morning we got a jeep ride up a rough road up about 800 ft above the valley on the opposite side from the ski lifts, and then hiked up a beautiful ridge to an old abandoned hut at the base of a glacier on Mt Elbrus. It was a longer hike today, and we all enjoyed the exercise. We went up to about 12,200 ft today, and tomorrow we'll ride up the tram right in front of our hotel and hike up to 14,500 ft for one more acclimatization day before moving up to the huts at just over 12,000 ft.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Welcome to our dispatch blog!
To the north of the Black Sea, in southern Russia, the twin summits of Elbrus stand above the impressive Caucasus Range. At 18,510 feet (5642m) high, Elbrus is technically the highest peak in Europe, and therefore enjoys the status of also being one of the famed Seven Summits, the highest peak on each continent.
An Elbrus expedition is only partly about climbing the mountain, and much of the allure has to do with the cultural experience of visiting Russia and the Caucasus, nestled deep in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, which is rich with Turkish influence.
Elbrus is a twin summit volcano, with over 50 glaciers descending its flanks, which feed two major river systems. It is not considered active, as the last eruption occurred somewhere around 1900-2000 years ago.
Our team is a small one, and is comprised of our good friend Ephi Gildor, in the company of Mountain Trip owner, Bill Allen and our senior guide, Constantine Sevaris.
They flew into Moscow on the 1st of August and spent a couple of days exploring the city and trying to avoid the thick smog that is the result of forest and peat fires.
Communication from any big mountain is challenging at times, and though the team should have good connections on their satellite phones and via land lines from the base of the peak, we encourage everyone to hold onto the axiom, "No News Is Good News." Not-so-good news always seems to make it through somehow.
Enjoy the posts. Bill will post photos when possible, and we will update the blog with trip photos upon his return.
An Elbrus expedition is only partly about climbing the mountain, and much of the allure has to do with the cultural experience of visiting Russia and the Caucasus, nestled deep in the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic, which is rich with Turkish influence.
Elbrus is a twin summit volcano, with over 50 glaciers descending its flanks, which feed two major river systems. It is not considered active, as the last eruption occurred somewhere around 1900-2000 years ago.
Our team is a small one, and is comprised of our good friend Ephi Gildor, in the company of Mountain Trip owner, Bill Allen and our senior guide, Constantine Sevaris.
They flew into Moscow on the 1st of August and spent a couple of days exploring the city and trying to avoid the thick smog that is the result of forest and peat fires.
Communication from any big mountain is challenging at times, and though the team should have good connections on their satellite phones and via land lines from the base of the peak, we encourage everyone to hold onto the axiom, "No News Is Good News." Not-so-good news always seems to make it through somehow.
Enjoy the posts. Bill will post photos when possible, and we will update the blog with trip photos upon his return.
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