Page 9 - 1995 AMA Autumn

ARMY MOUNTAINEER
Tour of The Caucasus
By Capt A M Smith PARA and Capt F C Svkes R G J
up moraines to the Eastern Dongusorun Glacier. It was incredible to be in such fantastic scenery and to be the only people in the Valley to enjoy it, in glorious conditions. That night we bivvied and continued with our acclimatization, listening to the avalanch­ es and the thunderstomm crashing around outside us. Due to the avalanche threat we decided that discretion would be the better part of valour and moved off route. How close we got to the Russian/Georgian Border remains to be seen, as we were the only people in the Valley, no one else need know.
We returned back down into the Baksan Valley, having had a good initial blow out and acclimitizing trip. In the Baksan Valley, we were fortunate to be given a lift to Terskol by the same Russian Soldiers who’d stopped us the previous day. We then spent the night in Terskol, sorting ourselves out for our ascent of Elbrus itself.
A 5 km walk up the Valley from Terskol took us to the bottom of the Azau Aim Cablecar (2300m), which then took us to Alter Rjndblick (3900m) and from then it was a steady walk to the Prijut 11 Hut (the only Alpine style hut in the Caucasus) over the Lower Azau Glacier. It is from here that one can easily understand the reason that Elbrus is known as “Little Antarctica”, as all that can be seen above 3900m is nothing but snow and ice that leads gently up the Southern flanks of Elbrus.
In spite of having been warned that we’d be fighting for bedspace in the Prijut 11 (it sleeps 200) we were the only people there (not even a warden). We had a good night cooking compo and listening to the BBC World Service, the reception was enhanced through the adroit use of a “ dead man” to improve the antenna. The following day, after a leisurely start, we went off to explore the Pastuchov Rocks (4700m) and inadvertantly one of the crevaces further up from it. This gave us a good idea as to what route we’d take on the way up to the summit of the West Peak of Elbrus.
We were up at 0200 hrs the following morning and started our ascent. We were at the Pastuchov Rocks in just over an hour and from there headed in a westerly direction to the saddle between the East and the West Peaks. We got to the saddle at about 0700 hrs and stopped for a brew, sheltering in what was left of an old bivouac shelter. From there it was a fairly steep climb up a snow and ice slope for just over an hour to the summit of the West Peak. We stopped long enough to take photographs, admire the view and get our breath back.
It took two hours to get back to the Prijut 11 hut, and from there a further hour back to the cable car. We then spent the night in Terskol, before returning to Pyiatigorsk the following day. We then spent the following night exploring the Pyiatigorsk nightlife, and replacing lost calories. The following day we travelled back to Moscow courtesy of Aeroflot, who go to great lengths to look after their Foreign Customers - ensuring that they are shepherded around and actually get on the right plane.That night we stayed at the Traveller’s Guest House which is very good value and highly cosmopolitan. We managed to then explore the Moscow nightlife which was superb; this included the World’s most infamous Big Mac, an Irish Pub, a Mexican Restaurant (with blistered lips this was a hot and painful bit of cultural juxtaposition) and a Russian Nightclub (the Tropicana).
Capt Smith and Capt Sykes on the West Summit of Mt Elbrus.
To conclude there are several do’s and don’ts for anyone consider­ ing climbing in the Caucasus:
Do fill out Annex O to the Army Leave Manual as long before the trip as possible.
Do take as much lightweight food as you can carry.
Do try and book things through Intourist, as this will take a lot of the legwork out of planning the trip.
Do book in with the Mountain Rescue in Terskol. The British have a bit of a bad name in the Caucasus, after a party of 7 came off Elbrus by an unexpected route, without telling anyone.
Do try and take a Russian speaker (or hire one if you can afford one), alternatively German is reasonably widely spoken.
Do be obsequious and charming to any Russian in uniform, they are not being overinquisitve, just friendly!
Do go! as getting there is as challenging as climbing Elbrus. Don’t go in September, go in August (it’s safer).
Don’t pay for things in Dollars( which most will ask for), as you will get beffer value front Roubles.
Don’t believe everything it says in the Guidebook. Don’t try and cram it all into two weeks.
Don’t be put off by events in Grozny.
Don’t forget your sense of humour-you’ll need it.
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