Caucasus 12-23 August 2021
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Day 8. Approach to Mount Elbrus.
We planned to get to Verkhniy Baksan, had lunch at the Narzan Polyana, transfer to Azau, check into a hotel, buy food for the next few days, catch a cable car to the Bochki refuge and walked around to start acclimitising to high altitude. We managed to do it all but we spent long time waiting for the transfer car, so our evening walk was quite short.
The blue and red lines show our descent and the evening walk. Shift-click on the track link will open it in nakarte.me.
There was a thunderstorm in the morning but it stopped before we got wet. This is a view of Baskan valley from our camp. We need to lose 750 m of altitude.
A road through a pine forest with raspberry bushes at the side. Raspberries and mushrooms slowed down our progress. It was getting warmer and warmer as we descended.
We stopped to rest in Verkhniy Baksan, and went to look for a groceries shop.
We are followed by a large white dog which looked like a polar bear.
A local corner shop. We bought some cheese, tomatoes, bread, and ice cream!
We are at a bus stop, waiting for the minibus. This is Verkhniy Baksan and the Syltransu valley.
The Narzan Polyana. There were a few springs with mineral water and lots of cafes, restaurants and boutique shops. Narzan tasted better here than in Kislovodsk.
We got to Azau, checked into our hotel and left our tents and sleeping bags there, bought food for 3 days, rented some equipment and took three cable cars to the top station Garabashi, 3800 m. We stayed in the "Bochki" refuge. The refuge included a few disused railway oil tanks which were brought up here, cleaned and converted into accommodation for climbers.
We descended 100 m from Garabashi to the Bochki. Each Bochka has a cold lobby and a large room with bunk beds. The cabin on the left is a communal kitchen.
The weather turned to the worse, it started snowing. We went for a short walk. The views were spoiled by rubbish, abandoned buildings, barrels, pieces of concrete.
A brightly coloured cabin.
Mount Elbrus is the only properly commercial mountain in Russia, and everybody is making money here. Anything will go as accommodation for climbers, old ship containers, oil tanks, cabins...
The snow was dirty and slushy near Bochki, but higher up it was white and clean. Crevasses are marked with yellow poles.
Someone pitched a tent right next to the track used by the piste bashers, snowmobiles and numerous climbers.
A field of cairns on the moraine by the Garabashi station: this is a very popular place to take a selfie with Mount Elbrus in the background.
Our Bochka: it was surprisingly clear, warm and comfortable.
This is our communal kitchen. There are two rooms with three large gas hobs and long tables and benches. The residents can cook and eat here.
