James Stone (Clach Liath)

Mountaineering and the Volcanic Seven Summits

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Volcanic Seven Summits: Defining the Continents

5th December 2020 by James Stone Leave a Comment

Ojos del Salado - a constant on all lists of the Volcanic Seven Summits

I was inspired to write this blog by an essay written by the late Adam Helman (here). A comment made in my blog on Australia’s highest volcano (here) also gave me a push. Adam Helman’s essay discussed the fact that it is quite possible to define the Seven Summits differently from the traditional Bass (Kosciuszko) and Messner (Carstenz) versions. He identified that (depending on which version of “continent” was adopted) there are 12 mountains that qualify as continental summits. So with thanks to Adam Helman, this blog defines the continents in the manner he adopted and lists the Volcanic Seven Summits (or is it 11?)

Definition by tectonic plate

There are seven continental-sized continental plates, though one is largely under water. Asia and Europe are not separate continents in this respect. Therefore, as Adam Helman pointed out, if you treat the Eurasian plate as one continent Mount Elbrus would have no place on any Seven Summits list because Mount Everest is higher.

In the case of the volcanoes, however, Mount Elbrus just exceeds Mount Damavand in height. So Mount Elbrus retains its place in the list with this definition and Damavand is relegated.

Elbrus - one of the volcanic seven summits.  Or does your definition of Continent exclude it?
Elbrus

The Pacific plate is one of the seven continental plates. Therefore the first of the lists includes Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii on this basis.

So lists I-A and I-B look like this (with list I-B excluding the Pacific plate):

List 1-A.
Name of tectonic plateVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricanKilimanjaro
AntarcticMount Sidley
AustralianMount Giluwe
EurasianMount Elbrus
North AmericanPico de Orizaba
PacificMauna Kea
South AmericanOjos del Salado
List I-B.
Name of tectonic plateVolcanic Six Summits
AfricanKilimanjaro
AntarcticMount Sidley
AustralianMount Giluwe
EurasianMount Elbrus
North AmericanPico de Orizaba
South AmericanOjos del Salado

Definition by Topographic Prominence

I have blogged about topographical prominence. I agree with Adam Helman that “Prominence is an excellent, objective measure of a mountain’s vertical stature“. Therefore the essay explains that a list on this basis would need to include mountains that had saddles at or near to sea-level and are well separated from one another.

Kilimanjaro summit - one of the Volcanic Seven Summits.  It always appears, whatever your definition of continent
Kilimanjaro summit

This approach changes the traditional separation of Asia and Europe. So the Ural mountains are no longer at the divide. Instead the Kuma–Manych Depression is the basis of the divide. Mount Elbrus then reverts to Asia and Mount Etna becomes the European volcano.

List II-A.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Elbrus
EuropeMount Etna
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
OceaniaMount Giluwe
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Definition by Continental Outline

This definition recognises that Europe exists as a cultural and political concept, but cannot be justified on geographical grounds. Therefore there are only six volcanoes on this list. Mount Etna disappears and Brumlow Top makes its first appearance because Australia (and not Australasia or Oceania) is now the continent.

Brumlow Top summit - not normally regarded as one of the Volcanic Seven Summits
The rather uninspiring summit of Brumlow Top
List III-A.
Continental outlineVolcanic Six Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Elbrus
AustraliaBrumlow Top
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Political definition

The concepts of geology and topography do not constrain this definition. Using the essay’s approach the intriguing and extremely remote Mawson Peak on Heard Island in the southern Indian Ocean makes an appearance.

Mawson Peak has only had a couple of ascents. It would undoubtedly be the most difficult peak of all those listed here to climb. Not only is it remote, but it also suffers from terrible weather and is still occasionally active. Obtaining the relevant access permits could also be a problem.

There is an article on the first ascent here.

So there are two lists depending on whether you apply the political criterion to “Australia” or “Australasia”.

List IV-A.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Damavand
AustraliaMawson Peak
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado
List IV-B.
ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaMount Damavand
AustralasiaMount Giluwe
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

The Cultural Definition

Adam Helman points out that the first of the lists below follows the traditional Kosciuszko definition. He next overlays that first list with a political angle. My lists do the same. The distinction then becomes that between Australia and Australasia.

List V-1.
Cultural ContinentVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaDamavand
AustraliaBrumlow Top
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado
List V-B.
Cultural continent with political overlayVolcanic Seven Summits
AfricaKilimanjaro
AntarcticaMount Sidley
AsiaDamavand
AustralasiaMount Giluwe
EuropeMount Elbrus
North AmericaPico de Orizaba
South AmericaOjos del Salado

Conclusion

Therefore the eleven volcanoes that you have to climb in order to complete all of the lists are:

  • Ojos del Salado
  • Kilimanjaro
  • Pico de Orizaba
  • Mount Sidley
  • Mount Elbrus
  • Damavand
  • Mount Giluwe
  • Mauna Kea
  • Mount Etna
  • Mawson Peak
  • Brumlow Top

The first five appear in all of the lists, so there is no doubting their status. Mauna Kea, Mount Etna and Mawson Peak only make fleeting appearances. The others appear and disappear depending on your view as to what constitutes the continent.

So there you are. The Volcanic Seven Summits: define your continents.

Who will be the first to climb all of them?

For more on the Volcanic Seven Summits, please click this link.

Climbing Mount Elbrus – to Elbrus

1st October 2016 by James Stone Leave a Comment

We had just the one night in Cheget following our climb of Mukal.  Again we had to sort out gear for the second part of the trip, the attempt on Elbrus.  This time the packing was simpler – we could take everything except anything that we knew we would not need.

We would be able to travel up to our accommodation at around 3800m in cable cars and a chairlift.

The ride in the cable cars required a change at an intermediate station.  At the top station we had to put on extra clothing because the ride on the chairlift would be exposed.  In fact, as we arrived, the chairlift was not working because of the wind.  We faced the prospect of having to carry all our gear for the final 300m vertical distance.  But fortunately the wind died down and we hopped on.

I remembered the cable cars and the chairlift from my last visit.  A new (for me) modern gondola system had been constructed.  It ran parallel to the cable cars that we travelled on.  This system ended a little higher than the chairlift but somewhat away from where we would be based.

Our base was going to be at the Garabashi barrels – barrel number 5 in fact.

The Garabashi barrels

As we arrived, the cloud was down and the air was decidedly raw.  We first settled in.  Adam, Tzvetie, Vladimir and I had barrel 5 to ourselves for the first night although it slept six.  The barrels are basic with beds and lumpy mattresses and pillows.  Electricity is available for a couple of hours each evening when generators are switched on. These provide not only light but also the ability to recharge electrical gadgets.  Strings are strung across the inside of the barrels to enable clothes to be dried.  A small entrance room provides space for gear.  Once each barrel would have had a small kitchen but this facility ceased to exist a while ago.

The location is not particularly attractive and has a slightly industrial feel.  There were electricity pylons behind the kitchen building.

The kitchen building at the Garabashi Huts, Elbrus
The kitchen building at the Garabashi Huts, Elbrus

More huts (and pylons) covered neighbouring rocky areas.

The next task, before lunch, was to do a short acclimatisation walk.  In less than promising weather we climbed up 350m or so to just above the site of the old Priutt 11 hut.  I had stayed in this hut back in 1996 on my previous visit to Elbrus.  Just a couple of years later it burnt down when a cooker was knocked over.  The hut has never been replaced, though the old generator building that serviced it has been converted into accommodation.  I think we were all glad to descend again.  The weather had been windy and dark clouds scudded overhead.  The twin tops of Elbrus were hidden as was the view across the Baksan valley in the opposite direction.

We had a good lunch.  In fact, the food at the barrels was very good considering the location.  Fresh food is regularly delivered via the cable car/chairlift system.  In addition to usual climbers’ fare of soups and stews there was salad and fruit.

The next day we had a much longer acclimatisation walk.  We would go up to the top of Pastukhov’s Rocks at around 4800m.  This is the normal routine on Elbrus to enable the acclimatisation process to develop.  However, the weather was even worse than the previous day.  The wind was strong and we were climbing in cloud.  Regular showers swept by stinging any exposed flesh with their icy shards.

The first 300m of ascent to where we had been the previous day seemed to pass by quite quickly.  The climb then seemed to drag – not helped by the fact that I was the least strong climber.  There is first a stretch between two bands of rock.  This is followed by a slightly less steep section before the bottom of Pastukhov’s Rocks are reached.  From below, foreshortening seems to indicate that the distances are not great.  This is an illusion.  And as with all stratovolcanoes the slopes are steep.

We stopped for five minutes towards the top of the two bands of rock to eat and drink.  There was little respite from the wind and it was very cold.  We eventually reached the bottom of Pastukhov’s Rocks.  These stretch for about 150m vertical.  I found the final climb up to the top of the Rocks a grind.  I arrived a couple of minutes after the others.  Here we stuffed a bit more food into our mouths.

Normally you would sit up here looking at the views across the Baksan Valley and let the body do its job of growing lots of red blood cells.  Today was not such a day though.

We retreated.  Going down was so much easier.  We passed other parties going up on their acclimatisation climbs.  There were quite a few people about.  Of course, July and August are the peak times for Elbrus ascents.  The weather did clear a bit as we descended.  But the sky was definitely moody.

This was the view across towards the site of the Priutt 11 hut and the generator building.

And the weather was no better as we descended towards the top gondola station.  The mountains on the other side of the Baksan valley glowered under the heavy cloud.

That evening a Dutch guy joined us in our barrel. He was hoping to climb Elbrus without any significant acclimatisation.  The next might he was going to stay in the generator building with a view to attempting the summit the day after that.  We wondered if he would make it.

But what a change a day makes.  The next day was designated a rest and training day.  The training was to be about walking on steep slopes in crampons, use of ice axe to arrest a fall and clipping into fixed ropes.  The three of us deemed that we were familiar with what was required in this respect so we just had the rest instead.  Vladimir was relaxed about this.

Early in the morning we had heard people making their preparations for their summit bids.  The weather was clear.  But not many made the top that day because conditions were extremely windy.  We ourselves had been keeping an eye out on the forecasts.  It had not been looking too hopeful with either low cloud and snow or high winds or both in the predictions.

So we spent the day lazing around and looking up at the slopes and the distant dots of people on their way up or down.

Elbrus' twin summits
Elbrus’ twin summits

The white stuff that you can see over the summits is wind-blown snow and not clouds.  This is the West (main) summit that I had missed out on in 1996.

The west summit of Mount Elbrus
The west summit of Mount Elbrus

And here is the view across the Baksan valley.

Across the Baksan valley
Across the Baksan valley

During the early afternoon, a few climbers who had made the summit came back, looking a bit weather beaten if elated.  A Polish guy and his Chinese wife came by.  They had made it.  We chatted to him and he was keen to show us his video clips of the wild weather on the summit ridge.  His English was good.  I seemed to be the only native English speaker around!

The forecast was looking OK for the next day, the day of our attempt.  But it still looked like it would be quite windy, and cold.

We had prepared our kit for the morning.  A Russian guy and gal now shared our barrel.  She would also climb in the morning.

We had our dinner at 6pm and settled down for some sleep.  Adam would get up at 11.30pm.  He would start from the barrels.  Tzvetie and I would get up at 1.30am and take a snow mobile to Pastikhov’s Rocks.  Before we started we would have breakfast.

It is always the same for me on summit night.  I struggle to sleep.  It comes fitfully and when the time comes to get up I am groggy and wonder why I am doing this and what I have let myself in for.  Adam had disturbed me when he got up and dressed though that was inevitable really.  But I had another snooze after he left.

Tzvetie and I had breakfast in silence consuming our own thoughts as well as porridge and tea.  I did not feel that hungry but managed what was available.  We then went outside and huffed and puffed as we put on crampons, harness and another layer or two.  It was indeed cold and breezy.  I did a final check of my rucksack to check I had everything with me that I needed.

For summit day we had an additional guide.  Vladimir had accompanied Adam.  Tzvetie and I had Maga with us.  Like Vladimir he had ascended Elbrus many, many times.  He led us to the snow mobile and its driver.  We handed over some Euros and carefully mounted the vehicle to avoid our crampons damaging the seat.  Our rucksacks were strapped into a basket on the back and Maga sat on them.  Tzvetie was immediately behind the driver with me in the middle and the subject of a Russian bear hug from behind.

Off we went and we bounced and slid up the slopes.  The air was now even colder.  We passed a few people trudging up the slopes once past the generator hut.  Adam later told us he had seen us go by.  We were deposited at the Rocks after only seven minutes.  The original plan had been to meet Adam here but he was still a little way below.  So Maga lead us off and up.

I had had a dose of diarrhoea the previous evening and my innards were churning away.  I did not feel that great in any event either.  Bobbing head lamps could be seen both above and below us.  A couple of snow cats came down from above.  They had deposited climbers at around 5,000m (the highest that mechanical uplift will normally go).

At 5,000m the trail makes a slight turn to the left and begins a rising traverse beneath the East summit.  About 2/3rds of the way between Pastakhov’s Rocks and the beginning of the traverse there is a partially buried snowcat.  Here we stopped for a brief rest and snack.  It was at this point that Adam and Vladimir caught us up.

We were able to move together as a team.  The slope remained steep.  I concentrated on the ground lit by the halo of my light.  I drifted a little behind Adam and Tzvetie.  By the time we reached the beginning of the traverse, the sky was lit by the rising sun still below the horizon.  I could not tell the time as my watch was buried under the layers of clothing.  Again we had an opportunity to snack.

We then joined a line of climbers.  The gradient on the traverse is no less steep.  The track created by the many feet was clear and wands marked its route every 20m or so.  It was hard work in the thinning air.  Gusts of wind threw spindrift in the face.  But every piece of skin was covered.  I was comfortably warm.  Sometimes the air trapped by my buff became too hot and clammy and I had to pull it down and gasp frigid dry air.

It was hard work.  Maga who was behind me kept nudging me.  I was OK.  I knew I was strong enough but I was obviously not fast enough for him.  Vladimir had estimated 2 to 2½ hours for each leg, i.e. the Rocks to the beginning of the traverse, the traverse to the Saddle and the Saddle to the summit.  We had done the first leg within that time and we ended up doing each leg within Vladimir’s range.  But Russian guides do have a bit of a reputation…

Still, despite a few stops for breathers, only a couple of people overtook me and I overtook a few.  The sun was now up and there were views to the left to the main spine of the Caucasus and over to Georgia.  After around two hours, the slope eased as the traverse now turned slightly to the north and eased down to the Saddle at 5,416m (17,769ft).

Here a number of groups were resting.  We had our first stop since the beginning of the traverse and stayed perhaps 20 minutes.  This was the view back.

At the Saddle between the twin summits of Mount Elbrus
At the Saddle between the twin summits of Mount Elbrus

We had passed an American group with their leader shouting out encouragement.  Here is the way on, a rise slanting up the side of the Western summit, with that American group the nearest “snake”.

At the Saddle

We left our rucksacks and one walking pole each at the Saddle.  We took our ice axes.  The stop and food gave me the necessary impetus.  The route that day avoided the need to clip into fixed ropes.  It was a little more circuitous than the more direct route that is sometimes taken.

We gained good time up the first section seen in the picture above.  At the skyline the route turns left and goes up some steeper ground.  At this point we had a further, brief stop there for water, and a further stop 20 minutes later at the top of the steeper ground.  We were now on the summit plateau.

We had passed people coming down.  Now the ground levelled out a little.  But the energy from the food eaten at the Saddle had gone and I slowed to a crawl.  Tzvetie stormed ahead.  Adam struggled a little ahead of me.  Maga went on with Tzvetie and Vladimir hung back with me.  Still no-one overtook me.

The summit rose ahead along a gentle ridge which formed a part of the ancient crater rim.  There was a final 10m steep rise.  A few people were contemplating it at its foot.  When I arrived I did the same.  There was a narrow trench in the snow up that rise.  I gritted my teeth and almost ran up, my lungs bursting when I arrived at the top.  I spent a moment or two recovering my breath.

And there I was at the top of Europe!  5,462m (18,520ft) and it was 9.52am.  I had attained the sixth of my seven volcanic seven summits, not that I revealed that fact to my companions.  There were handshakes all around.  The summit area was quite crowded.  But I fired off some photos.  First over the summit plateau towards the Eastern summit:

Across the plateau to the east summit of Mount Elbrus
Across the plateau to the east summit of Mount Elbrus

Then one of Tzvetie with Ushba behind:

Next a panorama:

Elbrus panorama
Elbrus panorama

Then a picture to the north east showing a part of the final rise and some climbers contemplating the necessary final effort to reach the top:

Then a view south into Georgia across the main range.  Elbrus is located to the north of the main range.

I was wearing six layers on my top and four layers on my bottom.  Did I say it was cold?!  The keen wind emphasised this.  I could take off my outer mitts for a brief time before my hands felt cold.  Having decided to take a video panorama with my camera, I pressed the button and the camera battery promptly died.  To say that was mildly annoying was an understatement.  Still there was nothing I could do about that.  I shoved the camera back into a pocket in the mid-layers of my clothing.

Then the happy team:

On the summit of Mount Elbrus
On the summit of Mount Elbrus

The guides were now agitating to go back down.  So we duly started our descent.  At the bottom of that final 10m rise a group was wearily looking up to the top, summoning energy for that final bit of effort.  I smiled inwardly as I knew how they felt.

What had taken around two hours to climb from the Saddle to the summit was just 45 minutes on the way back.  Gravity sure helps!

Clouds were beginning to roll in below.

Vladimir took a picture of me back at the Saddle.

Back at the Saddle on Mount Elbrus
Back at the Saddle on Mount Elbrus

We had another opportunity for a snack and drink as we recovered our rucksacks and put our ice axes on the bags.  It was now just a question of plodding wearily down and down.  Here is a shot from the 5,000m mark before we plunged back down into the clouds.  We were back at the barrels in time for lunch.

We spent the rest of the afternoon recuperating.  There was talk of possibly returning to the valley that day but confusion as to arrangements meant that did not happen.  So we spent another night at the barrels.  That evening we spoke to some Koreans who were hoping to make an ascent the following day.  They pumped us for information.

I slept well that night.

The next day was again bright.  We had our breakfast.  Here is a shot inside the kitchen area.

But, as the forecast had predicted, the winds were again very strong – perhaps even stronger than two days before.  We had been fortunate with our summit “window”.

Storm winds blow snow off the west summit of Mount Elbrus
Storm winds blow snow off the west summit of Mount Elbrus

Vladimir had told us the previous day that he might not be there in the morning because he was going to be an assistant guide with a German group – the same group that had arrived at Mineralnye Vody with us.  But he was standing in the sunshine outside the barrels when we emerged.  He had returned early with one of the party who had struggled.

The Korean party was there too.  They had been taken up to 5,000m in a snow cat.  Their guide had got out and walked about 200m, turned around and told the group that he determined the conditions as being too difficult/dangerous.  So the group was brought down without ever having got out of the vehicle, and each 60 Euros poorer.  They had another summit day in their schedule but now they no longer had funds for another snow cat trip.  I wonder if they ever made it.

The three of us had packed but the chair lift did not start operating until 9.30am.  It was pleasant sitting around in the sunshine.  The wind was not strong at this elevation.  We could see specks moving along the traverse.  Some were on their way down.  We wondered if they had battled their way to the top.  Others returned to the barrels, clearly not having been successful.

Then it was time to go.

At the top cable car station we stripped off clothing and the rest of the descent was incident free.  It was so much warmer in the valley over 3,000m lower than the summit of Elbrus and 1,500m lower than the barrels.  We had to strip off more clothing there otherwise we would melt.

So it was back to the hotel dodging the cattle in the middle of the road.  The three of us found a good restaurant on the opposite side of the square from our hotel where we had some great food, rounded off by some of the local brew.

Mount Elbrus beer
Mount Elbrus beer

Somehow I was persuaded to go on a post-prandial hike.  This involved climbing 600m in less than an hour to an intermediate ski lift station.  Still it meant good views down to Cheget and brought us to the edge of the Russian military permit zone.  Here we were only 5k from the border with Georgia and the Russians deem this area to be sensitive.

Apparently views of Elbrus are good from up here.  But clouds shrouded the mountain.  So no views for us.

Tzvetie decided to go higher.  Adam and I returned to the hotel where we met the next group from Adventure Peaks.  They had done the Mukal leg and would be going up to the barrels the following day.  We had a good chat.  It was a small group of three with a UK leader.  One of the clients had gashed his hand on the descent of Mukal and returned from hospital as we sat outside.  His hand had been stitched and it was wrapped in bandages.  We didn’t fancy his chances of being able to carry an ice axe.

The remainder of the trip passed by in a bit of a whirl.  We had to pack and have our final dinner together.  Vladimir came whilst we were eating dinner to say goodbye.  We were collected early the following morning to be taken back to Mineralnye Vody airport.  Here the three of us went our separate ways.  I would fly back to Leeds via Moscow and Amsterdam.  Tzvetie was going to London via a different Moscow airport.  Adam was going to join another mountaineering trip in the Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s east.

My flight from Amsterdam was delayed by a couple of hours but I was still home the same day.

#volcanicsevensummits

Climbing Elbrus – an ascent of Mukal

17th September 2016 by James Stone Leave a Comment

So I was back.  20 years after I had previously been to Mineralnye Vody and my previous climb on Elbrus.  It was as hot as I had remembered it – somewhere in the low 30s probably.  The airport had improved somewhat, as had the aeroplanes.

This time I had come via Schiphol and Moscow on modern Airbus aircraft. 

Last time I had travelled within Russia on a massive Ilyushin.  We had had to carry our own bags on to the plane at Moscow, handed them to the baggage handler there and then ascended up into the passenger section via internal stairs within the belly of the plane.  As the plane roared down the runway, flight attendants had sat down in the nearest seats, overhead bin lids popped open with the vibrations and a rogue trolley rumbled down the aisle past me before it was stopped by one of the flight attendants seated a few rows behind me.

On this occasion the plane was full, the majority clearly climbers and the majority of those (like me) wearing mountaineering boots to keep the weight down in check in luggage and to ensure that this vital piece of gear was not lost in transit.

As always seemed to be the case, my bag was one of the last off the plane when I arrived at Mineralnye Vody.  I had been looking for one of the other members of our group who had been on the same flight as me from Moscow, but I could not spot him.  I knew that the third member was arriving on a different flight soon after.  Also I could not see Lyana, the local agent whom I had been told would be there to meet us.  Perhaps she was outside.

So I went out into the blistering sun looking for someone holding a sign with a name I recognised.  No luck.  I had various offers of taxis though, which I ignored.  Other groups assembled and then left, including a Jagged Globe team.  The area outside the arrivals hall thinned out and I began to wonder whether I had been forgotten!

Just as I was starting to become concerned Lyana who had been organising a large group of Germans rushed, flustered, up to me.  She had noticed the Adventure Peaks duffel that I had.  She asked where the other member of our group was.  My response that I had no idea sent her off spinning after she had directed me towards some mini buses with their accompanying Germans.

She disappeared and then returned to send the Germans off in one mini bus.  Her phone rang.  It was our missing team member.  She rushed off again to find him.  I sat in the remaining mini bus to get out of the sun.  But it was almost as hot in there, and there was less breeze.

My pre-trip information from Adventure Peaks had indicated that an “Alan” from Scotland would have been on my flight.  In fact it was Adam from Poland who, understandably, looked confused when I said hello to “Alan”.  That mild embarrassment over, the driver drove the mini bus to some trees where some shade could be found whilst waiting for team member number 3 to arrive.

We just had a 45 minute wait.  The final member was Tzvetie from Bulgaria now living in Scotland.  So it would be an international expedition with me as the only native English speaker – though, to be fair, both Adam and Tzvetie speak excellent English.

So off we went on our near 4 hour drive to Cheget in the Baksan valley of the Caucasus mountains.  After a 90 minutes we stopped at a roadside eatery for a snack consisting of a local speciality, a potato and cheese pancake.  The German group were there as well.  We continued on our dry and dusty way, the three of us flopped as the fatigue of our flights set in.  The dry and dusty plains gave was to foothills.  In the distance we could see, through the shimmering air, the snow-capped Elbrus rising far above anything else set against the blue cloudless sky.

We turned west alongside the Baksan river and the countryside became greener.  The snow melt gave power to the flow and the water was brown and churned over the boulders.  The road became more windy.  We also had regularly to weave our way around herds of cows that wandered in the road seemingly with some sort of death wish.

So we arrive at our hotel in Cheget, the Hotel Farina, tucked away up a short unmade road.

And in the corner of one of two rough town squares.

The place probably looks better when there is snow on the ground, as it is also a ski resort.

Our visit to the Caucasus fell into two parts.  The first would be a short trip to Mukal gain some acclimatisation benefits.  So on arrival we had to sort out kit that we would take and that which we could leave behind.

That job done, the three of us gathered together in the almost empty restaurant.  My recollection of Russian food from my previous visit was that it was consistently poor.  Indeed I recall that the culinary highlight of the last trip was when we found a McDonald’s in Moscow.  On this occasion, the food was generally good.  Now we also met our guide, Vladimir, a veteran of around 190 ascents of Elbrus.  After introductions we discussed mountaineering experience and Vladimir did a gear check.  Arrangements for the morning were also agreed.

So after breakfast the following morning we board our vehicle, a beast of a machine.  We trundle back down the Baksan valley dodging a load more cows on the way.  Then we make a left turn on to an unmade road and the vehicle comes into its own as we start to grind our way up ever increasing gradients.  At one point we have to stop to allow the driver to put more water into the cooling system.  When he takes off the engine casing between the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat, a blast of hot air hits us in the back.

We start off again and eventually get as far as the vehicle is going to go.  We debouche and the driver quickly leaves.  I manage a quick photo.

It is on with our packs.  We will be accompanied not only by Vladimir but also a cook and a porter.  We are each allowed to ask the porter to carry just 3kg of gear.  So our packs are not exactly light.

A rough road continues on for a while as forest gives way to open grassland and then to rockier terrain as height is gained.  Behind us spiky peaks grow on the other side of the Baksan valley.

A view back across the Baksan valley - en route to Mukal
A view back across the Baksan valley

We have a couple of brief stops for snacks and drinks.  After 3½ hours we emerge into alpine terrain.

On the approach to Mukal

Not long afterwards, we reach Sylkantrel Lake and its magnificent cirque of mountains.  This is where we are to camp for the next few nights.  Elevation just over 3,000m. It is somewhat cooler up here.

This is our camp site with Sylkantrelbashi across the water.  There are numerous other tents as well.  The German party that we had encountered at the airport is descending from its own acclimatisation walk.

Although Sylkantrelbashi looks the highest peak hereabouts, Mukal is in fact higher.  This latter peak, variously measured at between 3,892m and 4,000m, is our intended target for this part of the trip the next day.  We settle down with the local residents.

I have the best sleep of the trip this night.  Unfortunately the next day finds the cloud down and it is wet.  After some dithering, Vladimir determines that we could go on a quick outing to the north top of Mukal.  This he says should only take an hour.  We blast up in 40 minutes at first following a path that is marked with red and orange flashes of paint.  The terrain looks very Cairngorm-like with its granite boulders.  Still there is a nice view back down to the Lake.

On the way up to Mukal's north top

Here we are with Mukal behind.  This top seems to have about 25 to 30m of prominence.  And the ridge between it and the main summit looks rather intimidating.

On Mukal's north top

We scuttle back down, with clouds atmospherically drifting around us.  We are now quite wet with the driving, penetrating drizzle.  I wonder how on earth we are going get clothes dry.

On our return we dive into tents, take off wet clothes and then snuggle into sleeping bags for warmth.  Clothing is hung off bits of the tent, but nothing really dries.  I try placing some damp clothing with me inside the sleeping bag.  That is most unpleasant and uncomfortable.

In the evening the weather perks up.  We hurriedly try to use the feeble warmth of the sun and the brisk breeze to dry off further.  This time, success – at least in part.  We later snuggle into the dining tent for warmth and our evening meal.  Vladimir and the cook also use this tent as their sleeping quarters.

We are supposed to be returning to Cheget in the morning but we agree that if the weather looks OK in the morning we will have a go at Mukal.  The night is uncomfortable because I again share my sleeping bag with wet clothes.  During the night I decide that I prefer comfort within the sleeping bag to drying out wet garments.  So they are ejected.  Added to that we have a series of electrical storms, the thunder echoing around the amphitheatre surrounding the lake and lightning flashes illuminating the sky.

The morning is bright and clear, if windy.  White puffy clouds hang in the sky.  The summits, including that of Mukal are clear.  I am feeling quite tired as the storm has kept me awake much of the night.  Vladimir determines that it is safe to make a summit attempt.

We are off shortly after 5.30am.  Later we earn Vladimir’s praise for being so efficient in getting ready.

The rubbly ground typical of non-snow covered ground on Mukal
The rubbly ground typical of non-snow covered ground on Mukal – Sylkantrelbashi in the background

Essentially Mukal is a heap of shifting, sh***y, scree.  We don helmets as we pass under a small cliff face.  We traverse a steep 400m wide snow slope and emerge on a glacier that covers the hollow between Sylkantrelbashi and Mukal.  The glacier provides easier going for 20 minutes or so before we have to address the steep scree ridden south slopes of Mukal.

We stop for 10 minutes to refuel before tackling these.  The wind becomes stronger the higher we get.  The loose boulders interspersed with gritty scree are purgatorial.  Eventually we hit a ridge 100m vertical metres below the summit.  The scree does not relent even if the gradient does a little.  A sea of jagged peaks appears to our left, as does some rather threatening looking cloud.

Here is Sylkantrelbashi from a little below Mukal’s summit.

Sylkantrelbashi from a little below Mukal’s summit

We weave our way through a band of rock that sits across the ridge.  Soon after the summit is just above us.  And here is the happy team on the summit itself.  It is 8.30am.

On Mukal's summit
On Mukal’s summit

My GPS indicates we are at 3,901m.  Vladimir allows us about 3 minutes on the top because he does not like the look of the clouds massing across the way.  Distant views are not great because of them.  We should be able to see Elbrus from here but cannot.

We quickly speed down the ridge and then peel off down the horrid flank.  I am slower than the others, being (over?) cautious.  But at least the wind is less strong here.  There then follows a pleasant slither down the glacier with a fine view of the lake ahead.  The threat posed by the clouds comes to nothing.

Now the descent is speedy.  We are back at the tents just after 10.30am.  We help to empty and dismantle them whilst “lunch” is prepared.  I am not really hungry and just take fluid.  Our porter, who has not been with us since we arrived at the Lake, re-appears.  Once we are all packed we start on our return to the Baksan valley.

It becomes hotter and hotter as we descend – quite a contrast to the summit of Mukal.  Vladimir rings ahead for our transport.  We just have the one short rest on the return.

On the return to the Baksan valley from Mukal

We are back with our transport before 2pm.  It has been quite an intense morning!

Descending the glacier on the flanks of Mukal

We are taken back to the hotel.  It is a relief to be able to have a shower.  But we now must re-pack for our trip on to Elbrus and the main objective of the trip.

Welcome

Thank you for taking the trouble to read this blog.  You can find out more about me by clicking on the “About Me” tab above.

The blog started out just as a mix of mountain climbing and other travel reports interspersed with a few random musings prompted by a trip that I made to Mexico and South America in November and December 2014.  You can find details of that trip using the Tags and the Archive below.

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