Summiting Mt. Elbrus, Part I

Since apparently planning a climb for Mt. McKinely wasn’t exciting enough, Andy decided to embark on summiting the highest peak in Europe: Mt. Elbrus. Located in the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia near the Georgia border, Mt. Elbrus stands at an impressive 18,510 feet and holds an important spot on the list of the Seven Summits.

Andy’s foray behind the Iron Curtain began in the early morning of July 5, 2017 weeks prior to his July 5, 2017 departure. Being the man that he is, Andy started packing days in advance, meticulously laying out all his meals, snacks, gear, clothes, and other essentials. By the time July 5th rolled around, he was ready to go with two huge 50+ pound bags I had to hoist onto his back like a pack mule.

His journey to Moscow began in our little Fairbanks…at 3:30 in the morning. Puppies weren’t pleased. Neither was wife. But, off he went! His Alaska Airlines mile-saturated trip went from Fairbanks to Seattle, Seattle to New York City, and finally, New York City to Moscow. He arrived in Moscow on July 8th.

He met up with his team, a group of 10 people from all over the world. They checked into their hotel in Moscow and explored a bit. The first site they hit was Red Square, one of the world’s most famous plazas which separates the Kremlin (official residence of the Russian President, Vladimir Putin) and a merchant quarter called Kitai-Gorod. Originally designed as a central marketplace for Russia’s capital city, it has since transformed into a famous gathering place for ceremonies, coronations, and the hustle and bustle of everyday Moscow life. Russia’s complicated and dramatic history can be seen in Red Square – check out St. Basil’s Cathedral, Kazan Cathedral, the Kremlin Wall, Lenin Mausoleum, and the Resurrection Gate. See more here.

They checked out St. Basil’s Cathedral, which is technically called “The Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin by the Moat.” I’ll stick with St. Basil’s. Ordered built by Ivan the Terrible to mark the capture of the city of Kazan from Mongol forces, the cathedral still manages to confuse everyone, including Russians. It’s not entirely clear what its main purpose was for being built; one might think its purpose is to be a cathedral, yet it only offers one service per year. On top of that, rumors surround its birth – there is even a generally rejected legend that the architects were blinded during the building of St. Basil’s to ensure they would never replicate the cathedral elsewhere.

They also explored the Kremlin Wall, a defensive wall that surrounds the Kremlin, where the President of Russia resides. It’s pretty famous for a wall – what started out as a wooden fence (essentially) in 1147, the walls graduated to white stone and eventually brick; they have withstood invasions, re-buildings, and two major sieges.

The central square of the Kremlin is known as Cathedral Square or Sobornaya Square (Соборная площадь). It gets its name from three main cathedrals that point towards this central area – Cathedral of the Dormition, Cathedral of the Archangel, and Cathedral of the Annunciation. This isn’t her claim to fame though – Соборная площадь is best known for being not only the site of the inauguration of the Russian President, but as also the scene of the funeral processions for all the Russian Czars.

This morning, July 10th, Andy took off from Moscow and traveled via plane and bus down to the Caucasus Mountains. They met up with their guide Yuri and are resting for the day. Tomorrow they start their first of many “acclimatization hikes,” which are hikes composed of significant altitude gain with a return to lower altitudes. The point is to gradually ensure that the climbers acclimate to higher elevation areas and lower oxygen levels.

Stay tuned for Part II of Andy’s Russia adventure!