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Mt Elbrus – Summit day report

Written By: sean on August 16, 2010 One Comment

We did really well until 4400m the day before yesterday when the weather started deteriorating. George was suffering with the meanest dose of gippos and I watched him blits out of his tent in the pounding snow with his thermal pants around his knees. 

We left for the summit at 2.20am on Sunday (George went down in the morning). The summit push was spectacular. The weather was perfect through the night and it was unusually warm (-4). That was until we reached the Sedlowina saddle. As the light of dawn lit the sky and silhouetted the Caucasus, I watched beautiful, high altitude Cirrus clouds moving rapidly and ominously towards us. At the saddle and by 7.30am the weather had deteriorated.  Viv decided she had had enough and turned back. Half an hour later, the conditions were an absolute white out. We had reached the inner saddle and up the steep push onto a plateau at 5500m when I had to make a call on the weather. The worst scenario was that it would turn into a full on snow storm.

Up ahead, Ugin, Fabrice, Catherine, Martin, Mike, Franz, Marlette and Patrick were moving at a good pace and they seemed strong. Keith decided to descend with Tatayana (secondary Russian guide). I was with Christine, Michelle and Miklos who were moving slower. We reached 5400m but the visibility was down to 20m and we had at least 3 hours ahead of us to return to the saddle. I have heard so many reports of how things have gone wrong at that point. A heavy snow storm would put anyone not strong enough in jeopardy. Ugin and the front group had the strength. I decided to turn Michelle, Christine and Miklos back…the pace was just too slow in those conditions. It’s disappointing but everyone is safe.

The summit was made at 10.30am in dreadful conditions. Fabrice, my climbing friend from K2 last year, did a sterling job with keeping the pace and carried the rope from the descent. 

We are now in Terskol and an amazing sense of kinship and bonding has formed. We have missioned together and although not everyone made the top, we have had an incredible experience and made great new friends.

Nasdrovya!

Sean

Early morning departure

At the summit - Martin, Mike, Fabrice, Catherine, Marlette and Franz (pic courtesy of Marlette and Miki)

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One Response to “Mt Elbrus – Summit day report”

  1. Marlette says on: 25 August 2010 at 4:41 pm

    Sean said it well. We had total whiteout conditions on the summit and were disappointed to not have a clear view of the mountains. What a feeling summitting though, after 10 hours of hard walking and breathing. Congrats to all who summitted, and those who didn’t!

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