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WILD RUSSIA 2000 report:
One step to the New Millennium.
Welcome! Mt. Elbrus:
The new Millenium. A special moment in time calls for a special moment in a
persons life, which perhaps is the reason we have guided so many people to
the roof of Europe (Mount Elbrus) this year. 36 out of 42 clients succeded
in reaching the summit even though the weather and conditions were against
us. We had landslides in Tymauz just 30 kilometers away.
The slides above are of the Barrel Shelters at the end of the cable way (3800 m).
Each barrel has a lobby, cooking area, and four bunks. These barrels are used as a basecamp for a summit bid instead of the burnt Priyut of
11th.
Iskhak Tilov, native Balkarian, a veteran of Elbrus, the first downhill ski champion of the
Soviet union who has been managing the barrels since 1953 and now is our Mt.Elbrus Program Supervisor.
To make life easier and more convenient for skiers (and even climbers!) there is a snowcat track. There are commercial rides to the Pastukhov Rocks (from 3800 m to 4800 m),
which would facilitate mt.Elbrus ascents.
One and a half hours walk from the barrels are the ruins of the Priyut of 11th.
The descision about the reconstruction of this unique shelter at 4200 m is
still being considered by the local authorities. However, next door a private shelter has
been built and will be run comercially next year.
About 400 m to the right from the Priyut of 11th there is another
very small shelter used by local mountain rescue team. It has a funny look but still can be used for emergency.
The first Wild Russia clients of the Year 2000 and Sultan a guide and mountain
rescue team member on the way to the summit.
Kamchatka 2000 expeditions:
Among our other hiking, rafting and mountaineering expeditions on Kamchatka was again "The Bears and Volcanoes" at the begining of August 2000.
It was truly an international team: members from Australia, England, USA. Later we set an expedition
to Tolbachik volcano for our very first clients from Sweden. And again Kostya Landburd with his unlimited
enthusiasm led the expeditions. Below Kostya meets Yegor again at the Tolbachik lava fields.
The view of the Tolbacik volcanoe from the base camp on the still warm lava
field even though the eruption was in 1975.
Tolbacik is a days drive from Petropavlosk, the last section is off road
through the wilderness.
Alan Schick (below on the left), an american ex-engineer, who challenged to explore
Russia after having visited more then 20 other countries. Even the Cold
War has gone for 15 years Alan was not too much fond of seeing Moscow,
but rather chose a wild side of the country first.
In his 65 years he demonstrated a great performance during
the Avacha volcano climb and made it to the top no problem.
Congratulations Alan!!
Unfortunately on this year our very important project "Siberian Soldier 2000" has not happened.
A great idea and a proposal from the Brittish soldiers (RLC) was to drive the military vehicles from London to Yakutsk
overland and summit untouched peakes in the most remote mountains in Russia - the
Cherskiy Massive together with the Russian soldiers. Even there was the patronage from the HRH Princess Ann
and the Brittish Embassy in Moscow the proposal has been denied by the highest level of the Russian Military authorities along with a
political motivation. But thanks to the Russian National Emercom Headquarters the project was
followed up and is to happen on summer 2001. The detailed information for interested
parties (television production as an example) are available upon request.
Join us for our programs on Kamchatka, mt.Elbrus, remote Yakutia, Altay and mystic Tuva in
2001 or read more about our favourite destinations around the area we love so much
and always call the Wild Russia.
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