Scaling the Heights-Successful Expedition to Mt Elbrus 5642 M (Highest Peak of Europe)

Scaling the Heights-Successful Expedition to Mt Elbrus 5642 M

(Highest Peak of Europe)

Dr Satinder Singh Malik, an airline pilot and a former fighter pilot of Indian Air Force is an avid traveller and adventure sports lover. A passionate paraglider, mountaineer and sky diver, there isn’t a time when he isn’t flying. He shares his exhilarating experience climbing Mt Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. He has also served as Director of Indian mountaineering Foundation and Director of Air Force Adventure.

Last winter, I travelled to Chile and Antarctica, where I met Vladimir, a Russian mountain guide. He operates Brodogaya-Outdoor Clan, a company which organises expeditions to Mt Elbrus. Right then, I knew what my next adventure was going to be. My venture in to Yoga as way of life forced me to think can yoga be applied to Mountaieering?    I researched and experimented and found that certain Pranayam techniques and Yoga Asans can help build resistance to Cold, rarified atmosphere at high altitude and  lack of sleep.  

Mt Elbrus is a dormant volcano in the Caucasus Mountains in Southern Russia, near the border with Georgia. It has two summits, both of which are dormant volcanic domes. The taller west summit is 5,642 metres and the east summit is 5,621 metres. Khillar Khachirov first scaled the east summit on 10 July 1829 , and a British expedition led by F. Crauford Grove and including Frederick Gardner, Horace Walker, and the Swiss guide, Peter Knubel of St. Niklaus ascended the west summit in 1874.

An Uphill Journey

My passion for travel is to empower myself with experiences and brave the unforeseen circumstances that arise out of the comfort zone. I wanted my trek to Mt. Elbrus to be no different. My bid to climb Mt Elbrus took me through an eight-hour flight to Moscow followed by a two and a half-hour flight to Mineralnye Vody (the nearest airport) and three-hour journey to the holiday town of Terskol.

For the most part of my visit, I stayed at Black Point Hostel, which is popular with mountaineers, snow boarders and skiers. My group members, Shuskov Sergey, Rodion Rajon, Dmitry Kozlov and Alexandara, and our guides, Alaxander, Sergey and Anatoly were all Russians; younger and fitter than me. Being a vegetarian, most of the dishes we ate were out of bounds for me because Russian cuisine is more meat based. However, there was plenty of milk, cheese, honey, vegetables and breads to choose from.

We arrived in Tereskol on 3 June and checked into Priyut-11 Hostel, a wooden structure with a lot of art and memorabilia from the teams that have previously stayed here. The next day, we went for an acclimatisation hike in Prielbrussia National Park. On 5 June, there was inspection of equipment, packing and induction to the Base Camp and we wore snow boots with crampons as we waded through the snow. On 6 June, we climbed up to 4800 metres, a little higher than Pastukhov rocks, named after popular Russian military topographer, Pastukhov Andrei Vasilyevich. Pastukhov’s obelisk is installed in Mineralyne Vody, which we visited later.

All the climbing made my mind and feet fuzzy. However, the descent was relatively less tiring. Though it initially appeared dangerous; slippery with the snow melting in places, I  quickly learned the knack of being in control of my feet and body as I slip. In fact, we practiced arresting falls with full gear, crampons, ice-axe and harnesses. Later, our guides tested us to decide which of us was ready for steeper slopes.

Final Ascent

Afternoon was a lull and we were asked to catch up on sleep because we’d be leaving for the base camp at around three in the morning. The weather forecast on www.mountain-forecast.com predicted heavy snowfall, freezing temperatures and decreasing winds. We had an early dinner and slept but had to be up at eleven. We took about 40 minutes to dress up in our gear and a quick breakfast later were off.

The winds were strong when the eight of us started our ascent at one thirty but eventually, they calmed down as forecasted.  Smitten by the sight of the beautiful night sky, we forged ahead, the light from our headlamps cutting through the darkness. We were out of breath and it was a steep climb, not to mention, the snow cover is the hardest in the morning so, we had to dig in our crampons harder to get a grip; our resolve was stronger than ever.

On reaching Pastukhov rocks, we stopped to catch our breath and saw some skiers and snowboarders pass by us. It was around three forty five now; the sky was getting lighter and the first rays of the morning were lighting up the Caucasian ridge. A number of peaks were visible and the view was ‘arresting’, relieving us of all our tiredness. We continued amid headaches caused by the low pressure, biting into chocolate and drinking warm fluids. We could see the snow rolling down as we moved.

We made one final halt before the final climb. Exhausted, I dropped my bag, which had started hurting my back. Sergei offered me one last sip of warm lemon water and I ate my last bit of chocolate. We were tired but our sight was set on the summit and from here on we climbed based solely on willpower.  I volunteered to lead, as had others earlier, and continued, initially, at a slow pace. I scaled the steep slopes confidently and my former experience gave me an edge. When I looked back, I saw Sergei smiling. He said, “Go for the summit, Max. Don’t stop now. You have a good pace, maintain it.”

I reached the summit 15 minutes before everyone else and bowed to Mt Elbrus. I stood atop the peak and sang our national anthem, and as I finished, a group of climbers clapped and we congratulated each other. Meanwhile my group arrived and we took summit photographs. We were high… quite literally, at 5,642 metres.

The exhilaration that this expedition got me is indescribable. When I look back, I recognise that I live for adventure; and because I need to sustain my adventure, I work. My advice to people would be to take control of their lives. A lot of times we are given into indolence, bad habits or just daily routine. Let go off the fear and do what you love.