Julia, Anna and Sasha did a wonderful job of feeding us for the nine days we spent on the mountain. High Camp porridge was a particular delight and Alpine hut staff could learn a thing or two about cooking from the Elbrus ladies.
World weather is becoming more unsettled and traditional patterns are no longer reliable. The mountains of the Caucasus were dry until spring when poor weather at last brought snow. Bad luck for those who went before us but we hit it lucky. It snowed continually for days prior to our arrival allowing us to begin skinning from base camp and giving us excellent skiing, especially for early June.
Seelni vyeter, strong wind, is often a problem on Elbrus so we felt keen anticipation as we ate our midnight breakfast on the last day. Summit day and it was silent outside with a clear, starry sky. It proved to be the perfect end to the season.
.