Russia - Days 4 & 5

Day 4 in Russia (Sunday) involved us all moving up to the very primitive Barrels Hut (3715m) which acts as the base camp to Mt Elbrus climbs. After catching two gondolas and one ski lift to this point, we then walked up to Pastyukov Rocks at 4,560m for an acclimatisation walk. This is about half of the climb and gives you a good chance to walk through the snow and ice as well as get used to the thinner air. We covered 3.5km in 3.5hrs which gives you an idea how slow it is walking through the snow and ice at a higher altitude. The following day was a rest day in preparation for the summit attempt on Tuesday, however we did practice self-arresting techniques using an ice axe in the morning. This is in case you slip on the ice, which given the steepness of the walk you will need to use to stop yourself sliding to the bottom of the mountain! The rest of the day was just relaxing in preparation for a 2am start the next day. The photo is a view of Mt Elbrus (the higher peak is on the left) and the barrels that we stayed in (very basic!).