Tips for those going to Elbrus

We turned to the participants in the ascent of Elbrus with a request to share practical advice with future climbers (clothing, walking rhythm, fighting with a mountain climber), to share personal experience, so to speak.

Maxim Zinin

A piece of personal experience and parting words is as follows:

The most difficult part was not the ascent, but the descent. Moreover, the point here is not even in physical preparation, but in the fact that the “miner” began to manifest itself literally a few hundred meters before the top: nausea, half an hour later, to which was added a general feeling of weakness (. As a result, the descent down was subjectively more difficult for me than the ascent.

Based on my climbing experience, I can offer the following advice:

• Training before the hike is required: running, running and running again... Otherwise, even if you reach the top, most likely your physical condition will not allow you to enjoy the climb. And there, believe me, there is something to admire: from the Big Dipper, unusually located below eye level, to the unforgettable sunrise...
• It should be understood that after the dizzying success of conquering the peak, the descent will inexorably follow and it is worth preparing mentally and physically that it will not be easy either.
• I think it’s worth pointing out in list that a ski mask is required for climbing, and goggles are “optional.” I only took glasses for the climb, and... our ascent was accompanied by the wind, it was quite uncomfortable (

Something like this;)

Andrey Babchinsky

I fully support Maxim’s advice, although in general my impressions will probably not be completely objective, but rather subjective (and perhaps this is useful), due to the generally unsatisfactory state of health throughout the week - first the miner, and then, after acclimatization, some other bronchial-cold crap, expressed in a very unpleasant cough and runny nose, which made it difficult for the already limited breathing capabilities at altitude:

• Running, running and running again, as well as other endurance exercises, is very good advice!!! + probably still take vitamins at least a month before the ascent.
• The descent is harder than the ascent, I completely agree, first of all morally (physics is enough if the mountain does not roll), although general fatigue is gradually making itself felt
• Due to the untied boot on my left foot, which I never I took the risk of re-lacing while removing leggings and seals, which ended up rubbing my legs very unpleasantly (in general, I always prefer ascents to descents). So lace up and check all your equipment very carefully, a lost glove can cost you the summit when it is just a stone's throw away!!!

The miner severely weakened me even on the acclimatization climbs (expressed in severe weakness - 3/4 of the muscles seemed to be cut out of the body), especially on the very first one to the northern shelter, with the delivery of food and gasoline, for me it was much harder than the ascent itself.

As for the pace, based on Fedya’s sonnets (I think the guys will agree that this instructor, like Sasha, was at his best), and based on the inability to breathe fully, I highly recommend a pace for climbing 50 steps, closer to the top 40 steps (in my case), with pauses of 20-30 breaths, without long stops, lying down on the snow, and so on. If you are in generally good physical shape, when the main thing is to restore your rapidly losing breath, this is ideal. In any case, the right pace is half the success of both this event and any hike in general.

Regarding the proposal to the list of things, I agree that a mask on the rise is much more relevant than glasses, I climbed in it.

And I would also recommend adding earplugs to the list of equipment; in strong winds, even a tent placed on ice axes and pressed down as much as possible by stones is very stormy, which can interfere with the sweet sleep of unaccustomed campers.

Vladimir Shchetinin

I will write small recommendations for subsequent climbers, as well as for my beloved self, when I forget everything:)

• It's hard, but it's worth it. The big advantage is the team, and when you realize what you got yourself into, and this will happen only in the middle of the assault, it will be too late to turn back. This is good, otherwise I would have drifted:)
• Climbing is very different from hiking and other trekking, the landscape does not change so often here, the height climbs quickly, but you are always walking around something big and great, the very top of which you will see only at the very end, in the last 100 meters, because... the rest of the time the top is hidden by rocks and bends of the hills.
• You are fighting not with the mountain, but with yourself.
• The forces during the assault run out halfway up, where they come from to continue moving and then go down is unclear.
• It seems that all you need to achieve is the top, but when you come to the top through an endless climb, you realize that you have to go down, and it’s not much easier. Psychologically, it is better to count with an advantage, for 20 hours of work in total, then there will be a reserve of moral strength.
• Equipment and clothing must be carefully verified, because unnecessary physical inconvenience will add stress. On the other hand, if they don’t kill you, they will make you even stronger:) Thanks to Kirill Yasko for his online consultations, my equipment was perfect.
• Bring one more extra warm thing. I'm freezing (although I got used to it after a week). During the climb in September I was wearing: on top - thermal underwear, thin fleece, thick fleece, ski jacket, down jacket, below - thermal underwear, synthetic pants, warm self-release pants, plastic boots, simple socks along with warm ones. The wind was strong, which was blocked by the ski jacket, and its hood and hat worked perfectly.
• Bring quick cold medicines, all sorts of fizzy drinks, although the body does not get sick during stress, a cold can happen. Impact doses of vitamin C also quickly put you on your feet.
• Whoever buys new shoes should break them in and rub the calluses at home. Take the inner boot out of the plastic ones and walk around the apartment; in leather ones, walk down the street. Calluses on the mountain are very demotivating (for me for sure).
• Pay attention to used equipment from advertisements; in my case, I got the boots 20 times cheaper than new ones. An additional plus is that used boots are already worn out.
• The body is an interesting thing, it gets used to everything:) This can be used when climbing. For example, find your own rhythm of ascent in which you take equal steps, equal inhalations and exhalations, do not sweat, do not freeze, and move a little at a time. At different heights and slopes there will be a different rhythm, but it is there, the main thing is to find it.
• 
• The descent, as I already said, is also a difficult thing. It would be ideal to take light one-meter snowblades with you to the mountains; they weigh about 2 kilograms together, but I can imagine the thrill of downhill in half an hour on dense, seemingly wasted snow, instead of a painful 5 hours of descent on wobbly legs. The blades fit perfectly with plastic alpine boots, see photo. Next time I'll do that:)
• After rest and sleep there is a feeling of great achievement and unlimited possibilities. A certain winning mood, euphoria. This feeling lasts for me for another week, it can and should be used at work, at home and in other areas you need. And how it goes - forward to new achievements and new heights!:)