Climb - Day One

 Arriving at Mineralnye Vody (mineral water in Russian)

Its actually day 3 not an easy place to get to.  Not sure about Russian men yesterday in Moscow on a 6 hour layover I had time to watch people and for the most part the men are pushy, rude, and arrogant.  I hate to make a broad statement like that, but I have also made the same statement when in New York city.  They cut lines, stand in the way when you ask them to move, they scoff and when they hear english especially from an American. They become more rude, in New York its a southern accent, all other traits still the same.  The cab driver parked outside the gates of the airprort almost a mile so he wouldn't have to pay a fee and didn't offer to help with my 56 pounds of gear and 3 hours in a pos car no conversation also simular to NYC, no tip.  Finally got to the Azur hotel at the bottom of the mountain and the people here revived my faith and my blanket statements are wrong still waiting on my faith to be revived about NYC.

Russian lady that got up to cook for me. She also lets me in the kitchen 2 hours early and fixes me coffee and cheese and toast.

I hadnt had anything to eat and ask where to get food and they told me to wait soon a lady showed up at 11pm to fix me soup and eggs and there was a limb from an animal not sure what but she ask if I wanted some when I started looking at it.  I felt bad I thought they would bring me a piece of fruit or breakfast bar so I ask her to go home and went to bed starving.

I met the team at breakfast 1 German lady Heidi with her Austrian boyfriend Christian, a Russian from Siberia Illian very fit, 4 friends from UAE, India, Oman and Portugal work together at Dell and recently did Kilimanjaro together. Our plans were to climb to a observatory overlooking the Caucasus mountain range 9am start no one had equipment to go high we climbed to 12000 ft good trails not too steep beautiful scenery waterfall.

Waterfall on our way down. Refilled water bottles and some climbed into the falls.

We didn't finish until 5 because the Dell guys were slow and struggled in the heat. Tonight they are drinking beer and smoking which I have no problems with either vice, but not good for altitude.

They were having headaches, signes of alt sickness, and had to start taking diamox.
Training hike to 12,000 and back.

Today was a 9 mile up and back with beautiful weather the road will get much harder starting tomorrrow. 

I am with a young guide Mohamed that was very good on telling us the history of the area.  90% muslim but inhabited by so many different groups in the 19th century it was an independent country until Russia took it over.  The reason they lost control was the Caucasus people were made from Turks, Serbs, Arminians, Georgian and many other groups separated  by both race and religion. They fought between themselves and couldn't fend off the overthrow of Russia.  The summit of Elbrus looks very cold today was sunny tonight covered in clouds.  Tonight we met the lead guide a lady named Lisa.  Got my Ice axe, harness and extra layer for the cold that we start at tomorrow.  May have internet short days slowly going up may be able too send another in a few days.

Me and Elbrus over my head. Fred and Mohamed over my shoulders.

Hitler took over this are and upon a visit the army tried to blast a swastika. It came out looking like the number 7 and that's what the locals call this mountain.

Hotel Azau. The next 7 days in oil barrels on the ridge behind.