The Arkhyz pass of 3000 meters was taken! But ahead of us was the highest point of the hike - 3182 meters and a dangerous climb up the mountain dry land. Suddenly, the wind blew up again, the clouds crept up and it began to rain, besides, all the things under the raincoat were soaked due to sweat and personally I only had two pairs of panties and socks left dry ... with every minute the stones became more and more slippery and in my head began to flicker thoughts "maybe not worth it?". But the decision was made for us ... We dropped our backpacks and started climbing to the top.
Strong wind at an altitude of 3000 meters pierced right through. At that moment, a thought came to me again, maybe not worth it? But the inner voice immediately cut off all doubts: "Why did you come here, dohlik?"... To somehow protect myself from the wind, I wrapped myself in a raincoat and continued climbing.
I took only the most necessary things with me: water, well, and several lenses with a camera ... How can we go without it, although the views that open around it were definitely worth the effort. See for yourself.
The Abishir-Akhuba ridge appeared before us harsh, gray and cold. The impression was that you were in some northern mountains. Here is a photo from the middle of the distance that had to be overcome to the top (altitude about 3080 meters). Below you can see the very Arkhyz pass, where we left our belongings and common sense.
Despite the fact that there was half a day's walking and hundreds of meters of exhausting ascent behind, in the depths of their souls everyone had the anticipation of climbing the highest peak in their lives. Here Nastya does not hide her joy.
It was much easier to climb without a backpack, but my legs had already switched to "cotton wool" mode a long time ago. In addition, calluses started to squish in the heels ... At some point, the ascent became steeper, and we found ourselves on a very sharp ridge, along the edges of which there was an almost kilometer-long abyss. Any wrong step could cost not only health, but also life, so even the reckless Grisha walked extremely carefully, clinging to every stone.
Breathing began to stray more and more. Still, an altitude of 3 km and hypoxia made itself felt. After every 5-10 steps, I had to stand for a couple of seconds. I saw the top and someone from the group has already reached it, “Why am I worse? And, well, come on, forward, one more step, come on. " Something like this I encouraged myself for the last 30 meters, which seemed to me endless.
Yes!!! I did it! I climbed my little Everest! The thin and cold air enveloped me from all sides and a sincere smile froze on my face, as if fixed with a stapler. At this moment, you completely forget about everything. About all my problems below, about work, study, relationships and all the difficulties of the ascent. We took out the flags and took some pictures. although no, I'm lying. Many.
Even now, 5 months after the hike, I understood why tourism attracts me so much. During the hike, you plunge into a completely different life, where your social status, the amount of money in your pocket and the availability of an apartment a stone's throw from the city center does not matter. Life is maximally exposed to the foundations in which you can be yourself - without pathos, social masks and all other dirt. Tourist life is somewhat reminiscent of monastic life. You are also deprived of the usual benefits and every day you subject yourself to voluntary tests, fight your fears and learn to understand your body and soul. The mind is cleared as much as possible and all the garbage is displaced by the thought - how to get from point A to point B, eat on time and force yourself to make a small victory over yourself ... Over the one who froze in everyday routine, surrounded himself with unnecessary things, people and stupid goals. Freedom is complete freedom from all problems, a kind of escape from everyday life and the opportunity to live in a world where everything is subject to the laws of nature, and not to the daily routine and the opinion of the management. I could talk on this topic for a long time, but then you will not see the beauty below. Namely - Lake Zaprudnoye in the shape of a heart, where we had to go down today for the night.
Honestly, visually assessing how much we still have to go, I, to put it mildly, went nuts. And he even doubted that it was physically possible, but Sasha had a different opinion, and he colorfully described what difficulties awaited us below. By the way, our instructor looks at the mountains and, probably, thinks how not to lose these gouges on the upcoming descent.
It is impossible to describe in words how beautiful it is in the mountains. I hope that the photographs will at least half convey the emotions that filled us at an altitude of 3182 meters above sea level. On the left you can see Pioner Peak, and a little further the main Caucasian ridge, which divides the Caucasus into two parts - the Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus.
Having gone down to the pass, we put on our backpacks and dropped another hundred meters down, where we got up for lunch. How nice it was to see the sun, which peeped out from behind the clouds and warmed us after climbingJumarukly-Tebe. And here is the place of our halt, captured by someone from the group.
Speaking of lunch. "Lunch should not be satisfying, otherwise we will not move anywhere afterwards.", said Sanya, and thus cut off any attempts to eat something over the norm. In addition, we were waiting for a part of the group that left to see the view from Pioneer Peak. Do you remember our principle? - eat only when everything is in place. Well, well ... we sit, wait. Oh, well, and this ... here is our entire lunch for 14 people:
After that we were told to rest for about an hour. Everyone immediately began to sunbathe under the high-altitude sun, before that they had pretty much smeared themselves with sunscreen. Believe it or not, the sun breaks through at such a height even during cloudy weather and through clothing, so you can instantly catch a sunburn, so you should always monitor the presence of sunscreen on your skin and the presence of a headdress. Do not forget about the lips. I did not take a special tool for them with me and only on the third day started shooting it from my colleagues, but by this time my lips had already cracked and covered with bloody furrows. It is also better not to leave your eyes without glasses, as there is a chance of damaging the retina. In order to somehow add thrill to life, it was not enough for the day the male half of the team went to lie on the snowfield. It didn't take us long, and we jumped out of the icy snow literally in a few seconds, but we cheered up.
So what is next. Then we had to drop almost 700 meters in height to Lake Zaprudnoye (that very heart), and I could not even imagine how dangerous and difficult it would be. After passing about 100 meters along a relatively human descent, we came to a rock wall, from which a gorgeous view of the valley opened up, where I again took out my camera. It was there to the right below, where the lake is visible, and we had to go down.
Instructor Sasha and Natasha.
And here is the Arkhyz pass, from which we have just descended and on the slope of which our "royal" lunch unfolded.
What is the difficulty of the upcoming descent? There was no clear route along the slope, and along the entire length of the bulk there were stones of various diameters, along which it was necessary to descend with a 23-kg backpack, balancing and not breaking down. In addition, you need to be careful not to push a stone onto the person walking below. otherwise this stone will fly back to you, if, of course, the person is still able to stand
Our group started the descent. I went closer to the trailing ones and watched all the stones that flew out from under my feet in order not to injure anyone. The first steps were at a slight angle and over stable stones, but with each meter the situation worsened.
Every now and then there was someone screaming "STONE!!!" and we shuddered with bated breath, tracking the fall of the next cobblestone. Some of them flew just a few meters away and made us seriously tense up. But even without a rockfall, there were enough difficulties. Despite the fact that they had trekking poles in their hands, in the event of a fall, they would simply break, and given the heavy backpack put on and fixed on the body, there was practically no chance of surviving in the event of a breakdown.
On the descent, we tried to stretch out as much as possible, keep our distance and walk in a checkerboard pattern. This is where I realized how important it is to buy the right mountain footwear. It is simply impossible to pass in such places without her. The only sad thing was that there was a bloody mess on my heels, and each step was given to me only with clenched teeth. The muscles of the legs during the descent experience tremendous tension and those who have been on hikes know perfectly well that, contrary to prejudices, going down is much more difficult than going up. Andrei and I teamed up in two and tried in every possible way to help each other on the descent. In the photo: the partner froze to take a breath and pave a route along the swinging stones.
It was the first moment during the trip when I got really scared and overwhelmed with an overwhelming feeling of panic. At the end of the hike, almost the whole group will agree that it was the most intense moment in all 10 days. It is not surprising. As I said, we stretched very much on the slope and everything would be fine, but in a matter of seconds the highlands were covered with clouds, and we lost eye contact with the guys below. To understand how it was impossible to go, and to choose the path had to be based on their own insignificant experience. A couple of times I almost fell down, and my legs almost stopped obeying and completely "hammered" from the tension. Since it was impossible to lay a clear route due to constant rockfalls (and, consequently, changes in the relief), we did it ourselves and not without mistakes.
In conditions of poor visibility, I came to a steep cliff, which I had to go around for about 30 minutes. As a result, Susanin found himself on a very steep slope covered with grass, which treacherously hid the stones. It was now impossible to assess their stability visually, and each step had to be done in the style of a sapper, checking the cobblestones with a trekking stick.
Suddenly something jerked next to me with violent force. I swayed and began to fall, seeing a bird (something like an eagle) soaring up out of the corner of my eye, which, frightened of me, suddenly emerged from under the stones ... At the time of the fall, I managed to put the stick out and only miraculously, it withstood my weight with a backpack and did not broke.
In total, the descent took over 3 hours. When I reached the camp, I fell exhausted and took off my boots ... "Saan, do you have some green stuff in the first aid kit?"... (I don't have a photo from that day, but I'll post the one that was taken a couple of days later - the overall picture is unchanged).
The main thing that I learned during the previous hiking day is that no matter how bad you feel, you need to gather your strength, set up a camp and cook food, because at any moment the weather can change, and you will remain hungry and without a roof over your head. To somehow come to my senses, I decided to swim in a mountain lake. Crystal clear water, +10 degrees and Grishania - everything is as usual.
After that, we began to set up the tent and hang the clothes that got pretty wet during the descent to dry.
It was only at this moment that I first looked at the descent, which caused us so much suffering. From below, he seemed much more harmless than he really was. Its layering is the main feature. It seemed that the end was about to come, but it was only the end of another ledge, which was marked by a steep slope and the next tier ....
Cold, silent and magically calm - this is how Lake Zaprudnoye appeared before us, enveloped in a series of newly arrived clouds. They piled up to visit us, flew over the tents and covered our desperate heads, sailing away somewhere in the direction of Arkhyz.
The endless third day of marching was drawing to a close. We have traditionally huddled in the headquarters tent, played all sorts of games, drank tea and shared our impressions of the categorical pass. Once again, each of us stepped over ourselves and performed a feat, so insignificant from the point of view of nature, but so significant in the memories of each of us. Tired, but happy, we crawled through the tents and almost immediately passed out, despite the sloping slope and the stones digging into our internal organs. and then they got to us the infection
Day 4. Paradise Valley, Magic Flip Flops and Lost Fidget Spinner
The morning greeted me with calluses adhered to the sleeping bag and the formation of additional bends on the body from stones sticking into the foam(polyurethane rug on which to sleep on hikes). But all this seemed insignificant and insignificant when I looked out of the tent - 100% visibility and sun! Never regretting that once again got up earlier than expected, I shoved Grisha, grabbed a camera and went off to shoot landscapes.
It's amazing how much the same place can look different. Do you remember what this lake was like yesterday? Cold and frightening, and what is it like now ?! Just unbelieveble. The snow-white streams that had just spread the glacier ran down the rocky wall with a crash and turned from afar into a thin white thread dividing the slope in half.
And here is our camp, taken from the opposite bank. The bulk in the shadows is the same unfortunate slope that we conquered yesterday. The very tiers that I wrote about a little higher are very clearly visible. how did we get down there? and the hell knows. I saw nothing in the fog
Going down to the lake, I was again surprised by the transparency of the water. According to Sasha, this is one of the cleanest lakes in the Caucasus. It is not surprising, the water here is a former glacier in five minutes.
Another feature of this place is its inaccessibility. You can get here only on foot, since the lake is surrounded on all sides by a "circus" - formed by high mountains. Such a relief has a very strong effect on the weather and creates its ownmicroclimate with amazing beauty of the valley. It is along this valley that we will go today to the point of the next ascent. In the meantime, let's enjoy the Zaprudny again.
I returned to camp in time for breakfast. The porridge was lazily smeared on the plate and with effort was crammed into the still-awake body. Condensed milk and jam were in great demand, which sold out in a matter of seconds. By and large, a tourist has two meals a day - a hearty breakfast and an equally hearty dinner, while lunch always takes place in the format of a light snack.
Once again, the camp was closed, and things were already much more quickly packed into a backpack. After consulting with Sanya, I decided to go in the first half of the day in flip flops from "Magnet" for 50 rubles, as they will relieve my heels and give the calluses a chance to dry out at least a little. After taking a collective photo, we went down the valley.
Driven by the absence of pain, I quickly got out into the leading part of the group and almost skipping downward along the right source of the Kyafar-Agur. There were fantastic landscapes all around!
After about 30 minutes I ran into a herd of cattle and very carefully, bypassing all the bulls, reached the place where the crossing to the opposite side of the river was planned.
Despite the fact that the mountain river seems to be a minor obstacle, it is fraught with many dangers. Slippery stones and a fast stream can instantly knock you into the water, where with a huge backpack you will beat the rapids up tothe state of freshly prepared minced meat. Therefore, we are waiting for the whole group, which stretched out during a 5-kilometer trek through the valley.
After waiting for the tail, we started wading across the river. While everyone took off their lace-up trekking shoes for a long time and lazily, I said "Pff", unbuttoned the fasteners on the backpack (so that in case of a fall, he could quickly throw it off) and calmly walked in flip flops to the opposite bank, looking at the group crossing. Flip flops from "Magnet" - the harsh nature of the Caucasus - 1: 0.
But to reach the ascent, we had to cross the mountain river a couple more times. On the one hand, this procedure brought everyone joy, yes, and the legs were grateful for such bath procedures, but on the other hand, the chance to soak all things in ice water was not particularly pleasing. Therefore, we tried to help each other as much as possible and built living bridges.
Having crossed all the rivers, we rounded the mountain and began to climb up the valley.
After 20 minutes I arrived at the meeting point where we had lunch scheduled. For the first time in 4 days, I reached noon not in a vegetable state, but on the contrary, inspired for further military exploits. In many ways, this was due to the change of shoes and the relatively straight relief. Although the weather also made us happy with incredible stability and for half a day it hadn’t watered us with a downpour. This is the view that opened onto the valley and the upcoming climb (on the right). Pay attention to the size of the stones, some of them are as large as a four-story house.
The sausage was sliced, the crispbread was laid out, and the canned food was opened. We have another lordly dinner. Photo from Marina.
After lunch, a quiet hour was announced, during which I went with Grisha to swim in the waterfall, sunbathed and just enjoyed the pleasant weather. Thanks again to Marina for the photo.
Then came the moment that I was so afraid of - I had to pull on my combat shoes for the ascent. Pain began to permeate the whole body again, and every step began to turn into an act of masochism. At some point, the ascent reached the point of its apogee, and I was already climbing rather than walking, every now and then, clinging to the protruding stones with my hands. I crawled almost non-stop, because I realized that when I stopped, the blood in my shoes would freeze and the heels would finally stick to the back.
At an altitude of 2600 meters, the group was covered with dense clouds, and I stopped seeing anyone around. As a result, I reached the summit alone and began to wait for the rest of the guys on the Turiem plateau.
By this time, I had almost no strength left. Exhausted, I lay down on the cold grass and could not even bring myself to put on warm clothes. Above I was wearing a wet jacket, and below were thin summer shorts ... Ten minutes later Nastya got up to me and took this shot.
Grisha, Zhamal and Marina ascended the plateau before us, and left somewhere in the direction of the lakes, where we had to stay for the night. Nastya and I did not manage to find them in the dense fog, and it was decided to wait for the group leader with the rest of the participants.
In about 40-50 minutes we gathered on the plateau. Sasha told us in which direction we would go further, and offered to take pictures at the edge of the rock wall. Since I had no strength, I asked permission to go to the lakes on my own to meet the "locomotive troika" and set out.
Clouds packed even more densely into the mountain circus, and visibility dropped to 10 meters. The whole earth was strewn with some kind of blue flowers, and I walked along them, as if on some kind of luxurious carpet. Then I unexpectedly practically ran into some kind of body of water. For a long time, I would not have understood what obstacle was in my way, if not for the wind, which dispersed the clouds for a couple of minutes. The reservoir turned out to be a huge lake covered with ice and surrounded by snow caps. By this time, the height had already reached 2800 meters above sea level.
Taking advantage of the appearance of visibility, I took up the camera and, not without volitional efforts, wandered along the shore of the icy lake. What did I say there about Zaprudnoye? Clean? Compared to what I saw at that moment, the Zaprudnoye was the Moscow River…. The water was so transparent that I did not always distinguish the boundary between liquid and earth, as if looking at the bottom through the best glass in the world.
When the courage of the beauty I saw let go of me, I realized that I still did not see Marina, Zhamal and Grisha. Attempts to shout to them were unsuccessful.At that moment, my pulse jumped noticeably and I realized that I was left alone among the rocks and in the thick fog. The guys from the photo session were not visible either, and here, I panicked in earnest.
As luck would have it, the cloudiness rolled over the circus even more, as if a huge giant vaper was trying his best to tear me away from the group. Jumping onto some tall rock, I raised the bright red trekking sticks up and gazed intently into the gray abyss. Imagine my joy when I was able to distinguish barely noticeable voices in the frightening emptiness. Having reunited with the group, we wandered over some cobblestones for about 30 minutes and eventually reached the second lake, where the trio who had rushed forward were waiting for us.
When I reached the camp site, I fell to the ground with the thought that I would die right here. Grisha tried to cheer me up somehow, and we began to pitch the tent. At that moment, the partner reached for the spinner, which he had never let out of his hands before, and realized that the ill-fated nothing was waiting for him in his pocket. After analyzing the day and gutting all the things, Grisha realized that the spinner had been left somewhere in the valley and, thus, sacrificed to the gods of the Caucasus. The pain of losing my favorite fidget was multiplied by the pain in my legs, and the tent was set up twice as fast.
After that I took off my shoes - there was no living space on the heels. Probably, to many readers this will seem like a mere trifle, but believe me, when you go up the slope, all the load goes to this very place, and thus, calluses cause much more pain than during normal walking.
Flaps of skin dangled from the heel and made it difficult to properly clean the wound. To avoid suppuration, I asked Sasha for scissors and brilliant green. Through simple, but painful manipulations, the wound was treated, and the excess skin was removed. In order to somehow distract myself, I took a camera and went for a walk. Another rule that I learned for myself during the campaign: if you want to live, move.
And I was moving. Dissolving in the fog, the figures of the band members and huge mountain peaks flashed. Everything around was drowned in black and gray tones and shimmered with silent tranquility. It was in those seconds that the realization came of what peace is.
I was left alone with nature, which did not shoot at me with bright and variegated colors, but gently enveloped me in its arms and seemed to ask for a little breath after a hard day.
Agur (Turyi) lakes appeared before me in incredible tranquility. All boundaries were erased, and it was completely impossible to make out where the water begins and the coast ends, where the sky originates and where it merges with the horizon line.
Returning to the camp, I went to the headquarters tent, where at this time the group was already preparing for dinner. Today we had a difficult day, however, like any previous day, because every 24 hours we discover something new in ourselves. We find in ourselves those facets that are never revealed in everyday urban life. We force ourselves to go through our own fears and the omnipresent "can't". We begin to understand that man is only a small part of the vast Universe. A detail that imagines itself to be the most important, but at the same time copes with nature with incredible effort, being left alone face to face ...
Ahead of us is waiting for another five days of the campaign, which made us look at the world from a slightly different angle. But we'll talk about all this a little later, when the fog clears and the sun looks out from the east side. Day four, altitude 2740 meters, lights out.
Seven hours of climbing the eastern summit of Elbrus is seven hours of headaches, nosebleeds, bursting eardrums, thirst, watery eyes. And our group broke into the top of the highest mountain in Europe.
In the mountains, the gravitational constant is not constant at all. With a backpack, it increased threefold, with each step it increased exponentially, at halts it dropped the value to the earth. And having stopped for the night, people could cover one and a half times greater distance in one step, while hovering in the air for a split second. Here the distance is measured not in kilometers, but in hours to overcome it, and the speed - in meters vertically per hour. Here is such an entertaining physics in the mountains.
Everyone who stood on the top of Elbrus (5621 m) wanted relatives, friends and relatives with whom they had to share their impressions upon arrival home, to be close. For everyone understood that it was impossible to describe with the help of countless adjectives from the dictionaries of Ozhegov, Dal and Suvorov combined, or with the help of photographs taken with the most professional camera by the most gifted photographer of the Magnum agency, or with the most active hand gestures at a speed of 800 gestures per minute. what you saw and convey what you felt.
But this thought was far away ... There were nine days left before it ... One day, remembering which, each participant will be choked with emotions.
THE ASCENT OF EASTERN ELBRUS BEGINNED WITHOUT EASY
In the meantime, a motley group, consisting of two brigades, was gaining the first meters vertically from the village of Verkhniy Baksan. The brigades marched at intervals of 10 minutes. Each meter made me more and more doubt the adequacy of the assessment of their own strength. But in the first night nobody voiced this thought. The camp was set up on the left bank of the Kyrtyk river.
While preparing dinner, the first foreman asked for a couple of cans of stew. This is 2 x 525 = 1050 g ... Several emaciated bodies rushed to the side, violently ripping apart their backpacks and throwing things, trying to get to the hated tin cans. Someone was lucky ... someone unloaded ...
The first night was hectic. For all. Someone was weaker physically, someone was weak in spirit, and someone's stomach was weakened ...
The brigades were leaving the forest area. Nothing boded trash and frenzy. During a protracted drive, during which many felt the feeling of a departing consciousness and an approaching fainting spell, the column went to the right into the gorge of the Ulluesenchi River. The trail was gaining degrees, and the foremen did not slow down. The body was sweating.
The worse the better
Only ascorbic acid and dextrose monohydrate in bearish doses could help to keep consciousness. The group fell 2 hours before the pass. The program of the evening included a jacuzzi bath. There was no strength, the veins were torn, some were silent, some were not. Infernal passage. Some of the participants would later call this the most difficult day of the hike.
Day three. The Kyrtykaush pass became a turning point for someone, a breakdown for someone, but for someone it remained just a pass. 3232 m. The feat of the heroes of the Caucasus is immortal in the heart of the people. 3154 m. Pass Islamchat. The brigades were stretched out ... The rearguards of the first and second drew level.
The group's path was blocked by a mountain river of glacial origin. The group stood up. The alcohol was brutally diluted with alcohol. Sleep was serene, and the parking lot was illuminated by a myriad of stars.
The next day, the climbers spent the whole day in cares and business: they knitted knots, reeled ropes, repaired crampons, mastered the technique of rock climbing with an upper belay, a rappelling with it. They dried bloody calluses in the sun, healed stretched ankle joints, drank narzan and bathed in it. Received so missing in urban conditions additional doses of radiation.
The group lay down on the course. Without casualties, she passed the stone bridge over Malka and further along the left bank of the Dzhila Su broke through in the direction of Elbrus, to the frozen lake Dzhikaugenkez. The point of no return has been passed, and the path to civilization now lies only through the eastern summit. This thought could not but excite and excite. The group walked dry for about 8 hours. Dust creaked on their teeth, raised by mountain climbers as they moved along the scree. Dry and unpleasant.
The camp was set up on a moraine at the Kalitsky peak. The only outlet was compote, cooked conscientiously, so that the ice ax was already standing.
TYPES OF CRACKS
In the morning, having increased their grip properties with the help of crampons and fastened in ligaments, the group went out onto the glacier. On the way, there were ice cracks, grinning with icicles, but smiling and ready to take bundles at any moment.
There were also sad cracks with a snow gag, there were killer cracks, there were young and old ... There were a lot of cracks, but three bundles stubbornly overcame them, some obediently bypassing, some jumping over, trying not to look down, some crossing the miraculously preserved snow bridge.
Three "guides" walked, constantly probing the snow-ice cover with ice axes, walked confidently, walked along the slope of Elbrus to the rocks of the Achkyaryakol lava flow. Today the cracks were not hungry, so by the middle of the day the camp set up at an altitude of about four thousand in the starting lineup. The radial exit with light luggage to the future parking lot of the assault camp was relatively easy.
The group scored six hundred vertically. Six hundred, which in fifteen hours had to be overcome with merciless shoulder weights. The sleep was restless.
Altimeter 4546. Assault camps are set up. Climbers, armed with ice axes and trekking poles, go out onto the ice slope to practice self-retention techniques.
In the event of a fall, it is necessary immediately, while the sliding speed has not yet developed, to take measures to arrest:
1 - without releasing the ice ax from both hands, turn onto your stomach;
2 - raise the toes of the legs so as not to catch the crampons on the slope (otherwise it will turn upside down);
3 - with a hand bent at the elbow, plunge the beak of the ice ax into the slope, put the entire weight of the body on it and brake at all costs.
The forecast for the next five days leaves the climbers without an acclimatization day. At the first opportunity, the group starts climbing the eastern summit of Elbrus.
CLIMB EASTERN ELBRUS OR DIE
31.08.09. The clock is 5.30. Systems are tightened, flashlights are on. Having strung themselves on a rope, the climbers moved towards the summit. Step by step, meter by meter ... 4600, 4700 ... 30 minutes, 40, 50 ...
The bunch was only ten meters away from the first halt, when the command "Break!" - the climber going second abruptly changed the vector of movement and began to gain speed. In a moment, the whole bundle clung to the glacier, into which 7 beaks were thrust, continuing to press the ice axes into the ice with their whole body. Uniform acceleration lasted for several seconds ... Pulse under 200 ... The rope hummed and pulled the systems of the first and third climbers ... A tremor from the rope ran through the bundle, but there was no chain reaction.
The climbers moved on ... 4800 ... The bunch entered the zone of incomplete acclimatization. The oxygen partial pressure decreased, the internal pressure tried to equalize with the external one. Nobody canceled this law of physics in the mountains, especially the brain felt it.
Cessation of oxygen supply to the brain for six to eight seconds leads to loss of consciousness, and within five to six minutes - causes irreversible changes in the cerebral cortex.
The snow tasted terrible ... Because it was tasteless. The climbers poured oxygen into themselves furiously, ripping the cold air mixture through their nostrils. But even a 30% increase in pulmonary ventilation could not save from hypoxia. Hemoglobin was off scale. Step, second, stop, inhale-exhale, inhale-exhale ... inhale. 5500.
The last seventy meters of the earth were the most pleasant. When the final goal was in sight, when it was 10-15 minutes away, when the climbers realized that they were at the finish line, when they felt the effect of the strongest drug and they feel so great when ...
50 meters, 49.5, 49, 48.5… meters are the most pleasant when your thoughts are already at the top, when you imagine that now, after a minute's rest, a general photo will be taken. When I haven't reached it yet, but you know that now you can only be stopped by a rupture of your heart, when just a little bit more, but you are sure ...
I am sure that all this was not in vain, that 9 days of strain were worth 20 minutes spent at the summit, and you know that this is not the last ascent. And now you know exactly how you want to die, and those tears that run down your cheeks are tears of a great overcoming yourself. You know that if you are covered with insanity, then the last thing you forget, after your own name, will be mountains, for this is never forgotten ...
10, 9.5, 9.1… 5621… 5621 and not a meter lower. Seven hours of stomachs turned inside out, diarrhea, headaches, nosebleeds, bursting eardrums, thirst, watery eyes suffering from a lack of oxygen in the muscles of the thighs ... Organisms will not forget this for a long time ...
And the group burst into the eastern summit of Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe.
HIKING EASTERN ELBRUS CHANGED US
The assault camp received the descended conquerors with hot tea and warm soft sleeping bags. The night threatened with possible light rockfall due to a gale blowing up on the rocks. These were only threats.
We went along the route through the Irik glacier, the Irik-Chat pass, the Irik river valley to the south-east at a course of 137 degrees. The brigades entered the forest zone. The camp got up after a couple of hours of march to the village of Elbrus. By the fire, in the eyes of the climbers, wild joy, fatigue, confidence and devastation were read. The desire to live on the first day of autumn was awakening in me.
And let a considerable time pass, I don’t forget how I was able to kill doubts in myself.
At 23.45 Moscow time, a passenger traffic crashed into the metro ring. It was vomited out of its depths by the branded train No. 003 Kislovodsk - Moscow. The stream was swarming with people. People's heads were swarming with thoughts, emotions, memories, ideas. Standing out from the stream with shoulder weights and with ice axes at the ready, there were two people who had to share memories and emotions with loved ones, friends and relatives. "What a pity that you weren't there then ... It was wonderful."
Mountains change people. Even Muscovites became so harsh that they shaved with an ice pick, played football in crampons, and descended from the balcony on a rappel for bread.
Post scriptum: For inside use only.
The new academic year at the Lyceum began with the traditionalXXVIIhike-relay... These three warm autumn days were absolutely unforgettable for all the participants of the hike. Someone for the first time helped to cook dinner over a fire, walked an obstacle course, sang their first song with a guitar. It's amazing how such, at first glance, ordinary events can forever remain in the memory of a person. For twenty seven years, this campaign has been uniting lyceum students of all generations: teachers, students, graduates. Each of them remembers his first relay race. The routes and the hiking program were changed. And only this: eye to eye, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand - remained unchanged. Walk four kilometers? Easy when walking together. Sawing wood for the whole day? It is not difficult when sawing in turns. Staying on a slippery log? You can when you reach out.
For three days, classes replaced each other on the march, passing each other red flags instead of a baton. And every day was unique and amazing in its own way. New acquaintances and meetings of old friends. The arrival of experienced tourists: Lydia Dmitrievna Sayenko, Galina Apolonovna Paramonenko, Ekaterina Eliseevna Sazonova, Tatyana Alekseevna Domarosova - became a wonderful gift for the opening of the relay. Who knows, perhaps there are future teachers among today's tenth-graders who will then return to the Lyceum. After all, this has already become a tradition.
The relay ended on Saturday. On this day, there were especially many graduates on the campaign. Such adults, independent, these guys have shown in practice what it means to be an experienced tourist.
Old and new songs by the fire. The main thing. Hugs of old and new friends. Forever and ever. Tears of parting. And so an invisible thread of connection between times and generations of the Lyceum was born, stretched.
Hike - relay race- one of the best active types of recreation, which is useful for health. The biggest impression from the trip is the realization that you are on a new stage in the life of the lyceum. The trip impressed with its diversity. That is, we not only passed the tests, but also listened to emotional stories, sang songs with a guitar. Thanks to this, I felt a connection with all lyceum students. We were like one big family. Acquaintances became friends.
The people who were with us that day remained part of us. I would like to thank all those who were involved in the hike for interesting stories, songs and a cozy atmosphere. This type of recreation will be remembered for a long time for its obstacles and adventures. Our class received invaluable experience, unforgettable sensations and joy.
10 V class
We often hear about lyceum brotherhood, lyceum spirit, lyceum friendship…. But where does all this come from? I think this does not arise during the many days of the Lyceum studies - it is formed in the first days of the Lyceum ...
Yes, there is such a "little miracle" - a high school relay race, when all ideas are formed about their classmates, and about graduates, and about teachers - all at once! The relay hike is a tradition. Since 1990. Those who invented it were real visionaries: it is here that the Lyceum begins .... I remember it. I know him.
And in the 2016 relay, I was both a participant and a guest. I am both a high school student and a tourist of those first high school years. You know ... The feeling of happiness and ... involvement overwhelmed me. Songs, guitar, fire smoke, aroma of tea, hundreds of happy eyes, laughter, crossing the swamp, friends ... - this is one of the Lyceum days, a day filled with joy until an instant ... Thank you all for this day, for smiles, for support, for friendship ... For brotherhood.
And God forbid you to have as many such days in your life as possible. And so that the word Lyceum on the covers of your notebooks, in your "Overheard", in your hearts was written only with a capital letter ... Because this is the First. This is the Lyceum….
L. D. Sayenko
The relay hike is our space
Life became even brighter when we touched this space. Words, it turns out, in a rich language are not enough to describe our feelings, emotions, delight. The heart just breaks from the love overwhelming us! Love for the forest, for a fire, for songs with a guitar, for people, for the Lyceum, for life!
And now, in order ...
Our 10 "F" already at 8.30 (half an hour earlier !!!) was ready to go even to the ends of the world for joy. We were impatient and anticipating something unusual. After meeting the instructors (Nastya, Sasha, Kirill, Ilya and Nikita) and considering bananas for cake, tomatoes for salad and tea for tea (J) as something outlandish, we hit the road. Jumping merrily, waving the balls and humming (very loudly, so that the next day they found the ripped off voices) pieces of the "Battery", we walked along the road, and the cars drove by and greeted us with beeps. The start of the day was great!
When we finally walked 4.5 km, the forest began ... such an autumn, quiet, pacifying ... And suddenly a crowd ran out to meet us ... Someone in a red wig, someone in huge glasses, someone with a guitar at the ready! We immediately recognized the graduates of the Lyceum. Together with them, we went through the tests with dances, music, jokes, jokes! They, already such adults, probably felt like ten graders. And we ... And we were great! Having successfully jumped over a blazing fire (some even more than once), having received a baton (such a small one), we ended up in a sacred place - in a camp. Tents, bonfires, improvised tourist kitchens, which promised us a delicious lunch (thanks to Lyudmila Ivanovna Semyonok and the girls-instructors: Nastya Los and Sasha Mazurova!), Greeted us very warmly.
Everything that happened was like magic, but at the same time everything was real. Our competition ... This is the road to the sun ... Through dusty pants, wet sneakers, falling into a swamp and crawling on the ground ... To victory, to joy, to happiness.
You know, it is not a place that makes a person, but a person - a place. For the first time I understood the meaning of these words. It is the soulfulness of the lyceum, the cohesion of current and former students, the interest and involvement of teachers in tourism that make you a part of something big, as if we all have one great goal. This trip has changed us all. We have become closer, better, stronger, happier. Definitely!
P .S. By the way, our trip was reflected in 500 photos! J
Alexandra Dotsenko, 10 "F"
This was my first trip! No wonder I have waited 2 years. I have never had so many sensations in one day. Everything was so friendly and sincere that there are simply no words! It was easy going with the song, and besides, in good company. At first, as is customary in the Lyceum rite, we asked the owl in Lyubuzh to fulfill our desires (I hope that she really grants wishes). Then we came to the camp. There we were unexpectedly doused with water so that we were ready for anything. But everyone's faces were cheerful and happy. Then I jumped over the fire for the first time. Soon we approached the place of our "landing", changed clothes and began to peel potatoes with our instructors. After that we ate a little and went to the obstacle path. Of course, the swamp has caused a lot of trouble: it is wet, and cold, and ... funny! I fell into the swamp, but I was not at all upset, because after the fall I am considered a real high school student! Then we were cosmonauts, climbed ropes, threw a heavy ball at a distance, hung on a rope, swayed on a bungee. After all the contests, we got hungry and went to dinner. After a delicious lunch, you could play volleyball, football, but I went to listen and sing songs with a guitar. It was wonderful! This trip will be remembered for my whole life.
I would like to thank all the alumni, instructors, teachers and everyone who was with us that day. I fell in love with hiking and will be happy to go to all the others. It's so great! Thank you all for such a wonderful day!
Rodnova Maria, 10 "E" class
On Friday, my class and I went on a relay hike. It took a long time to get to the place, but it was fun. On the way we talked, recognized each other, had fun, took pictures and, of course, sang songs.
Approaching the camp, we saw strange people in incomprehensible clothes, who later turned out to be our instructors. They turned out to be funny guys who entertained us as best they could, and their songs with a guitar were a great end to the day.
Well, the obstacle course is a separate topic. It seems to me that it was this part of the trip that brought our class together so much, and we really turned into one big family called 10 "E". With each new obstacle, we supported each other more and more. The brightest emotions, of course, are associated with the swamp. And in this our instructors played an important role, who in every possible way "helped" us to get out of the swamp as "real lyceum students".
And lunch was also somehow special: the atmosphere of the hike, and we, sitting around the fire, and the confidence that we are one team.
A hike is the very thing that, I think, will be remembered for many years, the thing that showed us that life in the Lyceum is not only study, but also rest, the thing thanks to which I realized that the atmosphere of the Lyceum is not with what cannot be compared and that we really are one huge family.
And now I, too, can declare with confidence: "PERSHY - LEPSHY"!
Anna Erosh, 10 "E"
I don’t know about others, but that day I received many, many vivid impressions. I am very glad that in our time we can just go hiking and have fun. The relay hike is a vivid example of this.
I don’t know a single person who would not like a hike. The relay hike not only brings classmates together, but also the classes in general. It is unlikely that we would all have met without him. I was very impressed that graduates do not forget about their native lyceum, campaigns, teachers. Without them, it would have been a completely different event, because it is they, especially at the beginning, that create an atmosphere of warmth and fun. And then, when everyone gets to know each other, the trip becomes the most unforgettable event in the life of the Lyceum. Interesting and funny contests did not leave anyone indifferent. Oh, these falls into the swamp…. So I wanted to fall into it, but, apparently, not destiny. But it was still a lot of fun! It is very difficult to show the heart out of your hands, standing on a swaying log, but this heart probably impressed everyone. And I also want to say that, adoring such trips, I was very glad that they are held at the Lyceum. I went to the lyceum because of them too, because they are the source of the special atmosphere of the first lyceum.
Nastya Manysheva, 10 "E"
I think the 2016 relay race went perfectly. It was one of the best days in my life. He brought a lot of emotions and wonderful moments into my life and the life of our class. We came across wonderful instructors, and in many respects thanks to them this trip will be remembered for a long time. We were met by graduates of past years. They also did a lot to make our trip as good as possible. There was a special atmosphere in the forest, which you can only feel when you are there. There were so many unforgettable moments that you want to relive again. Songs with a guitar, jumping over a fire and the relay itself will remain in my memory for a long time. This campaign seemed to me a kind of dedication to the ranks of lyceum students. I would like to once again go hiking and spend time in nature among the trees, inhaling the smoke from the fire.
The sun was hiding behind the clouds, evening was approaching, all day long, there was a terrible heat outside, I wanted to feel the evening, summer coolness and finally breathe calmly. But there is still a couple of hours before this coolness, which means that for now we have to move on. Towards evening we will set up a camp, make a fire, but that will be later, but now we have to go.
It all started a couple of weeks ago, summer began and our dreams of a long-planned hike finally came true. Our company of 6 people, two couples and Nastya and I, she is very beautiful, but more on that later. Alena and Cyril, have been dating for about 5 years, as long as I remember them, they always swear, but at the same time they love each other, and this trip is not just for them, but Alena does not know this yet. As soon as we get to our destination, to the top of the mountain, from where a gorgeous view opens up, Kirill will nevertheless make an offer to Alena. And one more couple, they have been dating for only a year, perhaps this is the most romantic couple I have ever met. They are the complete opposite of Alena and Kirill, this cute couple Marina and Nikita.
And so, X-day, we gathered with the guys at the appointed point, the weather was "Gorgeous", but no one refused to go, there was a downpour. We decided to get to the transshipment point by bus, spend the night, and tomorrow we decided to move on. The transshipment point turned out to be a pretty nice place, a couple of houses, a picturesque area and a guard Kuzmich. He is the one and put us all in one house. We went into the house and saw a small but cozy kitchen, a small sofa and a TV in front of it, a staircase to the second floor, and there are three rooms, we were settled with Nastya. Late evening came, the guys went to their rooms, they all evening joked about Nastya and me, one room, one bed, to be honest, I would gladly sleep with her, but I have to lie on the sofa in the living room. I stood on the street and blew smoke out of my mouth, I simply smoked. The smoke turned out to be thick, then almost invisible, and what a wonderful smell from a cigarette at night, these are completely different sensations, at night the cigarette stretches completely differently, you want to pull and pull it so that it does not end, but unfortunately I smoked it to the filter, but on the street everything was just beginning. The smell of the night, the smell of freedom drove me crazy, my favorite time of day, it's easier to breathe and the melody of the street is completely different, I live every day for this, to listen and see the night, no matter what time of year, the night is always beautiful.
I thought about mine and did not notice how someone came up from behind, it was Nastya:
- Let's go to sleep?
- And I'm not staying on the couch?
- Well, if you really want to, stay!
I followed her, she was like an angel that night, before that I had not noticed her, like a girl, what a fool I was! She sat down on the bed, took out a bottle of wine from her backpack and handed it to me to open it. Somewhere from behind the walls, groans were heard, it betrayed me even more excitement. But not this time, we talked with her all night, she fell asleep on my chest and it was the best sex in my life, not we, but our souls, made love and I fell in love.
We walked all day, the heat was unbearable, but a little more and we would set up camp. Alena found an amazing place, there they set up tents, lit a fire, I gazed at the fire, the flame either diminished or flared up again, in it one could observe the dance of two lovers, the fire showed all the passion, all the love, the tenderness that was going on between them, I was so contemplated that I barely heard how Nastya began to play the guitar.
After dinner, everyone went to the tents, this night, I decided to spend under the stars, the sea of stars and I bathe in them, clean air, night, fire and stars, Nastya lay down next to me, we fell asleep on the grass, in the open air. A couple more hours and we will get to the place. The guys and I already knew every path that leads us to the place, we ran around in childhood with our parents, potatoes in a fire, songs with a guitar, and most importantly, young parents, now they will no longer be able to go such a long way, but we will bring they have photos and videos, time flies quickly, only yesterday, my mother took me to first grade, and now she wants to take her grandchildren to school, but so far, alas, I cannot give her such happiness.
While I was thinking about my parents, Nikita and Marina had a fight for the first time, and they walk in silence, well, well, this pink blues won't be heard.
The moment that our whole company was waiting for, as we expected, we got to the place in the evening, it was already dark, somewhere far away the lights were burning, the noise of a small rivulet was heard, the moon took its place on the pedestal, illuminating everything around with moonlight. Kirill got down on one knee in front of Alena, they should have seen her tears of happiness, this once again proves that they love each other very much. I finally made up my mind and Nastya and I together, but Marina and Nikita remained the same cute, but with scandals, passion began to play in them, as Kirill says.
This trip changed our life, we began to meet more often and spend time together, more often we visit our parents. We began to devote more time to each other, and this is the most important thing! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
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