Scottish Scouts Seven Summits Project 1993

 

On Monday 19 July 1993 at around 1.00pm local time, 13 members of the joint Sottish/Russian Caucasus Expedition team stood on the summit of Mount Elbrus (18,500ft). Nine Scots and four Russians had made the last push from the col to the summit to bring a culmination over a year of planning, training, fundraising and organisation.

 

After many weekends trianing in the Scottish mountains the expedition left Manchester Airport bound for Moscow aboard Aeroflot TU-154 with decidedly dodgy tyres! On our arrrical at Moscow we were met by our Russian hosts and ushered through the astonished crowds onto our bus. There are few sights to rival 23 kilted Scotsmen with massive rucksacs!

 

We were then taken to a young persons' hostel which would act as our base whilst in moscow.

 

The next day we were shown the famous tourist attractions: Red Square, St Basil's Cathedral, The Kremlin and Gom, the famous shopping centre bordering Red Square.

  

We spent our time visiting the apartments that our hosts lived in and saw the Brateevo Scout Organisation meeting place - The ground floor flat of a multi-storey tower block. once inside it was like a Scoung Aladdin's cave. Vladimir Goomov, the russian leader and our guide on Elbrus, is a veteran of the REd Army and has an astonishing collection of diaries of expeditions all over Russia.

 

The expedition was now getting itchy feet and was very keen to get to the mountains. we travelled by train from moscow to Mineralde-vody, a journey taking us through the Ukrane and lasting 33hours! Then it was onto an old bus for the joourney up the Baksan Valley to Itkol deep in the Caucasus mountains.

 

We were by now forming a good relationship with our fellow Russian Scouts and climbing partners, and this would grow stronger during our acclimatisation walks and expeditions.

 

A three day espedition took us up the Elbrus valley to camp at 8,300ft just below the Irik Glacier. A 5.30amstart saw us ascend through the glacier and associated crevasse field to a high point of 11,700ft and over the Terskolak Pass to camp at 10,560ft on the moraine at the side of the Terskol GlacierThe majority of the expedition appeared to be coping well with large rucksacks and the altitude, with only minor blisters and somach upsets causing any concern. We descended to Terskoland back to Itkol to wash and rest for our attempt on Mount Elbrus itself.

 

When we boarded the bus to take us to our start pointthere was a mixture of excited anticipation and a vague fear of the unknown - an interesting cocktail. our base on elbrus would be a mountain refuge called the Pruit hut and at 13,860ft, higher than most of us had been before.

 

We settled in and had another day of acclimatising, ascendind to 16,500ft then back to the hut in the evening. The symptoms of altitude sickness were begining to manifest themselves with headaches and nausea being reported by many of the expedition.

 

We were up at 1.30am to leave at 3.00am for for our attempt on the summit. The early start is vital to get climbing when the glacier is still frozen and the crevasses have not opened up - more about them later! after witnessing an awe inspiring sunrise we slogged our way up past the Pastukhov Rocks at 15,210ft and gasped our way along the traverse to the col at 17,724ft.

 

By this time many members of the expedition were sufering from the intitial effects of the altitude and after discussion with the expedition doctor 14 members made the decission to attempt to reach the summit. The last 800ft took the summit team almost 2 hours,  a fair indication of the seriousness and difficulty of the summit.

 

At about 1.00pm we reached the summit and although initially euphoric we all knew we had to get down safely. After a fairly eventful descentincluding stepping into crevasses and dealing with a sick member of the team, we staggered into the Pruit hut at about 5.00pm, exhauseted but delighted at the sucess of the Russian part of the expedition.

 

We descended the mountain and were now all desperate to return home, the classic climbing anti-climax. However after an initial low we soon bounced back with some members climbing another smaller peak and some exploring further down the valley in a typical Baksani village.

 

We left to return to Moscow, Enduring a stifingly hot 45 hour train journey. Russia is a country of extremes. Once back in Moscow we hit Mac Donalds with the enthusiasm of piranha fish eating a steak - the team record was 3 BigMacs and fries. We had a memorable last night party with our Russian friends, presented our equipment to the Russian expedition leader, and packed our sacs for the flight home.

 

This was a momentous expedition which only suceeded by every member playing his or her part in making the difficulties of organisation, language, terrain and altitude surmountable by their commitment and responsibility, not only to themselves, but to their fellow climbers - Russian or Scottish.

 

We all look forward to the Russian Scouts visiting Scotland in March this year and we will report on their escapades in our mountains. This wil conclude the second part of our exchange expedition.

 

To all the sponsors and "Friends of the Expedition" we thank you forbeing a part of this venture and for your patience and generosity.