Day 1 - Arrive in Moscow, transfer to hotel.
- 23 June 2012 - sightseeing: Red Square, The Kremlin, Gorky Park etc
Day 2 - Flight to Mineralnye Vody. 3 hour transfer to 3 star hotel New Azau Hotel at base of Elbrus cableway. Overnight.
- 24 June 2012 - small russian plane...excess baggage issues....dodge vehicles....scary 'path' not road to Elbrus
Day 3 - Acclimatisation day and climbing of Mt Cheget (3410m).
- 25 June 2012 - apparently a gorgeous hike with beautiful views...
Day 4 - Ascend cableway on Elbrus to Garabashi, acclimatise with walk to Priyut
ruins (4000m), night in barrels.
- 26 June 2012 - this is where the fun starts...
Day 5 - Climb from barrels at 3800m to 4700m, Pastukhov Rocks, return and sleep at barrels.
- 27 June 2012 - packing scrabble, iPad with movies & cards...
Day 6 - Rest day at barrels.
- 28 June 2012 - could be a loooong day...more movies & games
Day 7 - Take snow-cat from barrels to rocks at midnight - ascend western summit of Elbrus (5642m).
- 29 June 2012 - if all goes well YAY! Luckily we have a contingency day for bad weather...
Day 8 - Contingency day for bad weather.
- 30 June 2012 - hopefully we don't need it, but good to have either way!
Day 9 - Return to New Azau Hotel.
- 1 July 2012 - LOTS of Vodka to be had!!
Day 10 - Fly from Mineralnye Vody to Moscow. Night in hotel.
- 2 July 2012 - CIVILISATION!!
Day 11 - Transfer to airport - Depart from Moscow.
- 3 July 2012 - hopefully we all leave with HUGE smiles on our faces!
I will be a week behind you. Good luck on your adventures.
ReplyDeleteJaime
Hi Jaime - awesome, hows your training going?
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear about your experiences as well!
Chat soon
Candy
Candy:
ReplyDeleteI just started my training a bit more seriously. I am jogging with 10 pounds on a weighted vest for 3 miles (short strides to protect my knees) and at the gym on the stair master with 20 pounds for 25 minutes plus my regular weight training. Before I have been doing a lot of stair master without weights. Also spin class twice a week. On all my summits the muscles that hurt the most were my calves and hip flexors, I need to focus on that. Unfortunately there are no mountains around were I live, so I need to get creative. ;)
I did Kilimanjaro as well and last year the Ecuador mountain circuit (five summits). including Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. For what I read, Elbrus is more like Cotopaxi but colder. Now, the differences between Kili and Cotopaxi were huge even though they are at the same height. Personally they did not compared. Cotopaxi was so much harder and technical compared to Kili. Just a heads up. After I got back from Ecuador I felt that all the training I did for that was wrong and I needed to step it up. Almost training to failure and overcoming that lactose build up in your muscles.
I think for me the key is to get the legs conditioned as much as you can. Get food that is easy to digest at altitude. No protein bars but quick calorie burst food or bars (goo, stinger, honey, oreos) that you can eat every hour. If cold is an issue, maybe pack a small thermos with hot tea. Forget about a camel back, they freeze. Two wide mouth water container will do the trick.
I will be in Moscow on July 1st and will be returning home July 13. In Mineralnye on the 3 and 12 I think. Feel free to contact me trough email if you want.
Good luck.
Hi there! Thanks so much for all that info! I have actually stepped up my weight considerably - I don't go on the stairmaster without my pack weighing at least 9-12kg! I've also added weights when i'm on the treadmill! Thanks for all the tips, I'm definately going to do that! I don't know where I would get a weighted vest, but I will investigate for sure!
ReplyDeleteWe should be in Moscow on the 2nd again i think - we fly home on the 3rd!
Please keep sending me your tips and tricks, every bit helps!
Thanks again
Just to update. My jogging is now with 25 pounds and on the treadmill with 30. So far I have shed 12lbs in six weeks (I achieved my weight goal for the mountain)
ReplyDeleteThis week I will put another 5 lbs on the pack. My legs are tired most of the time but they recover faster (Since I am working out twice a day). I still have two more weeks of training before I leave. Three days before I depart, I will only do light workouts. I don't want to be tired when I get there. Hopefully all this will make a difference.