On Friday, Sept 7, I moved up to the Barrels Huts at the 12,300′ level on Elbrus, a volcano in Russia, the highest point of Europe and one of the Seven Summits. On this trip I first encountered the Barrels on my acclimatization hike of Tuesday September 4 from Cheget to the Barrels.
The Barrels Huts (capitalized because that’s their actual name in Russian) are just what it sounds like – large steel drums, about 30’ long and 10’ in diameter tipped on their sides with doors and windows cut out and beds and little room dividers built in. They’re set in a long row side by side along a large flat spot a few hundred feet above the chairlift. Or almost 1000’ above Mir Station. — Elbrus, My Waterloo – publishing October 2012
I went up again on Thursday for another acclimatization hike, this time from Mir (Tram Station) to Pastukhova Rocks at 15,300′. I returned Friday to spend the night for my summit attempt on Saturday. The Barrels are a very popular tourist destination. When the weather is good, and the lifts are running, average people in jackets and street shoes can quite easily get there and enjoy the views.
On a pleasant weekend day there will be a hundred tourists sitting in the sun staring at the groups of other tourists and climbers going up and down the cat track, and clicking like crazy with their cameras. Some will even have binoculars. The administrator sent me to barrel number four. I stepped up the four narrow ladder rungs and inside, first the vestibule area with old gear storage racks and the old bathroom door, sealed with a very large padlock. Way back in the day they used to have bathrooms and cooking in each of the Barrels. No longer, and you have to use the kitchen and the very dirty outhouses. — Elbrus, My Waterloo – publishing October 2012
I spent the afternoon laying out and organizing my stuff, and purifying water with my PurifiCup, and charging my electronics with my Goal Zero Guide 10
Back at the hut, I again switched to the trail shoes and hung the socks to dry on one of the many crisscrossed cords above the beds. Drying out gear is common enough that many tents and huts have installed lines just for that purpose. I set my phone to charge on the Goal Zero Guide 10 battery pack, and took my boots out, removing the insoles to allow for full air circulation, to dry in the sun. I sat next to them on a slat of wood laid on the concrete for just that use, to enjoy the warm rays of daylight. — Elbrus, My Waterloo – publishing October 2012
I spent Friday night there, sleeping quite coldly, in my bunk in #4 Hut, with no electric heaters, as in 2010.
It got colder and colder as the night progressed, and I huddled snuggly, but cold, in my 15 degree down bag. I ended up running to the outhouse a few times in the night. On a trip out around 4:00 AM I saw a group on the concrete slabs getting their crampons on but when I returned to the hut they were gone. A few minutes later I heard a snowcat start and grind its way up the slope. A part of me wished I were on it. — Elbrus, My Waterloo – publishing October 2012
After my failed summit attempt I returned to the Barrels and dried out my clothes and charged my electronics. I have been to the Barrels many times now, with two trips in 2010 (May in a group climb with Pilgrim Tours, and in September with Top Sport Travel for Elbrus Race 2010) and now this one. I love them, in spite of the dirty outhouses and bedding, in spite of the cold and damp, in spite of the tourists milling about on the concrete slabs during the sunny days.
I spent a few seconds in my exploration to examine all the decals stuck on the walls by various climbers and guides. It’s kind of fun to see what there is from around the world. Lots of interesting graffiti too, but of the generally “clean” kind – like so and so from whatever country climbed in whatever year. — Elbrus, My Waterloo – publishing October 2012
Gallery for The Barrels on Elbrus
KPICASA_GALLERY(HangingAtTheBarrelsOnElbrus)