Introduction from Cindy

Friends & Family:

As you know, Bill has embarked to Russia to climb Mt Elbrus (18,000 feet). After leaving from JFK on Sunday, where due to horrible storms his flight was delayed 2 1/2hours from leaving, he took off to Frankfurt where due to the delay in JFK, he missed his connection to St Petersburg and had to catch another flight 7 hours later!!! This flight was 3 hours long so by the time he arrived in St Petersburg he was relieve and exhausted!

He is spending the next few days with our good friend and guide, Kurt Wedberg (who guided us through Kili), and their fellow climber, John Rogitz from San Diego. They begin their climb on Friday, but until then Bill is taking full advantage of exploring the city. He said to me "Oh Cindy, I'm a terrible travel blogger" but after reading his stories I think you will disagree!!! Tony Winston or I will continue to update you, and hopefully we will also get some photos (I showed Bill how to use the photo-feature on his blackberry...)

If for whatever reason you do not want to receive these updates, please let me know and I'll take you off the list.

ENJOY!

Arrival into St. Petersburg - July 20

Just landed in St. Petersburg. It’s a beautiful day here – its about 7:00 o’clock at night. Everything went off without a hitch – except for a slight delay in New York. Got the bags and we’re on our way to the hotel. The airport was very small surprisingly – I would say that it was no bigger than San Diego airport, maybe even smaller. There are only 4 baggage claim carousels. It’s very nice to see they have alternate signs both in English and in Russian.

We’re on our way downtown to the hotel and we’re passing by lots of buildings and statues. We just passed by a statue of Vladimir Lenin, and the buildings look to be from about 40-60 years old. The city was completely destroyed in World War II. There is still much restoration that is ongoing from the destruction of World War II and the neglect of the Soviet regime. Under the Soviet regime there was of course no recognition of religion, so all the beautiful churches and places of worship were shuttered or neglected, or turned into a museum. Basically the Soviet regime extended between 1917 and 1991. Some of the larger structures were virtually destroyed since World War II.


After we go to the hotel and get cleaned up, we’re going to hit the town because it’s light until very late here. In June, it stays light until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning… and now in July, it will stay light until about 10:30 or 11:30 at night. So we have plenty of light to run around and see things. As we’re driving along, I can see a lot of what look like government buildings. My Russian is very rusty, although I can read it okay.

That’s it for now, will report in later.

Driving Tour of St. Petersburg - July 21

Wow! This city is spectacular. It’s very clean and the architecture is quite beautiful. Very elegant, much built in 1800’s. The city was founded 1703. Much Baroque (early, middle and late), as well as Classical and Empire styles. There are many parks and squares with cathedrals (4) and government buildings.

The food here is pretty standard fare. You can always find something on the menu whether it’s a Caesar salad or a piece of chicken. Or if you are adventurous you can go for a traditional borsch! Last night, we had Chicken Kiev and Beef Stroganoff, both delicious. I have only seen one McDonald’s, and no Starbucks. People were friendly and eager to please, although I would not characterize their temperament as happy-go-lucky. I would say they are cautious.

This morning we went into St Nicholas Cathedral, which is Russian Orthodox. Very ornate with many icons, mostly of Virgin Mary and Son. There were no pews (no sitting during service), and powder blue exterior. Very quiet both inside and outside.

The Opera and Ballet House was built in 1858, and has a powder green exterior, with lots of columns and ornate sculptural elements right off a magnificent square.

Driving around, we noticed canals very similar to those in Venice (St Petersburg is sometimes called the Northern Venice) which are punctuated by many interesting bridges, each an architectural statement. There are two rivers; the Neva and the Moika, which wind all through the City. On either side of the Neva in the center of town are amazing older buildings e.g., the Peter and Paul Fortress which is the final resting place for the entire Romanov Dynasty, including Peter the Great, up through Czar Nicholas the Second and his murdered family.



Then, we went to the unique Church of Christ, (also known as the Church of the Spilled Blood) which has nine gold and multi colored cupolas. There are many mosaics on the exterior, together with small artistic flags representing various regions of old Russia.

Onto Michael Opera and Ballet House (2nd largest in the City) which is next to Michael's Palace (now the Russian Museum), an astonishingly beautiful classical building now housing solely Russian artists of all types. And, of course shopping off this square which I was assured by our tour guide is only for Russians and we were an exception!!!

Then to the Kazan Cathedral (1801) which looks like it would fit in St Peter's square in Rome. Classic structure, located on Nevsky Prospect - the main street of the City (4.5 km long). Alexander Nevsky was a famous Russian prince.



Next was the Hermitage, which is actually five separate but adjacent buildings and houses with over 3 million pieces of art. Clearly one of the greatest collections anywhere… the largest in Russia and one of the 4 largest in the world. The main building (which was originally the winter palace of Peter the Great) is classic architecture, with light powder green exterior, white pillars and gilded artwork above the windows, all very tastefully done. The interior of the main building is classical style, long hallways, somewhat narrow and colonnaded, and it is said, as important as the artwork itself.

Upstairs on first floor is a large exhibition of Picassos, then the gallery of 1812 commemorating 112 generals from the Napoleonic Wars. Then we moved onto the Throne Room which is 800 sq meters with matching inlaid floors and gilded ceilings, not to mention huge ornate gilded chandeliers.

Now the next contiguous building which is known as the Small Hermitage – was built by Catherine the Great to house her art collection. It has incredible marble (white Carrera) floors with mosaics and outdoor gardens, all overlooking a dark blue Neva River and bridges, through floor to ceiling windows on sunny day.

Then we went to the Old Hermitage (3rd Building) with medieval art including frescoes, oil paintings (fra filippo lippi), icons and artwork by Giovanni Della Robbia (I thought Della Robbia’s were an art form!) And renaissance art including 2 Botticelli’s, 2 by Da Vinci (Madonna with Child and Madonna Lita), 8 Titians (including The Repentant Mary Magdalene and St Sebastian).

After that, it was on to the 4th building known as the Hermitage Theatre, which is in the style of an ancient Greek amphitheatre and now used for performances.

Then on to the so called “New Hermitage” (built around 1850 to 1870) with an area called Raphael's Loggias, which is basically a long hallway with incredibly beautiful frescoes and canvasses on the walls. Artwork by Russian masters (not Raphael) depicting Greek mythology and images from the Bible.

Then to the Hall of Raphael with 2 paintings by Raphael and a sculpture by Michelangelo ("The Crouching Boy"), the only one in Russia.

Next, we went to the Small Skylight Room (great light) with large portraits including one by Caravaggio and Tintoretto, and continued on to the Large Skylight Room (more light) with more examples of Baroque art.


Then it was to Hall of Spanish Art, which housed 2 by Velasquez and 3 by El Greco. Afterwards, it was to the Hall of Rembrandt, which had 24 paintings and numerous sketches. My favorite was The Return of The Prodigal Son, an unforgettable work of art. Next room was The Tent Hall with other Dutch masters like Ter Borch and Steen.

Then to the Impressionist area; Renoirs, Cezannes, Monet, Pissarro, Degas, Toulouse Latrec, Van Gogh, Gaugin, Matisse (over 150 in all!)

Next was the Malachite Room which has beautiful Malachite columns and a fireplace, with ornate gold on the doors and ceiling. And lastly, we came upon the Concert Hall - with the sarcophagus of Alexander Nevsky.

This summarizes 3 hours in this amazing place. Our guide estimates we may have seen maybe 1 or 2 percent of what's on display and what's on display is only 10 percent of the total collection!!!!

Now… it’s off to the Hydrofoil on the Neva River which takes us to Peterhof.

The Hydrofoil - July 21

The hydrofoil is a 30 minute ride to Peterhof, the summer residence of Peter the Great. We had a nice view of the City during the ride plus we went by a number of the 31 islands that surround St Petersburg, particular note to Basil's Island which formerly housed the judiciary so the buildings are very impressive.


Peterhof was built as a result of Peter's visit to Versailles. No one ever accused old Peter of thinking small!! We took a break for lunch in front of the Peterhof, feeling a bit jet lagged. Thankfully, we have a good tour guide!

Walking up to the Peterhof, it is large and beautiful, with 18 fountains and 3 separate buildings - hard to do it justice with a description. There are three levels of grass and fountains leading up maybe 100 feet to the main structure, which is probably 300 yards long and four stories high. The exterior is classic architecture, with a yellow exterior and white treatments around the windows. Gilded statues stand at the foot with fountains and two parallel stairways leading up to the main structure. Inside, all is restored so there is nothing of historical interest. There are lots of beautiful halls, the Throne Room, oak study etc. Restoration is still ongoing including to a gorgeous church next door.

We then spent quite a bit of time walking around the extensive grounds which are over 250 acres. Definitely a nice second home! And my guess is, like most second homes, this one doesn't pencil.

The grounds include many different types of fountains and statues by 18th Century Italian masters as well as other homes (we saw at least 5) that were apparently used by various members of the royal family in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Now back to the hydrofoil. We have had a full day of sight seeing...

A Little More Sight-Seeing - July 22

We got up early since we have to leave for the airport at 11:00am to head for the Caucuses and Mt. Elbrus. We decided to go for a drive to check out a few things we didn't have a chance to see yesterday.

First stop is Palace Square, an enormous space, ringed by the back of the Hermitage (formerly the Winter Palace) on one side, the Admiralty on another and by an immense long governmental building with a series of beautifully ornate arches, statues and columns. In the middle of Palace Square is a tall (200 foot) pillar with a statue of Alexander the 1st, who fought and defeated Napoleon at the top. Alexander is depicted as an archangel. (St Petersburg is on the Gulf of Finland which feeds into the Baltic Sea and has been historically the headquarters for the Russian Navy).

It is now 8:00am and a few people are walking across the square presumably on their way to work with the exception of a handful of soldiers milling around, and a few brightly colored babushkas carrying large baskets. The style of dress is predominantly Western, especially among the younger people, very few suits, which surprised me. Like yesterday, I would characterize the people as polite but cautious. They don't seem to smile easily but rather appear serious in disposition.

Another aspect of the city that surprised me is that it was not very crowded. Since St. Petersburg has a population of 4 million, I expected the streets to be much more crowded and busy, and apart from the main street called Nevskiy, you could really get around easily, either on foot or in a car, with one exception… The Hermitage was packed.

We are now at the apartment of Alexander Pushkin, the renowned Russian poet. The apartment is now a museum located right off Palace Square on the Neva River. I am reminded again of Venice as the Neva and the Moika Rivers wind their way throughout the City exiting at the Baltic Sea by way of the Gulf of Finland. However, it is much cleaner than Venice, as we haven't seen any graffiti and very little garbage, especially around the historical sites. It is another perfect day weather-wise which is a bit unusual, now 2 days in a row. I have been told that given the northern latitude (35 degrees) and proximity to the ocean, that rain is frequent - about 4 to 5 times per week. A brief exception is in the month of June, which is referred to as White Nights because the sun doesn't set until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning. For us, it gets dark a little earlier… about 11:00pm to Midnight - Still late by our standards.

Now off to the so called Field of Mars, which is basically a very well kept meadow used for many years as a parade ground, as well as for military maneuvers, and much earlier as a barracks. Back to the part of the Neva River that leads to several of the islands that surround St. Petersburg. Crossing a bridge to the largest of them, Basil's Island, where we stopped and viewed an extraordinary panorama. Think: the Potomac in Washington D.C., or the Charles in Boston with incredible architectural statements on either side, one after another, some very old – such as the Fortress of Peter and Paul, which is the oldest building in the City (1703). And some less old- like the massive judicial buildings (which look like the U.S. Supreme Court) and the Hermitage (both built around 1830), and a sprinkling of newer buildings.

Now we are heading to the Fortress of Peter and Paul, situated on a small island in the Neva. This was originally a fortress during earliest times, later used as a prison, and now as a museum. It is also the burial ground for the Romanov Dynasty. (Another reminder that St. Petersburg was the capital of Russia from 1703 until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917).

From the fortress we proceed down the Neva (we are on the other side of the river from the Hermitage and the center of town where we are staying) to Peter's cabin, the place where Peter the Great would come and plan for the construction of the City. Before Peter oversaw the creation of the City, he had to wrest it away from Sweden which owned and occupied it in the late 1600’s. He did that by declaring that the area had belonged to Russia historically (which was apparently true) and he was just taking it back.

Down from Peter's cabin is a series of military installations along the Neva, including several battleships across the street from a long building which is a naval training school. This area leads to a more modern part of the City which features newer apartment and office buildings. There are streetcars and a lot more people, as well as traffic (the first we have seen!). No real historical interest here, as it feels like any city anywhere - albeit with some gold domes and spires visible through the trees on the horizon. We then wind back around to a bridge which takes us across the Neva to our hotel. We will pack up and go to the airport for the next stop on this adventure, Mineralnye Vody, the gateway to the Caucuses.

Travel Day to Mineralnye Vody - July 22

After some additional sight-seeing for a couple of hours this morning, we left for the airport to continue our travels. It was a 3 hour flight from St. Petersburg to a very small town in the southwestern-most point in Russia called Mineralnye Vody, which means "mineral waters". The airport was teeny with only one baggage claim carrousel, and I could see from the air that the area was rather flat topographically. We were now officially in the country.

From the small airport, it was another 3 hours in a van ride to Elbrus. Not one word of English was spoken. The countryside was very pretty, with initially gently rolling hills gradually increasing in size and height.

We were met at the airport by Gia, our local guide, who will be climbing with us on Elbrus. It was raining so we asked the obvious question of Gia… namely “What is the forecast Comrade?” Gia, who is a friendly but serious sort of fellow with a surprisingly slight build, replied "2 days rain, 3 days sun, lots of snow conditions - good". That is good news if he is right… which I am not about to question!

It’s about 9:15 pm on Thursday night and we have arrived at the hotel, which is about 20 minutes away from the base of the mountain. It is getting dark, and we have now left civilization behind or so it feels and seems. There are very few houses and lights and no paved roads - this is rustic to the third or fourth power! Really Russian, really neat. Never seen anything like this before, like being on a different planet. Will report in later when it gets light…The adventure begins!!

Acclimatization and the Gondola - July 23

Last night, I had mentioned that the place we are staying at is in the middle of nowhere, and that I would be able to give you a better idea once the morning came and there was sunlight. Well, I can now say with some confidence that we are still in the middle of nowhere! Where we are staying, there are 2 cafes, 1 hotel, and 1 bed & breakfast. There are no paved roads, and basically it feels like we’re in the middle of the woods somewhere.

There is a great deal of poverty here. Not many people live here, but those who do, look like they’ve lived a very hard, tough life. I see people walking with their baskets of food, or I see them in the cafés, and their faces look very old, and you can tell they have been through a lot. The area itself is not beautiful; in fact it’s just the opposite. There is a lot of garbage everywhere. I guess you could say that the people in this area have more on their minds than being environmentally conscious. But they are friendly… once you get past the initial conversation and get to know them a little bit.

The food here, on the other hand, is quite good. The cafés serve traditional Russian food, like shish-kabob – but here they call it “Shashlik”. They also have this one dish which is like a quesadilla with potatoes and cheese, very tasty. They also have various kinds of rice with different herbs and spices, and their version of French Fries. All quite delicious.

Today was our first day of climbing. The lower part of the mountain is a ski area, and there are ski and chair lifts, as well as gondolas at the base of the mountain, that can take you up part way, if you choose to do it that way. We decided we wanted to try and get some good altitude in today, in order to acclimatize ourselves to the higher altitudes later on, so we chose to take one of the gondolas up a couple thousand feet and start hiking from there up to an area called “The Hut”, which is at 13,000 feet.
Luckily our hotel was only a quarter mile from the gondolas. As you go up the gondola, you feel like you’re in the middle of a huge mountain range. I told Kurt that it felt like we were in the middle of the Swiss Alps, and Kurt said that the Alps and Elbrus are actually very similar.

And then, something very strange happened… About half way up the mountain (9,000 feet), the gondola stopped suddenly, and due to the abruptness, the car began to swing and sway back and forth. When this happened, there were a few collective gasps, and even our local guide, Gia looked at me and said “I’ve never seen this happen before.” But apparently, there had been a power outage across the entire valley, and the power did not resume for a half hour (which is quite a long time, if you’re afraid of heights, or being in an enclosed space, which I am not of course!) The gondola can hold about 25 people – and there were groups from all over the world in the gondola with us; climbers from Korea, Sweden, Austria, Soviet Union and America. So here we all were in this gondola, with no poles or straps to hold on to, not to mention, we were also carrying our packs.

Then, there was this one guy who decided that one of the ethnic groups in the gondola (who shall remain nameless) was putting off an odor, so much so that he reaches over to one of the doors and opens it to let in some fresh air. Apparently, the people of this particular culture have been known to consume great quantities of a food called “Kemchi” which is a fermented cabbage. Personally, I didn’t smell anything (thank God for my asthma), but this guy did. It was horrifying because someone could have very easily fallen out -- we were suspended about 400 feet in the air! So needless to say, the “drama quota” had definitely been satisfied for the day!

Back to the climb: As we were hiking at about 10,000 feet, we were already seeing glaciers, which continued all the way up to the top, and the views were absolutely spectacular! When we started climbing from 10,000 feet up to 13,000 feet, it felt like we were in the middle of a huge snow field. It’s nothing but 100% snow, so there is still skiing here, even in July! You take any large ski resort, like Vail for instance, and this was 5 times the size. It’s just enormous!

At 13,000 feet, we reached “the Hut”. They call it the Hut because this is the place where climbers stay the night before they summit the next day. There are a lot of climbers on the mountain, usually in teams of 9 or 10 people. Just like on Mt. Kilimanjaro, you run into groups of people while going up the mountain, as well as when you’re coming back down. We would always stop and talk with each of the climbers and ask them where they were from. Today we ran into some folks from Romania and also some U.S. climbers from Seattle, who were very excited because today was their summit day. That’s one of the best parts of this experience - is getting to meet folks from all over the world. It’s like solidarity up there because everyone is in it together.

So far, the weather has been okay.. It’s actually been raining and snowing. But it rains late in the day and is sunny in the morning, so our plan is to hike in the mornings, to avoid the rain if possible. Kurt and John and I are all very excited, but also a bit nervous, since it is supposed to get quite cold up there in the next couple of days - about 10 to 15 degrees below zero (Celsius), which is about 14 degrees Fahrenheit. But everyone up here is very cautious and very careful, so I am confident.

Tomorrow we will go back up to the hut again and spend the night. And on Sunday, we plan on taking another acclimatization hike up about 2,000 feet, to prepare for the summit. Then Monday, we plan on waking up at 2:00am in the morning and hike to the summit, which is 18,510 feet at the top!

I’m not sure if I will have blackberry service from this point on or not, and I don’t have a place to charge the phone, so I will keep you posted when I can. More soon…

Diesel Hut – July 24

Today we moved up onto the flanks of Mt Elbrus and will spend the next couple of days here doing acclimatizing hikes. Our base of operations is the Diesel Hut at 13,451', 4100m. The Diesel Hut is a 2-story structure that can hold approximately 40 people. It is equipped with large propane tanks and stoves for cooking. It was named after a generator powered by diesel fuel that gives the hut electricity for lighting. This generator has worked every year since I started coming to this hut but unfortunately it is currently not in operation. In spite of that the Diesel Hut is still a comfortable place to stay while we get ready to make our summit attempt. It was built in 2002 next to the old Priut 11 Hut that stood here from 1938 until it burned down in 1998.

The weather today was cloudy with intermittent rain that turned to snow above 12,500', 3810m. We arrived at the Diesel Hut at 12:30pm. We took some time to find bunk space where we unrolled out sleeping bags and pads. We then ate lunch and organized our gear before setting off on an afternoon acclimatization hike. Weather remained cloudy but precipitation had ceased as we set off to climb another 1000'. The clouds lifted enough to offer us a nice view of Mt Elbrus in front of us and the Baksan Valley behind. We could also see the mountains on the opposite side of the Baksan Valley that stretch well in to Georgia.

We kept a steady methodical pace getting into a nice rhythm with our breathing and walking. This is the foundation for efficient high altitude mountaineering. Taking these hikes to higher elevation triggers our bodies to produce more red blood cells that are the basis for acclimatization to the thinner air with decreased oxygen.

As our hike continued a cloud moved in, obscuring our view bringing with it wind and snow. We stopped for a quick refueling break and donned our waterproof/breathable jackets that offer protection from the elements and keep us dry.

1 1/2 hours after beginning our hike we reached an elevation of 14,500', 4420m. Reaching our goal for the day we turned around and made our way back to the Diesel Hut. A pizza dinner was accompanied by hot soup and tea.

Everybody on the team is performing well and feeling great. Tomorrow we plan a longer acclimatization hike another 1000', 300m+ in elevation. If this hike goes well we will have put ourselves in position for a summit attempt as soon as July 26 weather permitting. While we always take things one step at a time on these high altitude climbs, the excitement and anticipation are definitely building.

Thanks to everybody for your support. Please pray for our continued safety, good health, and for the weather to give is an opportunity to make a summit attempt soon!

Hiking to 15,500 Feet - July 25th

After a successful hike yesterday the team slept well last night. Everybody has been acclimating well and showing no signs of having trouble with the altitude.

We ate a good breakfast of fresh apples and oranges, toast, quesadillas and granola, then got ready for our next hike. The goal was to get to 15,500', 4724m.

At 9:40 we left the Diesel Hut under cloudy skies and warm temperatures. As we climbed, the weather would alternate between cloudy and sunny. When the weather cleared we were treated to magnificent views. Even when a cloud moved in we never had any precipitation. The thermometer on my Suunto Core watch/wrist top computer read in the mid 60’s when the sun was out and about 10-20 degrees cooler when a cloud surrounded us. Overall the weather was pleasant conditions to hike in.

We hiked in 1 hour stretches then took breaks to eat and drink. This procedure is also part of our training since this is how we intend to climb on summit day. Taking a steady pace with regular breaks to refuel is the most efficient way to climb a big mountain.

After 4 hours we reached our high point of 15,500', 4724m. We took a 15 minute break then descended back to the Diesel Hut.

Although clouds obscured the summit all day we noticed a few people had reached the top and were descending past us. The pleasant weather we had for hiking was apparently good enough for reaching the summit. This was good news.

Upon returning to the hut we discussed making a summit attempt tomorrow. The weather forecast is for similar conditions tomorrow as we had today. Everybody is feeling great after our latest hike so the decision has been made to try for the summit in the morning. We used the afternoon to organize our gear. We ate an early dinner then went to bed at 6pm.

We are psyched and ready for our summit attempt tomorrow!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

We summitted Mt Elbrus on July 26 at 12:20pm. More to follow soon!