The hike that changed everything. Climbing the eastern peak of Elbrus - Alexander Petrov This trip changed everything
The Arkhyz pass at 3000 meters was taken! But ahead of us was waiting highest point hike - 3182 meters and a dangerous climb up the mountain powder. Suddenly, the wind blew again, clouds crawled in and began to rain, besides, all the things under the raincoat were wet due to sweat and personally, I only had two pairs of dry underpants and socks left... with every minute the stones became more and more slippery and in Thoughts began to flash through my head: “maybe it’s not worth it?” But the decision was made for us... We dropped our backpacks and started climbing to the top.
The strong wind at an altitude of 3000 meters pierced through. At this moment the thought came to me again, maybe it’s not worth it? But an inner voice immediately cut off all doubts: “What did you come here for, you dead guy?”. In order to somehow protect myself from the wind, I wrapped myself in a raincoat and continued to climb.
I took with me only the essentials: water, well, and several lenses and a camera... Where would we be without this, although the views around us were definitely worth the effort. See for yourself.
The Abishir-Ahuba ridge appeared before us harsh, gray and cold. You got the impression that you were in some kind of 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 same Arkhyz pass where we left our things and common sense.
Despite the fact that half of the walking day and hundreds of meters of grueling ascent were behind us, deep down everyone had the anticipation of climbing the most high peak In my life. So Nastya does not hide her joy.
It was much easier to climb without a backpack, but my legs had long since gone into “wool” mode. In addition, the calluses began to squelch noticeably in the heels... At some point, the climb 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 become more and more difficult. Still, the altitude was 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 had already climbed to it, “Why am I worse? Oh, well, come on, go ahead, one more step, come on.” This is how I cheered myself up for the last 30 meters, which seemed endless to me.
Yes!!! I did it! I climbed my little Everest! The thin and cold air enveloped me from all sides and a sincere smile seemed to be frozen on my face, as if fixed with a stapler. At this moment you completely forget about everything. About all your problems below, about work, study, relationships and all the difficulties of climbing. We took out the flags and took some photos. although no, I’m lying. A lot of.
Already now, 5 months after the hike, I understand 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 presence of an apartment two steps from the city center do not matter. Life is stripped down to the basics as much as possible, 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 your usual benefits and every day you expose 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 replaced 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 yourself who is frozen in the daily routine, surrounded by 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 work schedule and the opinion of management. I could talk about this topic for a long time, but then you won’t see the beauty below. Namely, Lake Zaprudnoe in the shape of a heart, where we had to go down today for the night.
To be honest, after visually assessing how much we still have to go, I was, to put it mildly, shocked. And I even doubted that this was physically possible, but Sasha had a different opinion, and he colorfully described what difficulties awaited us below. By the way, our instructor is looking at the mountains and probably thinking about how not to lose these idiots 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 Pioneer Peak, and a little further on the main Caucasus ridge, which divides the Caucasus into two parts - Transcaucasia and Northern Caucasus.
Having descended to the pass, we threw on our backpacks and dropped another hundred meters down, where we stopped for lunch. How nice it was to see the sun peeking out from behind the clouds and warming us up after climbingDzhumarukly-Tebe. And here is our resting place, photographed by someone from the group.
Speaking of lunch. “Lunch shouldn’t be filling, otherwise we won’t get anywhere later.”, said Sanya, and thereby cut off any attempts to eat something in excess of the norm. In addition, we were waiting for part of the group that had gone to see the view from Pioneer Peak. You remember our principle, right? - eat only when everything is in place. Well... we sit and wait. Oh, well, and this.. here is our entire lunch for 14 people:
After this we were told to rest for about an hour. Everyone immediately began to sunbathe under the high mountain sun, having previously covered themselves with sunscreen. You won’t believe it, but the sun at such a height breaks through even when it’s cloudy and through clothes, so you can instantly catch sunburn, so you should always make sure that you have sunscreen on your skin and that you wear a hat. Don't forget about your lips. I didn’t take a special product for them with me and only on the third day I started shooting it with my colleagues, but by this time my lips had already become cracked and covered with bloody grooves. It is also better not to leave your eyes without glasses, as there is a chance of damaging the retina. To somehow add something to life thrills It wasn’t enough during the day; the male half of the team went to lie on the snowfield. It didn’t last long, and we jumped up from the icy snow in just a few seconds, but at least we cheered up.
So what is next. Then we had to drop almost 700 meters of altitude to Lake Zaprudnoe (that very heart), and I could not even imagine how dangerous and difficult it would be. Having walked about 100 meters along a relatively human-like descent, we came to a rocky wall, from which a magnificent view of the valley opened up, where I again took out my camera. It was down there on the right, where the lake was visible, that we had to go down.
Instructor Sasha and Natasha.
And here is the Arkhyz pass, from which we just descended and on the slope of which our “royal” lunch took place.
What is the difficulty of the upcoming descent? There was no clear route along the slope, and along the entire length of the loose rocks there were stones of various diameters, along which it was necessary to descend with a 23-kilogram backpack, balancing and without falling off. In addition, you need to be careful not to push the stone onto the person walking below. otherwise this stone will fly back to you, unless of course the person is still able to stand up
Our group began the descent. I walked closer to the rear and watched all the stones that flew out from under my feet so as not to injure anyone. The first steps were at a slight angle and on stable stones, but with every meter the situation worsened.
Every now and then someone screamed "STONE!!!" and we trembled with fear, tracking the fall of the next cobblestone. Some of them flew literally within a few meters and forced us to seriously tense up. But even without the rockfall there were enough difficulties. Despite the fact that I had trekking poles in my hands, if I fell, they would simply break, and given the heavy backpack I was wearing and secured to my body, there was practically no chance of surviving in the event of a fall.
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 buying the right mountain shoes is. It is simply impossible to get through such places without it. The only upsetting thing was that there was a bloody mess on my heels, and every step was given to me only with clenched teeth. The leg muscles experience tremendous tension during the descent, and those who have been on hikes know very well that, contrary to prejudice, going down is much harder than going up. Andrey and I teamed up as a team and tried to help each other in every possible way on the descent. In the photo: the partner paused to take a breath and chart a route along the swaying stones.
This was the first moment during the hike when I became really scared and had an overwhelming feeling of panic. At the end of the hike, almost the entire group will agree that this was the most intense moment of the entire 10 days. This is not surprising. As I already said, we were very stretched out on the slope and everything would have been fine, but in a matter of seconds the highlands were covered with clouds, and we lost eye contact with the guys below. It was impossible to understand how to go, and I had to choose the path based on my own insignificant experience. A couple of times I almost fell down, and my legs almost stopped working and completely “clogged” from tension. Since it was impossible to lay out a clear route due to constant rockfalls (and, consequently, changes in the terrain), we did it ourselves and not without mistakes.
In poor visibility conditions, I came to a steep cliff, which I had to walk 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 visually assess their stability, and each step had to be taken in the style of a sapper, checking the cobblestones with a trekking pole.
Suddenly something jerked next to me with violent force. I swayed and began to fall, seeing out of the corner of my eye a bird (something like an eagle) soaring up, which, frightened of me, abruptly emerged from under the stones... At the moment of the fall, I managed to put out a stick and only miraculously, it withstood my weight with a backpack and did not broke.
In total, the descent took more than 3 hours. Having reached the camp, I fell exhausted and took off my shoes... “Saan, do you have any green stuff in your first aid kit?”. (I don’t have photos from this particular day, but I’ll post the one that was taken a couple of days later - the overall picture is unchanged).
The main thing I learned over the previous hiking day is that no matter how bad you feel, you need to gather your strength, set up camp and prepare 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 Grishanya - everything is as usual.
After that, we began to set up the tent and hang out to dry the things that had gotten pretty wet during the descent.
Only at that moment did I first look at the descent that had caused us so much suffering. From below he seemed much more harmless than he really was. Its tiered nature is its main feature. It seemed that the end was about to happen, 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 exactly how Lake Zaprudnoye appeared before us, shrouded in a series of newly arrived clouds. They came to visit us, flew over the tents and covered our desperate heads, sailing somewhere towards Arkhyz.
The endless third day of march was coming to an end. Traditionally, we huddle in the headquarters tent, play all sorts of games, drink tea and share our impressions of the category pass. Once again, each of us stepped over ourselves and accomplished 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 into 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
Day 4. Paradise Valley, magic flip flops and a lost spinner
The morning greeted me with calluses stuck to my sleeping bag and the formation of additional bends on my body from stones sticking into the foam(polyurethane mat for sleeping on when hiking). But all this seemed insignificant and insignificant when I looked out of the tent - 100% visibility and sun! Not once regretting that I once again got up earlier than expected, I pushed Grisha away, grabbed the camera and went to take pictures of the landscapes.
It's amazing how the same place can look different. Do you remember what this lake was like yesterday? Cold and frightening, but what is it like now?! Just unbelieveble. The snow-white streams of the newly opened glacier flowed with a roar from the rocky wall and from afar turned into a thin white thread dividing the slope in half.
And here is our camp, taken from the opposite bank. The mass in the shadow is the same ill-fated slope that we conquered yesterday. The same tiers that I wrote about just above are very clearly visible. How did we get down there? who the hell knows. I couldn't see anything 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 most clean lakes in the Caucasus. It’s not surprising, the water here is a former glacier.
Another feature of this place is its inaccessibility. You can only get here on foot, since the lake is surrounded on all sides by a “circus” - formed high mountains. Such a relief greatly affects the weather and creates its own in this area.microclimate with amazing beauty valley. It is along this valley that we will go today to the point of the next ascent. In the meantime, let's enjoy Zaprudny again.
I returned to camp just in time for breakfast. The porridge was lazily spread on the plate and forcefully shoved into the body that had not yet woken up. Condensed milk and jam, which sold out in a matter of seconds, were especially in demand. By and large, a tourist has two meals a day - a hearty breakfast and an equally hearty dinner, while lunch is always served as a light snack.
Once again the camp was collapsed, and things were packed into a backpack much more quickly. After consulting with Sanya, I decided to go for the first half of the day in flip-flops from Magnit for 50 rubles, as they would take the pressure off my heels and give my calluses a chance to dry out at least a little. After taking a group photo, we headed down the valley.
Spurred on by the absence of pain, I quickly became the leading part of the group and almost skipped down along the right source of 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, I reached the place where it was planned to cross to the opposite side of the river.
Despite the fact that the mountain river seems like an insignificant 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 fight against the rapids untilstate of freshly prepared minced meat. Therefore, we wait for the entire group, which stretched out during the 5-kilometer trek through the valley.
Having waited for the tail, we began to ford the river. While everyone was slowly and lazily taking off their laced trekking shoes, I said "pfft", unfastened the fasteners on the backpack (so that if he fell, he could quickly throw it off) and calmly walked in flip-flops to the opposite bank, looking at the group crossing. Spanking from "Magnit" - the harsh nature of the Caucasus - 1:0.
But to reach the ascent, we needed to cross the mountain river a couple more times. On the one hand, this procedure brought joy to everyone, yes, and the feet 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 went around the mountain and began climbing up the valley.
After 20 minutes I reached the meeting place where we had planned lunch. For the first time in 4 days, I reached noon not in the state of a vegetable, but on the contrary, inspired for further military exploits. In many ways, this was due to the change of shoes and the relatively straight terrain. Although the weather also pleased us with incredible stability and had not rained for half a day. This is the view of the valley and the upcoming climb (to the right). Pay attention to the size of the stones, some of them are as big as a four-story house.
The sausage was sliced, the bread was laid out, and the canned food was opened. We are having another master's dinner. Photo from Marina.
After lunch, a quiet hour was announced, during which I went with Grisha to swim in the waterfall, sunbathed and simply enjoyed the pleasant weather. Thanks again to Marina for the photo.
Then came the moment I had been dreading - I had to put on my combat boots for the climb. Pain again began to permeate the whole body, and every step began to turn into an act of masochism. At some point, the climb reached its apogee, and I was already climbing rather than walking, every now and then, clinging to protruding stones with my hands. I crawled almost without stopping, because I understood that if I stopped, the blood in my shoes would freeze and my heels would finally stick to the heels.
At an altitude of 2600 meters, dense clouds covered the group, and I stopped seeing anyone around. As a result, I reached the top alone and began to wait for the rest of the guys on the Turye plateau.
By this time I had almost no strength left. Exhausted, I lay down on the cold grass and couldn’t even bring myself to put on warm clothes. I was still wearing a wet jacket on top, and thin summer shorts below... Ten minutes later, Nastya came up to me and took this photo.
Grisha, Zhamal and Marina climbed to the plateau before us and went somewhere towards the lakes, where we were supposed to camp for the night. Nastya and I were unable 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 arrived on the plateau. Sasha told us in which direction we would go next and suggested taking a photo on the edge of the rock wall. Since I did not have the strength, I asked permission to go to the lakes on my own to meet the “locomotive troika” and set off.
The clouds packed even more densely into the mountain circus, and visibility dropped to 10 meters. The whole earth was strewn with some blue flowers, and I walked on them as if on some kind of luxurious carpet. Then I suddenly almost ran into some kind of body of water. I would not have understood for a long time what obstacle stood in my way if it were not for the wind, which dispersed the clouds for a couple of minutes. The reservoir turned out to be huge lake covered with ice and surrounded by snow caps. The altitude by this time had already reached 2800 meters above sea level.
Taking advantage of the appearance of visibility, I took up the camera and, not without strong-willed efforts, wandered along the shore ice lake. What did I say about Zaprudnoye? Clean? Compared to what I saw at that moment, Zaprudnoye was the Moscow River... The water was so clear that I could not always distinguish the boundary between liquid and land, as if I was looking at the bottom through the best glass in the world.
When the courage of the beauty I saw released me, I realized that I still didn’t see Marina, Zhamal and Grisha. Attempts to reach them were unsuccessful.At that moment, my pulse jumped noticeably and I realized that I was left alone among the rocks and in thick fog. The guys from the photo shoot were nowhere to be seen either, and I was seriously panicking.
As luck would have it, the cloudiness rolled over the circus even more, as if a huge giant vaper was trying with all his might to tear me away from the group. Jumping onto some high rock, I raised my bright red trekking poles up and peered intently into the gray abyss. Imagine my joy when I managed to distinguish barely noticeable voices in the frightening emptiness. Having reunited with the group, we wandered around some cobblestones for about 30 minutes and eventually reached the second lake, where the trio that had pulled ahead was waiting for us.
Having reached the camp site, I fell to the ground with the thought that I would die right here. Grisha tried to somehow cheer me up, and we began to set up a tent. At that moment, his partner reached for the spinner, which he had not let go of until then, and realized that an 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, was presented as a sacrifice 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 in half the time.
After that, I took off my shoes - there was no living space on the heels. Probably, this will seem like a mere trifle to many readers, but believe me, when you climb up a slope, all the load goes into this place and thus, calluses cause much more pain than during normal walking.
Flaps of skin hung from the heel and prevented the wound from being properly treated. To avoid suppuration, I asked Sasha for scissors and brilliant green. Through simple but painful manipulations, the wound was treated and excess skin was removed. To somehow distract myself, I took my camera and went for a walk. Another rule that I learned for myself during the hike: if you want to live, move.
And I moved. Dissolving into the fog, the figures of the group members and huge Mountain peaks. Everything around was drowned in black and gray tones and shimmered with silent calm. It was in these seconds that the realization came of what peace is.
I was left alone with nature, which did not shoot me with bright and colorful colors, but gently enveloped me in its embrace and seemed to ask me to take a little breath after a hard day.
The Agur (Turya) lakes appeared before me in incredible calm. All boundaries were erased, and it was completely impossible to make out where the water began and the shore ended, where the sky began and where it merged with the horizon.
Returning to the camp, I went into the headquarters tent, where at that time the group was already preparing for dinner. Today we had a difficult day, just like any previous one, because every 24 hours we discover something new in ourselves. We find those facets in ourselves that are never revealed in everyday city life. We force ourselves to go through our own fears and the omnipresent “I can’t.” We begin to understand that man is only a small detail 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, left alone face to face...
We have five more days of hiking ahead of us, 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 comes out from the east. Day four, altitude 2740 meters, lights out.
The sun was hiding behind the clouds, evening was approaching, the whole day was terrible outside, I wanted to feel the evening, summer coolness and finally breathe calmly. But there are still a couple of hours until this coolness, which means we need to move on for now. Towards evening we will set up camp and make a fire, but that will be later, and now we have to go.
It all started a couple of weeks ago, summer began and our dreams of a long-planned hike were finally coming true. Our company of 6 people, two couples and Nastya and I, she is very beautiful, but more on that later. Alena and Kirill have been dating for about 5 years, as long as I can remember, they always fight, but at the same time they love each other, and this trip is not just for them, but Alena doesn’t know this yet. As soon as we reach our destination, at the top of the mountain, from where a gorgeous view opens up, Kirill will propose to Alena. And another 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 sweetest couple Marina and Nikita.
And so, day X, we gathered with the guys at the appointed point, the weather was “Great”, but no one refused to go, it was raining. We decided to get to the transfer point by bus, spend the night, and move on tomorrow, and that’s what we decided on. The transshipment point turned out to be a pretty nice place, a couple of houses, a picturesque area and a watchman, Kuzmich. He put us all in one house. We entered the house and saw a small but cozy kitchen, a small sofa and a TV opposite it, a staircase to the second floor, and there were three rooms; Nastya and I were accommodated. It was late evening, the guys went to their rooms, they joked all evening about Nastya and me, one room, one bed, to be honest, I would happily sleep with her, but I’ll have to lie on the sofa in the living room. I stood on the street and blew smoke out of my mouth, simply smoking. The smoke was sometimes thick, sometimes almost unnoticeable, 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 it and pull it so that it doesn’t end, but unfortunately I finished smoking until the filter, and on the street it was all 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 was thinking about my own things and didn’t notice how someone came up from behind, it was Nastya:
- Let's go to sleep?
- Don’t I stay on the sofa?
- Well, if you really want to, stay!
I followed her, she was like an angel that night, before that I didn’t notice her as a girl, what a fool I was! She sat down on the bed, took a bottle of wine from her backpack and handed it to me so that I could open it. Somewhere from behind the walls, moans could be heard, this made me even more excited. But not this time, we talked with her all night, she fell asleep on my chest and it was the best sex of my life, not us, 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, they set up tents there, lit a fire, I stared at the fire, the flame either diminished or flared up again, in it you could watch the dance of two lovers, the fire showed all the passion, all the love, tenderness that was going on between them, I was so engrossed that I barely heard Nastya start playing the guitar.
After dinner, everyone went to their tents, I decided to spend that night under the stars, a sea of stars and I swim in them, clean air, night, a fire and stars, Nastya lay down next to me, we fell asleep on the grass, under open air. Another couple of hours and we will get there. The guys and I already knew every little path that would lead us to the place, surah, we ran as children with our parents, potatoes in the fire, songs with a guitar, and most importantly, young parents, now they will not be able to go such a long way, but we will bring they need photos and videos, time flies quickly, just yesterday, my mother took me to first grade, and now she wants to take her grandchildren to school, but for now, alas, I cannot provide her with such happiness.
While I was thinking about my parents, Nikita and Marina had their first fight, and they walked in silence, well, good, you won’t hear this pink vomit.
The moment that our whole company was waiting for, as we had hoped, we arrived at the place in the evening, it was already dark, lights were burning somewhere far away, the sound of a small river could be heard, the moon took its place on the pedestal, mischievous moonlight all around. Kirill got down on one knee in front of Alena, you 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 are together, but Marina and Nikita remained just as sweet, but with scandals, passion began to play in them, as Kirill says.
This hike changed our lives, we began to meet more often and spend time together, we visit our parents more often. We began to devote more time to each other, and this is the most important thing! Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
The text is large so it is divided into pages.
A hero is born among a hundred, a wise man is among a thousand, but a perfect person cannot be found even among a hundred thousand. ( Plato, philosopher)
I have been convinced many times that “tracers” do not see the beauty that is around us. I have observed many times that many people see beauty in the revolutions in the air. Arriving from Altai, I realized that I had been to the most beautiful place. All this time I thought that real parkour was overcoming obstacles in the city, moving smoothly. But this trip changed everything...
Getting on the bus, I felt some excitement, because I had never seen what this Altai was like. We drove all night. The morning when we arrived, when I saw Roman’s car, I calmed down, all the excitement went away, I saw all the beauty around me. I didn't even imagine that it would be so beautiful. Then we got into 6-wheeled ZILs and drove off. Along the way, I saw snowy peaks, the beauty of Altai that I had never seen before, and I realized that this was just the beginning.
And - here we are. When I first put on a 20-kilogram backpack, I had no idea what lay ahead of me and whether it would be so dangerous.
I stood at the cliff and now the first test is the Descent.
THE FIRST DAY
When I approached the cliff, I saw a steep slope and a very high height. The feeling of hunger disappeared. Oleg’s words cheered me up and I decided to go. I knew that this was just the beginning of my journey, and there was no need to get injured. I was in the top five, which means that we are pioneers - we cannot choose paths where people cannot pass. A guy was following me, his name was Nikita, I saw how his legs were trembling as he descended, without hesitation I took the rope and gave it to him. I held it almost until the descent. Somewhere at the end of the descent there was the most dangerous section - steep, the stones sliding under you. It was at this moment that I began to value my life; with one careless move you could lose it. I pulled myself together and went. Finally, the moment I've been waiting for for a long time - solid ground under our feet - we did it! And after that I felt like a winner, and here another feeling arose, the feeling that you need to overcome your fear, not leave what you can do now unfinished. After the descent, I felt pain in my knee and was hungry. We arrived safely at the stopping place, ate and moved on. We walked, I didn’t have time to take pictures of everything around, rocks grew up imperceptibly, along which we had to walk. Walking along the rocks, I noticed a slight trembling in my legs, my face was sweating. I remained calm and did not react to my instincts - fear, fear of heights. I was very tired, I was aware of it only with my body, and I decided for myself that I needed to act decisively, to make every step firm. At that moment, my legs stopped slipping, and my fingers began to hold the rocks tighter, but there was only one thought in my head: “Be strong and move on.”
Having reached the first overnight stay, I felt all the delights of relaxation; my arms and legs ached. When it got dark, I raised my head slightly and saw the milky way, noticed how there really were a lot of stars in the sky, as if I was watching millions of galaxies. After enjoying the view, I went to bed. In the morning I felt pain in my back, it was very difficult to get up. After I washed my face with ice-cold water and warmed up in the morning, I was ready to go again.
SECOND DAY
On the second day we walked a lot. It was hot. The journey was long. The pain in my shoulders forced me to stop sometimes. We reached the place where we spent the night and rested, because we had covered many kilometers along the rocks, uphill and downhill. It was already dark, and I again sat down to look at the starry sky. I looked and remembered my home, that it was so far away. I thought about what would happen tomorrow. The cold forced me to go to bed.
DAY THREE
The next morning I felt pain in my back and legs again, but cold water and the warm-up brought me to my senses. Hearing that we will be moving icy river, I no longer had a feeling of fear or panic, I simply agreed with it and accepted it as an obstacle that needed to be overcome. And so we went. Having walked halfway, I stopped feeling the tips of my toes. Suddenly I saw our girl (Dasha) beginning to be carried away by the current, she was picked up by the belayers, I quickly caught up with her and held her to the shore. After making sure there was no one behind me, I got out of the water, took off my sneakers and buried them in the hot sand, and even then I still couldn't feel my toes. After a while I began to come to my senses. After checking that my whole body was functioning, I continued walking with our group. Having reached the camp, we had to cross the river again, going around the Chulcha River flowing into Chulyshman with these two crossings. But Chulyshman in this place was deeper and the current was stronger. I was already full of strength, I believed in myself, in my strength, I believed that I could swim.
The first was Oleg, he had to make insurance for us so that we would not drown, but, holding on to the rope, could get over to the other side. Seeing how Oleg swam and then how hard it was to get to the shore with a rope, I gained confidence and strength. I had no doubt at all that we would succeed, but then the owner of the local land came running, screamed a lot and forbade us to cross the river, worried about us. She said that the Mistress of the River does not forgive mistakes and takes away all the weak. And suddenly there was a desire to cross the river, I was excited, there was a desire, but there was no opportunity - we had to give in. Sasha and Vova left to look for more safe place crossings. I stayed to wait for Sasha and Vova. Oleg came up and said that we should stay here, and he went after Sasha and Vova. We waited for a long time, at which time the whole group split up. The main part of the entire expedition group decided to separate, cross the river on a boat, and go to the final point “B”, skipping the test with a crossing along the way. We all stayed and waited.
Seeing the guys returning woke me up again, I knew that now we would move on. It is a very dangerous thing to cross the mountain river Chulyshman. The owner of the land, who did not give us the opportunity to continue crossing with a rope, provided us with a boat instead, and today we decided to cross the river, like everyone else.
There are 10 of us left.
There are 10 of us left (out of 45), the rest of the group went to the final point. Once on the other side, we went the other way; it was too late to go to point “B”. When we returned to the camp, there was no one there yet, I was still worried about one feeling - the feeling that I had not overcome one of the obstacles - the river, I could not. The Waterfall also remained in front of us - the final point “B”. The guys suggested going to the waterfall in the morning. I agreed and knew that tomorrow would be very difficult.
It was already dark and, finally, the separated group returned. Everyone returned in confusion and some panic, many felt bad from such a transition, I only saw how everyone fell on the grass - to rest, and fatigue in their eyes. I realized that tomorrow I could return like this - completely tired and hungry, but I didn’t feel any fear or excitement. I decided - I’m going, and if I oversleep, I’ve lost, and I’ll live with it all my life. Before going to bed, I realized that there was no alarm clock, but I had to get up very early, then it was as if I had programmed my body to get up exactly at the time I needed.
DAY FOUR
Morning. I got up half an hour earlier than everyone else, it was my small victory - to get up earlier, make a fire, give everyone tea and go on the road. Everything happened as I planned: I lit a fire and made tea. The guys stood up, and in our already formed group we decided to go. The transition was long. We reached the Uchar waterfall (translated from Altai as “Flying”), but the very final point was at the top of the waterfall - the high-mountain lake Dzhulukul, where Uchar originates. Oleg and Sasha went ahead, I was determined and wanted to get to the top. Having asked who was with me, he began to climb up. There were 2 of us. We walked quickly - we had to keep up with Oleg and Sasha. Along the way there were a lot of dangerous moments when you could lose the most precious thing - your life. But at that moment I no longer felt absolutely anything, neither fear nor excitement. With a clear consciousness and determination in his movements, he began to catch up. Having caught up with Oleg and Sasha, we heard that someone was following us from behind, it was another of our charged guys - Vova. And we, without any doubt, began to climb up.
When there were a few meters left before the rise, I tried not to look back, but having risen, I turned around and tasted the full taste of this victory: “I overcame it, I was able to do it!” We sat down, and I again felt a certain excitement - I remembered that I had not crossed the river, and this remained our uncrossed section. After thinking a little, I decided to just forget it and began to descend. Having descended and almost reached the camp, I was very tired and hungry, but then I heard Oleg’s proposal - to overcome the river (the remaining unclimbed obstacle) by swimming, in a deeper area where there are no rapids and rocks.
And then an explosion occurred in me: I forgot what fear and hunger were. I really wanted to do what I couldn’t do yesterday - overcome Chulyshman on the section where it absorbed the waters of the second river - Chulchi. I gathered all my strength and decided: “We must swim!”
There were 5 people swimming: Oleg, Sasha, me, Rodion and another Sasha. Approaching the river, I saw how fast it was, how it carried away stones with the current, how cold it was when you stepped into it. Taking a deep breath, I took a step and knew - there was no turning back - only forward! After swimming more than half of the way, I began to feel my body going numb, my arms becoming heavier, and I began to breathe more and more often. There is no turning back. There was only one thought in my head: “Swim quickly, because everything is going numb.” And now, I was almost there, I started to worry, and suddenly fear appeared, but I remained determined and knew that I had to swim. Stepping onto the ground, I was delighted. I was incredibly happy at that moment.
I swam! I did it!
The guys all made it to the shore, everything is fine. I stopped thinking about everything, I wanted to sit down and be silent. Another guy swam after us - Timur, who arrived a little later with a group carrying apples bought from local residents. He began to swim, I began to worry about him, but after he stood firmly on the ground, the worries evaporated. Well, everyone arrived safe and sound! A car was already waiting for us, ready to take us home.
Sitting down on a stone, I realized. I realized what real parkour is. These are not jumps in the city that you perfect every day to be better than someone else. This is the moment when you need to overcome yourself from the inside, be it the fear of going down a mountain, climbing rocks, or swimming across an icy raging river. I felt complete satisfaction, there was no longer any burden that would prevent me from sleeping at night.
Dyatlov Pass... Scientists demand a re-investigation of the criminal case, which began back in 1959. Nine students of the Ural Polytechnic University, led by Igor Dyatlov, went on a hike. What happened is a mystery. Everyone died. Almost simultaneously.
Official reason death: "A force that they were unable to overcome." And since then, ufologists have been talking about an alien attack, mystics about the revenge of evil spirits, conspiracy theorists about testing superweapons.
To dot the i's, Channel One and Komsomolskaya Pravda sent an expedition to the Dyatlov Pass, in which both the route and the equipment of that deadly campaign were completely recreated.
Dyatlov’s group began their hike just as carelessly. Subpolar Urals. Space. Romance! It turned out that the route was one way. Nine people - nine mysterious deaths.
Recreate the details, understand who or what killed the tourists. They went on a hike in January 1959. Sports guys and two girls.
Photo for memory. For eternity. Investigators will develop the film. Head – Igor Dyatlov. But the participants are floundering in the snow - a prophetic shot. On that last night, we pitched a tent, as always.
At night, something drove people out. They ran into the terrible frost, wearing nothing. Without clothes, without felt boots. Even barefoot. The tent will later be found torn to pieces. The tourists themselves cut up their only shelter from the inside.
“When the rescuers found the tent, all the buttons, except the two bottom ones, as we see now, were fastened,” says a special correspondent for the newspaper. Komsomolskaya Pravda"Nikolai Varsegov.
“I spent a trip in the same area, only 50 kilometers to the south. And we even agreed to meet with Dyatlov’s group,” recalls Vladislav Karelin, Master of Sports of the USSR for Tourism.
They were missed in Sverdlovsk only two weeks later. When all the deadlines have passed...
“We flew around in a helicopter, looked from Ivdel, no one was visible anywhere. But the thought already flashed through our minds, we need to look for those who are not alive,” says Karelin.
Yuri Doroshenko and Yuri Krivonischenko were discovered, and higher up the slope - Igor Dyatlov and two other participants. The rest were found only in May, when the snow melted. An examination showed that the tourists were frozen. But they were injured - fractured ribs and skull bones. Lyudmila Dubinina's tongue was torn out.
My first thought: they were dealt with. Poachers, escaped prisoners, hunters of the Mansi people.
“I am fighting these versions, because there were no traces,” says the USSR Master of Sports for Tourism Pyotr Bartolomei.
He was one of the first to visit the scene of the tragedy and took part in the search. Academician, master of sports, in 1959 Petya Bartolomei was a student. For half a century he has been saying: it was not people who killed the group. And not animals.
“There was a tent, trampled tracks around this tent and running tracks down the slope. There were no other people there,” Bartolomei says.
From the Mansi language "holatchakhl" is translated as "dead mountain". Even before the tourists died, it was considered a bad place. Hunters allegedly saw fireballs here.
What this man will now tell you sounds strange, but there are several such witnesses: “In 2002, I accidentally witnessed an unusual phenomenon in the forest at night. I suddenly saw a light. And this light reacted to my gaze.”
The gaze seemed to be attracted by a ball of fire. Yuri assures that he felt danger with his skin. Don't look. Don't turn around. He is sure: the Dyatlovites could not take their eyes off.
“They shoot a kind of shock wave aimed at a person’s eyes in order to hit the brain through the person’s eyes,” says Yuri. “But the Dyatlov group was on the move, it didn’t hit the eyes, which means it hit the temple, it broke.”
The last frame from the last film. No matter how much they looked, no one understood what it was. But the object is clearly hanging in the air. The truth is somewhere near?
“Well, you and I are serious people, why even raise this topic of aliens,” says Yuri Kuntsevich, head of the “In Memory of the Dyatlov Group” foundation.
Yuri Kuntsevich knows everything about the Dyatlov group, except the causes of death. His collection includes their equipment, their films and a complete collection of versions. He himself believes that tourists have wandered where they shouldn’t.
“It was the Chistopsky test site. Either it was an unsuccessful rocket launch. Maybe it was a test of some kind of ammunition,” says Kuntsevich.
“Before reaching the target, the Burya rocket made a so-called hill. It rose upward and then dived sharply. The trail of gases escaping from the rocket could end up on the tent,” says Vladislav Karelin.
The long arms of the intelligence services. During the years of perestroika, the KGB was blamed in absentia for the death of the Dyatlov group. Allegedly, the barely alive witnesses to the secret tests were simply “removed.” There were no traces. But they found someone’s lantern on the tent.
He stayed there for three weeks. But the flashlight worked. Therefore, someone visited shortly before the search engines arrived. Who? It's a mystery.
This whole story is completely a mystery. Although the answers may be on the surface. The Dyatlov group could simply be covered by an avalanche.
“When the snow began to subsidence under the tent, they jumped out of the tent and ran to the side. They called, got caught in another avalanche. Part of the group was dragged down the slope. In a moment of stress, they ran into the forest. They made a fire there and froze,” says the head of the School. avalanche safety phased array Sergey Vedenin.
But for a legend this is somehow banal. After all, the “secret” stamp has not been removed from the case materials for half a century. And the investigators’ conclusion destroys all the canons of Soviet materialism. The Dyatlov group was destroyed by an unknown force...
Next week, those who have spent their lives searching for the solution will talk about the mystery of the Dyatlov Pass on Channel One and on the pages of Komsomolskaya Pravda. The most daring versions are in the "" program already on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 16 and 17. Then on the morning of Saturday, April 20, revelations from those who visited the pass - in documentary film" ". The results of this journalistic investigation in the program "" with Andrei Malakhov.
The new academic year at the Lyceum began with the traditionalXXVIIrelay race. These three warm autumn days were completely unforgettable for all participants in the hike. Someone helped cook dinner over a fire for the first time, went through an obstacle course, sang their first song with a guitar. It’s amazing how such seemingly ordinary events can remain in a person’s memory forever. For twenty-seven years, this campaign has united lyceum students of all generations: teachers, students, graduates. Each of them remembers their first relay race. The routes and the hiking program changed. And only this: eye to eye, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand - remained unchanged. Walk four kilometers? It's easy when they go together. Cutting wood for the whole day? It's not difficult when they take turns cutting. Stay on a slippery log? You can, when you extend your hand.
For three days the classes replaced each other on the hike, passing red flags to each other instead of a relay baton. And every day was unique and amazing in its own way. New acquaintances and meeting old friends. The arrival of experienced tourists: Lydia Dmitrievna Sayenko, Galina Appolonovna Paramonenko, Ekaterina Eliseevna Sazonova, Tatyana Alekseevna Domarosova - became a wonderful gift for the opening of the relay. Who knows, perhaps among today’s newcomers, tenth graders, there are future teachers who will later return to the Lyceum. After all, this has also become a tradition.
The relay ended on Saturday. There were especially many graduates on the hike that day. So mature and independent, these guys really showed what it means to be an experienced tourist.
Old and new songs around the fire. The main thing. Hugs from old and new friends. Forever. Tears of parting. And so an invisible thread of connection between the times and generations of the Lyceum was born, stretched.
Hike - relay race- one of the best active species rest, which is also good for health. The biggest impression from the hike is the realization that you are at a new stage in the life of the lyceum. The hike amazed me with its diversity. That is, we not only passed tests, but also listened to emotional stories, sang songs with a guitar. Thanks to this, I felt a connection with all the 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 you for interesting stories, songs and a cozy atmosphere of all those who were involved in the hike. This type of vacation 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 the lyceum brotherhood, the lyceum spirit, lyceum friendship... But where does all this come from? I think that this does not arise during the numerous days of studying at the Lyceum - it is formed in the first days of the Lyceum...
There is, there is such a “little miracle” - the lyceum relay race, when all the ideas about your classmates, and about graduates, and about teachers are formed - all at once! The relay race is a tradition. Since 1990. Those who invented it were real visionaries: this is where 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 lyceum student and a tourist of those first lyceum years. You know... The feeling of happiness and... belonging overwhelmed me. Songs, guitar, fire smoke, the aroma of tea, hundreds of happy eyes, laughter, crossing the swamp, friends... - this is one of the lyceum days, a day filled with joy to the moment... Thank you everyone for this day, for the smiles, for the support, for the friendship . For brotherhood.
And God grant 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 is written only with a capital letter... Because this is the First. This is the Lyceum...
L.D. Saenko
The relay race is our space
Life became even brighter when we touched this space. Words, it turns out, are not enough in a rich language to describe our feelings, emotions, and delight. Our hearts simply burst from the overwhelming love! Love for the forest, for the fire, for songs with a guitar, for people, for the lyceum, for life!
And now, in order...
Our 10 “F” were already assembled at 8.30 (half an hour earlier!!!) and ready to go to the ends of the earth for joy. We were impatient and waiting for 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 set off. Jumping merrily, waving balloons and singing (very loudly, so that the next day we found our voices muffled) pieces of “Battery”, we walked along the road, and cars drove past and greeted us with their horns. It was a great start to the day!
When we finally walked 4.5 km, the forest began... so autumn, quiet, peaceful... And suddenly a crowd ran out to meet us... Someone in a red wig, someone with huge glasses, someone with a guitar at the ready! We immediately recognized the lyceum graduates. Together with them we went through trials with dancing, music, and jokes! They, being so grown up now, probably felt like tenth graders. And we... And we had a great time! Having successfully jumped over a blazing fire (some even more than once), having received a relay baton (such a small one), we found ourselves in sacred place- in the camp. Tents, fires, improvised tourist kitchens, which promised us a delicious lunch (thanks to Lyudmila Ivanovna Semenok and the girls-instructors: Nastya Los and Sasha Mazurova!), greeted us very cordially.
Everything that happened looked like magic, but at the same time everything was real. Our competitions... 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 the place that makes the person, but the person that makes the place. For the first time I understood the meaning of these words. It is the sincerity of the lyceum, the cohesion of current and former students, the interest and involvement of teachers in the tourism business that make you part of something big, as if we all have one great goal. This trip changed us all. We have become closer, better, stronger, happier. Definitely!
P.S. By the way, our hike was reflected in 500 photos! J
Alexandra Dotsenko, 10 "F"
This was my first trip! No wonder I 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 to go with a song, and besides, in good company. First, as is customary at the Lyceum, we asked the owl in Lyubuzha to fulfill our wishes (I hope that she really does grant wishes). Then we approached the camp. There they unexpectedly doused us 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 arrived at our “landing” place, changed clothes and began peeling potatoes with our instructors. After that we ate a little and went to the obstacle trail. Of course, the swamp brought a lot of trouble: it was wet, and cold, and... fun! I fell into a swamp, but I wasn’t at all upset, because after the fall I’m considered a real lyceum student! Then we were astronauts, climbed ropes, threw a heavy ball at a distance, hung on a rope, and swung on a bungee. After all the competitions, we got hungry and went to lunch. After a delicious lunch, we could play volleyball and football, but I went to listen and sing songs with a guitar. It was wonderful! I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.
I would like to thank all the graduates, instructors, teachers and everyone who was with us on this day. I fell in love with hikes and will be very happy to go on all the others. It's so great! Thank you everyone for such a wonderful day!
Rodnova Maria, 10th "E" class
On Friday, my class and I went on a relay race. It took a long time to get there, but it was fun. Along the way we talked, got to know each other, had fun, took pictures and, of course, sang songs.
Approaching the camp, we saw strange people in strange clothes, who later turned out to be our instructors. They turned out to be cheerful 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 issue. It seems to me that it was this part of the hike 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 most vivid emotions, of course, are associated with the swamp. And our instructors played an important role in this, who in every possible way “helped” us get out of the swamp as “real lyceum students.”
And lunch was also somehow special: the atmosphere of a hike, and us sitting around the fire, and the confidence that we are one team.
The hike is the very thing that, I think, I will remember for many years, the thing that showed us that life at the lyceum is not only study, but also relaxation, the thing thanks to which I realized that the atmosphere of the lyceum is not There is nothing to compare with and that we really are one huge family.
And now I, too, can confidently say: “PERSHY – LEPSHI”!
Anna Erosh, 10 "E"
I don’t know about others, but that day I received many, many vivid impressions. It’s very nice that nowadays we can just go camping and have fun. The relay hike is a vivid example of this.
I don't know a single person who didn't enjoy the hike. The relay race not only brings together classmates, but also the classes as a whole. It’s unlikely that we would all have met without him. I was very impressed that the graduates do not forget about their native lyceum, trips, and teachers. Without them, it would be a completely different event, because it is they, especially at the beginning, who create the atmosphere of warmth and fun. Well, then, when everyone gets to know each other, the trip becomes the most unforgettable event in the life of the lyceum. Interesting and fun competitions left no one indifferent. Oh, these falls into the swamp... I really wanted to fall into it, but apparently it wasn’t fate. But it was still a lot of fun! Showing a heart from your hands while standing on a wobbly log is very difficult, but this heart probably impressed everyone. I also want to say that, although I adore such hikes, I was very glad that they were 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 that the 2016 relay campaign went perfectly. It was one of the most better days lately in my life. He brought a lot of emotions and wonderful moments into my life and the life of our class. We found wonderful instructors, and largely thanks to them, this trip will be remembered for a long time. We were greeted by graduates from previous years. They also did a lot to make our trip as good as possible. There was a special atmosphere in the forest, which can only be felt by being there. There were a lot of unforgettable moments that I want to experience again. The guitar songs, jumping over the fire and the relay race itself will remain in my memory for a long time. This trip seemed to me like a kind of initiation into the ranks of lyceum students. I would like to go hiking again and spend time in nature among the trees, inhaling the smoke from the fire.
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