Breathing on Elbrus. Breathing on Elbrus You should always remember the sad statistics

Below are lists of products that participants in trips to Elbrus and Kazbek from 2 to 5 stars should have. There are 3 lists - for 10, 11-12 and 13-14 days (select the one you need in the drop-down list), as well as their options with and without meat.

We use freeze-dried products that are light in weight, but as a result of cooking they turn into complete meals:

You can buy this package of products from us or assemble it and prepare it yourself. Although this is labor-intensive, it is not difficult and quite possible. However, it should be noted that the price of a package assembled yourself will be approximately the same as when purchasing a ready-made package from us.

High quality.

The list of products is compiled in such a way that food on a hike is sufficiently high in calories, high in protein, varied and tasty. The latter is especially important, since in the mountains it is usually not important to eat due to lack of oxygen.

For vegetarians.

We respect and support those who do not eat meat on principle. Meat is not included in freeze-dried mixtures and is packaged separately. Thus, we have the opportunity to cook on the go for vegetarians too. If you do not eat meat, please notify us and we will prepare a vegetarian package for you. The meat in it will be replaced with nuts.

How to prepare such food?

Cooking with this bag is very easy. All you have to do is boil water and throw it in a certain amount portions of sublimate and cook for some time. This takes from 5 to 30 minutes depending on the altitude you are at (the higher, the longer).

Who cooks on a hike?

The food is prepared by those on duty from among the participants, as is customary in a normal mountain hike. They are on duty in pairs. During one trip, each participant usually has 1-2 shifts. If the guards on duty don’t understand something, the guides help them with this.

Product List

• Package with meat for 11-12 days, gram Package with meat for 10 days, gram Package without meat for 11-12 days, gram Package without meat for 10 days, gram Package with meat for 13-14 days, gram Package without meat for 13-14 days, gram

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
	200
Melted butter	200
	280
Tomato cheese sauce (subl.)	50
Pasta (pasta)	70
Mushroom soup (subl.)	70
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	100
Kozinaki	220
	360
Raw smoked sausage	200
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	50
Beef (sub.)	200
Sugar	670
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	50
	200
Package weight, g.	5700
Package price, rub.	11800

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	50
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	150
Melted butter	140
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (subl.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (subl.)	100
Pasta (pasta)	140
Mushroom soup (subl.)	140
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	100
Indian curry (sub.)	140
Rosehip and hawthorn	320
Dried apricots	100
Dried pear	80
Kozinaki	180
Protein Power bars Pro	240
Raw smoked sausage	100
Parmesan cheese	100
Bread	100
Snickers bars	300
Bee pollen	40
Beef (sub.)	170
Sugar	535
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	40
A mixture of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	4625
Package price, rub.	9400

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	200
Melted butter	200
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (subl.)	280
Tomato cheese sauce (subl.)	50
Pasta (pasta)	70
Mushroom soup (subl.)	70
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	100
Kozinaki	220
Power Pro Protein Bars	360
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	50
Mixed nuts	400
Sugar	670
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	50
A mixture of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	5700
Package price, rub.	11800

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	50
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	150
Melted butter	140
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (subl.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (subl.)	100
Pasta (pasta)	140
Mushroom soup (subl.)	140
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	100
Indian curry (sub.)	140
Rosehip and hawthorn	320
Dried apricots	100
Dried pear	80
Kozinaki	180
Power Pro Protein Bars	240
Parmesan cheese	100
Bread	100
Snickers bars	300
Bee pollen	40
Mixed nuts	270
Sugar	535
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	50
A mixture of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	4625
Package price, rub.	9400

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	200
Melted butter	200
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (subl.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (subl.)	150
Pasta (pasta)	210
Mushroom soup (subl.)	210
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	120
Kozinaki	240
Power Pro Protein Bars	360
Raw smoked sausage	200
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	55
Beef (sub.)	200
Sugar	740
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	55
A mixture of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	6130
Package price, rub.	12700

Oatmeal Hercules	100
Quinoa	100
Nut butter (from a mixture of different nuts)	200
Melted butter	200
Mashed potatoes with vegetables (subl.)	210
Tomato cheese sauce (subl.)	150
Pasta (pasta)	210
Mushroom soup (subl.)	210
Buckwheat	400
Rassolnik (subl.)	140
Borscht (subl.)	210
Thai Wok with mushrooms and vegetables (sub.)	200
Indian curry (sub.)	210
Rosehip and hawthorn	400
Dried apricots	120
Dried pear	120
Kozinaki	240
Power Pro Protein Bars	360
Parmesan cheese	200
Bread	200
Snickers bars	400
Bee pollen	55
Mixed nuts	430
Sugar	740
Leaf tea	100
Cocoa Nesquik	55
A mixture of dried vegetables, herbs and spices	200
Package weight, g.	6130
Package price, rub.	12700

Change by day.

Below is the change by day. It is approximate and may be slightly changed, but basically this is the food that will be provided on the route. When drawing up the change, we took into account the labor costs of the participants in certain days and correlated them with calorie intake. IN hard days calorie intake is higher than on days when physical activity less.

1 day. Small transition.	Dinner. Indian curry + 10 gr. meat + 40 gr. melted butter. Dried apricots or dried pear, kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calorie content: 781 kcal. Protein: 22 gr.
Day 2. Big transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Oatmeal+ nut butter 50 gr. + melted butter 20 gr. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Dinner. Snack without cooking. Dinner. Borscht + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear, kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2524 kcal. Protein:'98
Day 3. Big transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Pasta with tomato cheese sauce + 10 gr. meat. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. Snickers. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Snack without cooking. Protein bar. Cheese + sausage (or nuts) + rye bread. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Indian curry + meat 20 gr. + 40 gr. melted butter. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2715 kcal. Protein: 102 g.
Day 4 Big transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Quinoa. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. Snickers. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Snack without cooking. Protein bar. Cheese + sausage (or nuts) + rye bread. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Calories: 2487 kcal. Protein: 95.4 g.
Day 5 Small transition.	Breakfast. Coffee with sugar. Mashed potatoes with vegetables. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Full cooking. Buckwheat with meat and vegetables. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Borscht + 20 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 1888 kcal. Protein: 93.6 g.
Day 6 Acclimat - ation exit.	Breakfast. Oatmeal + nut butter 50 gr. + ghee 20 gr. A teaspoon of bee pollen. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Rassolnik + 20 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Calories: 2436 kcal. Protein:'84
Day 7 Rest.	Breakfast. Dinner. Full cooking. Dinner. Indian curry + 10 gr. meat + 40 gr. melted butter. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2299 kcal. Protein: 90.9 g.
Day 8 Climbing to the top.	Breakfast. Quinoa + nut oil 50 gr. + ghee 20 gr. A teaspoon of bee pollen. Cocoa with sugar. Individual snacks during the transition. Snickers 2 pcs. Protein bar. Tea with sugar. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Borscht + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Calories: 2386 kcal. Protein:'84
Day 9 Descent.	Breakfast. Pasta with tomato cheese sauce + 10 gr. meat. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. Individual snack during the transition. Snickers. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Protein bar. Cheese + sausage (or nuts) + rye bread. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Thai wok with mushrooms and vegetables + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 2242 kcal. Protein: 104 g.
Day 10 Reserve day.	Breakfast. Mushroom soup. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Rassolnik + 10 gr. meat. Buckwheat with meat and vegetables. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Mashed potatoes with vegetables. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 1916 kcal. Protein:'85
Day 11 Reserve day. Rest.	Breakfast. Mashed potatoes with vegetables. A teaspoon of bee pollen. A decoction of hawthorn and rosehip with sugar. 1 liter of tea + 50 gr. sugar in a thermos. Dinner. Mushroom soup. Buckwheat with meat and vegetables. Cocoa with sugar. Dinner. Rassolnik + 10 gr. meat. Dried apricots or dried pear + kozinaki. Tea with sugar. Calories: 1958 kcal. Protein:'75

August 2008

Elbrus is the highest point in Europe. It is difficult to find a more prestigious mountain brand. So I decided to put my bold exclamation mark over this point, despite the proverb “A smart person will not go to the mountains.”

Events developed at lightning speed. Following an unsuccessful attempt to board a Moscow-Volgograd plane, a short Internet search for a travel alternative followed. On one of the forums there was a post by a certain “Ibonefig” with an announced flight on August 6 in the direction of Mineralnye Vody. Goal: climbing with the goal of climbing. Not a photo, not ethnic, not beach... It’s just stupid to go towards the heavens until you hit the “5642” mark.

The company for "Ibonefig" (in the world - Slava, a businessman from St. Petersburg, who went to Elya more than once) was a pretty good one. 1) Lena is an experienced cyclist from St. Petersburg, who has traveled all over the world from Oman and Karelia to the Fann Mountains. 2) Lena is an analyst from Renaissance Credit, a graduate of the Moscow State University VMK with interests in the field of CRM, risk management and market research, a mountaineering athlete, as well as a water and horse rider in the past. Lenka conquered Elbrus exactly a year ago on her second attempt and decided to consolidate her success. Actually, I joined this difficult trinity - as a swimmer and park runner. Face control for entering the dream team: “What is your fitness level in general? Can you run 10 kilometers in 45-50?”

2 years ago I took part in a survival run. 32 km in 2:51. Now I swim 3–7 km every week at the Olimpiysky. I live on the 15th floor and breathe rarefied Moscow air - in general, chronic metropolitan hypoxia. After this, Elbrus is not at all scary.

The flight from Moscow to Mineralnye Vody is 2 hours 5 minutes. At the same time, of all the existing mineral waters, Aeroflot for some reason only offers Aqua Mineral, whose minerality I personally have strong doubts about.

In general, you need to get to the village of Terskol - you can do this either from Nalchik or from Mineralnye Vody. The nuance is that there is no regular transport from Mineralnye Vody - you need to order a transfer (about 2 hours drive, from 2 to 3 thousand rubles, depending on the car). Nalchik is the most budget option: there is a direct train from Moscow, and a regular bus to Terskol every day.

Mineralnye Vody is a transport hub for the region, nothing more. In fact, there are no mineral waters in the city. To get water from here you need to go by train - to Zheleznovodsk, Pyatigorsk (1 hour), Essentuki and Kislovodsk (2 hours). The city is famous only for a certain holy fool named Theodosius. Schema-hieromonk Theodosius, nicknamed the Caucasian, lived for more than 100 years. During his lifetime, he became famous for his gifts of clairvoyance, healing and miracles. In 1927, the elder rejected the apostate Soviet church and became one of the pillars - no more nor less - of the Russian True Orthodox Catacomb Church, for which he was subjected to arrests and persecution. He served secretly, at home. As they say now, mobile workplace. Father Feodosius walked the streets of Mineralnye Vody in a colored shirt, played with children who nicknamed him “Grandfather Kuzyuka,” helped people, performing miracles that local residents still remember. During the Great Patriotic War The elder earnestly prayed for the victory of Russia, for the health and peace of its soldiers. This paranormal man died in 1948. Despite the fact that Theodosius never recognized the Moscow Patriarchate, on April 11, 1995, with the personal consent of Patriarch Alexy, the honest remains of the catacomb priest were removed from the grave and placed in the Archangel Michael Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, and in 1998 they were transferred to the Intercession Cathedral in the city Mineralnye Vody. And recently the holy relics of the great elder, the mourner and prayer book of the Russian land, disappeared. The Internal Affairs Directorate opened a criminal case into their disappearance, but knowledgeable people say that the elder mysteriously left the temple himself. What other miracles will he show us?

We settled in Azau - a picturesque place 4 km from the village of Terskol - right under the ski lift, in the "cafetelle" (cafe + hotel) Free Rider. A suitable name for a place for skiers without brakes and ticketless users of the above-installed cable car. The rooms range from “simple” (300 rubles/person, amenities on the floor) to “complex” (about 1500 rubles, luxury). The altitude here is 2350, which is not bad for starting acclimatization.

Around there are a lot of other nice hotels and private apartments (from 500 rubles/person) and restaurants with Caucasian cuisine (shorpa, khychin, shashlik, lagman, etc.) and characteristic music (for example, Arsen Petrosov - “We’re getting high”, Shamkhan Daldaev - “This is the Caucasus”, the group “Blatnoy Udar” - “Song about marijuana”, Saidbek Abdullaev - “Kosyachok”, Zamir Bashirov - “My Lezginochka - Marinochka” and a certain Khadzha with the hit “Wai-Wai-Wai”). Attention: last human food before the ascent! Overlooking Elbrus.

Many people use the Azau station lift to climb Elbrus. First, a multi-seat "MTS" car, similar to a trolleybus suspended from wires, will take you to the Krugozor station (3000m). At the same time, the more modern, high-speed and less crowded “Beeline” catapults of the new, competing lift are rushing in parallel. Funny! By the way, MTS did not work at all above 4000 meters in August 2008, Beeline and Megafon were better. Next is the second stage of the pendulum cable car with the MIR station at the end (3500m). It turns out that the station was not flooded, but lowered to this highland :) Finally, the last stage, a chairlift type, will take you straight to “Gara-bashi” (3800m) - the “Bochki” shelter is located right there (12 six-seater residential trailers), from here you can reach the legendary "Shelter-11" (4200m). Each stage of the lift costs from 70 to 100 rubles. Experienced climbers get to the “Barrels” not on a lift, but on foot, gradually acclimatizing to the altitude.

"Shelter-11" - formerly the highest altitude hotel in the world, where in Soviet times party secretaries took their secretaries for a romantic breakfast with the appropriate look - burned down in 1998 due to violations of the rules fire safety foreign tourists and domestic guides. That is, drunk. In 2001, the first climbers were welcomed by a new shelter built on the site of an old diesel station.

Just above the successor of "Shelter-11" there are a dozen guest houses (300-400 rubles per person-night). The conditions there are Spartan - bunks, a gas burner and kitchen table. The only difference is the cubic meters of space and storage capacity. The toilet is outside. Water in the stream. However, compared to the snow tents next door, you don’t feel like Bigfoot in the guest house. It is advisable to book bunks in advance.

At noon we had already checked into a hut near the “Shelter”, at the point where acclimatization began. I'm eating my first hematogen. There are Poles living in the house with us, as well as two young Muscovite women who lie flat because of the miner and refuse to go up. In this miniature Alpine purgatory, strange words like “let’s go to the scythe”, “cirus”, “traverse”, “acclimate”, “upper shepherds”, “cut to death on the saddle” hurt your ears, and shabby life-looking guys and girls are walking around - as if from some ledorub-party. Most of them practice shamanism in these tents and climb to the top the first time with minimal acclimatization - in one day from Azau to Azau. Some, however, come down with their nostrils tightly plugged with red scarves, looking like vomited cats. These will most likely not be repeated. There are also other categories of climbers - curious office clerks with engaged guides, as well as fanatical pros from the “7 Summits Club” - the so-called. summiteers on all seven continents (Everest (8848m), Aconcagua (6962m), McKinley (6194m), Kilimanjaro (5895m), Elbrus (5642m), Vinson Massif (4897m), Carstensz Pyramid (4884m) and Kosciuszko Peak (2228m).

Despite the mountain tourist marking of the route, 10-15 people die every year on the slopes of Elbrus. This mainly happens due to sharp deterioration weather, decreased visibility, which happens here regularly. Including in the summer. In winter, it is generally unrealistic for non-professionals to go there. Not one mortal can penetrate to the top of this mountain without harm to himself, the Karachais say: the top of the mountain should not be trampled under human foot. However, as statistics from previous years of mountain travel agencies show, nine out of ten of their clients successfully climb Elbrus under favorable weather conditions (for which you can easily wait a whole week - right up to the end of the dates of the purchased week-long tour). Neither Putin nor Medvedev is anywhere yet, except career ladder, did not ascend, but the former head of the Russian FSB Nikolai Patrushev in 2003 successfully climbed to the western peak - from the very “Barrels”. Together with a special forces group. Following the results of the exercise, the FSB director highly appreciated the actions of the special forces.

Before the trip, I was offered an “economy option” for a prestigious eight-day climb in a group to “visit the area of ​​the Northern Elbrus region untouched by civilization” and “relieve the burden of everyday bustle and enjoy unity with nature” for as much as 16,800 rubles. A private instructor-guide - Valera Shuvalov (8-928-9515591, ) - charges 5000-6000 rubles per person for escort to the top (possibly not in a group), including accommodation in his hut for the period of acclimatization, but without equipment. I wildly ended up with the same 5000-6000 rubles, but including 5 days of equipment rental - a backpack, foam, crampons, ice ax, plastic boots, trekking poles and a sleeping bag.

The miner begins to hammer closer to the first evening. Putting your hand on the ice ax, they recommend drinking more (preferably sour - I, for example, saved myself and saved others with the help of hibiscus), eat vitamins (for example, Ascorutin, ascorbic acid up to 1.5 g per day), glucose, hematogen and under no circumstances lie flat - you need to move, sit, joke. Sleep with your head elevated. If there is no insomnia, gee... Some people like to eat anabolic steroids like diacabra and hypoxene. In addition, according to some studies, tablets of the famous sky blue color help with mountain sickness - VIAGRA significantly improves the blood circulation of climbers. Or maybe a protruding sleeping bag creates an additional “air cushion” and retains heat? Without Viagra, both our Lenas groan the first night, but Slava goes with the Poles to the top. I look after them - into the starry sky, in dull, painful insomnia. Remember: no pharmacology can completely replace the acclimatization process (5-7 days for Elbrus) - just as it cannot cancel the laws of gravity. Elbrus is not a bullshit mountain. Difficulty category - 2A - was given for height, not complexity, Elbrus must be respected. And all the other mountains too.

For reference: what is hypoxia (lack of oxygen) and where does it come from?

Research by Academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences N.N. Sirotinin and his students helped to establish the phase nature of the brain’s work when climbing to heights, disruption of fine differentiation processes, and the appearance of shifts in the functional activity of the brain already at an altitude of 2000m. At relatively high altitudes, diffuse inhibition develops, turning into sleep, and at altitudes of 4000-5000m and above a person may lose the ability to critically assess the situation and his own condition. According to the literature, at an altitude of 3000m, performance decreases to 10%, and at altitudes above 6000m - by 50%. In general, Shelter-11 is not the most suitable place for brainstorming. Brain - main body climber.

It’s damn interesting to follow the changes inside your own body - the increasing volume of circulating blood due to the mobilization of reserves from the depot - the spleen, liver and other organs, and the activation of previously closed capillaries. In high altitude conditions, breathing and heart rate increase, changes blood pressure(moderate increase in systolic with stable diastolic), coronary blood flow increases and vascular permeability increases.

In short, the effect on the body from one such ascent is approximately the same as spending a week with a cold with a temperature of 38C. There is nothing useful in this - and there cannot be! Have you seen Abalakov in old age? Have you heard of Parkinson's disease, where there is shaking all over the body? Austenite, bainite, trostite, martensite - even steel changes its structure depending on external influences. Climbing to heights of more than 5 km is poison, unnecessary stress for any organism, even the most trained and acclimatized. It is a myth that the highland climate is beneficial (this does not apply to moderate altitudes up to 2500m). They say that high altitudes are only beneficial for schizophrenics (supposedly their remissions decrease and become easier), but there is still no strict scientific consensus on this matter. Just below "Barrels", by the way, there is a former "sanatorium" for "schizos".

The etiology of schizophrenia is still unknown to scientists. But mountain sickness, characterized by loss of appetite, headache, insomnia, etc. unpleasant symptoms, has been studied quite well. In different areas it occurs at different heights. It’s all about different mountain climatic factors - temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, etc. Thus, manifestations of mountain sickness in the Alps occur at an altitude of about 2500 m, in the Caucasus - 3000 m, in the Tien Shan - 3500 m, in the Himalayas - 4500 m. As a rule, the closer to the equator, the easier it is to tolerate mountain sickness. At altitudes up to 4000 m, an acute degree of mountain sickness (when it is necessary to urgently turn down) is registered in 15-20% of climbers, and above 5000 m - in almost everyone.

On the very first morning, Slava conquered the eastern peak and solemnly rode down from it on a board. Now they are preparing to do the same in the western one. Slava failed to make a “cross” - to visit both peaks at once in one go. He spends the second night below at an altitude of 2000 in Terskol. He seems like a desperate guy with a desperate body. Returning to us back at around 4200 the next day, Slava brought news - “from there”, from below.

It turns out that on the night of August 7-8, 2008 (around 00.15 Moscow time), Georgian troops began a massive artillery shelling of the capital South Ossetia and surrounding areas. A few hours later, the city of Tskhinvali was stormed as part of the “operation to restore constitutional order.” On August 8, 2008, Russia officially joined the conflict on the side of South Ossetia as part of an “operation to force the Georgian side to peace.” A five-day war began. But this is some 400 km from here!

“Gradov” seemed not to be heard... For three days we listened to the quickening pulse and looked closely at the peak, which we, as Georgian special forces - Tskhinvali, had to storm. Elbrus turned out to be frankly two-headed (see the flag of Kabardino-Balkaria), a dormant volcano. According to Georgian legends, the double-headed nature of the mountain is explained by the fact that Noah’s ark, during the decline of water after the flood, while sailing, caught on Elbrus and split the peak in two. The last eruption of the volcano occurred 900 years ago, and at a distance of 700 km from the volcano, the ash layer reaches 70 cm (in the vicinity of modern Astrakhan). Some scientists believe that Elbrus may wake up again in our century.

The past of Elbrus is covered in legends - here is the ancient myth of the fire god Prometheus, chained by the will of Zeus to the slope of Elbrus, and legends about the existence at the foot of Elbrus of an ancient Slavic-Scythian city, the Irian city, founded by Prince Kiy, the son of Arius and the grandson of the Sun-god Yar. For the first time, the eastern peak of the “altar at the throne of the Most High” was conquered in 1829 by an expedition led by General G. A. Emanuel, head of the Caucasian fortified line. Emanuel's expedition consisted of 650 soldiers and 350 line Cossacks. Don’t be surprised - nowadays, on fine summer days, approximately the same number of people climb to the western peak. Don't overcrowd. The western, highest peak, was conquered much later - in 1874 by English climbers led by F. Grove and Balkar guide A. Sottaev. The flow of foreigners to Elbrus will not weaken even now - there are many Balts, Poles, Germans and Americans. Still, Elbrus is a magnitude on a planetary scale, one of seven.

It's funny that many non-athletes and non-climbers - ordinary romantic office clerks - take a week's vacation and go to conquer Elbrus. What kind of vacation is this??? Not only does the body get pretty tense after fulfilling EBITDA plans and reaching new sales heights, but the process of ascension itself is incredibly tedious. On the other hand, it is harsh, but useful way understand and realize the futility and vanity of worldly squabbles, petty quarrels, dissatisfaction with bosses, political fuss and other things in comparison with what you experience at the top. Previously, in alpine camps, offenders were sent to Elya as punishment. All normal climbers went to other, “interesting” mountains, regardless of the relative height. Elbrus is not Ksenia Sobchak. They go to it as if they were going to a scaffold. They get up at 1-3 in the morning and stupidly saw up for 7-9 hours, without any special stops, along an extremely unscenic slope. There is NOTHING at the very top. No Buddha in the lotus position, no feet of Allah, no relics of Theodosius of the Caucasus, no Russian tricolor. There is not even any pillar or stone against which one could take a memorable photo: “ELBRUS, 5642m.” In general, having reached the empty peak, everyone turns down and slowly wanders back - another 3-4 hours. Have you dreamed about this when thinking about your vacation?

Do not forget: mountaineering is a long and monotonous dragging of large weights on high altitude associated with a risk to life and at one’s own expense. Not the best way to survive the winter :) To my deepest surprise, mountaineering turned out to be a rather self-centered sport and recreation. What we were brought up on - stories about how everyone is friends in the mountains, everyone should help each other - does not always work. If you go with a partner in a bundle, that’s one thing. There are no connections on Elbrus - everyone rushes at their own pace, with their own water (asking for which from someone is supposedly considered bad manners - you must have your own!) and with your own cockroaches. Everything seems to be to blame for the rather significant costs of climbing and specific climatic factors. A person who has paid several thousand dollars for climbing Kili and sees someone in need of help and evacuation down will not always want to abandon everything, his plans, damn Kili - and go down. In addition, due to such annoying “delays” you can miss good weather, live in a mountain camp on the mountain for a week - and end up returning home without your cherished conquest. Of course, this does not apply to all climbers and mountain tourism enthusiasts without exception, but it definitely gave me food for thought.

The first two days of acclimatization we climbed up to the Pastukhov rocks (4700m). You should wear crampons! The ascent is along a closed glacier (20°). There are no cracks here - they are all 50-100 meters from the main path. Above them there is an ice field (in winter) and a rather vomited oblique shelf. In this area you can smell sulfur dioxide coming from the fumaroles on the southern slope. In unfavorable winds this is a serious hindrance for climbers. Further, the route to the top passes through the saddle. From the saddle, both peaks rise to a height of about 500 m. The ascent to the Eastern peak begins 100 m above the destroyed hut (in the saddle). The journey through snow and scree there takes 1.5-2 hours. The ascent to the Western peak goes along an unexpectedly steep slope to the low dome of the peak (2-2.5 hours).

When the weather worsens, it is very difficult to navigate the long, smooth slopes of Elbrus! From the first signs of bad weather (light clouds) to total loss visibility may be less than 3 hours.

After two and a half days of acclimatization, at 3:15 am I went out for the final assault. In splendid isolation, because my fellow travelers were not ready yet. Joined the countless night climbers - the lights of the lanterns merge with the bottomless starry sky. By dawn (5 am) I was already “at Shepherds”. Perhaps the most memorable sight that I have left from the ascent is the huge shadow of Elbrus at dawn, in the rays rising sun. He overtook the stormtroopers who had been crushed by the oblique shelf and were “anchored”, and relaxed passed the saddle - almost Tverskaya Street. Probably the most terrible place on the route is the sharp rise immediately after the col. I was at the top around 8 a.m., having caught up with my Latvian neighbors, who had gone out on a snowcat an hour and a half earlier.

Who, so to speak, can be found, besides Latvians, at the top? According to Kabardian legend, Jin the Padishah, the king of spirits and ruler of birds, lives on Elbrus, who has a wonderful gift of predicting the future. The formidable old man looks from his throne into the future and waits for the punitive giants who will one day conquer his gloomy, transcendental kingdom. According to Georgians, the hero Amiran languishes on Elbrus. Together with this prisoner in the dark cave there is a dog that tirelessly licks its master's shackles. If you believe the Persians, a huge gray bird named Simurgh has been living on the top of Elbrus for many millennia. She sees the past with one eye and the future with the other. The Abkhazians say that on the top of Elbrus there is a terrible abyss in which a chained giant lies, and if any mortal looks there, he asks: “What is happening at the top? Is the grass green? Do families live peacefully? Is the wife faithful to her husband?” They answer him: “Yes.” And the giant groans: “I will remain in captivity for a long time!” Finally, another legend claims that on the snowy peak of Elbrus, on a huge rock-stone, an old man with a beard long to his feet has been sitting for millennia, chained because he wanted to overthrow the great god. Once you look at the old man, you die. Among Muslims, we have heard the belief that through the gorges of Elbrus there is a gate to the land of spirits “Dzhinistan”, where forever young charming maidens live. This version is my favorite!!!

The top of Elbrus was not only a mythical place, but also - due to its symbolic meaning highest point Europe was the scene of fierce confrontation during the Great Patriotic War. During the Battle of the Caucasus on August 21, 1942, units of the German mountain rifle division "Edelweiss" occupied the mountain bases "Krugozor" and "Priut-11" and planted Nazi banners on the western peak of Elbrus. By the middle of the winter of 1942-1943, fascist troops were driven out from the slopes of Elbrus, and Soviet mountaineering fighters accordingly hoisted red flags. By the way, there are no edelweiss flowers in the Caucasus! And it never was. They are, perhaps, in the Alps, in the Pamirs.

So, 5642. It's done! To my amazement, there were NO flags or plaques there. But there are chess sets for mountain grandmasters, 10-kilogram weights for high-altitude jocks, and a modest phallic symbol made of stone wrapped in multi-colored Tibetan rags. Although some may believe that these are scraps of material from the tent of Abraham, which was pitched at the top. Below - CBD and Georgia. It’s especially nice that there are no clouds above you. They fly under your feet. According to an ancient Georgian legend, from the top of Elbrus you can see paradise: the sight of the latter is so beautiful that after that a person no longer wants to look at anything earthly - he loses his sight. I testify: there is absolutely nothing to do in paradise without sunglasses! A shot against the backdrop of a euphorically piercing sky – and a couple of hours later I was already in the “Shelter”, telling the newly arrived about my fucking climbing day with the total calm of an experienced climber. Now, it seems, I’m even entitled to a corresponding badge. “USSR Climber” of the 1st stage – I would put it next to the “Parachutist’s Certificate”. Although as the climbers themselves say: “A chicken is not a bird, a badge is not a climber.”

FOR REFERENCE: Regulations on the “Soviet Mountaineer” badge. Standards for the badge approved by the Central Executive Committee of the USSR. 1. The right to receive a badge is enjoyed by workers who have all the rights of citizens of the USSR. 2. To receive the “USSR Climber” badge, you must do the following: 1) Pass the standards for the 1st stage GTO badge. 2) climb to the top of Elbrus or to a peak, the difficulty of climbing to which is equivalent to climbing to the top of Elbrus. 3) Master the technique of walking on mountain slopes: the ability to handle climbing equipment, cut steps on ice, walk on crampons. Knowledge of rope guarding. Ability to overcome scree, rocky, icy, firn slopes. 4) Knowledge of the basic rules of the mountain regime, rules of movement and rest, food and drink in the mountains, knowledge of the basic rules of protection from cold, wind, blindness and altitude sickness. 5) Knowledge of basic elementary rules first aid in the mountains for falls, frostbite, altitude sickness. 6) Ability to read and correct maps."

Climbing is a type of useful masochism that allows you to understand and feel the beauty green grass on the lawn, clean and quiet water, plenty of air and a smooth road, after you go down from the mountain - into a world where all this is there. I spent the last day in the Elbrus region exploring the valleys adjacent to the village of Terskol. Flowers in the Azau Valley are a stunning contrast to the stones and permafrost at the recent peak. The thistles here are the size of a fist, the cornflowers are white, a lot of flora unknown to me - great! In the Terskol gorge there is a mass grave of 38 soldiers of the Red Army, defenders of the village of Terskol in the battles of 1942, next to it there is a monument to journalists (about 25 people) who died during the Caucasian War of 1994-1996, very original even for an aquaskeptic like me - a waterfall "Maiden's Braids" (30m H2O at an altitude of 2900m, listed in the book "100 most beautiful waterfalls in the world", V. Vysotsky swam in it during the filming of the film "Vertical", according to local legend, if you want to find your betrothed, you need to swim in it) , and at the very top is the unique observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences for the study of macrocosm (height 3095m; has at its disposal three stellar and two solar telescope, but it only works at night, so don’t count on free astro viewing!). Before construction cable car this trail through the city of Terskol was the main route along which climbers climbed Elbrus. It was also used to import all the materials for the construction of the high-mountain hotel "Shelter 11" on the slope of Elbrus and the New Horizons observatory.

In the afternoon of the same day I hurried to Cheget. It is a kilometer below from Terskol. Cheget is known as ski resort. Here in winter there are myriads of lovers of difficult slopes, and on Elbrus - those who prefer simple slopes and snowboarders. In the boarding house "Cheget" I was pleased to see a functioning Sberbank ATM (in Terskol itself there was only a "Eurokommerts"). At 17:00, except for me, there were no idiot climbers. Unlike Elbrus, Cheget and a number of other western gorges are included in the border zone. Therefore, to enter here you need to obtain a special permit. In "Alpinindustry", they say, they do this for all the gorges you are interested in at once for 300 rubles/person. I walked through the Donguz-Orun gorge along the peaks of the Main Caucasian ridge, called the “Long Family”, since it is very difficult to pronounce and, especially, remember their local names, and impossible on an empty stomach. In an hour and a half of walking, I managed to get to the famous Blue Lake - Donguz- Orun Kol (“lake where pigs swim” - from Balkar). Now imagine that you are walking along a slightly boring path, on the left side stick out two mountains, also boring with their gloomy appearance, on which, moreover, something periodically knocks, rumbles and falls down - either climbers, or stones. And suddenly a deep basin opens under your feet, and in it is a multi-colored quiet lake. It's a shame they called him a pig. Pigs once actually swam here and bred nearby. Or rather, they were bred by ancient Georgian citizens. The lake is multi-colored: one part is turquoise or green-blue, and the other is yellow-brown with shades of the red part of the spectrum. And these colors don't mix. Why is the water such an unusual color? It's not just about pig ablutions - it affects high content something tungsten-molbdenum, and also, probably, specific high-altitude (2700m) bacteria.

If I had a couple more days left, I would go to the Irik and Adyr-su gorges, to the Shkheldinsky glacier with its due waterfall, to the Narzan Glade. However, my companions who descended from Elbrus carried me further - a morning transfer to Pyatigorsk. In the next two weeks, as it turned out, I was waiting for unbottled Caucasian mineral waters, a train to Stalingrad, the dead waters of Baskunchak and Elton, a trip on the Tyumen-Baku sauna train to Derbent and a week on the Caspian coast and in the mountain villages of Dagestan. It’s just that once you leave the Caucasus, you inevitably return there.

Elbrus - like me after 5 years of living in South Korea– stuck somewhere between Europe and Asia. This certainly brings us closer. Tradition says that the one who, despite all the dangers, reaches the top will be filled with miraculous strength. In Adygea, Elbrus is called Oshkhamakho - the mountain of happiness. 5642 meters of no stones, no snow - happiness. On August 10, 2008, I simply entered into Elya’s share.

Sergei Konovalov
21/10/2008 22:15

The opinions of tourists may not coincide with the opinions of the editors.

A prerequisite for normal breathing is a certain concentration of oxygen in the air. If it is not enough, then disorders occur in the body.

At an altitude of 5500 m, i.e. almost at the height of Elbrus, atmospheric pressure half as much as on the surface of the earth, and equal to 380 mm Hg. Art. The partial pressure of oxygen also decreases sharply. If at an atmospheric pressure of 760 mm Hg. Art. it is equal to 159 mm Hg. Art., then already at an altitude of 5500 m it drops to 80 mm Hg. Art. This causes insufficient oxygenation of the blood and, consequently, insufficient supply of it to the nervous tissue, muscles and other organs. So-called oxygen starvation occurs. This is especially noticeable when climbing mountain peaks or when flying in an airplane at high altitudes, if there are no special hermetic cabins with a constant oxygen concentration that ensures normal human breathing. When there is not enough oxygen, the pulse and breathing become more frequent, fatigue and muscle weakness appear, hearing and visual acuity are lost, cyanosis appears, and in severe cases even neuropsychiatric disorders. This condition is called altitude, or mountain sickness. Similar disturbances in the body occur at an altitude of 4000 m or more. The height of Elbrus is 5630 m, and the oxygen concentration at its peak is so low that a person cannot be there without prior training.

At the dawn of aeronautics, three French aeronauts flew in a hot air balloon. They rose to a height of 8000 m. Only one of the aeronauts remained alive, but he also sank to the ground in a very in serious condition. The conditions for human existence at high altitudes were not yet known at that time, and the death of balloonists served as an impetus for the study of these issues. The outstanding Russian scientist I.M. Sechenov was the first to establish that the death of balloonists occurred because they did not have enough oxygen due to the rarefied air in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

With oxygen deficiency, breathing becomes more frequent and deepens. At the same time, more air passes through the lungs per minute and oxygen saturation of the blood increases, which causes the number of red blood cells in the blood to increase and the amount of hemoglobin to increase, and therefore the binding and transfer of oxygen increases. The heart also starts in 1 min. pump more blood than under normal conditions, and, most importantly, tissue resistance to oxygen deficiency increases.

To combat altitude sickness great value has training. It adapts the body to low oxygen concentrations.

After training, a person can be at an altitude of 5 thousand meters and even climb to a greater height without experiencing unpleasant symptoms of altitude sickness. Thus, through training, climbers achieved that without oxygen devices in the Pamirs they climbed to 7495 m, and on Chomolungma (Everest) to 8400 m. The body has such great capabilities if it is trained correctly. Even thin ones chemical processes processes occurring in cells can adapt to living conditions.

INHALE AND EXHALE

The lungs never stretch or contract on their own; they passively follow chest. The chest cavity expands due to the contraction of the respiratory muscles, which primarily include the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.

When inhaling, the diaphragm lowers by 3-4 cm. Lowering it by 1 cm increases the volume of the chest by 250-300 ml. Thus, only due to contraction of the diaphragm, the volume of the chest increases by 1000-1200 ml. When the intercostal muscles contract, they raise the ribs, which rotate somewhat around their axis, resulting in chest cavity is also expanding.

The lungs follow the expanding chest, stretch themselves, and the pressure in them drops. As a result, a difference is created between atmospheric pressure and pressure in the lungs. As the pressure in the lungs drops below atmospheric pressure, air rushes into the lungs and fills them. Inhalation occurs. After inhalation comes exhalation. During normal exhalation, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, the chest collapses and its volume decreases. At the same time, the lungs also collapse, and the air is exhaled out. With a strong exhalation, the abdominal press is involved, which, straining, puts pressure on the intra-abdominal organs. They, in turn, put pressure on the diaphragm, which protrudes even more into the chest cavity.

With each inhalation a person does significant work. This work can lift 1 kg of load to a height of 8 cm. If this energy could be used, then in an hour a load of 1 kg would be raised by 86 m, and overnight by 690 m.

Men and women breathe slightly differently. Men have abdominal breathing, and women have thoracic breathing. Different type breathing depends on which muscles are predominantly involved in breathing movements. In men it is the diaphragm, and in women it is the intercostal muscles. But these types of breathing are not constant; they can change depending on the nature and working conditions.

We have already talked about the pleural fissure. It is formed between two layers of the pleura and is hermetically sealed. The pressure in it is below atmospheric. This is very important, since breathing is impossible if, when the chest is wounded, air enters the pleural fissure and the pressure in it becomes equal to atmospheric pressure.

The entry of air into the pleural fissure (or pleural cavity) when the integrity of its walls is violated is called pneumothorax. It is successfully used in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis. The doctor pierces the chest with a special needle and injects a certain amount of gas into the pleural slit. The pressure in it is artificially increased, and the movement of the lungs is significantly limited, and this creates rest for the diseased organ. Pleural cells have the ability to absorb air, so after some time they completely remove gas from the pleural fissure and low pressure is again established in it. The therapeutic value of pneumothorax is very great.

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BREATHING ON ELBRUS

A prerequisite for normal breathing is a certain concentration of oxygen in the air. Its deficiency causes various disorders in the body.

At an altitude of 5500 m, i.e. almost at the height of Elbrus, the atmospheric pressure is half that on the surface of the earth, and is equal to 380 mmHg Art. The partial pressure of oxygen also decreases sharply. If at atmospheric pressure 760 mmHg Art. it is equal to 159 mm Hg. Art., then already at an altitude of 5500 m it drops to 80 mmHg Art. This causes insufficient oxygenation of the blood and, consequently, insufficient supply of it to the nervous tissue, muscles and other organs. So-called oxygen starvation occurs. This is especially noticeable when climbing mountain peaks or when flying in an airplane at high altitudes, if there are no special sealed cabins with a constant oxygen concentration that ensures normal human breathing. When there is not enough oxygen, the pulse and breathing become more frequent, fatigue, muscle weakness, cyanosis appear, hearing and visual acuity are lost, and in severe cases there may even be neuropsychiatric disorders. This condition is called altitude, or mountain sickness. Similar disturbances in the body occur at an altitude of 4000 m and more. Elbrus height 5633 m, and the oxygen concentration at its top is so low that a person cannot stay there without prior training.

At the dawn of aeronautics, three French aeronauts flew in a hot air balloon. They climbed to a height of 8000 m. Only one of the aeronauts remained alive, but he also sank to the ground in a very serious condition. The conditions for human existence at high altitudes were not yet known at that time, and the death of balloonists served as an impetus for the study of these issues. The outstanding Russian scientist I.M. Sechenov was then the first to establish that the death of balloonists occurred because they lacked oxygen due to the rarefied air in the upper layers of the atmosphere.

With oxygen deficiency, breathing becomes more frequent and deepens. At the same time, more air passes through the lungs per minute and oxygen saturation of the blood increases, which causes the number of red blood cells in the blood to increase and the amount of hemoglobin to increase, and therefore the binding and transfer of oxygen increases. The heart also begins to pump more blood in 1 minute than under normal conditions, and, most importantly, tissue resistance to oxygen deficiency increases. This is how the body is able to compensate for the lack of oxygen.

To combat altitude sickness, training is of great importance. It adapts the body well to low oxygen concentrations.

After training, a person can be at an altitude of 5000 m and even rise to greater heights without experiencing unpleasant symptoms of altitude sickness. Thus, through training, climbers achieved that without oxygen devices in the Pamirs they climbed to 7495 m, and on Chomolungma - to 8400 m. The body has such great capabilities if it is trained correctly. Even subtle chemical processes occurring in cells can adapt to living conditions.

INHALE AND EXHALE

The lungs never expand or contract on their own; they passively follow the chest. The chest cavity expands due to the contraction of the respiratory muscles, which primarily include the diaphragm and intercostal muscles.

When inhaling, the diaphragm lowers by 3-4 cm. Lowering it by 1 cm increases chest volume by 250-300 ml. Thus, only due to contraction of the diaphragm, the volume of the chest increases by 1000-1200 ml. When the intercostal muscles contract, they raise the ribs, which rotate somewhat around their axis, as a result of which the chest cavity also expands.

The lungs follow the expanding chest, stretch themselves, and the pressure in them drops. This creates a difference between atmospheric pressure and pressure in the lungs. As the pressure in the lungs drops below atmospheric pressure, air rushes into the lungs and fills them. Inhalation occurs. After inhalation comes exhalation. During normal exhalation, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles relax, the chest collapses and its volume decreases. At the same time, the lungs also collapse and the air is exhaled out. The abdominal press is involved in a strong exhalation, which, tensing, presses on the intra-abdominal organs. They,

May 29 marks exactly 66 years since the first ascent of the highest mountain world - Everest. After many attempts on different expeditions, in 1953, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the world peak - 8848 meters above sea level.

To date, more than nine thousand people have conquered Everest, while more than 300 died during the ascent. Will a person turn around 150 meters before reaching the summit and go down if another climber becomes ill, and is it possible to climb Everest without oxygen - in our material.

Conquer the peak or save someone else's life

There are more and more people wishing to conquer the highest peak in the world every year. They are not afraid of the cost of climbing, measured in tens of thousands of dollars (the climb permit alone costs $11,000, plus the services of a guide, Sherpas, special clothing and equipment), nor the risk to health and life. At the same time, many go completely unprepared: they are attracted by the romance of the mountains and the blind desire to conquer the peak, but this is the most difficult test of survival. During the 2019 spring season, there are already 10 people on Everest. According to media reports, a total of 20 people died in the Himalayas this spring - this is more than in the entire 2018.

Of course, there is now a lot of commerce in extreme tourism, and climbers with many years of experience also note this. If previously you had to wait for years to climb Everest, now getting permission for the next season is not a problem. Nepal has sold 381 lift licenses this spring alone. Because of this, hours-long queues of tourists formed on the approaches to the top of the mountain, and this at altitudes critical for life. There are situations when oxygen runs out or there are not enough physical resources of the body to stay in such conditions, and people can no longer walk, someone dies. In cases where one of the group members becomes ill, the rest have a question: leave him and continue on the path to achieve the goal for which they have been preparing all their lives, or turn around and go downhill, saving the life of another person?

According to mountaineer Nikolai Totmyanin, who has made more than 200 ascents (of which five ascents to eight-thousanders and 53 ascents to seven-thousanders), in Russian groups on mountain expeditions it is not customary to leave a person who cannot go further. If someone feels bad and there are serious health risks, then the whole group turns around and goes down. This happened more than once in his practice: it happened that he had to turn around the entire expedition 150 meters before the goal (by the way, Nikolai himself climbed to the top of Everest twice without an oxygen cylinder).

There are situations when it is impossible to save a person. But just leaving him and continuing to move, knowing that he could die or spoil his health - this, according to our concepts, is nonsense and is simply unacceptable. Human life more important than any mountain.

At the same time, Totmyanin notes that it happens differently on Everest, since commercial groups from different countries: “Others, for example the Japanese, do not have such principles. There, everyone is for himself and is aware of the extent of responsibility that he can stay there forever.” Another important point: non-professional climbers have no sense of danger, they do not see it. And, being in extreme situation When there is little oxygen, the body is limited in any activity, including mental activity. “In such a situation, people make inadequate decisions, so it is impossible to entrust a person with the decision about whether to continue moving or not. This should be done by the leader of the group or expedition,” summarizes Totmyanin.

Oxygen starvation

What happens to a person at such a height? Let's imagine that we ourselves decided to conquer the peak. Due to the fact that we get used to high atmospheric pressure, living in a city almost on a plateau (for Moscow this is an average of 156 meters above sea level), when we get into mountainous areas our body experiences stress.

This is because the mountain climate is, first of all, low atmospheric pressure and thinner air than at sea level. Contrary to popular belief, the amount of oxygen in the air does not change with altitude; only its partial pressure (tension) decreases.

That is, when we breathe thin air, oxygen is not absorbed as well as at low altitudes. As a result, the amount of oxygen entering the body decreases - a person experiences oxygen starvation.

That’s why when we come to the mountains, often instead of the joy of clean air filling our lungs, we get headaches, nausea, shortness of breath and extreme fatigue even during a short walk.

Oxygen starvation (hypoxia)– a state of oxygen starvation of both the entire organism as a whole and individual organs and tissues caused by various factors: holding your breath, painful conditions, low oxygen content in the atmosphere.

And the higher and faster we rise, the more severe the health consequences can be. At high altitudes there is a risk of developing altitude sickness.

What are the heights:

• up to 1500 meters – low altitudes (even with hard work there are no physiological changes);
• 1500-2500 meters – intermediate (noticeable physiological changes, blood oxygen saturation is less than 90 percent (normal), the likelihood of altitude sickness is low);
• 2500-3500 meters – high altitudes (altitude sickness develops with rapid ascent);
• 3500-5800 meters – very high altitudes (mountain sickness often develops, blood oxygen saturation is less than 90 percent, significant hypoxemia (decrease in oxygen concentration in the blood during exercise);
• over 5800 meters – extreme altitudes (severe hypoxemia at rest, progressive deterioration, despite maximum acclimatization, constant stay at such altitudes is impossible).

Altitude sickness- a painful condition associated with oxygen starvation due to a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen in the inhaled air. Occurs high in the mountains, starting at approximately 2000 meters and above.

Everest without oxygen

The highest peak in the world is the dream of many climbers. The awareness of the unconquered mass of 8848 meters in height has excited minds since the beginning of the last century. However, for the first time people reached its summit only in the middle of the twentieth century - on May 29, 1953, the mountain finally conquered the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

In the summer of 1980, a person overcame another obstacle - the famous Italian climber Reinhold Massner climbed Everest without auxiliary oxygen in special cylinders, which are used on climbs.

Many professional climbers, as well as doctors, pay attention to the difference in the sensations of the two climbers, Norgay and Massner, when they reached the top.

According to the memoirs of Tenzing Norgay, “the sun was shining, and the sky - in my entire life I had never seen a bluer sky! I looked down and recognized places memorable from past expeditions... On all sides around us were the great Himalayas... Never before have I seen such a sight and never I won’t see anything more – wild, beautiful and terrible.”

And here are Messner’s memories of the same peak. “I sink into the snow, heavy as a stone from fatigue... But there is no rest here. I am exhausted and exhausted to the limit... Another half hour - and I’m done... It’s time to leave. There is no feeling of the greatness of what is happening. I’m too tired for this.”

What caused such a significant difference in the descriptions of the two climbers’ triumphant ascent? The answer is simple - Reinhold Massner, unlike Norgay and Hillary, did not breathe oxygen.

Inhaling at the top of Everest will bring three times less oxygen to the brain than at sea level. This is why most climbers prefer to conquer peaks using oxygen cylinders.

On eight-thousanders (peaks above 8,000 meters) there is a so-called death zone - a height at which, due to cold and lack of oxygen, a person cannot stay for a long time.

Many climbers note that doing the simplest things: tying boots, boiling water or getting dressed becomes extremely difficult.

Our brain suffers the most during oxygen starvation. It uses 10 times more oxygen than all other parts of the body combined. Above 7500 meters, a person receives so little oxygen that disruption of blood flow to the brain and brain swelling can occur.

Brain edema – pathological process, manifested by excessive accumulation of fluid in the cells of the brain or spinal cord and intercellular space, increasing brain volume.

At an altitude of more than 6,000 meters, the brain suffers so much that temporary bouts of insanity can occur. A slow reaction may give way to agitation and even inappropriate behavior.

For example, the most experienced American guide and climber Scott Fischer, most likely having suffered cerebral edema, at an altitude of more than 7000 meters, asked to call him a helicopter for evacuation. Although in in good condition Anyone, even a not very experienced climber, knows perfectly well that helicopters cannot fly to such a height. This incident occurred during the infamous 1996 Everest climb, when eight climbers died during a storm on the descent.

This tragedy became widely known because large quantities dead climbers. The ascent on May 11, 1996 killed 8 people, including two guides. On that day, several commercial expeditions simultaneously climbed to the summit. Participants in such expeditions pay money to guides, and they, in turn, provide maximum safety and everyday comfort to their clients along the route.

Most of the participants in the 1996 climb were not professional climbers and were heavily dependent on bottled auxiliary oxygen. According to various testimonies, 34 people simultaneously went out to storm the summit that day, which significantly delayed the ascent. As a result, the last climber reached the summit after 16:00. Critical time The time for getting up is 13:00, after this time the guides are required to turn the clients back in order to have time to go down while it is still light. 20 years ago, neither of the two guides gave such an order in time.

Due to the late ascent, many participants did not have oxygen left for the descent, during which a powerful hurricane hit the mountain. As a result, after midnight, many climbers were still on the mountainside. Without oxygen and poor visibility, they could not find their way to the camp. Some of them were rescued single-handedly by professional climber Anatoly Boukreev. Eight people died on the mountain due to hypothermia and lack of oxygen.

About mountain air and acclimatization

And yet our body can adapt to very difficult conditions, including high altitudes. In order to be at an altitude of more than 2500-3000 meters without serious consequences, to an ordinary person one to four days of acclimatization are required.

As for altitudes above 5000 meters, it is almost impossible to adapt to them normally, so you can only stay at them for a limited time. The body at such altitudes is not able to rest and recover.

Is it possible to reduce the health risk when staying at height and how to do it? As a rule, all health problems in the mountains begin due to insufficient or improper preparation of the body, namely lack of acclimatization.

Acclimatization is the sum of adaptive-compensatory reactions of the body, as a result of which good health is maintained general condition, weight, normal performance and psychological state are maintained.

Many doctors and climbers believe that the best way to adapt to altitude is to gain altitude gradually - make several ascents, reaching higher and higher heights, and then descend and rest as low as possible.

Let's imagine a situation: a traveler who decided to conquer Elbrus - the most high peak in Europe, begins its journey from Moscow at 156 meters above sea level. And in four days it turns out to be 5642 meters.

And although adaptation to altitude is genetically embedded in us, such a careless climber faces several days of rapid heartbeat, insomnia and headaches. But for a climber who sets aside at least a week for the climb, these problems will be reduced to a minimum.

While a resident of the mountainous regions of Kabardino-Balkaria will not have them at all. From birth, the blood of highlanders contains more red blood cells (red blood cells) blood cells), and the lung capacity is on average two liters more.

How to protect yourself in the mountains when skiing or hiking

• Gradually gain altitude and avoid sharp drop heights;
• If you feel unwell, reduce the time of riding or walking, make more rest stops, drink warm tea;
• Due to high ultraviolet radiation You can get a retinal burn. To avoid this in the mountains you need to use sunglasses and headdress;
• Bananas, chocolate, muesli, cereals and nuts help fight oxygen starvation;
• You should not drink alcoholic drinks at altitude - they increase dehydration of the body and aggravate the lack of oxygen.

Another interesting and, at first glance, obvious fact is that in the mountains a person moves much slower than on the plain. IN ordinary life we walk at a speed of about 5 kilometers per hour. This means that we cover a distance of a kilometer in 12 minutes.

To climb to the top of Elbrus (5642 meters), starting from an altitude of 3800 meters, a healthy acclimatized person will need on average about 12 hours. That is, the speed will drop to 130 meters per hour compared to normal.

Comparing these figures, it is not difficult to understand how seriously altitude affects our body.

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Why is it that the higher you go, the colder it gets?

Even those who have never been to the mountains know one more feature mountain air– the higher you go, the colder it is. Why does this happen, because closer to the sun the air, on the contrary, should warm up more.

The thing is that we feel heat not from the air, it heats up very poorly, but from the surface of the earth. That is, the sun's ray comes from above, through the air and does not heat it.

And the earth or water receives this ray, heats up quickly enough and gives off heat upward to the air. Therefore, the higher we are from the plain, the less heat we receive from the earth.

Inna Lobanova, Natalya Loskutnikova