25.04.2010
Two weeks ago Jochen Reiser, Axel Hörmann, Photographer Jens Klatt and me went to the Elbrus region in Russia to experience Russian lifestyle and culture, to ride amazing high mountains within the Kaukasus area and to bring home an interesting and great story...what a trip!
Compared to what we have here, Russia is a completely different world. We met friendly people, saw really crazy people in Moscow and although it became really warm had some great riding in Cheget and the Elbrus ski area.
Situated in the city of Terskol near the boarder to Georgia we either took the two chairlifts up to the top of the ski area of Cheget or went to the Elbrus cable car. If you start hiking from the top of Cheget for about 30min to one hour you get an amazing off pist run ending up in one of the culoirs you can look at from the valley. All in all you get about 1500m vertical drop riding on great terrain in one run. I really liked Cheget due to a big variety of options to play with the mountain formations. Yo can choose to jump some of the small or bigger cliffs, straight line one of the narrow culoirs or just enjoy riding one of the big faces.
me looking down from Cheget ski area...Elbrus with it's two peaks in the background
Axel, Jochen and me at the top of Cheget ski area- ready for a great run down
Taking the pretty new cable car up to the ski area right at the foot of Mt.Elbrus leads into completely different terrain. The cable ends at a height of about 3800m. From there you can take the ratrack up to around 4100m. Riding on the terrain there you really have to be aware of crevasses. There is plenty of wholes even if the top parts are not very steep. On the glacier you can choose of either going down skiers left all the way down into Terskol canyon, ending up back in the village of Terskol, or skiers right far out on the glacier, ending up back to the mid station of the cable car. Both directions are really interesting to ride. If you keep your eyes open, you really find great, challenging spots, where noone else has gone before.
Jochen, me and Axel traversing out on the skiers right side of the glacier
me riding on the Mt.Elbrus glacier
me jumping over some kind of crevas formation
Our Russian Camerawoman Dasha took some great shots, so I we are going to show a small movie about our trip to Russia beginning of next season.
Unfortunately on the last day of riding I turned the wrong way and got caught by the sluff of the wet snow. Instead of jumping the cliff I was looking at, I fell over it and thereby lost my helmet camera and my digicam. Finally I have learned again a lot about riding when sluff is following and I am happy that I got off lightly with just some small injuries.
So watch out for the full story and more great pictures in the magazines upcoming winter season!!!
