18,510 ft.
Caucasus Mountain Range
Russia
Europe

We spend several nights at the Barrells, at 12,800 ft.  They provide excellent shelter from the wind & cold.  We use these as our base camp as we spend time climbing high to acclimatize.  Feels like we are sleeping in giant soup cans!

    

 
   

Mount Elbrus journal entry: August 16, 2002

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“We have been spending our days climbing longer and higher to get our bodies ready for the altitude and bitter cold of summit day.  Today we climbed to Pastukhov Rocks at 15,420 ft.  We have been returning each night to the Barrells for warmth and good Russian home cooking.  Several climbers have been experiencing signs of altitude sickness already, but rest and hydration seem to help them all.”