It happened in Ancient Times, when there were Gods on Earth...
The ancient people of the Svan tribe lived at the foot of the Holy Mountains...
And Betkil was the best Hunter in all of Svaneti, Betkil was lucky and handsome. Women's hearts beat when they saw Betkil walking past with his unchanging Bow from the Iron Tree and a quiver of sharp-feathered arrows on his back...
The Most Beautiful Girl in all of Svaneti was chosen by Betkil the Hunter as his Bride; the day of the merry Wedding had already been appointed, when Betkil decided to try his luck and climb the Sacred Double-Headed Mountain Ushba, which translated into other languages from Svan meant “Mountain that brings Misfortune.”
And then the Double-Headed Mountain was not at all inaccessible, but the wise Old Men simply forbade anyone, not their own, not strangers, to go there. They considered the Double-Headed Mountain Ushba a Sacred Mountain, where mortals do not live, but Gods live...
Betkil was young, brave and dexterous. Like a snow leopard, he climbed higher and higher, but along with joy, Pride also came to him. No one has yet climbed to the Top of the inaccessible Two-Horned Mountain, only Betkil was able to set foot on the Unknown Part of the Forbidden Place.
And the Female Eyes of the Ancient Goddess of Hunting Dali looked at him from the Top....
The Goddess Betkila noticed it a long time ago. I knew him from the wild, untrodden paths, where I often noticed him and sometimes helped him in the Hunt.
And this time, from the very Foot of Her Two-Horned Mountain, She was watching the brave Hunter; at any moment she could throw him, like others before him, from a steep slope straight into a deep gorge. But the Goddess admired the beauty of a mere mortal, and suddenly, without even expecting it, she cast a Spell...
And Time stopped at the Top of the Double-Headed Mountain... And the amazed young man saw the Beauty of the Goddess... He bowed his knee, knowing who She was... And bowed his head in anticipation of Punishment... The old people said, “You cannot desecrate this Holy thing with the traces of mere mortals Place", but Betkil did not listen to them, and now Dali Herself stands before him in the Radiance of the Night Moon... But how beautiful is the Forever Young Goddess! You can die to see what mere mortals cannot see...
The Goddess glided towards him with a Soft Shadow... And on his skin he felt the rustle of weightless fabrics of Her wonderful clothes... And he heard laughter like a crystal bell, and when cool and gentle hands touched his hair, and he felt the taste of wild strawberries in his mouth, then Betkil decided to open his eyes and the Radiance of Beauty exploded in front of him with bright flashes...
Near a beautiful Stream Betkil and Dali set up their Shelter for Hot Love Games... Neither noticed anything, but Time stopped and from the Dark Sky with many bright stars the unchanging Moon shone for them, without being replaced by the Sun...
But then one day Betkil walked away from the sleeping Dali. He stood, satisfied with Fate, on the Edge of the Top and suddenly saw the warmly flickering lights of his home. And suddenly Betkil became cold, and in vain the young man wrapped himself in his cloak, nothing helped. But Betkil remembered the Sun, remembered the warmth of the hearth, remembered the faces of Relatives, Friends and the smile of his Bride. And Betkil was ashamed that he had not kept His Word. The young man decisively approached the edge and began to go down. He didn’t even glance at where the Eternally Young Goddess Dali was sleeping in a serene sleep.
And for all the people there was no Betkil for only one Night... No one noticed the absence of the Hunter... Everyone was preparing for a Magnificent Wedding and Unbridled Fun...
And high on the Top of the Double-Headed Mountain the abandoned Goddess Dali was beating in tears and lamentations... Again and again she looked at the Wedding Feast in the distance and tears dripped into the Stream, where recently she washed the Muscular Body of her Betkil..
The Svans raised their Horns, filled to the brim with Wine. The musicians beat the drums. Unmarried Girls were spinning in a leisurely, proud dance. The tables were laden with many dishes. We wished the young Bride and Groom happy days.
Betkil was dizzy from the intoxicating drink, and memories of Dali completely left him and only somewhere in the very depths of his heart a barely noticeable fear stirred. And he poured himself more and more Betkil, trying to drown out his Bad Feeling... And getting drunk, Betkil laughed and talked about what a Great Hunter he was...
The old men looked at him disapprovingly, but could not object, because no one could get as much game as the Young Lucky Hunter brought... As if the Goddess of Hunting Dali herself favored him...
And suddenly, unexpectedly for everyone, right at the edge of the mountain forest, a Black Tour of unprecedented size appeared... Its Powerful Horns glowed golden against the backdrop of the Setting Sun...
And the men jumped up, ran home for their bows and slings, everyone wanted to get such a trophy and become famous among others. But Betkil was the first to lose his head. Armed men were just running out of the houses, and Betkil was already flying like the wind in pursuit of the Huge Black Tur with Golden Horns.
And suddenly all the other men stood rooted to the ground. With excitement they saw how far in the mountains, barely visible how far, Betkil was climbing the Forbidden and Holy Mountain, climbing behind the Black Tur, and behind his heels the stones were torn off and the Mountain became an impregnable Wall, where it was impossible to climb and it was impossible to descend.
All the people shouted in vain, trying to warn Betkil about the Trouble, the Young Hunter did not hear them... He came to his senses only at the already familiar Top, when the Black Tour melted into the air... Betkil looked around helplessly, and saw that there was a sheer wall behind him, along which there is no turning back ever.
Betkil understood everything then. He turned his face to the Top, sighed sadly and said, curling his lips: “Rejoice, Dali. Your Charms are still working.”...
And after the words he turned back over his shoulder and looked with longing at the Towers of the Ancestral House in the distance below... And then She came out from behind one of the Horns... And Triumph sparkled on her Cold Face... Simple things won’t go anywhere mortal... He didn’t want to serve on an equal footing - such is the lot of a mere mortal before the Gods...
And the Young Hunter approached the edge of the Great Abyss on the Edge... He put his hands into a mouthpiece and shouted so that it could be heard down there:
Can you hear me, my Bride?!...
And the answer came: “I hear you, My Beloved Betkal!”
Dance the Bride's Dance for me, My Beloved!!!
Goddess Dali watched with fascination the graceful dance of a mere mortal...
Do you hear, My Sister?! - Betkal shouted again.
Yes bro! - came from the Abyss Below...
Show me, Dear, how you will mourn your Brother!!!
And the Sister began to cry, feeling unkind...
Do you hear me, Your Son, Svan People?! - Betkal asked, and Pride was heard in his voice...
And all the people shouted: “Yes, we hear you, Betkal!”
Know, My People, that a Glorious Death is better than the Life of a Slave! - and the Glorious Hunter Betkal turned to the Pale Goddess Dali and with the smile of the Winner looked into Her amazed Face and proudly thrusting his chest forward, stepped into the Abyss...
The cry of the people when this happened was terrible... The cry of the Goddess Dali was terrible... She tried to catch the Young Hunter, but even the Gods were not able to Fly as fast as mere mortal Betkal flew that day. And He became Immortal on that Day for Centuries and Millennia.
The Svan People still honor Proud Betkal. Until now, the Old People forbid anyone, neither their own nor strangers, to climb the Two-horned Mountain Ushba... For this is a Holy Place... And mere mortals cannot understand this...
Ushba mountain
This story began a long time ago, woven in intricate knots around a peak with a strange and alarming name - Ushba. Since time immemorial, this mountain has hung like a gloomy rocky mass over the Svan village of Mestia, with its stern grandeur from an early age filling the hearts of the mountaineers with courage and pride for their people. How this happens is a mystery, but maybe it doesn’t matter how. The important thing is that a simple traveler who accidentally finds himself on a road that, cutting through a mountain slope, descends in loops to Mestia, even a stranger to these mountains feels a strange tension.
And it is not difficult to determine its source - a strict, majestic peak, eerily regular in shape, the vertical base of which seems to rest on the very edge of the village, where the ancient Svan towers have been taking from this mountain an example of proud inaccessibility for almost a thousand years. Ushba is a special mountain for Svaneti. Every man in this tiny mountainous country grows up with a deep sense of respect and awe for his most worthy personal test - Ushba.
The very appearance of this mountain contains a challenge to human courage. Unapproachable and majestic, Ushba constantly serves as a reminder, prompting the most courageous to act, the audacity of which does not fit into the scheme of everyday needs. Without the slightest selfish interest, the Svans risk their lives for the sake of a pure victory, meaningless from a generally accepted point of view, but at a huge price - climbing to the top of Ushba. The Svans do not go to Ushba for money or rewards. There is no economic or hunting interest there.
A one-of-a-kind fact, amazing, like the entire history of Svaneti - a small mountainous country, whose proud and free character nature itself expressed in the form of a Mountain. Central Caucasus, climbing Ushba There is no greater reason for pride and respect in Svaneti than climbing Ushba, a peak seemingly inaccessible to mortals. For this unique quality, I especially love and respect the Svan people.
For us, Russian climbers, accustomed to seeing Ushba from the other side, from the north, this mountain does not have such metaphysical significance as for the inhabitants of Svaneti, but still, its appearance is eye-catching and frightening. The majestic double-headed peak rightfully reigns over the entire line of the Caucasus ridge. There is no doubt - this is the Queen. The tallest. The slenderest. And inaccessible.
None of the peaks of the Caucasus is covered with such an aura of legends, stories and dramatic facts as Ushba. This Mountain is a Legend, no less famous than the European symbol of mountaineering - the Matterhorn. In some ways these two mountains are very similar; some strange internal similarity unites them. Historically, the same parallel. There would not have been such drama and self-sacrifice in the birth of mountaineering in the Alps if not for the Matterhorn. And who knows how Soviet mountaineering would have developed if not for Ushba?!
For a dozen generations of climbers, Ushba has become the foundation of skill, a criterion of maturity. Stories about the legendary climbs to Ushba were used to instill in young athletes respect and a desire to improve their mountaineering skills. But not everyone managed to achieve their desired goal. The cruelty and treachery of Ushba were also part of the glory of this peak. Many lives were cut short here... And, as usual, I hear this question - was it worth it?! Woe to relatives, grief to friends. For what?! Ice and stone, the madness of a mighty element... But those who accepted the challenge and withstood this duel will not hesitate to answer. It was worth it. What remains in the heart justifies the risk. Repeatedly.
There are few values in the world that do not age. But from the moment of the first ascents of Ushba at the end of the 19th century, when Austrian climbers first climbed the uncharted heights of the most difficult peaks of the Caucasus, and to the present day, when, at the risk of being imprisoned for violating the state border and not even hoping for help in case of failure, climbers take on the most difficult routes - the price of the issue has not changed one iota - the game is definitely worth the candle.
Central Caucasus, climbing Ushba There are many beautiful routes to Ushba, among which there are no easy ones - only the strongest and most experienced can access this mountain. The names of the first climbers have also long become legends - Kokkin, Khergiani, Myshlyaev, Abalakov...
There was not a single athlete in the Union who crossed the master's line who did not know the full depth of the meaning of this short word - Ushba. The Ushbists were especially respected, because they had unique experience, which could only be obtained in confrontation with the Queen of the Caucasus - Ushba. Even the difficulty categories for the routes to Ushba did not fall into the general framework of sports categories - athletes who did not have experience in climbing routes of the same category were not allowed on the Ushba routes. Ushba has always been the most famous technical peak of the Caucasus in the country.
As you probably already understand, for me Ushba is not just a peak. From the very beginning of my acquaintance with the mountains, Ushba was the criterion by which purity of aspirations, strength of courage, and inflexibility of will are measured. This is the Top. I guess I'm a bit of a Swan at heart. But after my first ascent of Ushba, I felt like a different person. And the success of our memorial ascent in 2002 is also largely based on the common understanding among all participants of the exceptional importance of Ushba and a reverent attitude towards it.
But Legend Mountain, the cherished dream of so many climbers, is now outlawed. Another amazing fact, quite comparable to the rest. How is it possible that a world-famous peak, an inseparable part of the history of our, Soviet, and now Russian mountaineering, suddenly found itself banned, and climbing Ushba became a serious crime. However, this is the situation today. Ushba is located in the short southern spur of the Main Caucasus Range. That is, beyond the border that runs along this very ridge. The border with Georgia, for those who haven’t guessed it yet. And Georgia is now an enemy for us.
Central Caucasus, ascent to Ushba The state must protect its borders. From whom should they be protected? From enemies, of course, from criminals, smugglers and terrorists. But none of these criminal elements are interested in Ushba. It is difficult to even imagine a more fantastic, complex and intricate way to violate the border. No, hundreds of heavily armed Russian border guards guard Ushba only from climbers. For what? Who needs to rob people of the pure joy of sports victory?
How did it happen that those who, not sparing their own lives, saved mine, and then cried at the top from the joy of a common victory - now, as propaganda claims, have become enemies?! No, something is wrong here. It can not be. I didn't understand something or got it all wrong. Surely it cannot be that its own citizens become enemies of the state?! I was just looking at old photographs from the expedition to Ushba. The now forbidden peak.
From the editor. Government officials (including the military) are devoid of emotions; they adhere only to laws and instructions. The federal law “On the State Border of the Russian Federation” states that the passage of people across the border is carried out at equipped points passes established by international treaties. There is little chance that for severaldozens of climbers who annually strive from the Elbrus region to Ushba will open such a pointpasses on the deserted Ushba plateau, covered with eternal snow, along which passesstate border, at an altitude above 4000 m.
Probably, it would be possible to conclude a special agreement with a neighboring state (Georgia) on the climbers crossing the border line on the Ushba plateau (by the way, the line is conditional, since the border here - in the snow - is not marked in any way) and entering the territory of Georgia SEVERAL HUNDRED METERS for a short time with a mandatory return to the territory of the Russian Federation. It would be possible, but not with such (current) relations with Georgia. We can only hope that someday our countries will become friendly again... In the meantime, the most reckless climbers write in documents that they are going to climb from the Ushba plateau to Shchurovsky Peak, while they themselves “quietly” go in the other direction - to Ushba.
The distance is less than a kilometer. But God forbid an accident happens! Rescuers, even having received a distress signal, will not be able to rush to help until they receive permission to cross the border. They will send a fax to the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Moscow, and from there to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which will contact the Georgian department, and they will contact the Georgian special services and border guards. If they allow, Georgia's consent will be transferred in reverse order. From experience, everything takes at least 3 days. Only then will the rescuers from the Shkhelda PSO begin to collect their backpacks and in two days (depending on the weather) they will reach the Ushbinsky plateau. (If a miracle happens and there is a helicopter in the Elbrus region at that time, then in a day.) And only then – to Ushba itself. You will have to wait at least 5 days for help. And who will wait for her there, at such a height?!
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Mountain Ushba ("Coven" from Georgian) is located at the very end of the Shkheldinsky gorge, on the border of Russia and Georgia. Altitude 4700 m above sea level.
The Ushba massif consists of two peaks - Northern (4690 m) and Southern (4710 m). They are connected by the Ushbinskaya lintel or “pipe”; this name was not given in vain; even in good weather it is windy there.
Ushba is considered one of the most difficult “four thousand meters” mountains in the world. The easiest route to North Ushba is 4A, to South Ushba - 5A.
On all sides, the slopes of the massif are cut off by steep 1000 - 1500 meter walls along which 10 routes of 6th category of difficulty and 13 - 5B grades are laid. Today there are approximately fifty routes on Ushba, a dozen of which are classified as category 6a, and about thirty have category 5b.
The simplest, classic route to Northern Ushba (4A) passes through the Ushba plateau through a characteristic “shoulder”, called “Pillow”, and then along a steep ice-snow “knife” of 300 meters, which rises from the “Pillow” to the summit ridge . There is ice under the snow, and if there was heavy snow in the days preceding the ascent, the danger of avalanches increases sharply. Further along the long northern ridge, framed by double cornices, exit to the top. They usually start their ascent from the Ushbinsky plateau and spend 6-8 hours to reach the top and 2-4 hours to descend.
Photos
Dedicated to my friends who died while climbing Ushba.
Central Caucasus, climbing Ushba
I look at old photographs. I see the stern faces of people who risked their lives for the sake of true friendship and a common victory, indivisible into small parts. And common victory, like true friendship, knows neither state nor national differences and borders. Some of these people are no longer alive. But their departure is not shrouded in bashful evasions and vague omissions. Everything is clear and simple. They knew why and where they were going. And they knew what price they could pay. And they paid. In full.
Central Caucasus, climbing Ushba This story began a long time ago, woven in intricate knots around a peak with a strange and alarming name - Ushba. Since time immemorial, this mountain has hung like a gloomy rocky mass over the Svan village of Mestia, with its stern grandeur from an early age filling the hearts of the mountaineers with courage and pride for their people. How this happens is a mystery, but maybe it doesn’t matter how. The important thing is that a simple traveler who accidentally finds himself on a road that, cutting through a mountain slope, descends in loops to Mestia, even a stranger to these mountains feels a strange tension. And it is not difficult to determine its source - a strict, majestic peak, eerily regular in shape, the vertical base of which seems to rest on the very edge of the village, where the ancient Svan towers have been taking from this mountain an example of proud inaccessibility for almost a thousand years.
Ushba is a special mountain for Svaneti. Every man in this tiny mountainous country grows up with a deep sense of respect and awe for his most worthy personal test - Ushba. The very appearance of this mountain contains a challenge to human courage. Unapproachable and majestic, Ushba constantly serves as a reminder, prompting the most courageous to act, the audacity of which does not fit into the scheme of everyday needs. Without the slightest selfish interest, the Svans risk their lives for the sake of a pure victory, meaningless from a generally accepted point of view, but at a huge price - climbing to the top of Ushba. Svans do not go to Ushba for money or rewards. There is no economic or hunting interest there. A one-of-a-kind fact, amazing, like the entire history of Svaneti - a small mountainous country, whose proud and free character nature itself expressed in the form of a Mountain.
Central Caucasus, climbing Ushba There is no greater reason for pride and respect in Svaneti than climbing Ushba, a peak seemingly inaccessible to mortals. For this unique quality, I especially love and respect the Svan people.
For us, Russian climbers, accustomed to seeing Ushba from the other side, from the north, this mountain does not have such metaphysical significance as for the inhabitants of Svaneti, but still, its appearance is eye-catching and frightening. The majestic double-headed peak rightfully reigns over the entire line of the Caucasus ridge. There is no doubt - this is the Queen. The tallest. The slenderest. And inaccessible.
None of the peaks of the Caucasus is covered with such an aura of legends, stories and dramatic facts as Ushba. This Mountain is a Legend, no less famous than the European symbol of mountaineering - the Matterhorn. In some ways these two mountains are very similar; some strange internal similarity unites them.
Historically, the same parallel. There would not have been such drama and self-sacrifice in the birth of mountaineering in the Alps if not for the Matterhorn. And who knows how Soviet mountaineering would have developed if not for Ushba?!
For a dozen generations of climbers, Ushba has become the foundation of skill, a criterion of maturity. Stories about the legendary climbs to Ushba were used to instill in young athletes respect and a desire to improve their mountaineering skills. But not everyone managed to achieve their desired goal. The cruelty and treachery of Ushba were also part of the glory of this peak. Many lives were cut short here...
And, as usual, I hear this question - was it worth it?! Woe to relatives, grief to friends. For what?! Ice and stone, the madness of a mighty element... But those who accepted the challenge and withstood this duel will not hesitate to respond. It was worth it. What remains in the heart justifies the risk. Repeatedly.
There are few values in the world that do not age. But from the moment of the first ascents of Ushba at the end of the 19th century, when Austrian climbers first climbed the uncharted heights of the most difficult peaks of the Caucasus, and to the present day, when, at the risk of being imprisoned for violating the state border and not even hoping for help in case of failure, climbers take on the most difficult routes - the price of the issue has not changed one iota - the game is definitely worth the candle.
Central Caucasus, climbing Ushba There are many beautiful routes to Ushba, among which there are no easy ones - only the strongest and most experienced can access this mountain. The names of the first climbers have also long become legends - Kokkin, Khergiani, Myshlyaev, Abalakov... There was not a single athlete in the Union who crossed the master's line who did not know the full depth of the meaning of this short word - Ushba. The Ushbists were especially respected, because they had unique experience, which could only be obtained in confrontation with the Queen of the Caucasus - Ushba. Even the difficulty categories for the routes to Ushba did not fall into the general framework of sports categories - athletes who did not have experience in climbing routes of the same category were not allowed on the Ushba routes. Ushba has always been the most famous technical peak of the Caucasus in the country.
As you probably already understand, for me Ushba is not just a peak. From the very beginning of my acquaintance with the mountains, Ushba was the criterion by which purity of aspirations, strength of courage, and inflexibility of will are measured. This is the Top. I guess I'm a bit of a Swan at heart. But after my first ascent of Ushba, I felt like a different person. And the success of our memorial ascent in 2002 is also largely based on the common understanding among all participants of the exceptional importance of Ushba and a reverent attitude towards it.
But Legend Mountain, the cherished dream of so many climbers, is now outlawed.
Another amazing fact, quite comparable to the rest. How is it possible that a world-famous peak, an inseparable part of the history of our, Soviet, and now Russian mountaineering, suddenly found itself banned, and climbing Ushba became a serious crime. However, this is the situation today.
Ushba is located in the short southern spur of the Main Caucasus Range. That is, beyond the border that runs along this very ridge. The border with Georgia, for those who haven’t guessed it yet. And Georgia is now an enemy for us.
Central Caucasus, ascent to Ushba The state must protect its borders. From whom should they be protected? From enemies, of course, from criminals, smugglers and terrorists. But none of these criminal elements are interested in Ushba. It is difficult to even imagine a more fantastic, complex and intricate way to violate the border.
No, hundreds of heavily armed Russian border guards guard Ushba only from climbers. For what? Who needs to rob people of the pure joy of sports victory? How did it happen that those who, not sparing their own lives, saved mine, and then cried at the top from the joy of a common victory - now, as propaganda claims, have become enemies?! No, something is wrong here. It can not be. I didn't understand something or got it all wrong. Surely it cannot be that its own citizens become enemies of the state?!
I was just looking at old photographs from the expedition to Ushba. The now forbidden peak.
P.S. If (suddenly) this text catches the eye of any of those in whose hands there is power and authority over issues of a national scale, think, just think, no more - what’s wrong with the fact that climbers will have the opportunity not only to look at Ushba and listen to the stories of veterans?! Is it really an insoluble political impasse that the majestic peaks of Ushba can be accessed from the Russian side, as has been the case for over 100 years? Is it really so difficult for politicians to take a step towards, even if not each other, but at least their own citizens, athletes, whose only interest is to experience the pure joy of victory on the top of a stunningly beautiful mountain?! Is this really SO difficult and deeply infringing on state interests?
Our principles
AlexClimb Rule #1 - Safety Priority
From the very beginning of our activities, for almost 16 years, the first operating principle of the MCS AlexClimb School of Mountaineering and Climbing is the Priority of Safety. The entire learning process is built on the basis of this Principle; all programs and tours are developed and conducted exclusively within the framework of this main Principle. We believe that with a professional approach to program development, personal discipline and proper motivation, mountaineering and rock climbing are COMPLETELY safe. And from the opposite - all the troubles and accidents in our sport come from unprofessionalism, from ignorance or neglect of basic safety standards, from irrational motivation, from overestimating one’s own strengths and capabilities. We COMPLETELY EXCLUDE all these prerequisites in our work - our Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing and Mountaineering are based on one Principle - the Priority of Safety. In rock climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing, MCS AlexClimb's Safety Priority is your personal safety and comfort, no matter what we are doing - training muscles and practicing movement techniques in the gym and on the climbing wall, making our way through a snowstorm to the top or relaxing on the golden sand of the Caribbean beach after a hot day of training on the rocks. The priority of Safety is the main credo of the MCS AlexClimb Mountaineering and Climbing School.
AlexClimb Rule #2 - Leave No Trace
Working closely with nature, conducting active programs in the mountains, forests, rivers and lakes, we perfectly understand the importance of a careful and respectful attitude towards nature and its resources. From the very beginning of our outdoor activities, we adopted the Leave No Trace technique - a norm of human behavior in relation to the environment and especially to wild nature, accepted throughout the civilized world. Indeed, from the attitude of people to the nature next to which they exist, far-reaching conclusions can be drawn about the attitude of these people to themselves... Wherever and how we travel, we do not leave any garbage behind us, we try to reduce our impact on the environment as much as possible. environment to a minimum. We clear previously contaminated tourist sites from the garbage left behind, take out and take to disposal sites what other people left there before us. We believe that only in this way, with the personal individual consciousness of every citizen, every tourist, climber or road traveler, will we be able to preserve the nature around us in its natural, livable state - this is the key to a healthy future for ourselves and our children.
AlexClimb Rule #3 - Sober consciousness
The position of the MCS AlexClimb School of Mountaineering and Rock Climbing regarding a healthy lifestyle is clear - we believe that only a sober consciousness is capable of sincerely experiencing and sympathizing, enjoying life in all its diversity. A bright and fulfilling life is possible only subject to absolute sobriety and purity of consciousness. Any drugs that cloud our perception of reality are intended to harm our consciousness and physical health, replace true values with false ones, destroy us as people - turn us into a flabby, powerless, senseless, gray herd with dull eyes. We do not impose our point of view on anyone; everyone has the opportunity to make their own choice. But inside our School, we tacitly accept a very specific, very simple set of rules: no alcohol, no drugs.,
Kazbek, Tetnulda and Dzhimaraikhokh, the eighth peak of the ranking is Ushba, 4710 m high.
As I wrote in the photo review of the previous peak, Ushba is only formally the eighth highest. AND...
This terrible in its grandeur, most beautiful, formidable, unapproachable, amazing and unforgettable,
enchanting and fantastic, two-kilometer granite block from the foot to the top,
the most difficult peak of the Caucasus, grandiose to the point of goosebumps... Of course, you have to see it with your own eyes, and the closer you get,
the better, the more goosebumps there will be from delight in the forces of nature that created the Caucasus ridge,
and including Ushba. This peak, the translation of whose name (possibly controversial, but appropriate)
from Svansky - “The Sabbath of Witches”, excited the hearts of English climbers of the 19th century.
The strongest climbers of the USSR climbed the most difficult “mirrors” of its walls - Mikhail Kherginani
(a legend in itself), Lev Myshlyaev, Mikhail Anufrikov and many others...
Having gone through all my photo archives since 2002, I selected the best photographs of this Summit.
1. May (high in the mountains it is still winter). View from the slope of Elbrus. Only the top of Ushba peeks out from behind the clouds from somewhere in the distance behind the ridges. The entire wall is not visible, and there are few places where you can see it in its entirety...
2. August 2002. The beginning of dawn. View also from the slope of Elbrus. Most of Ushba is hidden (merging) with the Shhelda massif. 
3. July 2006, dawn... View from the slope of Mount Kezgenbashi in the Irik range. To the left of Ushba are Chatyn and Shchurovsky Peak, to the right are the battlements of Shkhelda. Once again, only the top of Ushba is visible, located entirely in Georgia, hidden by the Main Caucasus Range. 
4. May 2008, 6x view from the village of Elbrus in Kabardino-Balkaria. The two towers of Ushba are somewhere in an inaccessible height behind the ridges. On the right is one of the towers of the formidable Shhelda. 
5. August 2004. Taken from the slope of Elbrus using an ancient soapbox. Above the sea of clouds, under the clouds illuminated by the dawn, rises the Caucasus Range with Ushba at its head. 
6. August 2003. View from the climb to the Western peak of Elbrus. Dots of people are visible walking along the “path” to the Sedlovina, and in the distance, on the left, the two-horned Ushba. 
7. August 2004. View from the Western peak of Elbrus. On the left is the Eastern one, and in the distance are the peaks of the Bezengi region, mentioned earlier in the “rating” Dykhtau, Bezengi Wall, Tetnuld. And on the right is Ushba, like a huge “cat” with sharp “ears”, looking out from the clouds: 
8. May 2013, high mountains are all covered in snow. Ushba "with friends" - Chatyn, Shchurovsky peak, Shkhelda. The narrow Ushba icefall is visible, flowing from the plateau near Malaya Ushba (not visible). 
9. January 2006. As often happens, especially in winter, a strong wind arose. Snow is blowing off the ridges of the peaks. If you look closely at Ushba, especially its northern ridge, you can see what a terrible hurricane there is. Well, frost -20 to boot. 
9a. Ushba from Bodorku pass. 
Now I propose to “warm up” a little, look at Ushba from the south, from Svaneti (Georgia).
10. The road along the Enguri valley to Svaneti is long, picturesque, but through the monotonous wooded Enguri gorge. But at the end, approaching the capital of Svaneti, Mestia, in front of the village of Dolra, the southern peak of Ushba opens around the bend, hiding the northern one. This is a must see! For those who love mountains, this is the deepest positive shock forever... 
11. July 2013, hike 4 k.s., view of Ushba from the upper reaches of the Kvish valley. Until now (in this post) only the top of Ushba’s head was visible. And from this angle you can see the entire Western Wall. I don’t have words, epithets or talent to tell or describe what is visible in this photo. Yes, Elbrus is higher than Ushba, the Bezengi Wall too, but here... it’s impossible to convey. I hope the photo can convey what I wanted to say. 
12. Ushba and Mazeri Peak from the Kvish Valley. 
13. They are the same, view closer to the Kvish glacier, dawn clouds. 
14. Another angle. August 2012. Southern and Northern peaks of Ushba, Gul glacier, from the Gulichal valley. 
15. Photo with a large zoom from the lower reaches of Gulichala. There is rarely good weather on the peaks of Ushba, even when it is sunny around. So in this photo, the peaks are smoking with clouds - condensation near the icy cliffs of moist air from the Black Sea or the Atlantic. 
16. July 2013. Descending from the “Lekzyr Gate” along the Mistiachala valley, you can suddenly see two giant snow-capped blocks of Ushba peaks behind the green ridge. A photo is just a picture. And when you see something like this “in real life”, it takes your breath away; you look at it as if it were something unreal. Grandiose granite blocks seem to float in the sky among the clouds. 
17. Another view from the Gulichal valley, August 2012. Two rock towers on the left are trying to follow the contours of their neighbor. But where do they care about Her? 
18. View from the Enguri valley, Iprali community area, August 2014, 6x zoom, shot on a point-and-shoot camera from a car window. 
19. August 2014. Ushba from the Zuruldi horizon in the Mestia region. Lucky with the weather! 
20. Previous view with a closer look. Southern and Northern peaks of Ushba. 
21. And finally. July 2013, Kvish Valley, Svaneti. At sunset, the clouds cleared a little, lit up reddish, and created a simply fantastic extravaganza. This photo, although taken with a point-and-shoot camera, was
