July 21, 2019
Challenging conditions? No problem. Windy and poor visibility? No problem. The team put their training, conditioning and acclimatization to good use this morning. Up early and out of the hut around 3am. Mountain was determined to make the group ‘earn it’. Cold and windy isn’t unusual for Elbrus, but when you couple those with limited visibility, things get tough and safety margins get smaller.
-
- Working for it on the Elbrus summit climb (Jonathan Schrock)
-
- IMG Elbrus climber getting it done (Jonathan Schrock)
-
- Views from the Elbrus summit climb (Jonathan Schrock)
Everyone has to be on their game — climbers and guides, alike. They all did what they’d trained to do, and they did it well. Team reached the summit before 9am. All are back safely now at the hut. This is a seriously sweet victory, as the forecast is a bit iffy for the next couple of days.
IMG Team on the Summit of Elbrus (Jonathan Schrock)
Check out the short video Jonathan shot with the East Summit in the background. 18,000′ and fighting the weather ain’t easy.
Watching the video, you can just feel the team pushing for that summit!
Phil Ershler