I might have left the task to organise all the gear for Mount Elbrus rather too late. One reason is that because I bought all the gear I needed to climb Kilimanjaro, I initially thought I was only looking at a few additional items – maybe boots and gloves.
Buy vs. rent for equipment
I got a rude awakening when I visited a renowned outdoor shop to test this thinking. My main objective was to go and fit boots and get a down jacket specifically for alpine extreme sub-zero temperatures. Initially I was going to rent boots but after reading about climbers that had issues with boots, especially those that are rented, I reluctantly concluded I would have to part with a few thousand rands to buy my own pair. I have learned that in climbing, what you put on your feet could make a difference between a successful summit or not. I settled on the Boreal G1 Lite not only from a comfort and fit point of view, but also from a safety point of view. They are light double boots (have a removal inner) and have advanced synthetic material (not plastic) that completely keeps the feet protected from the cold.
I would also be able to use the same pair to climb Aconcagua and perhaps even Denali – If I heed the call. That I am afraid, can never be ruled out. They are rather extra large in size and so a big chunk of my luggage space is going to be taken by this pair!
Other Mount Elbrus climbing gear
The next task was to resolve the down jacket item - the one I had in mind (of course the cheaper one) was not going to be adequate, and so I added the First Ascent Malumute Jacket to the cart.
I watched as the cart grew bigger - the glove inners, summit pants and socks that I used at Kili were not going to cut it and although I have a 75l backpack, I doubted it was of the quality that would protect my back after hours of climbing. And so the backpack, at roughly R2000 to R3000, is another “must get”. Fortunately, I will not need to get any inner layer items as well as fleeces, soft shell jackets, hats and balaclavas. At this point I feel I have managed to get on top of the gear task – the rest of the items such as crampons, ice axe, harnesses, carbineers and ropes I have elected to rent.
One month before the Mount Elbrus climb
It is exactly a month before the start of the climb – and I must still get a visa. I have completed all the paper work and have compiled all required documentation.
Flight tickets are booked but accommodation in St Peterburg and Moscow is yet to be finalised. The political situation in Russia is still a concern, but the expedition company will keep us posted if we need to reconsider the dates. I would prefer to stick to the summit week we have booked because at around -25° as worst case scenario at the top of the mountain, it is about the warmest in the calendar.
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