Weather was terrific yet again! Seven years ago when I was here for my first attempt at Elbrus the weather was horrible! God has blessed us with unbelievably warm and sunny days. Today was no different. We left the hotel at 8:00am for a 45-minute ride to a beautiful area of the valley. We hiked up a trail about 1,400 feet to the edge of a massive glacier for our training day. The crampon and ice axe training was amazing, but the best was yet to come. Tap, our guide, and his assistant Oleg, set ropes for us to practice ice wall assent and descent. The guys loved it!
We just got back to the hotel around 4:00pm (8:00am EST) showered and everyone made a beeline for the small internet cafe where I am now. There are three terminals in an unmarked building and we have to go next door to pay the pharmacist 80 rubles (about $3) for an hour of time online. Several days we were thwarted in our efforts to get online by half a dozen local boys surfing their myspace accounts for hours on end! The world really has become very small!
In a few moments we will all make our way to the small local store for our daily supply of bottled water, bread and local snacks. We’ll have a meal of potato and caper soup, hot donut-like pastries with a side bowl full of local honey and some sort of beef/chicken/pork item. I love Russia!
Our evening devotionals continue to go well. We read the 6th and 7th chapters of Acts last night. This is the section that ends with Stephen being stoned to death as the first Christian martyr recorded in the Bible. I shared with the team that I believe this is the only time where we it is recorded that Jesus is “standing” at the right hand of God (rather than “sitting”). It’s as though Jesus stood as Stephen was being martyred for his faith to honor Stephen for his sacrifice. We spent the next thirty minutes or so talking about all sorts of things related to the passage we read and then everyone turned in for the night.
Tomorrow morning we move from the hotel at 7,000 feet to the Pruit hut at 14,000 feet. It will be the most taxing day to date. So, please continue to pray for physical, mental, and spiritual strength for all members of the team.
Carpe Deum! (Seize God!)
Todd Phillips and the Expedition Elbrus Team
