Red Square in Moscow, the first stop for all tourists

St Basil's church in Red Square, Moscow

Statues of Lenin are everywhere

Acclimatizing on a local mountain above the town of Terskol

A natural stone arch

Views of the Caucasus through a stone archway

The team on a day hike at 3,000 meters (10,000')

Crossing the Baksan River on the way to a local climb

Grand views of the local mountains

The local specialty is Shaslik - skewered meat grilled over a fire

Mt Elbrus and The Barrels camp at 3,700 meters

Approaching Mt Elbrus

Mt Elbrus from 4,000 meters (13, 100')

Our wonderful cook, Irena

Sunrise at 5,000 meters (16,500') on summit day

High up on Elbrus above the clouds and all other mountains

The final stretch to the Saddle at 5,300 meters (17,500')

On the Summit of Elbrus, July 3rd, 2006

Looking down the west side of Elbrus into Georgia

Descending Elbrus with the lower East summit in the distance

Well deserved refreshments in the village after a successful summit!

A climbing trip into Via Tau, 3,900 meters

Hiking up a glacier-fed river on the approach to Via Tau

A glaciology research station in the Adylsu Valley

Climbing higher on Via Tau with great views

Ascending the final steps to the summit of Via Tau

Another fantastic summit in the Russian Caucasus - Via Tau!

The final descent amongst spectacular scenery