Who: Doris Spencer, top, and Kent Willoughby of Silverthorne
Where: Summit of Elbrus Mountain (18,510 feet), located in the Caucasus Mountains of Russia. It is the highest mountain in Europe and one of the world’s “Seven Summits.” Picture taken July 2, 2005.
Out and about: Our best dinner was at Povorot, in the small town of Cheget in the Caucasus Mountains. This is a beautiful, all-inclusive small hotel known as a “dacha.” Also at Povorot was a luxurious room with hot-and-cold breakfast buffet and dinner included in the $40 cost for two people. Our English-speaking Russian guides, both Elbrus Mountain guides and trail-hiking guides, were incredibly inexpensive and knowledgeable. The best time to go is mid-June to mid-July, whether for mountain climbing, day hiking in areas with wild flowers up to your shoulders or skiing at 15,000 feet. It is not crowded at this time. Daylight is long, and the weather is fabulous.
Travel tip: Don’t leave home without a disposable camera. That way, you won’t have to worry about your camera’s battery life, which can be a problem in the cold at high elevation.
