Elbrus 2018 – Aug 3 Team Does Moscow
Comrades, Family & Loved Ones,
We hit the streets of Moscow this morning and made the most of our day in this city.
Our Russian city guide Olga took us to the Church of Christ the Savior, the main Russian Orthodox church in Moscow. We got a great view of the Kremlin towers and the Moscow River from the pedestrian bridge in back of the church. Olga then brought us to the Novodevichy cemetery— one of the most interesting stops in the city. The cemetery resembles a sculpture garden and many notable politicians and celebrities are buried here. We took the Metro to Lunch. The Moscow subway system is very clean and has 170 stations, some of them ornately decorated.
Olga suggested the restaurant where we had lunch. Food good, decor questionable. As the finale, Olga guided us through every nook and cranny of the Kremlin. In the process, she shared with us some of her experiences of growing up in Soviet times. We walked through Red Square, where we saw St Basil’s Cathedral, the iconic symbol of Moscow.
Tomorrow we have an early flight from Moscow down to the beautiful Baksan Valley. Looking forward to getting closer to the mountains!
Thanks for following,
Carole & Vern Tejas
Elbrus 2018 – Aug 3 Expedition Kicks Off
Comrades, Family & Loved Ones,
Welcome to our coverage of the Alpine Ascents August 3rd Elbrus Expedition!
We, Vern & Carole Tejas, returned to Moscow yesterday afternoon on the train from St. Petersburg. We’re excited to get to know our new team members, who arrived in Moscow over the course of the day today. At this point, everyone is here and, even better, no one’s luggage was lost.
We spent some time this afternoon and evening getting to know one another And we, Vern and Carole, briefed the Team on some general points about the trip.
Tomorrow, we’re going to tour some of the highlights of Moscow. We will report back to you then and will do our best, technology permitting, to keep you updated thereafter while on our climb.
Talk to you tomorrow,
Carole & Vern Tejas
Elbrus 2018 Team Ritz does St. Petersburg!
Friends, family and loved ones,
Today was full of sightseeing and sunshine 
.
We topped it all off with another great dinner celebration. And now our adventure comes to an end however we look forward to climbing with all of you again. Please join us on our next mountain!
All our best,Carole & Vern Tejas
Elbrus 2018 Team Ritz Cuts Loose in St. Petersburg
Friends, family and loved ones,
At five a.m. we were devouring breakfast. Thirty minutes later we were flying down the road to the booming city of Mineral Vody. Our flight from there to St. Pete only took us 3 hours so we had a sumptuous lunch before we went exploring. Fun yes yet we still have climbing mountains in our hearts. And sliding down is a fond memory (picture below) ! Elbrus continues on our minds.
The team is ravenous from the climb. We made quite an impression at the restaurant consuming all the delectables in sight. Tomorrow we go on tour of this truly delightful city. Please join us.
All our best,Carole and Vern Tejas
Elbrus 2018 Team Puttin’ on the Ritz Celebrates
Friends, Family & Loved Ones,
We made the most of our last day in the beautiful Baksan Valley. This morning, we hiked for several hours up to a dramatic, rushing waterfall. As climbed up through the lush forest, we stopped to pick tart blueberries, tiny wild strawberries and ripe currants. When we reached treeline, we bushwhacked through fields of tall wildflowers. When we reached the high point of our hike near the base of the waterfall, we relaxed for awhile before we started our descent. We were the only ones there and it felt like the true Freedom of the Hills.
For lunch, We Went Big at our favorite post-summit destination – a restaurant with a stocked trout pond in addition to the usual fare of shashlik, fantastic cheese and dill pancakes, salad etc.etc.
We made an afternoon of it, as our several talented musicians brought their guitars and the rest of us contributed our voices.
Tomorrow we fly North to St Petersburg and we will report in to you from the
Carole & Vern Tejas
