Climbing in the Caucasus Mountains of the U. S. S. R, 1957

Abstract

The main ridge of the Caucasus, while lying wholly within the U.S.S.R., separates the constituent republics of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia in the south from the vast Russian Soviet federation to the north. The whole area, extending some 600 miles from the Black Sea to the Caspian Sea, has been closed to visitors from non-Communist countries since before the Second World War. Indeed, since 1917 there has been practically no contact, for in the period following the Revolution, few people were inclined to travel in this remote area although one does hear of a few visits in the early thirties. English climbers first became interested in the Caucasus during the second half of the nineteenth century when Freshfield, Dent, Mummery, Donkin and others discovered a new playground for mountaineers. Freshfield, speaking of Svanetia in his comprehensive account of his travels,1 said can count on the fingers of one hand the travellers who had visited the country before 1868 and again By 1920 it-seems probable that the Svanetians will have begun to collect crystals and to make bouquets of yellow lilies . . . and the village headman will have a roll of porters and a tariff for the Tuiber and Zanner Passes. But this influx of tourists was not to be: revolution and Communism sealed off the country. In view of this previous history, I was very fortunate to receive an invitation to spend several weeks climbing in the Western and Central Caucasus and walking in little-known Svanetia. My opportunity arose through my husband's contacts with engineers in the U.S.S.R. and our visit together to Moscow in connection with a conference of the International Electrotechnical Commission of which he is pre? sident. The Ministry of Sport arranged for a prominent member of the Mountain? eering Section to act as my guide at the conclusion of the conference. We flew during the night of July 15 the 1000 miles to Sukhumi on the Black Sea and then, changing planes, went on over the mountains to Klukhory. Here we found a waiting bus which took us back into the heart of the Western Caucasus along the course of the Teberda to its junction with the Alabek. After two hours, we branched off into the Dombay valley and pulled up at the wooden buildings of a mountain? eering camp built and run by a Trade Union for up to 250 people. Here, for a nominal charge, complete novices can go straight from the big cities, be provided with all the necessary clothing and equipment on the spot, and spend three weeks as one of a patrol of six under the instruction of an experienced leader. At the end of the course of training, they have the satisfaction of making an ascent of a major peak and of receiving a badge and certificate of proficiency. To a western visitor, the formality of the arrangement seems strange, but mountaineering in the U.S.S.R. is a serious business and does not yet seem to have reached the stage of ascents and explorations carried out by the individual on his own initiative for the fun of it. Of course, one has to have the pioneering spirit even to set out with tent and provisions, as the peak in view may be many days' march from a village and there are virtually no huts. In this respect, Alpine climbing seems very sophisticated.