Day 1. 🏕️ The starting point of the hike is Upper Balkaria (1100 m). Here we distributed modules with food and communal equipment and set out on the route. 🎒 We climbed with backpacks to the valley of the Chainashka River, then went to the first camp site at an altitude of 1600 m. Day 2. 🏕️ We reached the valley of the Chainashka River We set up camp at the confluence of the Chainashka and Turanashka rivers at an altitude of 2400 m. After lunch, we went on a radial hike. Day 3. 🏕️ Chainashka River - Lake Giybashkel 🏞️ We climbed the Pastushy Pass (3230 m), the goal is the mountain lake Giybashkel (3140 m). 💦 I almost died on this pass, honestly. 😅When I crawled there, I cursed everything, said that these were my first and last mountains. 🤣🤣 Day 4. 🏕️ Valley of the Chainashki River - Dumala Pass (2977 m) - Kyuchmessu River - Dumala River Valley An area of ​​beautiful alpine meadows. 🐄From here there is a view of the grandiose peaks: Koshtantau, Ulluauz, Dumala. Dumala-tau (4557 m) is translated from Balkarian as "foggy peak". 🌫️ Day 5. 🏕️ The upper reaches of the Dumala River Valley 💦 Around the 4th-5th day, I started to enjoy walking, stopped waiting for rest stops, the moraines began to seem not so high, life got better. 😄 Day 6. 🏕️ Dumala River - Bezengi Cherek River - Bezengi Alpine Camp After breakfast, we broke camp. First, we crossed the Ukyusu River, and then quite sharply gained altitude along the grassy slope. Having risen and reached the path, we began the descent through the forest zone into the Dumala River gorge. At the end of the gorge, another sharp drop in altitude awaited us. Finally, leaving the gorge, we found ourselves in the valley of the Bezengi Cherek River and came out onto the road. In the north, we saw Gestola - one of the peaks of the famous Bezengi Wall. Here, a transfer to the Bezengi alpine camp awaited us. Bezengi is a mountaineering educational and sports base in the Bezengi Gorge on the territory of the Kabardino-Balkarian State High Mountain Reserve. The base is located at the intersection of two gorges leading to the Northern Massif and the Bezengi Wall, at an altitude of 2150 m. The Bezengi Mountaineering Camp was created in 1959 and became a school of Soviet and then Russian mountaineering. We had to travel ten kilometers by car up the valley of the Bezengi Cherek to the alpine camp. Upon arrival, we pitched tents in a specially designated area. ✨ Day 7. 🏕️ Bezengi Alpine Camp - Mizhirgi Glacier - Bezengi Alpine Camp We reached the first step of the glacier. 🧊The Northern Massif rises before us in all its glory, headed by three five-thousanders: Dykhtau (the second peak of the Caucasus after Elbrus), Koshtantau and Mizhirgi. We made a "round-the-world trip around Saratov" and returned to the alpine camp. ⛺️ Day 8. 🏕️ Alpine camp "Bezengi" - Barankosh Early in the morning we packed up the camp and headed towards the Bezengi wall. When we went out on the trail, we went through a check with the border guards, because Georgia is behind the wall. The Bezengi glacier is the largest glacier in Europe and the Caucasus, its length is 17.6 km, the area is 36.2 sq. km. Moving along the central moraine of the glacier, we see the Bezengi wall ahead, to the right we can see the area of ​​the Barankosh tract - our goal. The camp is at an altitude of 2750 m. Avalanches periodically come down from the wall, the roar is incredible. 🗻 Day 9. 🏕️ Barankosh - Bezengi Glacier - Dzhangikosh - Barankosh Our goal is to climb to the Dzhangikosh mountaineering camp (Austrian overnight stays), the instructor says that commercial groups have not climbed there for many years because it is difficult, dangerous, scary, but our group was absolutely crazy. 😅 The most unpleasant thing is that when we approached the ascent, a climber fell in front of our eyes, their group can be seen in the first photo, she was the last one. She fell from a decent height, but her backpack and a successful landing saved her, in general, she got off with bruises and an arm injury. After that, the instructor definitely did not want to go anywhere, but the team insisted and we climbed. For me, the main thing is not to rush, watch where you step and not look down. 🙈 From Dzhangikosh, a view of the entire wall opens up 🤩, the photos do not convey the beauty, power and height, but there will be a video. 👌🏼 It is also very interesting to walk on the ice of the glacier, as if on another planet. 😃👽 Day 10. 🏕️ End of the hike. 🗻 Returned to the alpine camp. What I want to tell you, I think I understood why people love the mountains. This incredible feeling of grounding, the time that you truly spend alone with yourself is priceless, in general, Vysotsky said it all in the song: “Whoever has not been here, who has not taken risks, Has not tested himself Even if he grabbed stars from the sky below You will not find below, no matter how hard you reach In your entire happy life A tenth of such beauty and wonders.” 🩵 I am infinitely grateful to the instructor and the team. 🫶🏻Every day I fell asleep with pride in myself, for small personal victories. 💪🏼I always say that even from a short trip a person returns already different. 🗻♾️❤️