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Caucasus Dombai Iceclimbing
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Main page of MCS AlexClimb Iceclimbing School
A short report on our iceclimbing tour to Dombai (North Caucasus), in the season 2021.
In the 2021 season, due to restrictions related to the pandemic, it was not possible to hold our traditional Iceclimbing School in Norway. But how could we remain without training, which had already become an integral part of our winter season?!
No, this could not happen and we had to look for an adequate domestic (inside Russia) replacement for the Norwegian iceclimbing program. In Russian they call it "Import substitution", so to speak.
Belolakaya is almost the Matterhorn. The famous Dombay peak, closing the gorge of the Amanaus River
There weren’t many options, despite the breadth and immensity of territory of Russia. And it’s not that the waterfalls don’t freeze or don’t exist there. The main problem is that for a interesting and safe iceclimbing program, frozen waterfalls are not enough.
More than 2 meters of snow fell in Dombai this season - making it a paradise for freeriding
In addition to cascades for iceclimbing, which, by the way, not all are suitable for training, there is a need for accompanying infrastructure, transport accessibility, and the presence of additional activities - isn’t it boring to hammer the same frozen pillar with an ice ax for a whole week?!
Of the numerous options that were considered as a replacement for Norway iceclimbing, we decided to settle on Dombai. The logic of choice was as follows.
Most modern Russian technology against the background of other achievements of the era of breakthroughs and developments...
Firstly, Dombai Gorge today is a fully developed and popular tourist region, offering, in addition to traditional mountain skiing, a lot of additional services - relatively comfortable accommodation, restaurants, wide range of entertainment. Not that all this is critically important for iceclimbing, but nevertheless, after training you want to fully relax, eat a tasty meal, go to the sauna or at least take a hot shower.
Dombai is the second most popular ski resort in the North Caucasus after Elbrus
Dombai coped with all these parameters with a bang. Regarding the transport accessibility of the area, one cannot fail to note the presence of a new comfortable route to the resort. It’s a little boring to drive through the multiple areas with a speed limit of 40 km/h and countless cameras, but given the specifics of local road rules and Caucasian mentality, it seems that there is no other way.
Climbing the cascades in Dombai - courses of MCS AlexClimb Iceclimbing School
So, the two parameters of a possible iceclimbing location – transport accessibility and infrastructure – have converged. What can I say about the quality of the ice? There is not an abundance of iceclimbing spots in this area, or we have not explored all possible options which is somehow complicated due to the local specifics...
The Amanaus River Canyon offers several locations with vertical cascades of 20-30 meters high, with relatively convenient approaches from the main road, 15-20 minutes each, but with a large group, not a single location provides the opportunity for good iceclimbing training.
Iceclimbing in the Amanaus River gorge, Dombai, Karachay-Cherkess Republic
For simultaneous iceclimbing, cascades can be climbed by a maximum of two pairs of climbers - this is not particularly convenient if there are more than 4 people in the group. But there is enough space for individual iceclimbing training and small groups.
Please note that I am talking exclusively about the ice that I consider as full-fledged training material - that is, it should be at least 20 meters of continuous safe ice vertical. Gentle and stepped cascades are not taken into account - their value for daily sports iceclimbing training is low, they are more suitable for one-day recreational walks.
Dombai ski resort
The third parameter – the presence of additional activities – also did not become a reason for disappointment. The Dombai ski resort is a fully developed and still actively developing winter recreation center, one of the best in the North Caucasus. The main specialization of the resort is alpine skiing and snowboarding.
Skiing in Dombai is quite attractive.Especially if you don’t compare it with more developed ski resorts
You can ski both on prepared trails or freeride, if you have experience and desire. Fans of ski touring will also not be disappointed, although there is a "fly in the ointment" - all the most suitable ski tour routes for beautiful trips are blocked by border posts - the Russian border guard protection of Georgian border from Russian tourists is organized at the highest level at any time of the year.
Iceclimbing school MCS AlexClimb in Dombai
Among the nice improvements: I can’t ignore and not to write a few words about our innovation of this season - a mobile sauna. This really cool thing will now be actively introduced into our mountain and alpine training programs. (yep, 2021 was full of plans and hopes...)
A tent with a special heater, quite compact in size, convenient for transportation both by car or on foot, can be installed in any place you like and delight the program participants with a real sauna pleasure.
It’s a rare pleasure to go to a sauna on the very bank of a mountain river after an exciting iceclimbing workout.
Even the process of organizing this sauna event turns into a real adventure! We set our mobile sauna almost at the foot of a frozen waterfall and, after completing iceclimbing training, we treated ourselves to a real nice steam room in an amazingly beautiful place! The most advanced fans of the sauna art would appreciate such a pleasure!
Mobile sauna in the canyon of the Amanaus River
In conclusion, of course, I cannot ignore the general aesthetics of the Dombai Gorge. The training took place in the location with incredible views of the most beautiful peaks of the Caucasus, surrounded by rocky cliffs covered with centuries-old pine trees, on the banks of a beautiful mountain river. The proximity of the skiing resort and the good highway did not manifest itself in any way, so we could enjoy our outdoor iceclimbing training as in a full immersion in the world of wild nature.
Thanks to Dombai - we had a great vacations, iceclimbed and prepared ourselves for coming difficult ascents of the coming summer season.
One more legendary Dombai mountain - Peak Sofrudzhu
Author of iceclimbing programs, texts and photographs – Alex Trubachev
Your guide to mountaineering, ice climbing and rock climbing
MCS EDIT 2023
Our Principles
AlexClimb Rule #1 - Safety First
From the very beginning of our activity, here nearly 16 years, the first Principle of work of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb is the Safety Priority. On the basis of this Principle all process of training is based, all programs and rounds are developed and carried out only within this main principle. We consider that at professional approach to development of programs, at personal discipline and correctly put motivation - occupations by mountaineering and rock-climbing are COMPLETELY safe. And from the return - all troubles and accidents in our sport come from nonprofessionalism, from ignorance or neglect by elementary standards of safety, from irrational motivation, from revaluation of own forces and opportunities. All these prerequisites we COMPLETELY EXCLUDE in our work - ours Rock-climbing, Ice climbing and Mountaineering are based on one Principle - the Safety Priority. In rock-climbing, mountaineering and ice climbing, the Priority of Safety of MCS AlexClimb-is your personal security and comfort irrespective of, than we are engaged - we train muscles and we work technology of the movement in the sports hall and on the rock climbing wall, we make the way through snowstorm to top or we relax on golden sand of the Caribbean beach after hot day of trainings on rocks. The Safety priority - the main credo of School of mountaineering and rock-climbing of MCS AlexClimb.
AlexClimb Rule #2 - Leave No Trace
Closely interacting with Nature, working with the active programs in mountains, woods, lakes and rivers, we perfectly understand the importance of carefull and respectfull bahavior towards the Nature, for its resources. From the very beginning of our outdoor-activity we adopted rules of Leave No Trace technique - the standard of behavior of the person accepted in all the civilized world in relation to environment and especially - to the wild nature. After all on the relation of people to the nature near which they exist, itself can draw dalekoidushchy conclusions on the relation of these people to... Where and as we didn't travel - we don't reserve any garbage, we try to reduce whenever possible our influence on environment to a minimum. We clear earlier zagryazyonny tourist parking of the left garbage, we take out and we take out to utilization places that to us other people left there. We consider that only thus, at personal individual consciousness of each citizen, each tourist, climber or autotraveller, we will be able to keep the nature surrounding us in its state, natural, suitable for life, - in it pledge of the healthy future for ourselves and our children.
