Intrepid adventurers: On the Road to Mount Elbrus, the final day

Ikramul Hasan Shakil is Bangladesh’s Everest summiteer with the unique distinction of having conquered both the Great Himalaya Trail and the Sea to Summit challenge. He has set off on a new expedition, this time to Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, located in Russia’s Caucasus range. Sidratul Safayat Daniel brings the story of this challenging expedition in a series of dispatches.

There had been no word from Shakil for several days. During that silence, worry crept in. Perhaps the expedition had been called off, or perhaps something had gone wrong beyond the point of reaching out. When the voice note finally arrived, it carried the news: Shakil had reached the summit of Elbrus! And behind that news lay a thrilling story. Arguably the most difficult and most memorable chapter of the entire expedition.

The day everything fell apart
Since the plan called for a summit push on the night of 24 September, that day was set aside as a rest day. After finishing the previous day’s hike and acclimatisation, the team moved up to high camp. The plan was straightforward: depart at 3 am in the early hours of 25 September for the summit push. That was their scheduled, regular summit date.