July 17 - Cheget

You can imagine how excited we were this morning when we walked in to breakfast and saw two pancakes with red raspberry jam waiting to be gobbled up! Yum! Since we climbed Elbrus so quickly we now have two full days in the Baskan Valley for sightseeing, and today we are walking to Cheget. Cheget is a small ski town only 30 minutes from Terskol. When we arrive there we take the chairlift about halfway up the mountain. From there we take a very short hike to a beautiful alpine lake. We sit in the warm sun and drink it all in. Steep mountains covered in snow and sprinkled with glaciers, beautiful wildflowers blooming pink and purple and a clear blue sky. Gorgeous. Back at the lift we ride to the top where we can easily see Elbrus across the valley. We pose for pictures that will be used on Christmas cards and team pictures too. After lunch on the mountain (more shashlik and beer) we return to the base and head to the market. Lots of interesting homemade items to buy everywhere you look. Would you believe we purchase a small jar of tiny pinecones in sugar syrup? They are really good, believe it or not! Finally we walk back to our hotel and begin the job of repacking and organizing our gear. Our last dinner with Fatimah's cooking and collapse into bed!