German airfield on Elbrus

The German airfield is a vast natural plateau at an altitude of 2850 meters. It is a famous landmark on the northern slope of Elbrus. It is visited not only by climbers who climb to the top of Elbrus, but also by trekking enthusiasts who make one-day hikes along the routes from Glade of Emmanuel to the Glade of Stone Mushrooms. 

The size of the German Airfield is 1.8 kilometers from west to east and 1.5 kilometers from south to north. Part of this space on the eastern side is cut off by the Psykhat streambed. But even if we measure the width of the plateau not from edge to edge, but only to the bed of the Psykhat Stream, then the territory of an absolutely flat area is 1.2 km x 1 km. This is quite enough to organize a runway for military aircraft of the WWII era. However, the question of why planes should land in such extreme conditions among lava fields, on the edge of the eternal ice sheet of Elbrus, remains unanswered. 

The German airfield is a high-altitude hollow. The height of the mountains that surround it exceeds 3,500 meters. However, from the airfield they do not look very high, since the airfield itself is located at a considerable height above sea level (2850 meters). This is a significant altitude for untrained people, and a lack of oxygen begins to be felt here.  

The German airfield is covered with basalt volcanic tuff. On top of it there is a small layer of soil where moss and grass grow. They give the plateau such a smooth surface.  

The Germans` interest in Elbrus is well known. In 1942, mountain riflemen captured the Shelter 11 hotel (4050m) on the southern slope of Elbrus, in the Baksan Gorge. Climbers from the Edelweiss division made the ascent from Shelter 11 to both peaks of Elbrus. There they set up German banners. This event was widely covered by German propaganda.  

There is no documentary evidence that the German military were also on the northern slope of Elbrus. There is no connection between the Baksan Gorge (where the Germans definitely were) and the Dzhily-Su nature site. They are delimited by impassable mountain ranges. However, this gives rise to legends. 

The Legend of the German Airfield 

The legend of the German Airfield tells about the presence of the German military in these places, and not ordinary military, but the mysterious Ahnenerbe service. This secret organization was subordinate to Heinrich Himler, but Adolf Hitler also showed great interest in its activities. Ananerbe studied the heritage of the ancestors of the Aryan race. Their goal is to prove the racial superiority of the Aryan race over all other races, through historical, anthropological and archaeological research.  

A lot of the theories that Ahnenerbe studied had mystical and occult origins. In 1935, Ahnenerbe published her program, where it was written: "Research in the field of localization of the spirit, deeds, inheritance of the Indo-Germanic race." 

There are two places in Russia associated with legends and mystical stories of the WWII era. First place: Mount Vottovaara, in Karelia. This is one of the most famous anomalous places in Russia. Legends have been preserved about the visit of the mountain Vottovaara by people from Ahnenerbe, where they were looking for an entrance to the legendary country of Hyperborea, where "the ancestors of the Aryan race lived." 

Second place: The German airfield on Elbrus, where people from Ahnenerbe allegedly searched for the entrance to Shambhala. In addition to the search for Hyperborea, the leaders of Ahnenerbe believed that Tibet could also be the ancestral homeland of the Aryans. According to this legend, Elbrus is the Mountain of the Aryans (the forefathers of the people of the Aryan race), a place of power and a "Gateway to Shambhala". 

There are details in the story about the landing of the German Focke-Wulf 189 aircraft (it was also called the Frame). Allegedly, the German military brought swarthy people in white clothes on this plane. These were Tibetan lamas who were taken to Elbrus to meditate and search for the entrance to Shambhala. There is a version that these lamas were later shot because they predicted the outcome of the war not in favor of Germany. 

Route to the German Airfield 

If you start trekking to the German Airfield from Glade of Emmanuel, then a fairly steep ascent begins immediately from Glade of Emmanuel along the path to the Tkumil River Gorge. The length of this trail is 1.3 kilometers with a climb of 250 meters. On the maps it is called the "dangerous path". In some places, the trail does pass over the edge of the gorge, but it can be dangerous only after rains. 

The "dangerous Path" goes to the northeast side of the German airfield. Here you will see giant basalt blocks. It make sense to stop near these boulders to walk between them and look at their amazing shapes. Perhaps Tibetan lamas meditated among these boulders, trying to "open" the entrance to Shambhala. In one of the giant basalt blocks, the outlines of a lotus are guessed.

In the center of the German airfield there are metal structures in the form of pillars with cross bars. Someone thinks that these are pillars that delimited the runway for airplanes, but in fact they are pillars for measuring snow cover. 

The path along the plateau runs approximately in the middle and rests on a steep slope on the western side of the German airfield. This is the most difficult climb if you go to the Glade of Stone Mushrooms. The climb on this small segment of the path will be 200 meters, after which you will go out to the Glade under the Mushrooms, at an altitude of 3050 meters above sea level.