Glade of Emmanuel on Elbrus

Glade of Emmanuel is a mountain plateau in the valley of the Kyzylkol River, at an altitude of 2500 meters. The distance from the Dzhily-Su nature site to the Glade is 3 kilometers. It has a rectangular shape measuring 1 km by 800 meters. Two campsites are located near the Silver Spring, where climbers undergo acclimatization before climbing Elbrus. 

Glade of Emmanuel is named after Cavalry General Georgy Arsenievich Emmanuel. In 1829, he organized and led an expedition whose members first climbed Elbrus. General Emmanuel himself did not participate in the ascent, but he was in a Glade with a magnificent view of the northern slope of Elbrus. Through a spyglass, he constantly watched the ascent of people from his expedition to Elbrus.  

The squad of climbers, which moved to the first ever conquest of Elbrus, included officers Kupfer, Lenz, Menetrie, Meyer, Bernardatsi, 20 Cossacks and 5 local residents, who were taken as guides. They started climbing too fast. During the first day we climbed 1300 meters without acclimatization. Very soon all the officers and Cossacks fell ill with mountain sickness. 

As a result, four of the mountaineers engaged in lowering people down, and Killar Hashirov was the only one who climbed the eastern peak of Elbrus. So, in 1829, Elbrus’s summit was taken for the first time. A few years later, another mountaineer, Ahiya Sottaev, climbed the western peak of Elbrus. Now there are monuments to these two climbers of the peaks in the Baksan gorge. 

The Kyzylkol River flows through Glade of Emmanuel, which originates from the Ullu-Chirana glacier on the northern slope of Elbrus. There are two campsites, as well as a base of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. One campsite is called Donkey, the other is called Laccolite. Both campsites have places to set up tents, as well as trailers where you can spend the night in relatively comfortable conditions. All amenities are located in the courtyard, but you can sleep on beds in the trailers. Donkey Camping has a cafe where you will be offered delicious and high-calorie food that is needed at altitude, especially if you are planning serious trekking. 

To Glade of Emmanuel from the Dzhily-Su nature site, you can walk along two paths: accros the Kalinov Bridge in the Kyzylkol River Gorge or along the left bank of the Kyzylkol River. The path across the Kalinov Bridge is much more beautiful, however, you need to walk along both paths. For example, go there through the Kalinov Bridge, and back along the left bank.  

If you plan to climb to the Glade of Stone Mushrooms, then you definitely need to plan an overnight stay at one of the campsites. The distance from Glade of Emmanuel to the Stone Mushrooms is only 4.5 kilometers, but the climb exceeds 700 meters. You start from Glade of Emmanuel (2500 m), and the Stone Mushrooms are at an altitude of 3200 m.  

This is a very significant height for untrained people, so people usually walk a distance of 4.5 kilometers in a few hours, the same time while you need to go back. You have to leave Glade of Emmanuel no later than 9 am in order to return back by 6 pm. This time is calculated based on the capabilities of a person with average training. Someone can walk faster, but there is no point in this, since the trail passes through incredibly beautiful mountain landscapes.  

Since the route from Glade of Emmanuel already starts at a considerable height, there are no trees and bushes here. At this height there is only grass and stones, however, as the height of the Glade of Stone Mushrooms increases, the grass will also end. You will walk through lava fields covered with basalt stones. The Glade of Stone Mushrooms itself is located at the edge of the eternal ice cover of Elbrus.