The next adventure ; Russia, Murmansk in the Arctic and Mt Elbrus in the Caucasus.

I have just received delivery of my next box of toys. I will be going up Mt Elbrus, Europe's highest mountain at 5,642 metres (Mont Blanc is actually only the seventh highest in Europe at a lowly 4,810 metres). My box of toys consists of some rope, karabiners, harness, helmet, ice axe and crampons.

I also had to buy a larger holdall as I will also be taking an extra thick sleeping bag and a puffer jacket plus all the other gear, gloves hats hick socks, short skis etc and it all takes up space. I will be camping up on the mountain in order to acclimatise and to be near the top to get up there and back to high camp in a day.

But first I am going to the Russian Arctic to Murmansk which is well known as it was one of the ports that the Arctic convoys sailed to in the Second World War to supply Russia from Great Britain. Then I will make my way down the Karelia Peninsular and visit a gulag plus some other things before making my way south to the Caucasus.

I will post when I can but the internet connections may be poor and certainly non-existent up in the mountains.