Mt. Elbrus, Refuge of 11 Hut Fire. The Refuge of 11—the famous high-altitude hut on Mount Elbrus—was completely destroyed by fire on August 16. This site for the hut was first used in 1909 when 11 Russian climbers spent a night here before climbing Elbrus. In 1929, a small hut was built in the same place, and during 1937-’39, the modern-day, all-metal Refuge of 11 was built. Now Bochki, which is situated at the end of the Karabashy chair lift at 3900 meters, is the last warm refuge on Elbrus’s slopes.

Vladimir Shataev, Russian Mountaineering Federation