Terskol sits at about two thousand metres, at the head of the Baksan Valley, in the shadow of Elbrus, and it has the feeling of a village that was built for the mountains and has stayed small. The houses are mostly wooden chalets and concrete hotels, strung along a road that follows the river, and above them the slopes rise steeply, grey and green, to the ridges of the Main Caucasus Range. On the opposite side of the valley, the peak of Mount Cheget, with its ski lift, stands over the village, and behind everything, on clear days, the twin summits of Elbrus glow white.
The village has long been a base for climbers, skiers and scientists. A high-altitude observatory, with telescopes on a ridge above the settlement, takes advantage of the clear, thin air, and in the Soviet era, the mountaineering camps in the valley trained generations of alpinists. The Elbrus region is also the border with Georgia, and the old passes lead south over the glaciers to Svaneti. The border zone is closed, and you cannot cross, though you can see the peaks of the Georgian side from the high slopes, and permits are required for the frontier areas, so check the rules before wandering off the road.
The road into Terskol is the final stage of the Baksan Valley route from Nalchik, and it is a spectacular mountain ride. Beyond Tyrnyauz, the gorge narrows, the road climbs, and the bends get tighter and more frequent, with the river thundering below. The surface is usually decent, with patches and frost heave, and rockfalls can occur after rain. Cold air flows down from the glaciers, and the temperature drops several degrees in the last few kilometres, so keep warm clothes handy. Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms, so start early. Winter turns the whole area into a ski resort, and the roads can be icy.
The practical points are simple. The village itself has cafés, small shops, hotels and guest houses, serving shashlik, soup and tea, and prices are higher than on the plain. Book ahead in July and August and in the ski season.
Step out of the café in the evening, look up, and let the cold air settle on your face. The peaks are very close.