High Caucasus

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High Caucasus is Tom Parfitt's atmospheric memoir and travel narrative detailing his 1,000-mile walk to confront the haunting memories of the Beslan siege in September 2004, when Chechen terrorists took over 1,000 hostages during a school celebration. The siege ended tragically, with 334 hostages, including many children, losing their lives. Struggling emotionally with the aftermath, Tom sought solace in walking, a lifelong passion, and aimed to understand the anger of the mountain peoples, particularly the Chechens, toward Russia. This journey took him from Sochi on the Black Sea to Derbent, an ancient fortress city on the Caspian, traversing the homelands of little-known yet proud groups such as the Abkhazians, Karachays, Balkars, Ingush, and the few remaining Circassians. His path led him through bear-haunted forests, high-altitude pastures, and over Elbrus, Europe's highest peak, while navigating the complex political and tribal landscapes of seven regions: Adygea, Karachayevo-Cherkesiya, Kabardino-Balkariya, North Ossetia, Ingushetia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Tom's journey is not just a physical trek but a profound exploration of grief, history, and the resilience of the human spirit.