Sulak Weather Station

Sulak weather station, which is located in the mountains of Russian republic of Dagestan is considered to be one of the hardest-to-reach high-mountain stations in Europe. The staff have to walk the distance of 15 kilometres to work and back home. The way to the station runs across a dangerous mountain path with a safety rope pulled along the most difficult part; in the past the former station director fell down from a cliff and died here. Two more meteorologists died in a gorge during a snowslip. The weather station was built in 1930 to control glacial melting and has never undergone maintenance ever since. There is no electricity and running water on the station, only a small sun battery and a stove. Wood and gas cylinders for the stove are transported by donkeys and the water is taken from a stream nearby. The staff of the station consists of six people, two of them stays on duty for a week and than change. Magomed Magomedov, the station director who has been working here for 40 years, admits that despite all these difficulties he loves his job, his only wish is to show to the authorities the conditions they have to work in. He’s still in hope to get the finance for the maintenance of the station.