Alex Abramov

The 7 Summits Club President Alexander Abramov from Chile:

 Ojos del Salado. Today, the MZMZM team completed acclimatization ascents of two of the seven peaks of the Siete Hermanos (Seven Brothers) massif, at 4,900 meters. Everyone is in good spirits. Amazing views of the beautiful Atacama Desert. All the mountains are multicolored, from orange to green, and below are salt lakes with flamingos.

We are staying in excellent cabins with beds and linens. We are eating delicious food prepared by Lena Abramova. Tomorrow we move to the Laguna Verde camp (4,300 meters). There, a comfortable camp and hot baths await us. The weather is clear, albeit windy.

The 7 Summits Club President Alexander Abramov reports from Chile:

The 7 Summits Club guide team has arrived in the Chilean city of Copiapo, in the Atacama Desert. From here, our adventures on the world's highest volcano, Ojos del Salado, begin.

 This season, the 7 Summits Club will have six groups on Ojos.

The 7 Summits Club presented Nikolai Cherny with a branded black fleece jacket. Our guest turned 87 on December 5th. His visit was more related to the upcoming Annapurna expedition as part of the "High Altitude Gene 3" project. It was interesting and informative to hear the ascent story and the route taken by the wisest of Russian climbers.

 On October 24, 1991, the first two Russians, Nikolai Cherny and Sergey Arsentyev, reached the summit of Annapurna. They climbed a route similar to the one used today. It is sometimes called the "Dutch" route, but it is more likely a variant of the route taken by a team from the Netherlands in 1977. Nikolai Cherny spent the final day and a half ascending with supplemental oxygen, of which he had only one cylinder. Arsentyev, however, climbed without it. And so, Black had to lead the way through the deep snow. It turns out they had a very high bivouac, at around 8,000 meters.

 From the interview: Which of the eight-thousanders was the most difficult for you?

 Probably Annapurna from the north. There were only four climbers on the expedition: the leader, an American woman whom Arsentyev later married, and Arsentyev and I – two members, in a double team. There was no one else. It was the most athletic expedition, semi-alpine style: no one, nothing – wonderful! No crowds.

 Judging by the following text, Nikolai Dmitrievich was the first to reach the summit.

The summit itself looks like a snow cornice curving south. Sergey approaches. We find two Polish coins on a ledge of snow – that means the Poles were here yesterday, their expedition was working the Bonnington route**... We admire the panorama for a long time. Sergei poses on the ridge, smoking a Camel and Winston cigarette – hoping to make a name for himself in advertising. It was 10 a.m. on October 24th.

... Our small expedition, the only successful one on the north face of Annapurna in the fall of 1991, had ended. 

** On October 21st, three Poles reached the summit: Krzysztof Wielicki, Ryszard Pawlowski, and Bohdan Stefko. And the next day, Wanda Rutkiewicz summited alone. Her teammates themselves questioned her summit bid, but later they accepted it. Their team had climbed a variation of Bonnington's 1970 route. The same was true for a group of Moscow climbers who summited Annapurna on October 26th. They included Vladimir Bashkirov, Sergei Isaev, Nikolai Obikhod, and Nikolai Petrov.

High Gene Chronicle 3! The tenth member of the Annapurna expedition, Alexey, has arrived at the 7 Summits Club office. That means the core team is already complete. We're still accepting applications, though, only for the waiting list—just in case any of the first ten are unable to participate. To submit your application, please email us at info@7vershin.ru.

Applications will be accepted until the end of tomorrow, December 26th.

This will be the third and final film in the legendary " High Gene" trilogy. If you'd like to be a part of it, now's the time to submit your request. You still have a chance!

Valdis Pelsh: Dear friends! New Year's is coming soon, and it's time for gifts. Give yourself a gift! Become a part of the final film in the legendary " High Altitude Gene" trilogy – " High Altitude 3 without O2: Annapurna." We have four spots available on the expedition, and we invite each of you! It will require considerable effort and money, but I assure you, the results will likely exceed expectations. And the old awards we received for " High Altitude Gene 1" and " High Altitude Gene 2" will take their place on the shelf, giving way to new ones. Because the film will undoubtedly be action-packed.

Alexander Abramov: And your grandchildren will see you, and even your great-grandchildren will be proud of the grandparents and parents they had.

Want to be the hero of the film "High-Altitude Gene 3"? We've already assembled half the team, and another 17 people are on the waiting list. If you want to participate, it's time to hurry!

Filming for the final part of the legendary trilogy, " High-Altitude Gene 3," begins in 2026. The action takes place on Annapurna, at 8,091 m.

We are recruiting participants for the expedition that will form the basis of the film.

Participation requirements:

- Experience in climbing 7,000–8,000 m;

- Participation fee paid by December 30, 2025;

- Final audition with the film director.

Only 10 spots on the team.

We accept applications by email: info@7vershin.ru

The application deadline is December 25th. This will be the final, third film in the High-Altitude Gene trilogy.

On October 18, 2025, the first-ever ascent of Elbrus's main summit by a sled dog team took place. The heroes were the dogs, who received the typical Sherpa names Mingma, Pemba, and Lhakpa, and their handlers, the Simonovs, father and son. Of course, the event organizer, Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club, was also a key contributor. And of course, the filmmaker, cameraman Ilya Gladkikh, who later edited this wonderful film, was also a key contributor. Various dogs sometimes climb Elbrus on their own or with their owners. But this was their first experience climbing Elbrus with a sled dog team.

 The group climbed in the second half of autumn, in rather harsh conditions. The weather forecast was poor, which is typical for Elbrus. Preliminary training and acclimatization taught them a lot about organizing the ascent. However, the summit push itself brought many unexpected surprises and proved quite extreme. The group ascended by snowcat to 5,100 meters. The climb took 3.5 hours. On the descent, the group faced a real storm: a blizzard, winds up to 50 km/h, rough snow, and icy patches. But Mingma, Pemba, and Lhakpa withstood the test. As did the people.

 Should we continue this experiment? We need to think it over for now.

Open the "Film Studios" page and choose your viewing method!

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from India:

 We're reporting on the two days we were without communication. The day before yesterday, we drove up to the gorge in a jeep and headed toward Ut-Kangri Base Camp. This is the highest peak in the Ladakh region – 6,075 meters. There were no people around. There was snow. We set up Base Camp at 5,100 meters. We decided not to waste time acclimatizing and went straight to the mountain. The ascent began at 7:00 AM. The route was initially easy over snow and rocks. Then, along a steep rocky ridge covered in snow. We reached the summit at 2:30 PM. It was difficult without acclimatization.

We returned to camp at 6:00 PM. It's cold and windy. But we did it!

Our new teams will be coming here next year. A fantastic program. The Indian Himalayas. Little Tibet. Buddhism and stupas. The Potala Palace and a 6,000-meter peak. It's all here, near the city of Leh.

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from India:

Today is a happy day. We've finished our dispute with the Indian army and police. And today is Lyuda and I's wedding anniversary. 24 years. In fact, 25 years together!

We flew to the town of Leh in Ladakh. It's a wonderful place. Reminds me of Skardu in Pakistan. We visited the monasteries. This is Tibet. The faith is Buddhist and Muslim, just like in Pakistan.

The language is similar to Sherpa and Gilgit. Tomorrow we're leaving to climb Mount Ut Kangri, 6,045 meters high. We're developing a new program. We'll be leading groups in the Indian Himalayas.

Get ready, comrades!

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from India:

  End of the criminal case: The judge found my actions to be illegal. But after learning that today is our 24th wedding anniversary, and that Lyuda and I have climbed Everest together 15 times, he decided to pardon me for the first time. Thanks to our Indian partners, who helped mitigate the sentence! However, fingerprints and palm prints, as well as profile and full-face photos, will forever remain in the Indian police archives.

  The judge asked that all travelers not bring GPS devices or satellite phones to India. Doing so will result in a hefty fine or three years in prison.

Lyuda and I are already flying to Leh to climb Ut Kangri (6045m), considered the easiest six-thousander. However, they say there's been an extreme amount of snowfall recently.

Alexander Abramov, leader of the "Super Dogs on Elbrus" expedition, reports from the Elbrus region:

 The Super Dogs project on Elbrus. SUMMIT!!! Today, October 18th, a historic event took place. Three Sherpa dogs, Mingma, Pemba, and Lhakpa, reached the summit of Elbrus, working as sled dogs. They pulled climbers Alexander Abramov, Viktor Simonov, and Ilya Gladkikh.

As a result, the team of three dogs and three climbers ascended from an altitude of 5,100 meters to the summit in 3.5 hours. It's interesting that these dogs pull sleds in winter, but they've never been to the mountains. So, Elbrus is their first summit as dogs. The weather was terrible. After the summit, we descended in a blizzard and 50 km/h winds.

The route was in rough firn conditions, with some ice in places. The dogs proved themselves heroes.

The 7 Summits Club President Alexander Abramov flew to Moscow for 24 hours. Our captain took part in the 7 Summits Club's 18th anniversary celebration and was back at the Elbrus Refuge this morning. The weather is excellent and sunny, but windy, and the slopes are icy. Temperatures at the summit are forecast to be -30 degrees Celsius with winds of 50 km/h. Tonight, the group will attempt to climb Elbrus on dogsleds.

Alexander Abramov, leader of the "Super Dogs on Elbrus" expedition, reports from the Elbrus region:

 Today, the 7 Summits Club Super Dogs team climbed to our Refuge ("National Park") on the slopes of Elbrus at an altitude of 3,800 meters. Everything was covered in snow. They were digging out the cabins. The dogs were the main attraction on the cable car.

We settled into the shelter. We were in the cabins, our Chukchi sled dogs were on the snow. Everyone was comfortable.

Today, we made a test hike with the dogs to Refuge 11. The dogs immediately started pulling up, just like they would in a sled on snow. The speed was actually twice as fast as without the dogs. They pulled even better on the snow than yesterday on the rocks at Cheget. And they're less distracted. So far, the experiment is going great.

Tomorrow we'll try to climb Pastukhov Rocks. The weather, frankly, is bad. A blizzard. But the dogs are used to it. In Chukotka, in winter, they pull sleds and sleep outside at -50 degrees. So, Elbrus is a real treat for them. It's like a resort. But they're not climbing alone...

Alexander Abramov, leader of the "Sherpa Dogs on Elbrus" expedition from the Elbrus region:

 Today, October 14th, we made our first acclimatization ascent with dogs to the slopes of Mount Cheget. The result exceeded all expectations. All four dogs moved briskly upwards and pulled reliably. The ascent speed doubled. We reached the Ai Café in an hour and a half. The dogs are all renowned. They've been on the North Pole, but this is their first time in the mountains. Well done!

Tomorrow we're climbing to the refuge at 3,800 meters. There, we'll acclimatize the dogs and the participants for three days. The dogs have protective goggles. They don't like them much, though, and try to rip them off. I hope they get used to them.

 And there's another problem: these are running sled dogs. They pull not only up but also down. And that's dangerous. So we're getting used to each other. And we're trying to agree that the dogs will walk down together and not drag each other down. We're filming a movie.

Alexander Abramov, Viktor and Makar Simonov, Ilya Gladkikh.

Alexander Abramov, leader of the "Sherpa Dogs on Elbrus" expedition from the Elbrus region:

 Today marks the beginning of a new and unusual expedition for the 7 Summits Club to Elbrus. We will be climbing with Sherpa sled dogs. The thing is, the Chukchi sled dogs have been given Sherpa names: Mingma, Pemba, Pasang, and Lakpa. Their owner, the renowned polar explorer Viktor Simonov, believes they are ready to climb Elbrus. We are once again breaking new ground in mountaineering. The hardest part today was checking the dogs in as luggage. It took all day. We rescheduled our tickets twice, thanks to Aeroflot for being so accommodating!

The expedition stayed at the Povorot Hotel and began preparing for the Elbrus climb. The hardest part so far has been figuring out how to train the dogs to wear glasses. They're still a novelty for them. The group is scheduled to summit Elbrus in a week.

Today marks the beginning of a new and unusual expedition to Elbrus by the 7 Summits Club. We'll be climbing with Sherpa sled dogs. The Chukchi sled dogs are named after the Sherpas: Mingma, Pemba, Pasang, and Lakpa. Their owner, the famous polar explorer Viktor Simonov, believes they're ready to climb Elbrus. We're exploring a new direction in mountaineering again. The hardest part today was checking the dogs in as luggage. It took all day. We rescheduled our tickets twice, thanks to Aeroflot for being so accommodating!

 It's now 9:40 PM. We'll arrive in Mineralnye Vody at 1:30 AM. So, I'll send photos of the dogs tomorrow. For now, just our exhausted faces.

We face a second problem: finding crampons for our dogs.

Alexander Abramov, leader of the "Sherpa Dogs on Elbrus" expedition.

Artem Gurshtein, a member of the 7 Summits Club and a fellow climber, has completed a unique ascent of Manaslu, which could be recognized as a world record in several categories.

 Artem Gurshteyn (report): "So, friends, I'm returning home! The ascent took less than 44 hours (base camp - summit - base camp). The ascent began on September 22, 2025, at 3:30 a.m. The summit was reached on September 23, 2025, at 6:06 a.m. Descent to base camp was on September 23, 2025, at 10:58 p.m.

Arrived at base camp on September 21, 2025, at 12:55 p.m.

Departed for Kathmandu on September 24, 2025, at 7:52 a.m. The entire tour lasted 2 days and 19 hours.

All in all, less than 4 days in my beloved Nepal; I've never had such a fast-paced trip.

The founders of 14peaks Company say it's worthy of a Guinness World Record - time will tell.

The mountain is incredibly beautiful. Manaslu is the 8th highest in the world. The highest eight-thousander in the world, 8,163 meters. I experienced a wide range of emotions upon reaching the summit and had the strength to admire the beauty in detail during the descent.

 Artem Gurshtein:

This story dates back to September 2022, when I was part of the Skolkovo team at Professor Volkov's week-long training, sports, education, and, for some, even thought-activity module, "Two Summits". There, I first encountered mountains (mostly volcanoes and hills), and at the end of the program, we completed a very challenging (for me, at least) ascent of Koryaksky Volcano (3,456 meters). By fate, I was climbing in tandem with Professor Andrey Volkov, a Master of Sports of International Class in mountaineering, recent president of the Russian Mountaineering Federation, and the first rector of the Skolkovo Moscow School of Management.

It was incredibly challenging psychologically, even though I was "attached" to the professor. I was safe, on the one hand, but the sense of responsibility for moving in unison and carefully measuring every step, so as not to, God forbid, stumble and drag the teacher down with me and end up on Wikipedia, took a lot of energy. And at that moment, this climb became one of the most difficult events of my life! Something definitely changed upon my return, but I didn't yet understand what...

Then I learned about the "7 Summits" program and the "7 Summits Club" company, led by Alex Abramov, and in October of that year I climbed Kilimanjaro, and in December and January, Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Then there was Giluwe in Papua, Everest, more week-long "Two Summits" modules in September in Kamchatka, and more volcanoes and challenges.

 While on the third Kamchatka module, I learned that Alex Abramov wants to set a world record for the fastest ascent of the seven highest volcanoes on seven mountains. continents of the planet. I liked the idea and wanted to compete with a renowned climber... In the end, we completed the program in the same time (66 days), climbing to the summit of Antarctica's last volcano together.

 And then this June, Alex calls me and tells me passionately that new records for speed climbing on Everest were set in May and that we could try to prepare for the "fast" Manaslu. And that this would soon change the whole game, and we wouldn't have to spend so much time living in base camps and polluting the environment, etc., etc. Alex's idea immediately resonated with me, and I began preparing – acclimatizing at home. I sleep in a tent, gradually gaining altitude (the highest I slept was at 6,500 meters) and do daily IHT (interval hypoxic training) using a portable GIPOX device (I've completed over 50 IHT sessions from 1 hour to 1 hour 40 minutes). Alex Abramov, of course, is a master; he knew where the fertile ground was, where he could plant his next adventure))) An adventurer can spot another adventurer from afar.

In fact, the ingredients of this soup, called "Quick Manaslu," aren't complicated:

- idea (Alex Abramov) – 50%

- sleep in a hypoxic tent (400+ hours) – 20%

- Gipox IHT (70+ hours) – 20%

- discipline, morning exercises, faith in the outcome (foolishness and courage in common parlance), communication with professionals, support from family and friends… - 10%.

With Alex Abramov in Antarctica

 Greetings from Manaslu! The results of the 2025 expedition, and most importantly, the entire team reached the summit. 12 of us! Plus Borya Egorov and Alexey Sivkov, who were also with us. We'd like to highlight Dima Pilshchikov's record. He arrived in Kathmandu on September 20th and reached the summit on the 25th without acclimatization rotations. It wasn't easy, but he didn't give up. He underwent a short xenon therapy course in Moscow beforehand. Olya Rumyantseva attempted the ascent without oxygen and reached almost the summit (8,046 m). Artem Gurshteyn, a member of the 7 Summits Club, reached the summit of Manaslu in 44 hours from Base Camp. He also completed a short hypoxic training course beforehand. He consulted with us when preparing for his ascent. The other team members also did a great job, ascending and descending at a good pace, without any delays.

This is already my 17th summit above 8000 meters in my career. 12 Everests, 3 Cho Oyu (once without oxygen), and 2 Manaslu. I don't know if there are any other climbers in Russia who have summited 8000 meters peaks 17 times? Please respond.

The 2025 Manaslu expedition was successful, comfortable, and fast. I look forward to seeing everyone on Everest in the spring of 2026!

Congratulations to our climbers from the first group! They enjoyed excellent weather and, ahead of everyone else, were the first to reach the summit that day, September 24th. The queue was terrifying; standing at 8,150 meters and waiting was nothing to be envied. As usual, many participants will be rushing home after the summit, so congratulations and awards were distributed on the first evening together at base camp.

Our second group, led by Andrey Berezin, also made it to the summit. Its members are spending the night at Camps 2 and 1. We await information about their descent to base camp tomorrow so we can send them well-deserved congratulations!

Early this morning, the first group of the 8000 Club expedition, led by Alexander Abramov, reached the summit of Manaslu. Six climbers were involved: Roman Sklyar, Evgeny Fedorov, Alexey Aksyonov, Daniele Wolfson, Vladislav Khomkov, and Farid Sagutdinov. Alexander Abramov also served as guide and leader. And, of course, thanks to our high-altitude Sherpa guides! The first group is descending; they almost reached Camp 2 at 12:00 Moscow time.

The second group, led by guide Andrey Berezin, is ascending to Camp 4 at 7,300 meters to begin their summit bid that night.