Tibet - Page 18

April 2, Alexander Abramov flew to Nepal. The final stage of preparing our next Everest expedition began. China has denied entry to the territory of Tibet, but in the coming days, the path will open. Members of the expedition and guides will come later. While Alexander will set of organizational issues. However, much will be organized differently. Because for the first time Mingma will not be a Sirdar of the expedition. Now he is the director of our branch 7 Summits Adventures Company and had a lot of other deals.

The main part of the expedition (with permit on Everest):

Karina Mezova (28 years) Nalchik

Andrew Podolyan (39) Moscow

Dmitry Sokov (43) Sakhalin

Igor Prinzyuk (33) Khabarovsk

Yuri Beloivan (44) Moscow

Roman Grezky (39) Moscow

Christopher Cannizzaro (25) U.S.A.

Crina Popescu (16) Romania

Group with special permits (without climbing Everest):

Valery Rozov (46) Moscow

Denis Provalov (42) Moscow

Sergey Krasko (49) Moscow

Anatoly Yezhov (64) Archangelsk

Ovidiu Popescu (47) Romania

Guides of the expedition:

Alexander Abramov (47) Moscow

Sergey Larin (51) Tver

Nikolay Cherny (72) Moscow

Noel Hanna (44) Ireland

Victor Bobok (50) Moscow

KATHMANDU: The Seven Summits Foundation in coordination with Nepal Tourism Year 2011 committee will organize a concert at the Mount Everest Base Camp at the height of 5,400 meters above the sea-level on March 23.

According to the organizers, apart from Nepali artists and International artiste John McCune from USA will also perform at the Everest Base Camp for the programme. The initial festival is dedicated to raising awareness of the melting of the Himalayan Glaciers due to Global Warming, kicking off a series of five concerts with the final one in Kathmandu, said Thomas J Sexton, a member of the 7 Summits Foundation.

After two weeks of trekking and performing in the Himalayas, the ‘Save the Himalaya’ festival will conclude with a concert in Kathmandu on April 6.

Led by Ang Chhering Sherpa, who holds the record for climbing the world’s seven highest summit in just 42 days, and in association with the Nepal Tourism Year 2011 committee, the 7 Summits Foundation hopes to use the concert series to focus the attention of the international community on one of the highest destinations on earth, embodying the ‘Voice from the Top of the World’.

While rising sea-levels have been the central focus of the detrimental effects of Global Warming, the melting of our glaciers will have an impact on landlocked nations as well, he said, adding that the melting of the Himalayan glaciers will cause flooding and destruction, affecting the survival and livelihood of the people of the Himalayan region.

Meanwhile, AC Sherpa plans to continue to build awareness of the impact on the Himalayan glaciers by attempting to set a new mountaineering record by climbing Mt Everest three times in one climbing season this summer.

KATHMANDU: A team of civil servants led by Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Lila Mani Poudel is all set to scale the Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world. They are setting off for mountaineering from the third week of Chaitra.

It was informed at a programme that the mountaineering campaign of the civil servants, as an important programme in connection with the Nepal Tourism Year 2011, will spread a new message in the international sector. The programme was organised at the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation.

The government has allocated Rs 750 million for the campaign which will be of 75 days. Similarly, the Mountaineering Training Institute Development Committee has been providing training and will manage the expedition.

In course of the training, the expedition has successfully scaled the Yala peak of Lamtang.

At the programme, Chief Secretary Madhav Ghimire said the mountaineering will help devise a mechanism on sustainable environment conservation by acquiring information about the effects of climate change in the mountain region.

Similarly, Secretary at the Tourism Ministry, Kishor Thapa said the Ministry will arrange the management for the mountaineering team to reach atop the Everest and return it safely.

Team leader Secretary Poudel said they were all set to climb the Mt Everest to show that the civil servants were also capable to do adventurous job.

Nepal Tourism Year Coordinator Yogendra Shakya said the mountaineering zeal of the employee will add new spirit to the tourism sector.

The mountaineering team comprises Joint Secretary at the Foreign Ministry, Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Joint Secretary at the Tourism Ministry, Laxman Bhattarai, engineer at the same ministry Santa Kumar Maharjan, and Mukti Ram Rijal, Surath Pokhrel, Hari Prasad Guragain, Khim Lal Gautam, Gyanendra Kumar Shrestha, Tulsi Ram Bhandari, Padma Bahadur Bhandari, Bishnu Prasad Poudel, Subir Shrestha, Hari Dhakal and Kumar Giri.

Joseph Dalton Hooker, renowned botanist, close friend of Charles Darwin and global explorer, also produced the earliest Western sketch of a little-known geologic feature called Mount Everest, it emerged this week.

The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, where Hooker was director in the late 19th-century, has identified a rough sketch by Hooker of the Himalayan mountain, the highest point on Earth, as one of the first of its kind. A consultation with Hooker experts, including the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), suggests the drawing is the earliest known scientific Western drawing of what locals call Mount Chomolungma. The work dates from 1848, completed while Hooker, aged 30, was conducting a three-year-long research expedition of the Himalayan region. The RGS named Everest in 1856 after George Everest, a former British surveyor-general of India.

"It is always wonderful when we turn up a hidden gem of such historical importance," said Kew's director Stephen Hopper. "To our knowledge there are no other earlier representations of Everest by a European, in which case this discovery could be one of the most important findings in Kew's Archive."

While the RGS has a French map of the relevant Himalayan region dating from the 1730s, it has no pictorial representations of the mountain from this period.

Kew were first alerted to the sketch's importance by documentary filmmaker Peter Donaldson, who has spent several years researching Hooker's life. In 2008, he retraced Hooker's 1848 journey through eastern Nepal and the Tibetan border, which Mr Donaldson claims was the first recreation of its kind. "Hooker's various explorations around the world and on the spot drawings provide a very interesting reference point to see how parts of the eastern Himalayas and elsewhere have changed over the last 160 years," Mr Donaldson said in an email. "Hooker established much of the science underlying current understanding of how plants change with changing climate. This is of great importance in interpreting the past and future effects of climate change."

The garden's archives also contain a watercolour by Walter Hood Fitch, based on the Hooker sketch, which was created in about 1850. While the botanist does not refer directly to the drawing in his journals, he describes a spectacular sunset seen during his four-year expedition. "I have never before or since seen anything which for sublimity, beauty and marvellous effects, could compare with what I gazed on that evening." Everest is marked on Hooker's sketch "very high snows NNW ".

As well as being the first European to collect plants in the Himalayas, Hooker also worked with Darwin to classify plants he had collected in the Galapagos Islands.

Hooker's sketch is currently on display at Kew's Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art until 1 June.

Don’t even think about visiting Tibet this month. China has closed the region to foreigners throughout March. The official reason is that tourists will be unsafe because of cold weather, ice, a shortage of hotel rooms, crowds attending Tibetan New Year festivities, and the anniversary of Tibet’s “liberation” in 1951. But skeptics say it has more to do with keeping out journalists and trouble makers during the third anniversary of bloody anti-government riots.

 Alexander Abramov visited Fedor Konyukhov, who was the first Russian climbed Seven Summits and reached two Poles. They have discussed various travel ideas, tell each other about their adventures and climbs, about Antarctica and Mount Everest. Alex was trying to learn more about the routes Konyukhov on polar region, first of all - Greenland.. But most importantly, they agreed that Fedor will organize a trekking party to the foot of Everest with an expedition 7 Summits Club.

We can say that this journey can be seen as part of the project by Fyodor Konyukhov to establish in Moscow, a center of travel uder protection of Orthodox Church. As we know, the greatest Russian traveler of modern time was ordained an Orthodox priest. However, he intends to continue his adventure and hard travel. In March Fedor Konyukhov plans a pilgrimage to Ethiopia. This will be an expedition to the holy places of this country, and to move mainly on camels.

Fedor Konyukhov was born on December 12, 1951, on the coast of the Sea of Azov (part of the Black Sea). His father is a descendant of fishermen whose family came from Arkhangelsk Province and his mother is a native of Bessarabia.

Fedor graduated from Odessa Navigation College and Leningrad Arctic College. He studied in the Theological Seminary and in the Arts College in Bobruisk (Byelorussia).

Since his childhood, Fedor Konyukhov has been striving for traveling and discovering the entire diversity of the world. He accomplished his first expedition at the age of fifteen having crossed the Sea of Azov on a fishing rowing boat.

By the age of fifty he has made more than forty unique trips and climbs expressing his vision of the world in paintings and books.

In 1983, Fedor Konyukhov was admitted to the Union of Artists of the USSR (he was the youngest at that moment). Since 1996, a member of the Moscow Union of Artists, Graphic Arts section; since 2001, a member of the Sculpture section in the Moscow Union of Artists.

The laureate of the Gold Medal of the Russian Arts Academy, Honorary Academician of the Russian Arts Academy, author of more than 3,000 paintings. He participated in a number of Russian and international exhibitions.

A member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation. A member of the Union of Writers of the Russian Federation. Author of nine books.

Yacht Captain. He made four circumnavigations and crossed the Atlantics fourteen times, including one time on a rowing boat. Honored Master of Sports. Fedor was awarded the Order of Friendship of Peoples of the USSR and the UNEP Prize "GLOBAL 500" for his contribution to the environmental protection. He is the holder of the UNESCO Prize “For Fair Play”.

First and so far the only person in the world to have reached the five extreme Poles of the planet:

North Geographical Pole (3 times)

South Geographical Pole

Pole of considerable inaccessibility in the Arctic Ocean

Art-work of Fedor

Gleb Sokolov announced his plans for 2011. He just ensured supports of sponsors: NPF Basc, Grivel, etc. and could now begin to detail plans of expeditions. Projects are, we must say, impressive. Gleb with his partner, Vitaly Gorelik (both from Novosibirsk), is going to climb a new route on Everest. Some experts believe that is impossible to find something new on the slopes of the highest mountain of the World. But look on the East Face, so-called Kanchung Face ! There are three unclimbed buttresses between the American route and the North-East ridge.

Scared even to look? Eyes do not believe, but the hands and feet are doing. That is what these guys have been doing on Pobeda Peak in 2009. Conditions on mountains can be different, you need to watch and think. According to the plan of expedition, acclimatization will be on the classic route from the north side. Probably, it will be in cooperation with a team of 7 Summits Club (leader Alex Abramov). And then, climbers are going to cross the pass ... to make a decision and implement it.

If everything succeeds, they were still alive, then for next summer, Gleb plans to climb a new route also for Pobeda Peak. For this purpose, Alexander Kirikov should join Sokolov and Gorelik. Last season, he participated in climbing a partly new route "Snake" on Khan-Tengri. Sokolov knows Pobeda Peak better than anyone, he climbed it by 4 different routes. Now he has a new idea for new routes.

Gorelik (left) and Sokolov

Aireal  photo by Leo Dickinson

Gleb Sokolov born in 1953 (September, 5)

He began climb in 1972. His first high-altitude summit was Peak Lenin in 1979.

Master Sport, many time winner and prized of Russia Mountaineering Championship.

Snow Leopard (all seven-thousanders of the former USSR): Peak Lenin, Peak Communism, Peak Korzhenevskoy, Peak Pobeda, Khan Tengri – more than 50 climbs. Gleb have a speed climb record on Pobeda Peak – 20 hours.

Himalayan ascents:

Makalu 1996

Lhotse 1997 and 2000

Lhotse Shar 1998

Lhotse Middle (first climb) 2001.

Everest North Face (new route) 2004

K2 West Face (new route) 2007

Manaslu 2009/

For a new route on Pobeda Peak Sokolov and Gorelik were nominated for Piolet d’Or in 2009 for

Married, 4 children, one grandson.

Piolet d'Or 2009. Vitaly and Gleb are staying in the middle

Nepal Expeditions - Autumn 2010 (Government Peaks):

The following is the detail of the permits issued to expedition teams for 8000m Peaks by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation in this Autumn Season 2010:

2 Teams of 1 member each on Mt. Everest (Nepal Side)

2 Teams with a total 6 members on Mt. Lhotse

8 Teams with a total of 86 members on Mt. Manaslu

2 teams with total of 9 members Mt. Dhaulagiri from Nepal Himalayas

The above figures do not include the number of high altitude Sherpa (HAS) climbers.

Tibet Expeditions - Autumn 2010:

The following are the teams permitted on 8000m Peaks in Tibet:

2 Teams with a total of 12 climbers on Mt. Everest (including HAS)

25 Teams with a total of 340 climbers on Mt. Cho-oyu (including HAS)

3 Teams with a total of 45 climbers on Mt. Shishapangma(including HAS)

Death and Casualties:

Mt. Dhaulagiri (8167m):

An avalanche on Mt. Dhaulagiri killed three Japanese climbers, Osumu Tanabe(49 yrs),Toshio Yamamoto(36 yrs) and Daisuke Honda(32 yrs) and a Nepalese Guide Pasang Geylu Sherpa on 28th September.

Mt. Cho-Oyu (8201m):

The leader of the Cho-Oyu South West Face Expedition 2010, Walter Nones(39 yrs) of Italy had a fatal fall on 3rd October and died while climbing Mt. Cho-Oyu from South West Face New Route.

Mt. Manaslu (8163m) Base Camp:

Mr. Nobuaki Kuwabara(61 yrs) of Japan diet at the Base Camp of Manaslu on 24 September 2010. He was member of "Adventure Guides Mt. Manaslu Exp.2010" under the Leadership of Mr. Kenji Kondo of Japan.

We pray that may all the departed souls rest in peace and express our condolence to their family members and friends.

UIAA General Assembly Highlight:

The UIAA General Assembly which was held from 6th-9th October in Bormio was very fruitful. The outcome of the assembly is beneficial to all the members of UIAA. It focused on the necessity of the Expedition Commission to be re-activated. On the sidelines of the 2010 UIAA General Assembly, leading members of the global climbing community discussed the concerns of climbers and challenges of undertaking expeditions to high and remote mountain ranges.

The next general assembly of UIAA will be held on 5th to 8th October 2011 and the general assembly of UAAA will be held on 9th October 2011. Both the events will be hosted by Nepal in Kathmandu. Since the same year Nepal is celebrating Nepal Tourism Year 2011, I hope that both the events will be instrumental in promoting Nepal Tourism Year 2011 to make it a great success, as well as bringing many benefits to the mountaineering community.

Summit of Manaslu

Explorerweb

October 15 at 12:30 PM Eric Larsen plus Sherpas Dawa Gylatzen, Tshering (Chhering) Dorje, Pasang Temba and Dawa Tenzing bagged the first Everest fall season summit in four years. The Terramar sponsored expedition concluded Larsen’s quest to reach the “Three Poles” in record time.

Serial Everest summiteer lost on Baruntse The loss of Chhewang Nima Sherpa put a sad end to the climbing autumn season, wrapped up in a special report by Ang Tshering Sherpa. 19x Everest summiter Chhewang Nima Sherpa was caught in an avalanche while fixing ropes on Baruntse upper sections.

Marty Schmidt’s “shortest Himalaya expedition ever” Marty cut his solo 4-day Lhotse attempt short in order to guide a client on Ama Dablam.

Jordises out of Lhotse Spanish “K2 pirates” Corominas and Tosas finally threw in the towel on Lhotse, due to dangerous conditions.

Shisha Pangma South Koreans Chang-Ho Kim, 41, and Sung-Ho Suh summited Shisha Pangma at 2:15PM on October 14, after climbing the British route on the peak’s south side. Chang-Ho Kim claims Shisha as his twelfth 8000er without supplementary O2; Sung-Ho Kim his tenth.

Cho Oyu summit mysteries German Ralf Arnold told ExplorersWeb he was the first Cho Oyu summiteer of the season, topping out October 1, 2010 at 10:30AM in a 15 hours roundtrip from C2. An October 7 Cho Oyu summit claimed by Argentinean Adrian Sanchez was questioned after the alleged summit picture turned out shot in C1 by expedition mate Marcelo Hernandez.

Dhaulagiri Search parties found the body of Daisuke Honda, one of the four climbers swept by an avalanche, buried in snow at about 5,000 meters on Dhaula.

Manaslu Together with a Japanese climber and his two Sherpas, Mexican couple Badía Bonilla and Mauricio López reached Manaslu summit sans O2 at 2:40PM, local time on October 1, some time after the HiMex and Carlos Pauner’s groups. “We were the last to summit that day,” Badia debriefed back in Kathmandu.

Blind Everest summiteer Erik Weihenmayer led a team of war-battered soldiers to the top of the 20,075-foot Lobuche on October 13.

Putha Hiunchuli (7,246m) was topped out on October 8 by Dutch Dick Valk, Kaji Sherpa and expedition leader Paul Boslooper.

Part of our expedition is already in Kathmandu, the team leader with best climbers is coming down. The weather on Cho Oyu again deteriorated. Strong winds and high avalanche danger made it impossible to attack the top for our advance team (I.Svergun, S. Bublik, A. Zakolodny, A.Kijko). They decided that climb above Camp 3 (7400m) is extremely difficult because of deep snow and very dangerous. Besides, the last few days the strong wind was blowing in the upper part of the route.

Just a few climbers remain at base camp. Only the Koreans decided to starve and wait at base camp the weather, which by forecasters was promised in 5 days.

Our climbers, have tickets from Kathmandu on October 16, so they can not stay for another 10 days.

As they say: "The Mountain does not allow me go!" We go back to come again.

At the beginning of last week there were doubts about the fact that someone even be able to climb Cho-Oyu. A significant part of expeditions turned their work. The head of our expedition (Ukraine - Himalaya 2010 + 7 Summits Club) Igor Svergun and Sirdar Mingma Gelu (7summits Adventure) also inclined to the idea of shutting down. However, after getting fairly good prognosis, as well as reports of the successful ascent of some German climber, they decided to continue the expedition. Tickets from Kathmandu were taken on October 16, so that you can still compete.

Manaslu

Hard season: the Himalayas against the climbers ... first autumn climbing and loss of ...

 September 28 Japanese climbers from the team of the Association of Mountain Guides have got in an avalanche on the way from base camp to Camp 1 on the slope of Dhaulagiri. Mountain Guides Osamu Tanabe (49 years), Toshio Yamamoto (1936), Daisuke Honda (32) and Sherpa Pasang Gyelu Sherpa are died. Tanabe was the leader of Himalayan mountaineering in the country of the Rising Sun ". He has had 9 eight-thousanders, including Mount Everest in winter by south-west face, K2 and Makalu by a new routes.

 Osamu Tanabe

Season on Manaslu is more successful. Although not without sacrifice. A Japanese mountaineer has died at the base camp.

Success of the Spaniards is in a focus. Carlos Pauner reached his 10th eight-thousander. And Carlos Soria, who turns 71 years old, went on the 9 th. This year veteran of the Spanish mountaineering completed the program of "Seven Summits", and plans "to make" 14X8000 before 2014

Soria and Pauner in the base camp

In the team of Himex a large group of climbers reached the summit of Manaslu on October 1. Russell Brice CEO (58 years) for the fourteenth time climbed peaks above 8,000 meters. True, 9 times it was Cho-Oyu. For Sirdar Phurba it was, by the way, 23th 8000 m peak (15 times Everest) and he became the leader among the Sherpas in this field.

Guides of Himex on the summit: Adrian, Russel and Marc

And the first of the season on top Manaslu was a leader of the expedition Dream Guides Kenton Cool. He led the team of three members and three sherpas. According to Kenton, tireless Dorjee Sherpa make almost all the way to the summit as first. From the summit of Manaslu Cool and one of the clients Andrew Eggleston went to the camp 4 on skis. It was September, 30th.

According to information from an expedition leader Fabrizio Zangrilli, 1th October, some German climber managed to reach the summit of Cho Oyu. This immediately restored power to several companies, they have resumed the upward movement in the camps.

Later it turned out that they were two experienced climbers 42-year-old Austrian Rupert Hauer and guide of the expedition 39-year-old Alix von Melle, known as a girlfriend of Luis Stitzinger. Ascent from Camp 3 to the top took 6,5 hours. There was a very strong wind, but good visibility.

If a forecast will be justified, we could expeat another climbs on Cho Oyu. We hope that among the lucky winners will be the names of our climbers.

Chao, Walter ...

Italian Walter Nones was found dead under the SW face of Cho Oyu, he was 39 years old. During a reconnaissance of a new route for south-western face, he climbed to an altitude of 6,800 meters with the Sherpas. Later he came out already in the solo assault. Misfortune.

September 27, 17:10. Today, our group went up to Camp 2 at an altitude of 7,150 m. We have overcome heavy wind so the way took more than 7 hours. On the way, there was an ice wall and a few steep parts, which significantly delayed the temp of our group. Many groups came down to one "thread" on the fixed route, and we had to wait in line.

Quality of fixed ropes leaves much to be desired. The group of Tibetan climbers who have fix it did not return to base camp to continue operations.

Two Sherpas, who yesterday had stopped by a small avalanche, today tried to reach the summit. But they again got on top of a slope in an avalanche, which, fortunately, it was scattered along the slope, and no one caught. As a result, no one managed yet to reach the summit. But the way to the top now is almost trodden.

We have scheduled two nights at 7150m, then at 7500m and will be on the way back tomorrow. Descend to thr base camp: for rest and preparation for the main summit assault.

September 25 - the first day when we can say that the weather is good. While none of the expeditions of unable to climb to Camp 3. Chinese "cooperative", which had to fix route has long gone down. Expeditions should make route joining efforts.

Igor Svergun - leader of the expedition

Our climbers Kijko - Zakolodny – Bublik reached the Camp 2 at 7150m altitude in the last outing and went down. After that, the way was blocked by snow. Two Sherpas, who tried to make a scheduled shipment, were crushed by the powdery snow on a steep section of the ridge. Fortunately, they managed to rescue themselves.

And now, today - September 26, our team finally got to Camp 1 at 6400m. Then we plan to reach a height of 7500m, with two overnight stays at 7150m.

All members are in good shape, not counting the usual maladies that accompany climbers - a cold, illness, throat, runny nose, cough ... But it all goes away as soon as putting on a backpack on your back.

Rodiontsev and Chistovsky intend to ski descent from 7500m. Today Rodiontsev tried to go off on a snowboard from a height of 6700m in an oxygen mask. Everything turned out. We hope that he will be able to descend on skis from the summit.

Members

Expedition leader Igor Svergun reported from Tibet following. Sept. 15 an auto-part of our expedition ended at the Base Camp (BC), Cho Oyu at an altitude of 5100m. Today Sherpas and yaks begin to transport goods to Advanced Base Camp (ABC, 5700m).

After a day of rest and acclimatization at BC, all members of the expedition "7 Summits Club - Ukraine-Himalaya-2010" also make pedestrian crossing (with a stopover at 5400m) to ABC (5700m), where it will be the main base needed to climb the summit of Cho Oyu (8201m).

Results of medical examination conducted at the Base Camp, showed that all members received sufficient at this stage of acclimatization. Pressure and pulse are within normal limits, there is no health claims.

Expedition leader Igor Svergun reports from Tibet: "On 10 September the team successfully reached the Chinese border. The road from Kathmandu in a few places is covered by mudflows and forwarding cargo was transferred manually with the help of the local population. This means additional cost.

Some teams who drop in to Tibet, has already lost 5 days on transportation. Total for Cho-Oyu in the fall season showed up about 35 expeditions. We are somewhere in the middle. On the way to the base camp we will have another 5 days of acclimatization. Today we made an ascent to an unnamed peak height of 4250m. I was pleasantly surprised by the changes that have occurred in recent years: first, a perfect road from the border, it blends harmoniously into the mountain landscape. And the new chic (at a glance undemanding climber) hotel in the town of Niola. We moved into it at the personal request of our Sirdar Mingma Gelu, director of the company 7 Summits Adventure, organizing ascent.

In view of the most powerful in recent years monsoon, in the mountains there is a lot of snow. According to our records, nobody begins climbing part of expeditions. Our goods, accompanied by Andrei Kiyko and Sergei Bublikt, move ahead of the main expedition, they are into the next village of Tingri at 4100 m. We want to reach the base camp sooner to get the best places for tents.

Mingma

Three Russians, Viktor Afanasyev, Irina Kukueva and Valery Evgrafov from 11 September to 4 October 2010, will attempt to climb the summit of Shisha Pangma (8027m.) Viktor Afanasyev - one of the leaders of the Russian high-altitude mountaineering, has to his credit ascents on K2, new routes on Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I, together with Valery Babanov.

Viktor Afanasyev and Valery Babanov

Viktor Afanasyev: "In preparation for the expedition we managed to find several variations on the theme " the height of the main summit”. And the numbers "jumping" from 8013m to 8046m mark. Most frequently used figure - 8027m. Conventionally, while we use this figures”.

Viktor Afanasyev was born May 15, 1979 in Adygeya, in the mountains since 1994 - Master of Sports in mountaineering, rock climbing, 3-time champion of Russia on mountaineering.

In his thirty years he made over 300 ascents in the Caucasus, the Pamirs, Alaska, Karakorum and Nepal, 53 - the highest category of difficulty. He climbed Mount Elbrus in more than 50 times!.

Muscovite Irina Kukueva is known as the first Russian woman-climber reached eight-thousander in Karakorum (Broad Peak in 2007). She runs marathons skiing, touring the world on a bicycle, she has two sons and a cat called Shisha, which also applies to the subject of this article. And Valery Evgrafov - it's her constant companion for life, travel and climbing. Incidentally, he was the leader of the expedition on Broad Peak, although he did not go to the top. Together they went on Kilimanjaro, Lenin Peak, Mount Fuji, Korjenevskaya, Communism ...

June 24, we invite you to the traditional meeting, party of the 7 Summits Club. The results of our main expedition of year - Everest, as well as many other travel (Ama Dablam, Island Peak, Kilimanjaro, Morocco, Mount Elbrus, the North Pole, Kailash and other) ... Interesting and unexpected guests. Do not miss out, it will be interesting!

June 24, 2010, on Thursday, we invite all friends, acquaintances and strangers while on the traditional party evening 7 Summits Club! We invite everyone! Admission is free!

Videos, photos, stories of climbers, questions and answers, plans for the near and distant future. Dinner buffet , of course.

Thus, on 24 June at 20.00 in the shop "Activny Otdych" (Bask) to: Metro Prospekt Mira Str., Bolsh. Pereyaslavskaya, 7.

It would seem that Californian Jordan Romero set a record that may never be broken. According to The Times of India website, the China Tibet Mountaineering Association, which governs climbing on Mount Everest’s north face, recently decided to set age limits on who could scale the mountain.

In short, only people between the ages of 18 and 60 will be allowed to climb the mountain. Exceptions can be made for those as young as 16, but anyone younger than that is out of luck.

Nepal already has restrictions barring anyone under age 16 from climbing Mount Everest. China and Nepal share the mountain along their common border. Mount Everest is 29,029 feet tall and is the world’s highest mountain.

Jordan became the youngest person to ever climb Mount Everest last month. He’s 13. I’m not certain what this will do to his plans to climb Cho Oyu, another Himalyan peak along the China-Nepal border. Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth-highest mountain.

Some plans had already been made to break Jordan’s record. According to The Times of India, a Nepalese climber had sought to train 11-year-old Nepali children to break the record. Those plans are now dashed. The online report said the China Tibet Mountaineering Association made the new restrictions in reaction to Jordan’s climb — and the ensuing controversy...

Jordan Romero welcomed in our base camp club-tent

Today, all our members and guides descended to the base camp. The expedition ends. Several people have already left for Kathmandu. The final result: 8 members, 2 guides and 10 Sherpas reached the summit of Mount Everest. Thanks to the good work of Dr. Igor Pokhvalin, nobody was seriously ill. Thanks to all the guides, thanks to our Sherpa ! They have still a serious work on preservation of our equipment, tents and so on. Alexander Abramov and Nicholay Cherny will lead this work. Others are already on vacation.

Dr. Igor Pokhvalin from Crimea - Everest Summiter, the first Ukrainien on the Seven Summits

The most stressful day of the 7 Summits Club Everest expedition is coming to an end. All members, guides and Sherpas have found their place in the camps and rest. The first group completed went down to the base camp at 5200 meters. All are feeling well, vision problems, which are often at high altitude, as usual, during a descent were held without a trace. Most of the second group came down to a comfortable camp ABC. Only our women Malgorzata and Elena should spent night above, at 7700 m. With them stay our guides and Sherpas. Oxygen, drinking, drugs - all in abundance, until the morning all should recover and continue their journey. Now it will a way home. Let greetings for tomorrow. By the way, snow in the evening almost ended and in the morning it may be good weather.

At 9:30 a.m. local time, our second group reached the highest peaks of planet, through heavy snow and wind. Now they began to descend, everything is OK. In the area of North Col fell about 30 cm of snow. Perhaps the weather on Everest finally broke down and it was the last chance.

Group members: Guide Sergey Larin, Małgorzata Pierz-Penkala, Daniel Mizera (mother and son from Poland), Lena Gorelik (Moscow), Zdravko Dejanovic (Macedonia).

At 7 a.m. local time, the second group  is in the "snowy triangle", an hour from the summit. Snow is strong, there is no wind at all. It seems that this is the first day of the monsoon. Alex Abramov.

Group members: Guide Sergey Larin, Małgorzata Pierz-Penkala, Daniel Mizera (mother and son from Poland), Lena Gorelik (Moscow), Zdravko Dejanovic (Macedonia).

First climber of the 7 Summits Club expedition reached the top of Everest at about 6:00 a.m.. As a result, today following climbers were on the summit: Noel Hanna (guide, Ireland), Steve Berry (UK), James Wilde (USA), Mikhail Turovsky (Russia, Pyatigorsk), Andrey Filkov (Russia, Moscow), Sirdar of the expedition Mingma Gelu and four other Sherpas. Total - 10 people! Unfortunately, Vadim Nadvodnyuk was forced to turn before reaching the summit because of problems with eyes. Currently, he and all the summiters have descended, they are in safe places. Some reached the camp ABC, some stay at the North Col. Our second group climbed the camp 8300 and is preparing now for a summit bid. Unfortunately, the weather is a little deteriorated, but there are chances of clearing in the night.