"7 Summits + 2 Poles" project news

First time Alex was in Alaska at 1994. It was absolutely first his project on the Seven Summits. During hard time in Russia it was unexpected and very surprising event. Alex climbed the sumit with 6 partners almost without money. It was the start of fullfilment of the dreams.

Now he will lead a big group. The program begins 13th of June.

A report of the world record established by our friend Valera Rozov became the world news dated for 60-year anniversary of the firstMount Everestclimb. This message got on pages of the world press, the leading newspapers, the most popular news TV channels. Fine! We are proud that this new achievement of the outstanding Russian athlete was made within the 7 Summits Club Everest expedition under the leadership of Alex Abramov.

The images that tell the story of Valery Rozov's epic Mt Everest BASE jump

Red Bull:

The Russian extreme sports star Valery Rozov has made the highest ever BASE jump after leaping off Mt Everest from an altitude of 7,220m. Rozov made the jump on May 5th after almost two years of planning and training. Check out the video and the full story on our news page.

Valery Rozov group of 11 people was working in our expedition. Among them, his constant companions for the most extreme expeditions: Alexander Ruchkin, Thomas Senf and Sergey Krasko. The group was acclimated, has prepared the site for a touchdown and a shooting onNorth Rongbukglacier. Time was short, and Valery decided to jump at the first opportunity, on May 5.

Red Bull:

The ascent began on the Chinese side on the famous north route. Rozov had selected a spot for his leap at an altitude of 7,220 meters. It took him four days to climb from base camp to the jumping location, assisted by a team of four Sherpas.

At precisely 2:30 p.m. local time on May 5th, with temperatures at -18 Celsius, he jumped. Because the cliff at the top was not very high, the initial moment in the rarified high altitude air was extremely precarious.

Initial moment the most critical

Rozov needed more time than usual in the thin air to transition from freefall to flying. But after that he flew for nearly a full minute at speeds of about 200 km/h down the north face before landing safely on the Rongbuk glacier (5,950m).

Thank you, Red Bull !

Pictures by Denis Provalov

Back in Kathmandu

Solemn meeting to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Everest held inKathmandu.Russiawas represented by 7 people.

Meeting friends: Lena Trishankova (7 Summits Adventures), Alex Abramov (Everest five times summiter), Leila Albogachiev (twice Everest summiter), Marianne Surunchal, Vladimir Shataev (summiter ofMount Everest), Maadyr Khovalyg.

Seventh – Slava Skripko, he stands on the right.

InKathmanduthe gala evening was waiting at Rum Doodle, with awarding diplomas. Then all members went home. As a result of the expedition the summit ofMount Everest was climbed by 10 Europeans and 9 Sherpas. A total of 19 people. And 3 members climbed the North Peak of Everest (Changtse).

We crossed the border. Denis Provalov and Vladimir Rychenko even managed to jump with badges.

On behalf of the members of the expedition representatives of Kazakhstan Konstantin Morozov and Yaroslav Sabyrbaev  from the company HeydelbergTsement (HeidelbergCement) we expressed gratitude to the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov and personally for the excellent organization of the expedition and successful ascent of Mount Everest in 2013

 All members of the expedition who climbed the top of the World met at the ABC camp. It was the time for final dinner at Everest.

Today the second group of the 7 Summits Club expedition reached the summit of Everest. Three members: Sergey Dudko, Dmitry Krasnov, Vladimir Rychenko. Two guides: Noel Hanna (6th time) and Denis Provalov. At 11-30 Moscow time the group went by the camp 7700 m.

Altogether in this expedition Everest was climbed by seven members and three guides.

Record of Denis Provalov - 10988 meters >>>>>>>

App. at 2:00 a.m. Moscow Time four members  (Konstantin Morozov, Murad Ashurly, Jaroslav Sabyrbayev and Vitaly Simonovich), guide Alex Abramov and Sherpas has reached the summit !

We are at 8300. It is OK. Konstantin Morozov, Murad Ashurly, Jaroslav Sabyrbayev and Vitaly Simonovich. Guides: Alexander Abramov and Mingma. Wind is very strong. Start at midnight. Sergei Shevchenko went down from 8000 m. At 8100 m a corpse of a Sherpa lies. Probably the accident happened after hard climb on 15th of May...

Murad Ashurly: 7700 camp 25000feet, very windy, now push to camp 8300 (27000 feet) few hours rest and go to summit 29000 feet. Will fight hard wind! I am with David Roeske from NYC here! He is brave man!

First group: Sergei Shevchenko, Konstantin Morozov, Murad Ashurly, Jaroslav Sabyrbayev and Vitaly Simonovich. Guides: Alexander Abramov and Mingma.

In the world there are many ideas to surprise mankind. Among them, it is possible to carry a record of difference of height of climbing up to mountains and descent down in a cave. Now it isn't known who is a leader in this category. A guide of the 7 Summits Club Denis Provalov is trying to become the first. His plan - 11000 meters was declared few years ago. On Everest he can reach 8848 meters. In the cave – Kruber's - Voronya Denis was already at a depth of 2140 meters. In the sum – 10988 meters. It will be impossible to climb higher than Everest. And it is possible to go down, probably, still more deeply. On 12 meters it is so precisely, because his colleagues already reached 2170 meters (world record).

Today Denis Provalov will start for a climb ofMount Everestfrom the base camp.

Denis as a winner of Elbrus Race

Alex Abramov:  After 3 days of rest down in the valley we are back in the base camp. It was  avery important part of expedition, we should  be fit. Many were hurt by a throat, there were other problems with health. Now all it seems in norm, all are ready to climb. The weather forecast promises daily decrease in a wind.

Sherpas are working to equip camp with all necessary. They promise that the first group will be able to go up tj theNorth Colat May 16.

Now we were divided into 2 groups. The first will try to reach the top on May 19, the second – on 20th.

Here is our plan.

Alex Abramov from Everest base camp: Today, May 8. The whole team  came down to the Base Camp. Today, 14 people - Valery Rozov and his team and a team of climbers on Changtse left for Kathmandu, and then to go home. Now, only 10 climbers on Everest and 4 guides were left in the camp.

Sherpas will continue to set the upper camps. Weather forecast is disappointing, it promises a hurricane for 11-12 and 14-15 of May.

So now we are getting ready to go down to 4200 to rest.

Yesterday, May 5, a member of the 7 Summits Club Everest expedition Sergey Ponomarev died, presumably of a heart attack. He died almost instantly on a trail near the Camp ABC.

May 4th, the team of 7 Summits Club (23 climbers - guides and 11 Sherpas) went to climb the North Col of Everest 7000m. This was the final stage of acclimatization. Shortly after leaving the camp (6400m) Sergey Ponomarev was going very slowly. He was asked to return to the camp 6400m. There he should to spend the night and wait for the descent of the whole team from the North Col. Sergey agreed, and went down to the Camp 6400m. Rest of the team spent a night in the North Col.

The next morning, May 5, a part of the team made a successful ascent on the summit of Changtse 7600m. At noon the whole team started to descend to the Advanced Base Camp.

Sergey, accompanied by a Sherpa, decided to go up the path towards the team. At 100 meters from the Camp ABC, at an altitude of about 6500m, Sergey felt bad. He stopped breathing, heart rate is not detectable, the pupils did not react to light. All attempts at resuscitation using oxygen, closed-chest cardiac massage and artificial respiration, which lasted about 30 minutes, did not lead to success.

Early this morning, May 6, the body with porters was sent to the Base Camp of Mount Everest, for onward transportation to Kathmandu.

The whole team is mourning the sudden loss of a comrade ...

Alex Abramov

Alex Abramov from the ABC camp: After two days of acclimatization and training on ice seracs, today we go to theNorth Col.We are 23 “white” members and guides and 11 Sherpas. Next day if the weather allow we will try to climb Changtse (North summit of Everest).

Breakfast before the start. Unfriendly morning in the ABC.

Training

ABC

Alex Abramov from the ABC camp: Maybe one more world record for our expedition. This is a birthday cake at the altitude 6400 meters. It was made for 32-th birthday of our friend Thomas Senf. German-Swiss guide and photograph, he was a partner of Valery Rozov in many extreme actions. And now they are together.

Thomas was with Alex, Valery, Sergey Larin, Andrey Volkov in a helicopter which fall on the slope of Elbrus in 2008.

http://thomassenf.ch

Thomas Senf grew up inLeipzig. In 2002 at the age of 21 his passion for mountains made him move toSwitzerland. Today he lives in Interlaken in the Bernese Oberland. Besides his studies in mechanical engineering he was constantly drawn to the big mountain faces of the world. In this context he and his friends succeeded in the first ascents of both the route Harvest Moon at the Thalay Sagar and the North Face of the Arwa tower, two peaks that are situated in the Garhwal Himalaya in India. Besides his qualification as a mountain guide, photography started to play an increasingly important role for Thomas. Today he works in partnership with the outdoor photo agency Visual Impact.

Every last expedition we organize a couple of days rest in lower level then the base camp. We made this trip by jeeps a day after returning from acclimatization outing for ABC camp. We choose a village of Tashidzong for this. First of all for best sleep, then for best eat. Traditionally by buy here sheep for today dinner and for base camp.

The team of 7 Summits Club Everest expedition is in full on the Everest Base Camp. We rest after the first acclimatization outing, at 5800 m Today is a puja. This day the priests Lama recognized as favorable for the ceremony. The mood of all is festive.

Tomorrow morning the team of Valery Rozov goes to the Rongbuk Glacier, beneath the north wall ofMount Everest. The second part of the expedition, headed by Sergei Larin goes out the day after tomorrow in the Middle camp. Then the rest will go to the same camp and then to the ABC.

Yesterday we finished celebrating birthday of Vitaly Simonovic. Was arranged posh dinner and cake.

With Ecuadorian Patricio Tisalema, which plans an oxygen-free and high-speed race on Everest

XVI Moscow International Festival of Mountaineering and Adventure Films Vertical will take place in Moscow, Russia, 26-27 of April 2013. The aim of the Festival is to present international production of mountaineering and adventure films and to encourage development in this branch of film making.

Today, the day of rest, we had a competition in billiards. This is probably a world record on the height of billiards tournament.

Participants (all members of Everest climb).

Russia:

Sergei Dudko,
Dmitry Krasnov,
Sasha Apalko,
Sergey Ponomarev,
Vladimir Rychenko,
Vitali Simonovich.

Kazakhstan:
Yaroslav Sabirbaev.

Ukraine:
Konstantin Morozov.

Poland:
Zigmund Berdychovski (failure to appear at the start).

US-Russia-Azerbaijan
Murad Ashurly (failure to appear at the start)

Head Judge:
Catherine Pozdeyeva.

Main organizer:
Alex Abramov.

Result:

First place - victory went to Yaroslav Sabirbaev ofKazakhstan.

Second place - Sergey Ponomarev -Russia.

Third place - Konstantin Morozov -Ukraine.

Small Bronze (4th) Sasha Apalko.

Everybody is happy and participants and spectators.

Tomorrow we will start for great things, spending the first night at 5800m and .... birthday of Vitalik Simonovich!