"7 Summits + 2 Poles" project news

Our Seven Summits Club recently opened a new route named “Seven Summits” to the top of Mount Ai-Petri in Crimea. Objects may be called 7 Summits could be found everywhere in the World. One of these objects with the name "Seven Giants" came not so long ago in the finals of "The Seven Wonders of Russia Awards." Now its can get international recognition, if a mission carried out by the great German climber Stefan Glowacz and RED BULL will be successful. And it will certainly not be simple: a long winter campaign in the circumpolar region to be completed with extreme winter climbing. Stefan wants to climb on each of the pillars. Good luck!

Stefan in Moscow

STEFAN

Basically, Stefan Glowacz had no other choice than to become one of the most successful alpinists ever. At an early age his parents shared with him their love of the mountains and different terrains that he would later claim as home. When Glowacz speaks of those childhood memories, it seems he was always destined to climb. "As a child, I climbed on every rock while on hikes with my parents." His fascination with rocks never let go of him, even when the rocks became steeper and the surrounding terrain evermore treacher- ous. His relentless motivation enabled him to continue onwards and upwards to meet new challenges.

It’s this mixture of humility, childish curiosity, and indescribable pride that sends SG, born in 1965, to all areas of the world. His parents laid the groundwork, but his own ambition transformed him into an all round climber and selfmade entrepreneur. In the late 80s, many lived to climb, but Glowacz wanted more , he wanted to climb to live. He discovered early that his passion may not end with rappelling, in order to transform it into a profession and that "work" for real pro's started at the bottom of the vertical wall. Glowacz won the prestigious Rock Masters in Arco, Italy and was invited as a guest on the television show "Das Aktuelle Sportstudio" in Germany and acted in the Werner Herzog movie "Der Schrei aus Stein". Being the foster child of the mountaineering legend Reinhold Messner, he ultimately became the precursor of the free climbing movement.

Our team climbed Mt. Kosciuszko 5th of November. This was the sixth summit from seven. Please find below short narratives from the team members.

The Team: Lyudmila Korobeshko is the captain of the team and the only Russian woman to have both summited Mount Everest and been to the North and South Poles. Ivan Dusharin, the “patriarch of Russian alpinism” is an internationally recognized climber with the supremely challenging K2, among many other impressive climbs, under his belt. Maksim Shakirov, author of “New Year on the Peaks”, planted the flag of the 2014 Olympic Games atop Mount Everest and Mount Olympus.

FROM THE JOURNAL OF IVAN DUSHARIN: AUSTRALIA

3.11.2012. It’s morning here in Sydney. We’re 7 hours ahead of Moscow. The flight was tough. We almost feel like we’re drunk. It took us more than a day to fly out here – I guess that’s just something you have to deal with. After getting off the plane, we made it through immigration and across the border relatively easily, but nobody was there to pick us up. Lyudmila called a couple of numbers that only she had. They told her to wait. We waited. Suddenly a man passed in front of us holding a sheet of paper. For some reason, something written on that sheet of paper felt familiar to me. “Lyudmila, I think that’s the guy who’s coming to pick us up,” I said, pointing out the man. Lyudmila caught up to him. On the sheet of paper he was carrying, I spotted the words “Mr. Dusharih”. So that’s what felt so familiar – my name.

We checked into the hotel, but we would have to wait until 14:00 before we could get settled into our rooms. We left our stuff at the hotel and went for a walk around the city. It’s a nice looking city, with a lot of plants, water, fountains and interesting architecture – both old and new. The sea (or the ocean to be more precise) really adds to the atmosphere. We began to look for the fish market. We could smell the place from more than a half kilometer away. It was quite impressive. There were giant lobsters, crabs, all kinds of shrimp, octopuses, squid and dozens of varieties of fish and shellfish. We decided we should go somewhere to order some seafood.

We went for a nice walk before returning to the hotel to unpack our stuff and rest for a couple of hours. If we didn’t have the chance to rest, we would have been completely miserable. Flights like that can really take their toll on you.

At 17:00 we headed for down town Sydney. We decided to have dinner in an exotic place – in a restaurant in the Sydney Tower, 225 meters above the city. The elevator was fast. Our ears popped on the way up, like in an airplane. We spent about an hour and a half in the rotating restaurant. We sampled some of the local delicacies and enjoyed an amazing panoramic view of the city and surrounding area. It was fantastic! From that height, you can really see how downtown Sydney is laid out. After dinner, we paid a visit to the world-famous Sydney Opera House.

4.11.2012. It took us a long time to sort out the rental car. We ended up with a family car that seated nine. It was like a small bus. Max took the wheel. Lyudmila was the navigator. I was just a passenger. As we stepped out of the car near the hotel, we heard a guy speaking in Russian. It turned out he was fromKiev. He had already been living in Sydney for 23 years. He explained to us how to get out of the city and onto the road leading to Canberra. We got lost anyways. It took us 8 hours to make it there. After we settled into our hotel, we worked on figuring out where we would start our climb from. We chose a route starting from Dead Horse Gap, longer and more difficult than the standard route to the summit of Kosciuszko. I think tomorrow’s climb should be interesting.

5.11.2012. The climb. We arrived at our starting point around 9 in the morning. It took me a while to pick out my shoes. In the end I selected a pair of hiking boots. The first part of the climb was steep and took us through a forest of dead eucalyptus trees. Seeing the large mass of dead plants, we felt a sense of pity for the local flora, which, as we were told, was burnt in a fire. The ashy foothills looked aged – truly a sad sight to see. After about an hour on the trails, the path flattened out a bit and we began to notice patches of snow. Things got a bit easier. Tourists rarely take this route, so there aren’t any markers or railings to help you find your way if the trails have been covered by snow. You just have to keep heading in one direction to keep from getting lost. We put on some extra clothing. We passed a guy descending the mountain with a pair of alpine skis tied on to his backpack. We said “Hi”. He warned us that it was really windy at the top.

After traversing a slope covered in snow, we merged onto the main trail. The trail was paved in stones and guarded by a railing coming about 30 cm off the ground. We had about 6.5 kilometers to go to the summit. By this point, we were hiking across an open area and the wind was really starting to blow. We were worried we might get blown off the path. I started to understand why not everyone is able to reach the summit. Here, it’s Mother Nature that’s calling all the shots.

We moved along at a brisk pace in spite of the wind. We came across stretches of the trail that were buried under snow. The entire summit was covered in snow too. Along the trails we noticed tracks from skis. Even in the offseason, it appeared that enthusiasts still carried their skis with them, even if they couldn’t go skiing.

A spiral path led us the summit of Kosciuszko, 2,228 meters above sea level. At the very top of the mountain, the winds were near gale-force, tearing away at our flags. A young man and woman made it to the summit shortly after we did. It turned out they were our compatriots – from Ekaterinburg. Even here in Australia, on the summit of Kosciuszko, halfway across the globe, we ran into Russians. It was nice.

We descended pretty quickly. We had the wind at our backs on the way down, which made things considerably easier. The entire climb took us about 8 hours.

6.11.2012. Back to Sydney. Lyudmila took the wheel on the way back. She’s a fast driver and confident behind the wheel. She remembered the way. Lydumila and Maxim switched places a couple of times, but I remained in the passenger’s seat. Our navigator led us to a beach in Sydney. It wasn’t particularly warm out, but hey – the ocean’s the ocean. The water couldn’t have been more than 18 C, but we jumped right in. The giant waves crashed into the shore, then drew back into the ocean, leaving behind a blanket of foam. There were hardly any people in the water. Most of the people at the beach were sunbathing.

Max was really intent on unwinding. He spent nearly 40 minutes splashing around in the water. Lyudmila and I walked back to the sand to warm up a bit before throwing ourselves into the water again. We had certainly felt the lure of the ocean on the trip. Its undulating waves had beckoned us in. What can I say? It was pure joy. We might never have left if not for how cold the water was. We would have liked to spend more than 2 hours there, but what could we do? We were running on a really tight schedule.

We dumped our stuff off at the hotel before heading back to eat at the tower restaurant again and check out the view of Sydneyat night. It was impressive. We could see the bright lights, the ads and the signs covering the skyscrapers. They were beautiful and original.

7.11.2012. Today was the Day of the Great October Socialist Revolution of 1917. Back in the Soviet Union, this was a significant holiday. We forgot all about it. I guess that’s just human memory. We had breakfast in the hotel. We had to hurry. It was our last day in Sydney and we still had lots left to see.

By chance, we ended up in a prison museum in downtown Sydney. An elderly gentleman there offered to take us on a tour. By local standards, the prison was ancient – more than 200 years old. As it turned out, this was a place where prisoners were sent not only from England, but from America and other countries in Europeas well. It was intended for those serving life sentences. Most of the prisoners who served their time there remained on the island rather than heading back forEurope. Someone would need to break in the island after all. It was the first prisoners themselves that had built the prison. There were no beds or cots at all – only hammocks.

We headed back to the ocean through the botanical gardens. The gardens were really well kept up. We visited the gift shop. Then we decided to take a water taxi to the aquarium. The view of Sydney from the water is spectacular. The water taxis can get you anywhere you need to go in just 15 minutes. We didn’t make it into the aquarium. We didn’t have enough time. Too bad.

We made it back to the hotel at 16:30, gathered our stuff, and then left for the airport. We’re flying back through the same airports: from Sydney to Bangkok to Dubai to Moscow.

Источник: http://www.alpari-life.ru/en/zdorovo-no-slishkom-bystro-otryvok-iz-dnevnika-ivana-dusharina/

LYUDMILA KOROBESHKO:AUSTRALIA

The first thing I would like mention about the trip to Australia was our tight deadline. Just 5 days? That seemed too fast. It took us two days to fly out there. After you arrive, it takes you a while to gather your bearings. However things weren’t as bad as usual this time. We’ve flown so many times in the past year that it appears that our bodies are beginning to adapt to flying out ofMoscow.

When we got toSydney, we really tried to keep from falling asleep right away. It was late back home in Moscow, but it was early in the morning for us. So how do you avoid dozing off? Healthy food and fresh air, of course. Having decided to avoid taxis and public transport, we armed ourselves with a map of the area and set out for the fish market on foot.

On our walk, I was struck by the contrasting styles of architecture in Sydney. We were in downtown Sydney, surrounded by skyscrapers and towers, but we kept on coming across parks, gardens, ponds and all kinds of fountains. One of the things that really left an impression on us was the ibises – large exotic birds with long curved beaks. We came across them virtually every step of the way, especially in areas with restaurants and cafes.

Naturally we ran into a large throng of ibises and pelicans near the fish market. As soon as a new shipment of seafood would arrive, the birds would flock to scavenge some of the scraps. The employees at the market did all they could to shoo away the birds.

We treated ourselves to a bit of fish and returned to the hotel. We found our rooms, unpacked our stuff, then worked on figuring out where we could rent a car and where we could connect to the internet to send out our first photos and messages.

In an attempt to take in as much of Sydney in the little time we had, we decided to ascend to the top of the Sydney Tower. From there you can see everything in Sydney: the Pacific Ocean, the Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, the Botanical Gardens and much more. It was well worth it.

We didn’t get much sleep that night, even though we hadn’t slept much at all the past two nights on the airplane. We all woke up early – around 5 or 6 in the morning. I somehow mustered up the strength to go for a morning jog throughSydney.

After breakfast, we set out to pick up our rental car. I have to say that this may have been one of the most interesting experiences of the whole trip toAustralia: our first time driving on the left side of the road. Max nobly volunteered to take the wheel. Everybody chipped in with advice – including the GPS system and its sexy female Australian voice. It didn’t come as a surprise to anyone that it took us three tries and 40 minutes to find our way out of downtownSydney.

We stopped just outside of the city and I encouraged Max to take a quick smoke break to help cope with the stress of his job as chauffeur. The trip toCanberrawas quite memorable, both for the beautiful landscape and for the numerous signs warning about the danger of kangaroos and wombats. By chance, we happened upon a street music festival in the town ofCooma. We had a good time there.

AfterCanberra, the landscape really started to change. We began to see real mountains and forests of eucalyptus trees. Near the entrance to theSnowyMountains, a whole group of kangaroos crossed the road in front of us. Fortunately none of them were hurt (a lot of animals get run over in the Australian wilderness, especially at night).

We made it to theSnowyMountainsduring the evening and found thevillageofThredbo(home to a ski resort), where we would be spending the night. Before dinner, we decided to drive out to our starting point so we wouldn’t get lost the next morning.

In the morning, we headed out for “Dead Horse Gap”. We weren’t terribly thrilled with the weather. The wind was pretty strong. Our path took us through a burnt eucalyptus forest and alpine meadows. When we made it out of the forest, the wind nearly knocked us off our feet. There was even snow in some areas.

We made it to the summit around lunchtime. There we had an interesting encounter with two climbers from Ekaterinburg (Russia). They were working on the 7 Summits program too. Kosciuszko was number 4 for them.

It turned out, they had read about our expedition online and tried to time their climb to coincide with ours. It was nice running into them. We began our descent from the summit during the evening. The next morning, we had to wake up early again in order to make it back to Sydney, 500 kilometers away. We were hoping to get back early so we could dip our feet in thePacific Ocean. Fortunately, we made it back in time. Dreams do come true.

It’s been nice to warm up a bit. Next up is Antarctica.

Источник: http://www.alpari-life.ru/en/lyudmila-korobeshko-avstraliya-poslevkusie/

Aiming High…On The Ground. By Brandon LingleNov. 15, 2012.

Marshallskis down from the summit of Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko, in October 2011 with an Air Force flag flying from his pack.

When the V-22 Osprey pilot isn’t flying, remodeling his bathroom, helping the Red Cross, speaking at schools, or working out, he’s running a first-of-its kind challenge to climb the highest peak on each continent.

Next April, Marshall, a 34-year-old Special Operations pilot with several combat deployments to bothIraqandAfghanistan, will lead a group of seven Airmen on their most impressive mission to date— to scaleMount Everest.

The bid for the top of the world would wrap up the U.S. Air Force 7 Summits Challenge. The group hopes to make history as the first military team to climb each continent’s highest mountain — and the firstU.S.military team to conquer Everest.

The Mercer Island, Wash. native and long-time mountaineer—who bagged 27 peaks as an Air Force Academy cadet—first considered an Everest attempt while visiting the mountain’s base camp in 2001 shortly after graduating from the Academy.

“I had this strong intuition that I needed to come back and climb Everest one day,” he says. “But, it needed to be for a reason bigger than just personal conquest.”

The reason came in 2005 when an Air Force MC-130, call sign Wrath 11, crashed in the Albanian mountains, killing nine, including several ofMarshall’s friends. “Wrath 11 hit close and shook me up,” he recalls. “I volunteered to ascend the mountains to search for survivors, but ended up helping coordinate the recovery. I felt powerless… every bit of me wanted to get up that mountain to help. I found out later there was no chance of survivors.”

Two months after Wrath 11, two ofMarshall’s Academy classmates, Capt. Derek Argel and Capt. Jeremy Fresques, died in anIraqcrash, along with three other airmen.

These losses droveMarshallto find a way to help his fallen friends’ families. “Remember walking around a track to raise money for your school or charity? Well, I decided to take it vertical. For every thousand feet we climbed, we’d ask people to donate to the college education of these kids.”

So, the Air Force 7 Summits Challenge was born, and the team has tackled six of the seven summits—Russia’s Mount Elbrus, Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, Argentina’s Mount Aconcagua, the U.S.’s Mount McKinley, Antarctica’s Mount Vinson, and Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko—and countless others in training. Team members mark their accomplishment with memorial pushups, in honor of their fallen friends, on each summit. So far, about 25 men and women have climbed with the team since the challenge began, and they’ve raised more than $60,000 for military charities like the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

Though not funded or officially sanctioned by the Air Force, the military and climbing worlds seem to converge somewhat smoothly for the team. Marshall, who’s currently stationed inAmarillo,Tex., said commanders generally support the project thanks to the team’s intense planning and risk-mitigation process.

“Mountains are excellent leadership laboratories,”Marshallsays. “We get to work in small teams in extreme conditions. Climbing takes a combination of leading and following to survive together.”

And, sometimes these worlds collide. “I was on Mt. McKinley 24 hours from summiting when my unit told me via satellite phone that I needed to return immediately for a deployment,” he says. “Had to leave my team and haul ass back to base.”

With luck, the realities of military life won’t interrupt the climb of a lifetime for the seven Airmen who’ve committed to the Everest summit attempt and are training at their bases across the country. The Everest team includes:

– Major Graydon Muller, 33, a UH-1 and Mi-17 instructor pilot fromDuvall,Wash., stationed atHurlburt Field,Fla.

– Captain Andrew Ackles, 29, a TH-1N instructor pilot, fromAshland,Ore., stationed atFort Rucker,Ala.

– Captain Marshall Klitzke, 30, a KC-135R pilot fromLemmon,S.D., currently an instructor pilot at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colo.

– Captain Kyle Martin, 29, an F-16 instructor pilot and mission commander fromManhattan,Kan., currently flying T-38s at Langley Air Force Base,Va.

– Captain Colin Merrin, 28, a Global Positioning System satellite operations mission commander fromSantee,Calif., stationed at Peterson Air Force Base,Colo.

– Staff Sergeant Nick Gibson, 36, a reserve pararescueman and physician-assistant student from Gulf BreezeFla., stationed at Patrick Air Force Base,Fla.

Recently, Marshall announced Chad Jukes, 28, ofRidgway,Colo., featured in the documentary High Ground — about 11 wounded warriors climbingNepal’s 20,000 foot Mount Lobuche— plans to join the team.

“Chadis aiming to become, what I believe will be, the firstU.S.serviceman with a combat-caused amputation to climb Mount Everest,”Marshallsays. “Several other wounded warriors and supporters also plan to trek with us to Everest base camp this spring.”

“Climbing these peaks is my way to deal with the pain and sadness that sits in my stomach from the losses of friends and colleagues,”Marshalladds. “I use physical exertion and time outside as my way to blast depression and sadness. After just a day hiking trails on the outskirts of town, I come home refreshed, reenergized, and looking forward to getting things done. If it wasn’t for this, I think the bad experiences would get the best of me. I hope that through this challenge we can help other military members use the outdoors and adventure sports to improve their emotional health.”

Yes, Major Marshall is a busy man, and he’ll get busier as April approaches. But as John Muir noted, “the mountains are calling and I must go.” Same for Marshall and his team.

Major Brandon Lingle served as a public affairs officer inIraqandAfghanistanand now is at Air Combat Command at Langley Air Force Base inVirginia. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense orU.S.government.

Read more: http://nation.time.com/2012/11/15/aiming-high-on-the-ground/#ixzz2DISOcXyC

 Chad Jukes

Everest rubbish turned into art

Eight tonnes of litter left onMount Everesthas been turned into 75 works of art.

An artwork commissioned for the "Everest 8848 Art Project" on display in Kathmandu.

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Matt Dickinson, author of the Mortal Chaos series and one of the Brits who has reached the summit ofMount Everest, offered a surprising insight into life on top of the world once when we met. He said: "When you get up to the very top of Mount Everest there is a remarkable amount of rubbish that has been left behind - old rope, discarded oxygen cylinders, broken tents, beer cans and bottles."

A group of artists have now turned eight tonnes of this trash - including the remains of a helicopter - into works of art and sculpture to highlight the issue of littering on the slopes of Everest. It took 65 porters and 75 yaks to carry down the rubbish from the mountain over two Spring expeditions.

The exhibition of 75 pieces commissioned for the 'Everest 8848 Art Project' is on display in the Nepalese capitalKathmandubefore it moves to Pokhara next week.

Project organiser Kripa Rana Shahi said: "We thought that this would help promote the artists as well as contribute to making Everest clean. We were happy to get the trash and (the waste collectors) were happy to get rid of it."

Fifteen Nepalese artists spent a month preparing pieces for the exhibition. In one of the works, by painter and poet Sunita Rana, white shards of aluminium from drinks cans are fashioned into medals signifying the bravery of mountaineers, while black metal tent poles are transformed into a wind chime.

Group of artists is staging an exhibition of sculpture made from tonnes of trash collected onMount Everest, highlighting the toll that decades of mountaineering have taken on the world's highest peak. Discarded oxygen and cooking gas cylinders, ropes, tents, glasses, beer cans, plastic and even the remains of a helicopter make up 75 artworks commissioned for the "Everest 8848 Art Project" on display in Kathmandu.

In another, remains of a helicopter which crashed in 1974, while carrying food for Italian climbers, are incorporated into an idol of the Hindu God Ganesh. The artworks range in price from £12 to £150,000, and several pieces have already been sold.

"As the word on the Everest garbage spread, it tarnished the image of our country. I was saddened when the foreigners talked about Everest as if it were a dumping site," said Everest Summiteers Association president Wongchu Sherpa. "We have recommended that if a climber is found littering the mountain, he or she should be banned for five years from climbing," Sherpa told AFP.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/9695352/Everest-rubbish-turned-into-art.html

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Olympic torch light in auction to support Nepal

Famous mountaineer Sir Chris Bonington is delighted that the auction of his Olympic torch has raised £13,550 for a charity helping people in Nepal.

Sir Chris Bonington had kept the Olympic torch light in auction on Wednesday to support

The mountaineer climbed Snowdon in North Walesas part of the torch relay route and sold the torch in a sealed bid auction to raise money for Community Action Nepal, which is led by his fellow Cumbrian-based mountaineer Doug Scott.

Being a small charity their overheads are minimal, so it means that practically every single penny raised goes to the recipients who are the people in these little villages in the foothills of the Himalaya”, Bonington said.

Sir Chris added “I’m very pleased with the amount raised. I’m sad to see it go but I felt that, rather than hanging on to it, it was much better if it could do some good.”

The money will be spent on several projects including the building of shelters on trekking routes and constructing new schools.

“Quite a few porters are left to fend for themselves and have died from exposure,” Sir Chris said.

The auction closed on Wednesday during a large charity.

The torch will be on display at the Royal Geographical Society.

Source: in-cumbria.com/

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The Challenge

"In the Footsteps of Legends" is an expedition to the Geographic South Pole to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Captain Scott's epic expedition in 1912. The team are raising funds for two important charities, Walking with the Wounded and Alzheimers Research UK.

The largest group within the expedition team is made up of soldiers who were wounded whilst on active duty in Afghanistan in 2010. Despite their having suffered a range of injuries, including major head and limb wounds, they are now determined to inspire others, and raise funds for causes dear to their hearts, by undertaking this gruelling physical challenge, which they aim to complete shortly before returning to serve another tour in Afghanistan.

The expedition is being co-led by Justin Packshaw (himself a former Captain in the British Army) and David Hempleman-Adams.

On 19 November 2012, the team will set off to walk In the Footsteps of Legends, and try and reach the Geographic South Pole.

They will walk 140 miles across the ice from Union Glacier: across a barren icefield, barely touched by humans, dragging a sled laden with food, tent and clothes. It will take 19 days of arduous trekking to reach the bottom of the earth.

The expedition will begin at the 88 degrees South, which is 140 miles from the Geographic South Pole.

The terrain between 88 degrees South and the South Pole itself is some of the most extreme on the planet.

Despite this, the team will ski unsupported, pulling all their equipment themselves, on specially designed pulks in temperatures as low as -40°Celius. The team is going to be away for four weeks.

The team is being lead by explorers David Hempleman-Adams and Justin Packshaw. The aim is to raise over £1 million for the charities Walking with the Wounded and Alzheimer's Research UK.

HRH Prince of Wales is the Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Dragoon Guards and has sent this message to the team... and the Prime Minister has also sent a message of support.

Denis Urubko in an interview with the Kazakh site sports.kz talked about his plan to climb Everest. Together with the Russian climber Alexey Bolotov Denis plans a new route in alpine style.

- All new routes on Everest were made in the Himalayan style - with acclimatization at base camp, hanging fixed ropes and using oxygen. A climb in alpine style means: you're getting to the bottom of the summit and conquer it by direct climb, not returning on any of the camps. With my mates I have made such type of climbingBroadPeak, Manaslu andCho Oyu. If we manage to climb in alpine style on Everest, I think it will be a significant event, a new word in the history of mountaineering. For my self-realization as an athlete, it is very important.

With winners of recent Asian Piolet d’Or

As always, a lot of interesting on the blog of Denis

Asian Piolet d’Or

So it has turned out, that the decision on rewarding of nominees was gave with the big work. Possibly, in a judiciary board clever serious people have gathered too many. Where, have inexplicably involved the former ensign. Having listened to reports on ascensions of commands we long could not come to the general opinion. Were nervous, proved, smiled, indignantly gesticulated. But when the opinion of the commission has taken shape, it has appeared the most correct and comprehensible to all. We with gratitude have shaken each other hands.

And in the evening from a scene Mr. Kim Syong-jim and Mr. Hiroshi Hagivara have congratulated winners of 2012:

- Kim Chang-ho, An Chi-young (KOREAsouth) for ascent inNepal.

- Zhou Peng, Yan Dongdong, Lee Shuang (CHINA) for ascents inSichuanmountains.

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With Asian Piolet d’Or of life Achivements in mountaineering there was something strange. Because I continued to consider myself as the young operating sportsman. And a similar sort of the award were always awarded to veterans of backpackings. For the huge contribution to mountaineering development, for. And it was possible to me only went in for sports, as it understood. «But was in time, - I have grinned in heart. - nobody knows, that happens tomorrow».

http://urubko.blogspot.ru/

On Saturday, October 17, the 7 Summits Club team made an attempt to climb a new route to the top of Ai-Petri. Originally named route: “7 summits”. The route begins at the foot of the Ai-Petri and crosses the wall. At the top of it coming out via all tops (teeth) of Ai-Petri, according to our version there is 7 summits (teeth). The route goes through all these peaks.

Weather, fog and rain, which made the rocks wet and dangerous prevented us. We have moved to try tomorrow. However, the start of the route was signed.

Not lose the day we made 250-meters descent on the ropes in the Mishor grottoes. Unforgettable adventure. All were satisfied by team and feelings.

We will try to climb the route “7 summits” on Ai-Petri tomorrow. If the weather allowed.

Alex and Lyuda.

Today Alex and Lyuda arrived in Crimea. They gave a rent car in the airport of Simferopol and after 2 hours were at the rock area Nikita. They spent afternoon climbing with their partners.

Tomorrow they will try to climb a new route on the famous peak of Ai-Petri. This long multipitch route was open by Ukrainian climber Alexander Malinkevich few days ago and named after our Club  - “Seven Summits”.

Ai-Petri

The Snows of Kilimanjaro by NASA….

The views from the top of Mount Kilimanjaro—a 5,895-meter (19,341-foot) dormant stratovolcano inTanzania—are as surreal as they are spectacular. After ascending through multiple ecosystems—including cropland, lush rainforest, alpine desert, and a virtual dead zone near the summit—climbers can find themselves peering down on a thick blanket of clouds below that seems to stretch endlessly in the distance.

But in the immediate foreground, ice dominates the view. Looking north, a shelf-like block of ice with a sharp vertical cliff sits on an otherwise featureless, sand-covered plateau. In the other direction, a second ice field spills off the edge of the plateau, down the mountain’s southern face.

Kimberly Casey, a glaciologist based at NASA’sGoddardSpaceFlightCenter, was savoring the views from Kilimanjaro’s summit and caldera when she snapped these panoramic images of Kilimanjaro’s northern (middle) and southern (bottom) ice fields. The Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 satellite acquired the top image, which shows some of the same ice fields from above on October 26, 2012.

Casey was taking part in a September 2012 research expedition to Kilimanjaro to study the ice at the summit. For scale, bright tents that were part of the scientists' base camp are visible in the lower left of the northern ice field image.

Despite Mount Kilimanjaro’s location in the tropics, the dry and cold air at the top of the mountain has sustained large quantities of ice for more than 10,000 years. At points, ice has completely surrounded the crater. Studies of ice core samples show that Kilimanjaro’s ice has persisted through multiple warm spells, droughts, and periods of abrupt climate change.

But trends beginning more than a century ago suggest Kilimanjaro’s peaks may soon be ice-free. Between 1912 and 2011, the mass of ice on the summit decreased by more than 85 percent. Researchers say it’s no longer a question of whether the ice will disappear but when. Estimates vary, but several scientists predict it will be gone by 2060.

Rising air temperatures due to global warming could be contributing to the ice loss, but a number of other factors are just as important, if not more so. An increasingly dry regional atmosphere, for example, is starving the mountain of the fresh snow needed to sustain the ice fields. Drier air is also reducing cloud cover and allowing more solar energy to warm the ice surfaces.

Casey and colleagues noticed yet another ominous sign during their 2012 expedition. The northern ice field, which had been developing a hole since the 1970s, has separated. “This was the first year that the northern ice field completely divided into two,” said Casey.

“We were able to walk on land—or we could have even ridden a bicycle—directly through the rift.”

Source: earthobservatory.nasa.gov

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Local Ultra Runner Completes Circuit of Mount Kilimanjaro

Saint Louisresident Jerry Frost was recently one of the first people in the world to run a complete circuit around the tallest freestanding mountain in the world: Mount Kilimanjaro. Frost, an ultra marathoner in his fifties, spent eight days running around the base of Mount Kilimanjaroas part of the first annual Stage Run around the Roof of Africa, a run hosted by the Tanzanian adventure outfitter Summit Expeditions & Nomadic Experience (SENE). Frost was one of ten international ultra runners to participate in this groundbreaking running event October 18-28. Other participants includedBoulderColorado’s Krissy Moehl, one of the most highly regarded female ultra marathoners in the world, and Simon Mtuy, Guinness world record holder for fastest unassisted ascent and descent ofMount Kilimanjaro. The runners were accompanied by videographer Andrew King ofSouth Africa’s D4 Productions, who is creating a short video series of the event that will be available later this year.

Frost and the other SENE Stage Run participants ran 170 miles and endured a total ascent of more than 35,000 feet as they ran around the steep slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The terrain was intense and varied as the group ran through rainforests, dry plains, coffee plantations, villages, and deep valleys on the ancient footpaths of the indigenous Chagga people. The run was fully supported and the participants enjoyed chef-prepared breakfasts and dinners at camp and snacks and beverages on the trail. The runners got a taste of local culture when they camped at local villages in the evenings. They also supported reforestation efforts by planting trees in thevillage of Marangu. On the fourth night, the runners were lucky enough to enjoy hot showers and comfortable accommodations at Simba Farm inWest Kilimanjaro.

The ultra runners did not encounter any major injuries or set-backs over the course of the run, and all runners completed the circuit within the time allotted. On their last night, the runners enjoyed a celebratory evening at Simon Mtuy’s private Mbahe Farm before parting ways and moving on to their next big adventures.

For more information, please visit

 http://www.facebook.com/StageRunAroundTheRoofOfAfrica?fref=ts

 or http://tanzaniatrailrunning.com/

Source: interact.stltoday.com

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All-women Nepali team to scale Mt Kilimanjaro

KATHMANDU: Two years after scaling the highest mountains in Australia and Russia, the all-women Nepali mountaineer team is all set to climb Mt Kilimanjaro (5,895m), the tallest peak of Africa, with the theme ‘A journey to educate young girls’ from March 1-7 next year.

In a mission to climb the tallest mountains in all seven continents, this will be their fourth expedition.

The Seven Summits expedition team successfully scaled Mt Everest (8,848m in Asia), Mt Kosciuszko (2,228m inAustralia), Mt Elbrus (5,642m in Europe) in 2008 and 2010 respectively.

Less than 300 people in the world have climbed the seven summits, of them only 51 are women where only two Nepali men have achieved this feat so far.

Shailee Basnet, team coordinator, said they would be highlighting the importance of ‘girl education’ during Mt Kilimanjaro climb ‘Kili for a cause’.

The team has been promoting girls’ education in coordination with various government and non-government organisations since their first expedition. “We have already reached out to 11,000 students in more than 100 schools across the country to promote education for girls,” she said.

The Nepali team will be joined by three African women to highlight the significance of

girl education around the world.

One of the climbers is a dynamic youth activist advocating against early marriage, the other is a teacher from the nearly extinct bushmen tribe called ‘the Hadzabes’ and the third climber is Hlubi Mboya (on the picture), a popular television actress in Southern Africa who is also the World Food Programme Ambassador against Hunger in South Africa.

According to Basnet, Nepali and Tanzanian climbers will be visiting various schools in Arusha andDares-Salaam,Tanzaniato tell their stories and encourage young students about the importance of education and to achieve their dreams.

The total budget for the Kilimanjaro climb is $50,000 in which 50 per cent will go to charity.

Childreach International is setting up online global donation campaign for the event.

The United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) is sponsoring the climb for three African Women. They will also produce a documentary movie featuring the climb.

The all-women Nepali mountaineer team on the slopes of Elbrus

Source: thehimalayantimes.com

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25 new peaks to be open for climbing

The government is planning to open new peaks that are in demand for the promotion of mountain tourism and to create new destinations.

The government had, in 2003, opened 111 new peaks, and later nine other peaks in 2004, but since then no new peaks have been opened. Currently, 326 peaks are allowed for mountain expeditions and adventure sports.

“We will soon forward our study report of the peaks that can be opened for expeditions like other regular peaks,” said under secretary at the Tourism Industry Division Surendra Sapkota. The division is currently studying applications from various regions that have requested the government to open certain summits for expeditions.

“We have a list of applications requesting us to open restricted peaks to create fresh destinations for tourists who arrive inNepalfor mountain and adventure tourism,” said Sapkota. “We are going through the documents and studying peaks that can be allowed for expeditions, and we are also taking suggestions from other related associations on the matter,” he said.

“As soon as we prepare proper documents, we will forward them to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, which after further verification will submit the report to the cabinet for final approval,” he said, adding that there is a demand for new peaks and along with the permission to open the peaks, it will definitely attract quality number of mountaineers and create new destinations.

“It has been more than eight years since the government last announced new peaks for expeditions, therefore, it is time that the government open new border-peaks for mountaineering,” said former president of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tshering Sherpa.

“We have also recommended 25 peaks, most of which are border-peaks that can attract quality number of climbers,”

said Sherpa, adding government must simplify rules and develop a one-window system so that the process is completed on time.

“It has been two years since we recommended names of border-peaks that are in demand among mountaineers,” he said.

Source: nepalmountainnews.com

Wade Davis' Everest book wins Samuel Johnson Prize

Winning author Wade Davis is also the National Geographic Society's Explorer-In-Residence

Wade Davis's book Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest will receive the £20,000 prize.

Judges said the "momentous" book, the result of 10 years' research and writing, "shed new light on events and stories we thought we already knew".

Davisis also the National Geographic Society explorer-in-residence.

The adventurer gives a detailed insight into the explorers' world, focusing on Mallory's expeditions and the impact of the Great War.

Chair of the judges, David Willetts MP, said it was a "fascinating historical narrative of a great adventure".

"It's an exciting story of human endeavour imbued with deep historical significance," he continued.

"Wade's scrupulous use of sources and attention to detail, combined with his storytelling skills and ability to enter into the minds of the people he is writing about, make this a thoroughly enlightening and enjoyable book."

Canadian Wade has written 15 books and produced the Geographic Channel's documentary series Light at the Edge of the World.

He flew into London from New Yorkfor the announcement of the prize at the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Waded received his PhD in ethnobotany from Harvard University

Willetts said that this year's shortlist was "very strong", which made Wade's win "all the more significant".

The rest of the judging panel was made up by writer and biographer Patrick French, The Guardian's non-fiction books editor Paul Laity, editor of Prospect magazine Bronwen Maddox, and philosopher, poet, physician and cultural critic Professor Raymond Tallis.

The prize is open to all non-fiction books published in English, by writers of any nationality, in the areas of current affairs, history, politics, science, sport, travel, biography, autobiography and the arts.

Previous winners include 1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare by James Shapiro and The Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale.

Source: bbc.co.uk

It's been thirty years since the first Soviet expedition reached the summit of Everest, the world's highest mountain. And, to mark the occasion, the 70 climbers who reached the top...

Were honoured in Moscow last Thursday...
And re-lived some of their unique experiences, with Konstantin Potapov

ARKHYZ,Russia— After years of trying to suppress religious and ethnic tensions in its southwestern mountains with guns and troops, Russia is offering new incentives to combat unrest and terrorism: ski slopes and sandy beaches.

The idea is to bring jobs and prospects to the people of the North Caucasus, where Islamic fundamentalism and separatist aspirations have resulted in death and violence in the region’s mountains and a thousand miles away inMoscow, the target of suicide bomber attacks. The vehicle is an $18 billion plan for seven ski resorts scattered through the mountains and three beach developments costing $4.6 billion on the Caspian Sea.

The landscape here is awe-inspiringly beautiful, nearly everyone agrees, and economic development is vital to long-term peace. Then skepticism sets in. Will tourists feel safe? So far this year, 574 violent deaths have been reported in the North Caucasus. Last year, terrorists killed three Russian tourists near Mount Elbrus, at 18,510 feet Europe’s tallest mountain, where a small ski area has operated for years.

Much of the answer probably depends on the success of the 2014 Winter Olympics, which Russiais hosting in Sochi, on the Black Sea to the west. Islamists and grievance-bearing ethnic groups could attempt disruptions. Circassians, for one, want Russia to acknowledge czarist -era genocide against them in Sochi. Officials are counting on a well-run Games to stir up interest in Russian skiing and reassure vacationers.

The beach resorts would lie in the predominantly Muslim region of Dagestan, where police and militants regularly exchange gunfire. In July, a bomb was found on the beach in Makhachkala, the region’s capital, but was defused before it exploded. The attack came two years after another bomb maimed a woman on the same beach.

Russian leaders, from Vladimir Putin on down, support increased tourism and have allotted the government-sponsored Northern Caucasus Resorts $2 billion to begin development and seek investors. Foreign experts have been brought in to help, including Gernot Leitner, an energetic Austrian architect, skier and sports professional who played on the Austrian national volleyball team and spent eight years on the beach volleyball circuit.

“Only the Rocky Mountains are comparable with the North Caucasus,” said Leitner, who has skied for days on end in the region to select trails and sites for hotels and chalets. He was referring to the geography, not the infrastructure. Roads are narrow and rutted, hotels few. “It’s going to be nice. I believe in it.”

The resorts will take several years to build — roads, power grids and sewers have to be put in, airports constructed or expanded, and workers trained in the tourist business. Supply chains are non existent. But Leitner, chief executive of Master concept Consultants, said Russia will be 20 percent middle class by 2020.

“That means 30 million people with money to spend on vacations,” he said.

Farmland to ski country?

The nearest airport to Arkhyz is Mineralnye Vody, about 125 miles away on roads that wind through mostly Muslim villages and some Christian, where cows or herds of horses stop traffic in the evening as they return from grazing. In the last days of fall, elderly women sit outside the low brick or stone walls that surround their houses, soaking the last of the sun’s warm rays into their bones. The wood is chopped, the hay gathered as winter approaches. Along the roadside, people sell pumpkins, jars of honey, canned berries and pickled mushrooms and a thick mint-and-pine-infused syrup said to ward off the flu.

Leitner foresees many miles of slopes and trails, thousands of beds in hotels and cottages, supported by a newly created supply chain of thriving small businesses. And skiing, fabulous skiing, with golf in the summer.

“The good spots will be better than the best spots in theAlps,” he said. “It’s hard to say that as an Austrian, but it’s true.”

“All the resorts are in special economic zones, with special rights, so maybe it’s easier to control the flows of money,” he said. “We’re talking about a national project. When all the big guys are on board, things usually work in Russia.”

As the resorts develop, the lives of people here will improve, said Akhmed Bilalov, chairman of the board of the Northern Caucasus Resorts and for the last year a senator inRussia’s upper house of parliament. He predicts that as many as 300,000 jobs will be created eventually, directly and indirectly.

“That’s what provides security,” he said.

Alexei Malashenko, an expert on the North Caucasus at theCarnegieMoscowCenter, is dubious.

“If I wanted to go to skiing,” he said, “I would go toAustria.”

Malashenko said Arkhyz, in Karachay-Cherkessia, is quieter than much of the region. But his friends go abroad because vacations are less expensive than inRussiaand service is better. Corruption, he predicted, would raise prices here. And it will be a huge challenge to train historic traders as workers in a new service industry.

Big plans, uncertain reality

Security has been improving —Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said in October that the rate of crime classified as terrorism has been declining, from 1,030 incidents in 2009 to 365 last year.

Acknowledging that progress, the International Crisis Group, an independent organization dedicated to conflict resolution, said in a major report in October that the region still needs a concerted strategy — improvement of rule of law and governance, along with the necessary economic development.

Malashenko agrees, but is pessimistic that Moscowcan provide that.

“It’s a piece of Russia,” he said. “I can’t imagine doing that in the Caucasus without doing it in all of Russia. Eliminating corruption is impossible because corruption comes from Moscow, and there is certain mutual understanding between corrupt officials in Moscowand their brothers in the Caucasus.”

Although Arkhyz appears bucolic and unthreatening, journalists touring the building site recently were unsettled by a heavy show of security. Men wearing uniforms of the Ministry of Emergency Situations went up the ski lift first and waited at the top until reporters were safely on the ground. Several other burly men in camouflage fanned out, scanning the perimeter, as the visitors walked the grounds. A police escort led the journalists’ buses back to the airport.

“Come, don’t be afraid,” said Rashid Temrezov, head of the Karachay-Cherkessia region. “I’ll guide you myself. Many people come here and no one bothers them.”

The Caucasus are well-known for extraordinary hospitality. Temrezov and a resaturant owner had a sheep killed for the reporters’ lunch. “It was alive just a few hours ago,” the restaurateur said cheerfully as the carcass turned on a spit.

Maybe, Malashenko said, he’s too pessimistic. But Russiahas had many big plans for the Caucasus.

“And what is the result? The same corruption, the same unemployment, the same resistance,” he said. “It’s a problem. It’s a problem forever.”

By Kathy Lally, Published: November 5

Board meeting of the Russian Association of Mountain Guides took place Nov. 2 in the Gostiny Dvor, in the Ski Salon. It still was rather a monologue of the Board with the elements of discussion with community guides. Noisy area of Ski Salon did not promote long conversation, they were put off for another time.

Declared program was generally fulfilled:

1. Report on the results of 2012. Zon-Zam S. Bryk R.

2. Discussion on the future structure of the educational modules of School. Shustrov A., M. Balakhovsky

3. Training programs for ages guides. Shustrov A.

4. Financial report on the follow-up in 2012. Bryk R.

5. Information about membership fees. Bryk R.

6. School plans for 2013.

7. Partnership performance: RED FOX, GRT, Petzl.

Roman Bryk - executive manager of the Russian Association of Mountain Guides

The 7 Summits Club is one of the initiators and sponsors of the Russian Association of Mountain Guides. At the meeting of our organization was represented by Denis Savelyev.

President of the Association Sergei Zon-Zam led the meeting. He spoke specifically and clearly, joking, and during the conversation led jokes in a serious direction. It became clear that Roman Bryk as a manager does not receive money from the Association. And his work is sponsored by FAR.

Budget of the Association is formed mainly thanks of sponsors of Gortex and Red Fox. The main item of expenditure - is payment of Canadians Lecturers. The first period of the Association can be called a "golden age", because we made a lot in spite of the predictions of the pessimists.

At the meeting of the Association of Mountain Guides Russia gathered as members of the first set, which included Kirill Anisimov (Elbrus), Maxim Balakhovsky (Kamchatka), Nikolai Polyakov (Krasnaya Polyana), Vitaly Ilyinykh (Moscow), Vladimir Gonchar (Elbrus), and members of the School the second set of names are also well known to all, it's best riders and guides of Russia, such as Victor Zakharin (Kamchatka), Anna Khankevich (Moscow), Peter Yastrebkov (Moscow), Vitaly Stegno (Stavropol Territory).

At the meeting the guides discussed the structure of educational modules and plans for the future of the School Guides for 2013

It was not like a Congress, it was a real holiday.Holidayof meetings, celebration of gratitude. More than 60 climbers from 10 countries of the former Soviet Union gathered in the lecture hall of thePolytechnicMuseum. UIAA President Fritz Vrejlandt was a guest of honor of the event. All the climbers on Everest were awarded by Commemorative " Mount Everest Climber", specially made for this day. All members of the Congress and the spectators were unanimous gratitude to the organizers.

Fritz Vrejlandt

Mountaineering Federation of Russia and the 7 Summits Club were the organizers of this unforgettable event.

Veteran of mountaineering, Professor Ivan Bogachev spoke about the history of preparation of the first expedition to Everest in theSoviet Union. The decision was made in 1948. Legendary Eugene Abalakov was then the main initiator of the organization of the expedition. After his death, Kirill Kuzmin took the preparation for Everest for himself. In 1959, an expedition was completely ready, but her departure was canceled due to the uprising in Tibet.

Only in 1982, the dream was realized for our climbers. 11 climbers have reached the top of the World by a new, very difficult route. This achievement has had a huge impact on all of us.

Climbers of 1982

In 1990, the new Russian flag was first raised on Everest. President of the Russian mountaineering federation Andrey Volkov was then among climbers.

In 1996, a team fromKrasnoyarskopened a new route (couloir Zakharova) on the northeast side ofMount Everest. In 2004, the national team under the leadership of Viktor Kozlov made a new route on the center of the North Face of Everest.

In the new century, a new life has come to Everest. Alexander Abramov, became a main person inRussiaon Everest. Total Alex participated in 12 expeditions to Everest, 10 of them as a leader. Dozens of climbers thanked him for his help in the realization of their dream.

Alex (on the left) and apart of the 7 Summits Clib Everest summiters

Photos of Danila Kolodin

Summiters from Ukraine (from left): Victor Bobok (3 different routes), Sergey Kovalev,Sergey Bershov, Mstislav Gorbenko, Igor Svergun, Alexey Bokov

Ivan Dusharin (3 times) came direct from Mount Kosciuszko

 (project Alpari - 7 Summits for 300 days)

 Anatoly Ovchinnikov - 85 years

Kazbek Khamitsaev from North Osetia

Kazbek Valiev

Fritz Vrejlandt and Andrey Volkov

Sergey Bershov

Vladimir Shataev

Maxut Zhumaev and Visily Pevtsov

Alexey Ovchinnikov, Sergey Bershov and Anna Arinina (second Russian woman on Everest)

Victor Kozlov

Alltogher

Everything started out okay. We decided to go for a walk aroundSydneybefore we leftAustraliaand pick up a couple of souvenirs. However, Max and Ivan got a little bit carried away inside one of the stores. They picked up a didgeridoo (an Aboriginal instrument) and started playing very loudly – to the point that the other shoppers had to cover their ears. They then decided to give a boomerang a toss to see if it would fly back.

The officers of the peace would not tolerate this type of behavior and they sent us off – to prison! Of course, this was done as more of a precautionary measure than anything else. We were sent to a rather unusual historic prison named the “Barracks of Sydney”. This was actually one of the placesEnglandbuilt to house some of the first convicts they sent toAustraliain 1819. We spent a bit of time there, lying on our bunks (actually they were probably more like hammocks) and thinking about what we had done.

We didn’t have much time left before our flight. After we told the lawmen there about the purpose of our visit toAustraliaand “Alpari: On Top of the World”, they took pity on us and decided to let us go (after getting our autographs). I guess they can take our prints next time we’re in town. We hopped into a water taxi and sped off to the airport.

So, it looks like we may make it back in time for our Everest celebration after all…

-Lyudmila Korobeshko, writing from a water taxi

The Everest celebration Lyudmila mentioned is to commemorate the 30-year anniversary of the first Soviet expedition to Everest. It will take place on November 8 at theMoscowPolytechnicMuseum. All of the climbers from the formerSoviet Unionwho made the summit of Everest have been invited. Team Alpari has also been invited… as guests of honor.

Источник: http://www.alpari-life.ru/en/zakon-i-poryadok-po-avstralijski-alpinisty-v-sidnejskoj-tyurme/

Member of the 7 Summits Club, our good friend Andrey Podolyan climbed Mount Kosciuszko almost simultaneously with the team of "Alpari on top of the world." This was his crowning ascent program 7 Summits. 7 Summits Club congratulates Andrey and wishes new heights! Bravo!

Seven Summits of Andrey Podolyan:

Kilimanjaro, September 5, 2009

Aconcagua, February 11, 2010

Elbrus, August 1, 2010

Vinson, 23 December 2010

Everest, May 20, 2011

McKinley, July 5, 2012

Kosciuszko, 05 November 2012.

Everest 2011 www.vidgeversa.ru

And also:

Communism Peak, August 18, 2012

KorjenevskayaPeak, August 10, 2012

Andrey Podolyanu 40. He lives in Velsk,Arkhangels kregion. He was born and grew up in this area in the north of Russia. Andrey is one of the most successful businessmen in the area. He paid much attention to charity, built a church, built sport hill and did a lot of other good things. Andrey was a paratrooper in the Army, he is fond of hot-air balloons. Andrey now has the biggest balloon in Russia.

Employees trip of 7 Summits Club in Velsk, to visit Andrey Podolyanu. Photography.

https://7vershin.ru/news/all/item_2438/

7 Summits Club and the Mountaineering Federation of Russia invite to the Congress of Climbers of Everest.

Over sixty climbers who climbed the highest peak of the planet, will take part in the congress of the climbers on Everest, dedicated to the anniversary of the first Soviet and the first Russian climb. Among the participants – living legends of the Soviet and Russian mountaineering, members of expeditions in 1982, 1990, 1992 and of the north face of Everest in 2004.

"It's nice to meet people who have experienced the same thing you have. And who understand what is behind the ascent of this mountain," – Ivan Dusharin says about the upcoming meeting. He is one of initiators of meeting, who three times climbedMount Everest.

In the program of international meetings: films and video footage of climbing, slide shows, "the story of conquering Everest 1907 - 1953 years.", photo exhibition, an exhibition of unique materials from the Museum of Sport, presentation of Сommemorative " Mount Everest Climber"

"I am grateful to the organizers of the Congress, who took the trouble to collect climbers on Everest from the formerSoviet Union. Finally they created a club for all those who reached the top of the World. And I am glad that the club will have its symbolism as a Сommemorative of honor "Mount Everest Climber"- said Vladimir Shataev, one of the leaders of Soviet mountaineering, climbed Everest in 58 years.

All are invited. Entrance for guests of the Congress and climbers is free!

November 8, 2012, 18:00,Moscow, station "Lubyanka",New Square, 3/4, 9-th entrance, a lecture hall of the Museum.

At thePolytechnicMuseumon April 23 (May 7, New Style), 1901 there was a constituent assembly of Russian Mountain Society.

Сommemorative “Mount Everest Climber”

Today at 6:30 Moscow time (at 13-30 local) team deployed Alpari flag on the top of Mount Kosciuszko, the highest summit in Australia. Lyudmila Korobeshko Ivan Dusharin and Maxim Shakirov climbed six of the seven summits. Their project will be completed by the ascent of Mount Vinson in Antarctica in early December.

Lyudmila Korobeshko: Route was interesting, quite a lot of snow, strong wind. The corpse of a dead horse was not found. But on the track we saw a lot of horse manure. This led me to think that the rumors of the death of the horse are somewhat exaggerated. Hello! (They climbed via Dead Horse Gap)….

Source: http://www.alpari-life.ru/komanda-na-vershine-avstralijskogo-kontinenta/

Rohan Freeman – the first Afro-American and Jamaican on the Seven Summits.

In April 2009, Rohan Freeman embarked on an incredible journey to accomplish his dream of summitingMount Everest. In May 2009, he reached the world’s highest peak. In June 2009, he returned home with his sights set on establishing his own engineering consulting firm.

Mr. Freeman was born and raised in Jamaica, and came to the University of Connecticut to explore his interests in the field of civil engineering. He went on to become a dually licensed Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor. His innate leadership talents and project management abilities have been enriched by his 25 year career in the industry working for nationally recognized firms, as well as the City ofHartford’s Public Works Department.

He is a man that is characterized by his passions, pride and drive. He embodies the spirit, culture and values of his firm. The establishment of Freeman Companies has been a challenging and exciting accomplishment, and Mr. Freeman is excited about the future success and the endless possibilities that lie ahead. Failure is not an option.

Rohan’s summit ofMount Everestis part of his larger initiative to summit the highest peak on each of the world’s seven continents. His conquest ofMount Everestmarked the fifth of his seven summits. He climbed in support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford, and has served as an active member of the organization’s Board of Directors since 2008.

A former track star at the University of Connecticut, Freeman said he first wanted to climb mountains in 1998, when he booked his first vacation to a winter resort. One winter sport led to another, he said, and in June 2002, Freeman and several friends climbed Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain. He then scaled three of the other "Seven Summits" -MountMcKinleyinAlaskain June 2004, Mount Elbrus inRussiain June 2006 and Aconcagua inArgentinain December 2006 - before he attempted to climbMount Everest.

"Just the idea that he's done outreach and work with the youth of Hartfordand has shown them a much broader world ... that was very important [to us]," said fund President Kirk Sykes.

After Everest Freeman climbed the last two of the "Seven Summits": Vinson Massif in Antarctica and Mount Kosciuszko in Australia- in 2010. And finished this story climbed Pyramid Carstensz in fall 2012.

"When I returned from Everest, I stared my own engineering company," Freeman said. "I'm trying to see if I can make that a success."

Premlata Agarwal

Premlata Agarwal has added yet another mountain to her kitty! The oldest Indian woman mountaineer to have scaled Mt Everest has now also become the only Indian woman to climb Carstensz Pyramid, the highest peak of the Australia/Oceania continent, which is deemed one of the most difficult to climb.

Talking to mediapersons on her return, Agrawal (48) said she reached the 16,024-feet steep Carstensz summit ofIndonesiaon October 23, after seven days of trekking. She has now scaled five of the seven highest summits of all continents.

She took a tumble innumerable times during the expedition, braved consistent rainfall and slipped on slushy tracks to the base camp. “It was a very difficult and challenging climb. Several elements came across our trek but we did not lose heart. But I’m very happy to have come back successful,” she said.

It rained throughout the journey, in which she had threeUSmen climbers as part of the team. “We flew into Timika fromBalion October 15. Then we took a hour-long flight to Sugada village, which is one of the openings to the base camp,” Premlata recalled.

This resident ofJamshedpurwill go to Mt Vinson Massif (Antarctica) in December and re-tryMountMcKinley(North America) in May-June next year to complete her seven-summit campaign. She was forced to return without climbing McKinley last June due to inclement weather.

Agrawal has set sight on completing the mountaineering challenge of climbing the Seven Summits and Tata Steel is the proud sponsor of her expedition, and is supporting her with a sponsorship of Rs 80 lakh. Conquering all seven summits makes one a member of the Hall of Fame for mountaineers.

If Premlata achieves this remarkable feat — she is targeting 2013 for it — she will become the first Indian woman, and one the oldest in the world, to do so.

Antarctica's Tallest Peak

NASA’s DC-8 flying laboratory passes Antarctica’s tallest peak,MountVinson, on Oct. 22, 2012, during a flight over the continent to measure changes in the massive ice sheet and sea ice. The flight is part of NASA’s Operation IceBridge, a multi-year airborne campaign to monitor changes in Earth’s polar ice caps in both the Antarctic and Arctic. Ice Bridge science flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, began on Oct. 12 and continue through early November. Mount Vinsonis located in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains in Antarctica.

Dr. Clare O'Leary

She's already conquered Everest, completed the world's Seven Summits and become the first Irish woman to reach the South Pole.

But now Dr. Clare O'Leary is aiming to make history once again as part of the first Irish team to cross the perilous, but little-known North Patagonian Icecap.

The pint-sized adventurer, from Bandon, Co.Cork, is part of a five-strong team that also includes Kerry explorer Mike O'Shea, which is attempting to cross the treacherous 120km distance.

The team, which set off from their base inChilelast weekend, is expected to spend the whole of this month hauling their sledges across the remote cap, which has only ever been crossed by a handful of people.

Even preparing for the challenge and packing the correct clothing was a logistical nightmare, as temperatures, on altitudes ranging from 1200m to 1500m, can range from -30C to 30C on the same day.

Both Clare and Mike have spent months training for the gruelling adventure, which is deemed particularly challenging because of the difficulty in accessing the icecap.

The team will have to climb a towering glacier before setting foot on the cap, while the journey will also include boat trips, camping and horse riding with South American gauchos and crossing a rainforest.

Earlier this year both Clare and Mike were forced to abandon their bid to become the first expedition to make it to the North Pole.

They were forced to pull the plug on the challenge to reach the remote Arctic point, because their plan to share chartered logistics with other teams fell apart.

Clare is the first Irish female toclimbMt.Everest and also the first Irish woman to complete the Seven Summits, which includesMt.Vinsonin the Antarcticand Mt. McKinley inAlaska.

Keep track of their progress at irishnorthpole2013.com.

Flight to Sydney was very tedious. The route was changed by airline and our team a long time was sitting inThailand, not knowing when will be allowed to fly further. Only after whole day on the road, Lyudmila Korobeshko, Ivan Dusharin and Maxim Shakirov arrived in Sydney. The first day was devoted to a sightseeing tour of this wonderful city.

Forecast Kosciuszko ...

Spring in theMountainsBlueMountainturned leisurely. Therefore, on the slopes longer than normal to save snow. Actually, all paths lead to the top, covered with snow. It, however, melts quite intensively. Moist, moderately warm weather contributes to this process. Each day will be at least a little rain, sometimes with the wind. In general, the picnic was not supposed to be.

http://www.thredbo.com.au/mountain/live-cams/

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Project “7 Summits for 300 days”

8th of September the team of Alpari Lyuda (Lyudmila) Korobeshko - Ivan Dusharin - Maxim Shakirov climbed theWestern Summit of Elbrus. It was their fifth mountain from the “big seven”. The most difficult ones – Mt Everest andMt.Denali were climbed in May and June 2012.Mt.Kosciuszko - the highest Australian hill is the next goal. It could not be difficult to climb it in November. The last one –MountVinson is waiting at the beginning of December. In recent years, the vast majority of those who arrive to climb theMountVinson, reach the top. So we have confidence that our target will be achieved.

“Alpari On Top of the World” project

It all started with a friendship with the leaders of the company of Alpari. Sometimes we go to the mountains together. In 2008, the leader of Alpari Andrey Dashin went with the 7 Summits Club inEcuador. It was his first trip to the mountains. Andrey felt interest in mountaineering and introduced it to his employees. Then there were Kilimanjaro, Alps,Tibet, Altai,Kamchatka. “It’s a good tradition. We all climb together, overcoming obstacles, cold weather, difficult conditions. But we make it,” commented Andrey Dashin.

During this visits it was burn an idea to raise the banner of Alpari the highest peaks of world.

The project’s goal is simple: climb the Seven Summits in just 300 days!

A bit more about Alpari:

Alpari is the world’s leading MetaTrader 4 broker, and, according to a recent report from “Forex Magnates”, one of the world’s three largest Forex brokers. In addition to online trading, Alpari offers a variety of other services including free analytical tools and partnership programs. Alpari has been providing online brokerage services for over 13 years, now with more than 540,000 accounts belonging to clients from 150 countries around the world. It is represented in more than 20 countries and more than 30 cities in Russia. It has earned the trust of clients and partners everywhere. Over the years, Alpari has racked up a number of prestigious financial awards, including one for being named the “Company of the Year in Forex” at the 2011 Financial Elite of Russia Awards.

The Team for Several Records

A team of experienced climbers will have to implement this idea. At the same time, managers of Alpari have to take part in several expeditions. The persons for the team of climbers was offered by the Mountaineering Federation of Russia after discussions with the 7 Summits Club.

Lyudmila Korobeshko is the captain of the team. She is the only Russian woman climbed Seven Summits and been to the North and South Poles (Last Degree).

Ivan Dusharin, 65 years old “patriarch of Russian alpinism”, is an internationally recognized climber with the supremely challengingK2, among many other impressive climbs, under his belt. He is a vice-president of the Mountaineering Federation of Russia.

Maksim Shakirov, author of “New Year on the Peaks” project, photograph and video operator, he is a well-known as “media-climber” who planted the flag of the 2014 Olympic Games atop Mount Everest and Mount Olympus.

Several records are planned to be broken if the team is successful:

- all-world speed record for women (Lyudmila Korobeshko);

- speed record for a team of three and more;

- age record for climbing 7 Summits in one year (Dusharin);

- first ever team to climb all Seven by non-standard route (not fulfilled yet, because the weather on Everest was unfavorable)

- several national records.

On the night of November 2, the team "Alpari on top of the world" has gone from Domodedovo airport inAustraliato climb the continent's highest peakMountKosciuszko. The mood was festive, because everyone continued to celebrate the anniversary (65 years) of Ivan Dusharin. And we jokingly remarked that one of the gifts was a birthdays "trip for three" inAustralia...

Our congratulations !

Ivan Dusharin. His official sporting status is master of sports of international class, “snow leopard”. He has been climbing mountains since 1964; 19 times summited 7,000m peaks of former USSR, also conquered Mont Blanc (1985), Aconcagua (1991, 2012), Everest (1992, 2005, 2012), McKinley (1995, 2012), Changabeng (1998), Nanga Parbat (1997), Cho Oyu (2002). While being younger Dusharin served in air-landed force, has a large number of parachute jumps. He is an engineer-designer by profession. Long time Ivan Dusharin was the head of the robot design bureau at AvtoVAZ plant. Now he lives inMoscowand work as a vice-president of the Russian Mountaineering Federation.

Ivan Dusharin

http://www.ageofhappiness.com/blog/ivan_dusharin_eng/234/

Sixty-five year-old Ivan is a mountain climber. Ivan Dusharin has decided to vanquish all of the tallest peaks in the world within one year. Over the past six months, Dusharin has already surmounted Kilimanjaro, Everest and Aconcagua. And during the next half year, he intends to climb another four of the world’s peaks. The idea is to climb to the highest points in each of the seven continents. At the end of May, Ivan descended from Everest and on the next day, following the photo shoot for The Age of Happiness project, he took off to triumph over McKinley, the highest point inNorth America.

No one inEuropehas ever climbed seven peaks in one year. For world mountain climbing, this is a significant project, considering that Dusharin and two colleagues on his team, Lyudmila Korobeshko and Maksim Shakirov, are deliberately avoiding the classical routes and choosing complicated paths for the climb.

That climb on Everest was Ivan Dusharin’s third. It took 59 days. «The temperature this time was good,» says Dusharin, only −45 c." And he recalls that the time before, he was less lucky. Then it was −54 c." True, this time the «good» temperature bestowed upon him lightly frostbitten fingers, as he had to take off his gloves in order to take pictures at the peak.

When Dusharin was 50, he climbed Changabang, the Indian peak, in such a way that no one had ever managed to do it previously—on the sheer face. The climb up the vertical wall lasted 16 days without a break, spending the nights on the face, as well, three of them hanging in a tiny piece of stretched tarpaulin.

How can you stand it? Ivan avers that the secret lies in relaxing. When you are able to relax your body properly, you can manage to rest even if you are hanging by one hand. Dusharin eagerly demonstrates how, exactly.

During hard climbs of many days, Ivan loses a lot of weight. On his last Everest ascent, he lost nearly 10 kilos. «Ordinary athletes have a body build,» he jokes. «But we mountain climbers have a body demolition.»

Dusharin’s method of weight loss is, of course, one of the most effective, but is also inhumanly arduous. Actually, with regard to mountain climbing, Ivan himself doesn’t value the ability to demonstrate physical endurance as much as the need to contemplate and make a decision. «This is a genuinely intellectual sport,» he says. «You have to think a lot.»

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Ivan’s Early Years

I was born in 1947 in Pokhvistnevo, a small town in the south ofRussiawhose name was borrowed from the nearbyvillageofOld Pokhvistnevo. As a child, I was interested in the origins of the name of my hometown. As it turned out, Lieutenant Pokhvistnev served under one ofRussia’s most celebrated military heroes, Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov. For his bravery and valor during the French invasion ofRussiain 1812, Pokhvistnev was awarded an estate in the Simbirkskiy province. The estate no longer remains, but the lieutenant’s name lives on as the name of two towns.

Life after WWII, especially outside of the big city, was difficult and humbling. Just getting hold of a loaf of bread meant standing in huge lines. The horror of fighting over bread crumbs is something that will be forever ingrained in my memory. I was probably 6 years old when I was trampled in a bread line. I was holding onto my mother as we slowly moved into the store. I remember the legs and feet around me, the bodies, the stuffy air, the cries I heard as we scrambled to get our share of bread. I was getting squeezed harder and harder, then darkness… I woke up, lying in the snow. Some woman wiped snow off of my face. “Thank God! He’s awake,” she said to me as she stood me on my feet. “Stand and wait for your mother,” said my savior as she disappeared into the crowd. I sat down in the snow. I could not stand. Everything hurt. It was difficult to breathe. I stared at the crowd of people squeezing into the store, not understanding what was going on and what had just happened to me. I don’t remember how much time had passed by the time my mother emerged from the crowd, her hair undone, her shawl in her hands, her face bright red. She looked horrible, yet satisfied. She was holding two small loaves of dark bread to her chest. She ran to me and said, “Thank God! And they gave you bread too. They took pity seeing how close you made it to the counter.” She wasn’t as interested as I was? I was alive and moving, so everything was okay to her. What about me losing consciousness? I guess I was not the only one. That was a pretty common thing in the bread line.

My mother fixed her clothing and we headed home. I still felt terrible, but I remained silent, trailing behind my mother. I was indifferent to the world around me, but I could see my mother was happy. We managed to bring home 2 loaves of bread for the family. Just knowing that I helped was enough to bring me back to full strength. This was how I spent my childhood: fighting for bread crumbs, gathering sorrels to make pies, picking berries and mushrooms, collecting hay for the goat. The children of the post-war period lived through difficult conditions, but the struggle to survive made us tougher. We grew up to be unpretentious, adaptable and resilient. We didn’t think of ourselves as unlucky or as having been dealt a bad hand by Fate. School.. I remember my school days, being around people much like myself; friends and comrades. I remember true friendship, training to be a pinko communist, speaking with wise and caring people – my teachers. Many of them taught us not only their subject matter, but important life lessons as well. Thank you to all of them!

I studied at a mechanical engineering school in Samara. It was a different atmosphere, a different type of school. I found myself mixed in with teenagers from the big city, from more advantaged families. My peers from the countryside were looked down on as outsiders, like people with a lower social status. The boys and girls who weren’t from Samara quickly began to understand how things worked and started to band together. In life, like attracts like. We were dressed more modestly. We ate poorly. We wouldn’t allow ourselves extra. We didn’t quite feel at home in the big city. But our persistence, our sense of fairness, our hard work and physical conditioning forced them to respect us and consider our opinion. In our studies, especially in practical subjects, we quickly overtook our fellow students from the big city. It was during this time, a period of self-affirmation and soul-searching, that I discovered parachuting, and more importantly, I was introduced to the mountains.

In January of 1964, I had my first taste of mountain climbing. By 1967, I was already enrolled in a school for future mountain climbing instructors. The mountains are a truly remarkable part of nature, a place where the bonds of friendship are formed. They are a place for personal struggle and maturation, where you learn about the world, yourself and everything that surrounds you. Everything was unusual, but it was amazing. I found myself surrounded by great people. Some of my teachers were: Svetopar and Kamille Koroleva, Vitaliy Abalakov, Vladimir Kizel, Yakov Arkin, Grigoriy Maslov, Ilya Martinov and many other terrific people, who helped us appreciate the beauty and the grandeur of the mountains. These were people of the highest intellect, who looked to share their personal knowledge and experience with us, who taught us to see and to love beauty, nature and life. Mountain climbing during that time, and with those people, was a world-class learning ground and I was fortunate to be a part of it. It had a powerful impact on my life.

Serving in the army is a special period in life, one that every man remembers. I was fortunate. My time in the army was difficult, but interesting as well. I served as a paratrooper in the Baltics, starting out in a heavy paratrooper equipment battalion. My technical education and my physical training came in handy. I graduated from my training unit with honors. Unexpectedly, I was sent to courses to become a Komsomolskiy paratrooper instructor. I had a lot of work, but it was interesting. The knowledge and skills I picked up from mountain climbing lessons came in handy. It was not a fool that said, “Never stop learning. Anything you learn might turn out to be useful.” After 11 months of service, I was made first sergeant, the highest possible rank for compulsory service. With some difficulty, I managed to get out of the army, although my commanding officers told me I should stay, that I had a great career ahead of me. But the mountains were calling me. In May of 1970, I returned to Samara, found some work, and left for the mountains. I came back from the mountains just in time to register for night classes. Life suddenly became more rigorous: work, school, sports.

Источник: http://www.alpari-life.ru/en/ivan_dusharin/

Ivan Dusharin

By Terry Wood. Special to The SeattleTimes

About. Mike Hamill is a professional mountain guide, writer, and photographer. He regularly leads expeditions to the mountains of the Seven Summits, among others, and has climbed all of the original Seven Summits at least four times, some as many as twenty. He has climbed them all in the course of one year several times, finishing them in 2008 in 220 days, the tenth fastest time to date. Mike was featured in the Discovery Channel’s television production entitled Everest: Beyond the Limits.

Mike has been guiding for more than a decade and callsSeattlehome when not on the road. He began his climbing career on the steep rock and ice of New England andNew YorkStatewhile obtaining a bachelor of science from St. Lawrence University inCanton,New York. He hails originally fromHanover,New Hampshire, andBridgton,Maine.

http://climbingthesevensummits.com/

Mike Hamill is part of an exclusive club, one of about 350 people who have climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents.

Hamill, 35 — a Maine native now with a West Seattle home address — has stood on top of each summit at least four times: four ascents of Mount Everest (29,035 feet), nine of Alaska's Denali (20,320 feet) and 19 ascents of Argentina's Mount Aconcagua (22,841 feet).

Figuring he knows the territory, Hamill has written "Climbing the Seven Summits" (The Mountaineers Books, 352 pp., $29.95), which outlines the details involved in reaching each continental high point, from Australia's Mount Kosciuszko (7,313 feet) to Antarctica's icy 16,050-foot Vinson Massif.

Hamill actually describes eight peaks, since some argue thatIndonesia's 16,024-foot Carstensz Pyramid, 60-plus miles off Australia's north coast (but part of the same continental shelf), is a preferred alternative to Kosciuszko. His book devotes a chapter to that debate alone.

A guide for International Mountain Guides inAshford,Wash., Hamill fielded a few questions in advance of his Sunday appearance at Wallingford's Wide World Books & Maps:

Q: Which summits stand out to you?

A: The two climbs I enjoy the most are Vinson Massif andDenali. Vinson is a truly unique experience. The remoteness and vastness of the continent are like nowhere else on Earth. The Alaska Range is an incredibly beautiful place, andDenaliis my excuse for getting back there each summer. The people are amazing, and there's such an energy in the summer from the sun never setting.

Of course, there's no feeling like walking down theKhumbuValleyinNepalafter a successfulMount Everestclimb.

Q: Can you pinpoint a common trait among people drawn to this goal?

A: They're goal-oriented, motivated people. They climb for a variety of different reasons, but the common thread is that they all enjoy working hard and attaining a goal that takes a lot of work and tenacity to reach.

Some are serious climbers, while others are people who began pursuing climbing to see the world and experience unique cultures. I've climbed with people from all walks of life and have had the pleasure of sharing these mountains with some of the most unique people on Earth.

Q: The hardest?

A: Mount Everest, followed by Denali,Aconcagua, Vinson, Carstensz, Elbrus, Kilimanjaro and Kosciuszko, in my opinion.

Q: How about Rainier?

A: I've summited Rainier 43 times and turned back high on the mountain another handful of times due to weather. Climbing Rainieris just about as hard physically as any mountain in the world. There are of course exceptions, like summit day on Mount Everest, butRainieris a huge climb and very strenuous even for fit guides.

The big difference is that climbs like Denali, Vinson, Aconcagua and Carstensz are much longer and so the effort is sustained over weeks, not two or three days.

Q: Your best tip for anyone contemplating the quest?

A: Start small and work your way up. It's important to get the basics down first. Safety is a big concern, so enrolling in some of the basic snow schools before attempting some of these big peaks is important. Being fit takes you a long way, even if you don't know the skills at first. You can pick those up. Toss a pack on and run upMountSia bunch of times. Fitness is the base to everything in climbing.

Climb Mount Baker,Rainierand other accessible peaks. Then work up to the higher, more technical peaks such as Denali and Mount Everest by climbing the easier of the Seven Summits as well as intermediate mountains such as the Mexican volcanos, in the European Alps and inSouth America.

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The Book

Mike Hamill’s consummate coverage of the Seven Summits is far more studied and detailed than anything I could have ever written. I feel deeply indebted to him for enabling me to vividly recall, roughly three decades later, each climb and to relive the insightful incidents and many magical moments which Frank Wells and I experienced and shared. Mike’s extraordinary guide will definitely encourage more left-brained, objective realists than usual to participate in the Seven Summits along with the many right-brained, dreamer adventurers who are naturally attracted to taking such giant leaps into the unknown.

— Dick Bass, First Person to Complete the Seven Summits

Watch for the book Climbing The Seven Summits by Mike Hamill to be out in May of 2012, published by The Mountaineers Books.

The Mountaineers Books: www.mountaineersbooks.org

Amazon Books: www.amazon.com

CLIMBING THE SEVEN SUMMITS: A Guide to Each Continents’ Highest Peak

Author: Mike Hamill

Mountaineers Books

352 pages, 8.5″ X 10″, 978-1-59485-648-8

First and only guidebook to climbing all Seven Summits

Full color with 125 photographs and 24 maps including a map for each summit route

Essential information on primary climbing routes and travel logistics for mountaineers, with historical and cultural anecdotes for armchair readers.Aconcagua.Denali. Elbrus. Everest. Kilimanjaro. Kosciuszko. Vinson. To a climber, these mountains are known as the “Seven Summits”* — the highest peaks on each continent. And from Antarctica toAlaska,NepaltoTanzania, each year thousands of climbers from all over the world attempt at least one of them, while a growing number have plans to climb each and every mountain. Drawing on years of experience, veteran Seven Summit mountain guide Mike Hamill describes overall considerations for expedition planning and high-altitude trips, gear recommendations, tips on international travel and logistics, and estimates of financial costs.

In-depth descriptions of each of the Seven Summits includes a regional map, a map of the primary climbing route, a route overlay on a photo, and a sample climbing itinerary that covers peak-specific technical climbing tips and what to expect on summit day. Throughout Hamill’s descriptions, renowned alpinists offer their own advice: Eric Simonson on Everest, Vern Tejas onDenali, and Melissa Arnot on Kilimanjaro. Hamill also includes the “other” Seven Summit, the Carstensz Pyramid inNew Guinea; climbing facts and figures for each peak; a history of the Seven Summits challenge; and a unique “compare and contrast” chart that reveals how the peaks stack up against each other. From the first steps of trip dreaming, to figuring out gear and plane tickets, to kicking those final, sublime steps up to the snowy top of Denali or Aconcagua — this is the one-and-only authoritative book to guide readers to all of the world’s Seven Summits.

*Within mountaineering circles there is debate over which peaks are considered the official Seven Summits. For the purposes of this guidebook, the Seven Summits are based on the continental model used in Western Europe, theUnited States, andAustralia, also referred to as the ‘Bass list.’

“If you have your sights set on the Seven Summits – the highest point on each continent – you can do no better in print than a copy of Climbing the Seven Summits by Mike hamill (the Mountaineers Books).

Peppered with tips on gear and technique, maps for the major routes and quotes from mountaineer- ing’s greats, it is an excellent reference for those serious about an undertaking that has been achieved by only 350 people.” - Action Asia Magazine

Yuichiro Miura, known as the godfather of extreme skiing, has set himself a new task that would tax most men half his age: Climbing Mount Everest at the age of 80.

The skier and adventurer plans to make his assault on the 8,848-meter peak in spring. It would make him the oldest person to scale Everest.

Miura turned 80 on Oct. 12. He has climbed the world's highest mountain twice since turning 70.

"To challenge Everest at 80 may be the limit for a human being," Miura said. “But I couldn't be happier, especially since the challenge is a mountain peak."

Miura will be accompanied by his second son Gota Miura, 43, and Noriyuki Muraguchi, a 56-year-old photographer who has scaled Everest seven times and holds the record for the feat by a Japanese.

The team aims to reach the summit in mid-May by taking a route from the Chinese side.

Miura rewrote the world record as the oldest climber to scale the Everest in 2003, when, at the age of 70, he and his son climbed the mountain.

Miura again conquered the Everest in 2008 at age 75, which made him the second oldest person to reach the summit after a 76-year-old Nepalese who reached the top around the same time.

Miura has skied down some of the world's highest peaks.

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 Oldest Everest climber seeks new record

 http://www.mmtimes.com

A nepalese mountain climber who already holds the world record as the oldest person to scale Mount Everest told The Myanmar Times last week that he plans to break his own benchmark by conquering the world’s highest mountain again early next year.

Min Bahadur Sherchan reached the 8848-metre (29,029-foot) summit of Mount Everest on May 25, 2008, at the age of 76 years 340 days, a record-breaking feat that has been recognised by Guinness World Records.

Not satisfied with his achievement, he said he is planning to climb the mountain again next February, at the age of 82.

“I want to do something tough that others at my age don’t do,” Mr Sherchan said during a visit to Yangon from September 30 to October 2.

“Most people drink and smoke and giving up the habits that seem too difficult for them. When they get older, there are many factors that make succeeding less probable,” he said.

“But elderly people need to get into the habit of walking, hiking or mountaineering. I want to prove how the wonders will never end for us if we can succeed. That’s why I gave up drinking and smoking, and try to be a role model for other people to aspire to.”

Mr Sherchan said he was a soldier in the British Gurkha Army from 1948 to 1953, and later turned his attention to growing apples on his plantation in Nepal.

After selling the plantation, he started a new career as an agent for hikers and mountaineers in Nepal. He has also worked as a building contractor.

He said he was “very determined” to break his own record and succeed at summiting Everest again.

“If I don’t succeed, I might come to the end of my life. Whether or not I reach the summit, fate will decide. But I have a strong will to conquer it and succeed,” he said.

Mr Sherchan said he reached the peak in 2008 with five other climbers.

“I didn’t have much trouble and the weather was fine too. When I stood at the summit of the highest mountain on earth, I felt as if I was even higher than Mount Everest,” he said.

Mr Sherchan was visiting Myanmar as an honorary goodwill ambassador for Visit Lumbini Year 2012. Lumbini, located in Nepal, was the birthplace of the Buddha and is a popular pilgrimage site.