"7 Summits + 2 Poles" project news

May, 11 the expedition of 7 Summits Club went out from the base camp for climbing to the summit of Everest. All members and guides of the team underwent acclimatization, during which climbed to the top Changtse (North Peak of Everest) or to a height of 7500 meters on the classic route. We plan to climb by two groups. The first group is scheduled to leave for summit bid on May 16, the second - on May 17.

Expedition:

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

Karina Mezova (28 years) Nalchik

Andrew Podolyan (39) Moscow

Dmitry Sokov (43) Sakhalin

Igor Prinzyuk (33) Khabarovsk

Yuri Beloyvan (44) Moscow

Roman Grezky (39) Moscow

Christopher Cannizzaro (25) U.S.

Creenagh Popescu (16) Romania – cancelled due to illness

Group with special permits (without climbing Everest) - their mission is completed:

Valery Rozov (46) Moscow

Denis dips (42) Moscow

Sergey Krasko (49) Moscow

Anatoly Yezhov (64) Archangel

Guides of the expedition:

Alexander Abramov (47) Moscow – leader of the expedition

Victor Bobok (50) Moscow

Sergey Larin (51) Tver

Nicolay Cherny (72) Moscow

Noel Hanna (44) Ireland

Swiss alpinist Ueli Steck (34) has successfully started into his ninth Himalaya-Expedition. He climbed in 10 1/2 hours and alone the over 2000 meter high south-west-face of Shisha Pangma, with its 8027 meters of altitude the 14th highest mountain in the world.

Ueli Steck has successfully implemented his idea "Speed" from the Alps into the Himalaya: to climb big difficulties in big altitudes and this as fast as possible.

Ueli Steck acclimatised himself one month in the Khumbu Valley on the south side of Mount Everest (Nepal) and he moved on from Kathmandu to Shisha Pangma on April 10, 2011.

Shisha Pangma is the only peak over 8000 meters which lies completely in Tibet (China). Two days lasted the trek to the basecamp (5250 meters). After another two days he went with his Canadian partner Don Bowie to the advanced basecamp (5800 meters) at the foot of the wall. Bowie felt not acclimtazed enough and in poor health so that he decided not to go for an attempt. Because of the favourable weather forecast Bowie agreed with Steck, that Ueli should go for an attempt alone.

On Saturday at 22.30 hours Ueli Steck started to climb. After 10 1/2 hours he summitted with the 2000 meter high south-west-face his third summit over 8000 meters and was less than 20 hours later back to basecamp.

Ueli Steck and Don Bowie will now continue their expedition. They will try to climb together Cho Oyu from the north side. Cho Oyu is with 8201 meters the six highest mountain in the world.

A soldier from Widnes, who has a paralysed arm after being shot in Afghanistan, has reached the north pole after a 13-day trek. Capt Martin Hewitt, 30, reached the pole on Saturday, 16 April with the Walking With The Wounded team. Prince Harry, the patron of the charity, joined the team for the first four days of the expedition.

It is the first time a group of servicemen with such serious injuries have reached the north pole unaided. Capt Hewitt, who was part of the six-man team, said: "It was a fantastic experience, it really was. It was unique.

"Just prior to us getting to the pole, we stopped 400 metres short and got into a line abreast and walked across together. "The ice is constantly moving, so you're looking for the point.

 The Walking With The Wounded team reached the north pole unaided "That took us a little bit of time, but then the moment came when the guide turned around and said, 'boys, you're standing on the geographical north pole'.

"I felt a huge sense of relief that we'd made it, that we'd done it."

Capt Hewitt pulled a 220lb (100kg) sled for more than 170 miles (274 km) in the trek and with ice as hard as concrete, any falls by the soldiers could have meant the end of the expedition.

"An element of luck was involved with this, as with any expedition of this nature when the variables are out of your control - the weather, Mother Nature herself," he said.

"You need a bit of Lady Luck on your side."

Capt Hewitt was commissioned into the Parachute Regiment in 2004 and commanded a rifle platoon.

He was shot in the shoulder during combat in 2007. The bullet severed an artery and all nerves to his right arm.

The soldier also suffered a collapsed lung and a shattered shoulder blade and needed two life-saving operations in Camp Bastion.

Capt Hewitt then spent six weeks in hospital in the UK, followed by rehabilitation at Headley Court in Surrey.

Today, our team reached the base camp. Alex Abramov called, but the connection was bad. "It is very cold in the Base Camp. We go to dinner and then sleep. Everything is normal, all got safely. "

We have a bad news. Crina Coco Popescu and her father went to Nepal and tomorrow they want to fly to Romania. Coco won't participate in the Everest expedition anymore because of some medical problems in the acclimatisation trek she didn't reach the base camp to meet the other members of the expedition. It is very sorry. Such a good girl ! We became friends in Antarctica this year.

Today, the team climbed to the top of Shigar 4 700m, which stands the monastery Shigar. All were satisfied.

The team gradually getting closer.

That's good.

Alexander Abramov

14 th we arrived in Lhasa. We are well met by our old friends from the company STMA.

15 th all members went to the Potala. And I was running around Lhasa, and therefore I did not write  news. As always the hardest was to get right Chinese SIM cards for Internet

As a result, I bought a 1913 modem China Mobile. Other operators do not work in the Everest base camp. Now the whole expedition is provided into  Internet. All could call on Skype to family and friends and send pictures.

Yesterday, the 16 th we spent the night in Shigatse - the second largest city in Tibet.

This morning we visited a very nice local monastery, walk around the city, bought blankets and pillows.

Acquainted with the system of boiling water by solar energy. Today we moved into town Shigar

Today Anatoly Yezhov and our guide Dima Ermakov flew from Kathmandu to Periche by helicopter. There an Academician, rector of a University Anatoly Yezhov set a new world record in lifting weights on the slopes of Everest. The entire group got together and we're ready to fly to Lhasa on April 14.

 Anatoly Ezhov (right)

Alex with Crina and Ovidiu Popescu

We are in Kathmandu, here is the heat ! Abramov checks member’s equipment, I am preparing the technical part of today's dinner, connecting and adjusting hardware. Tomorrow we are planning excursions and sightseeing in Kathmandu.

Greetings!

Yours faithfully, Dmitry Ermakov

Alexander Abramov, is only awaiting the arrival of their first team. And many other expeditions are already begun acclimatization. Even those who will climb from the north. In particular, the British expedition company Adventure Peaks. They are on the southern slopes of Mount Everest now and saw the coveted summit. 16-year-old Englishman, George Atkinson is in this team. In case of success on Everest, he will be the youngest climber, ever climbed the Seven Summits. If only Coco Popescu did not surpass, and she will work in our 7 Summits Club expedition. Atkinson will celebrate 17 years on May 29 and he wants to complete the program before that date. Coco will be 17 years old only in December. Before departing on an expedition to Everest, she participated in the presentation of a series of stamps devoted to her achievement – climbs on the seven highest volcanoes of the seven continents.

Crina  and George will meet in our base camp

Kanchenjunga

Message from Israfil Ashurly: "The team, led by Alexei Bolotov: Gleb Sokolov, Nikolay Totmyanin, Andrey Manuilov, Alexander Lutokhin, Dmitry Sinev (Russia), Alexander Frolov (Australia), Christian Stangl (Austria), Israfil Ashurly (Azerbaijan), after a 12 days of trekking, has reached on April 8 a base camp at 5,450 m.

We are here already for 3 days. Last night there was heavy snowfall. The bulk of our equipment has not yet been delivered to the base camp. So we can not begin to prepare a route. We are waiting for an arrival of two big expeditions. Greetings from the guys. "

World record holder Apa Sherpa going to the summit of Mt. Everest for the 21st time.

Having succeeded in the Eco Everest Expedition 2008, 2009 and 2010, the Eco Everest Expedition 2011 is heading on 6th April towards Mt. Everest Base Camp from Kathmandu under the leadership of Dawa Steven Sherpa , the Managing Director of Asian Trekking, Nepal and Apa Sherpa, World Record holder of 20 ascents of Mt. Everest, as a Climbing Leader of the Expedition.

Dawa Steven Sherpa, organizer of Eco Everest Expedition talked about this year’s Eco Everest Expedition. “This Expedition is focused on climbing in an Eco-sensitive manner to keep Everest clean and collect garbage, debris and waste left by past expedition groups. The collected garbage will be brought down to the Base Camp by members of the clean up team for proper disposal. The Eco Expedition would again be using the alternative energy solutions like the parabolic solar cookers, solar lightings and the ultraviolet light pens for water purification,” he said.

Since 2008, the Eco Everest Expeditions have collected and brought off the mountain nearly 12,000 kgs of garbage and over 300 kgs of human waste produced by Eco Everest Expedition. Also four died bodies recovered and brought down from the mountain for a dignified burial.

The Eco Everest Expedition 2011 plans again to collect and bring down garbage from high altitude . His team targets to bring down 4000 kilograms of garbage from the mountain like the previous Eco Everest Expedition on the basis of "Cash for Trash" program which offers 1 hundred rupees for one kilo garbage brought down to Base Camp. Furthermore, together with Japanese Mt.Everest Summiteer and Environmentalist Ken Noguchi, the expedition aims to bring down another 1 thousand kilos of garbage between Camp II and the Summit. The aim is to clean up a total of 5000 Kilograms of garbage from Mt. Everest this year.

At Base Camp, the collected garbage will be sorted into biodegradable and burnable which will be handed over to the Sagarmatha or Everest Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), an NGO based in the Everest region. The non-degradable and non-burnable garbage will be brought to storage in Asian Trekking's warehouse in Khumjung village.

The main sponsors of Eco Everest Expedition 2011 garbage collection program are Asian Trekking Pvt. Ltd and The North Face.

Dawa Steven Sherpa and his Eco Everest Expedition team are continuing this initiative to create awareness among the local people and among the climbers to help keep Mt.Everest and the Himalayan Mountains clean. Eco Everest Expeditions have been taking a message to "stop climate change" as it destroys the Himalayan environment and threatening the lives and livelihoods of the mountain communities.

 ECO EVEREST EXPEDITION SPRING 2011

There are 23 Climbing member consisting of 10 Americans, 6 Indians, 3 Brazilians, 1 Japanese, 1 Spanish,1 Mexican and 1 Swiss. Eco Everest Expedition's advance team staffs are already at Base Camp building platform sites for tents. We are using 124 sleeping tents for members and staffs, 7 big dinning tents at BC and Camp II, 5 kitchen tents, 2 storage tents, 4 shower tents, 1 communication tent and 6 toilet tents for this expedition.

 To manage this huge expedition is a very professional task, which will be done by Dawa Steven Sherpa (Managing Director of Asian Trekking and My Son) who has the experience of handing a huge team like this. This year also, Apa Sherpa will be our climbing leader, whose world record of 20 times summit of Mt. Everest will be called upon to manage the climbing schedules of all our members. Apa will be climbing again for a new record again, 21st time! To look after the logistics and Sherpas, our senior Sirdar Naga Dorje will be managing a team of 40 climbing Sherpas, including 2 other Sirdars.

 At the base camp we have Mr. Lee Bennett (better known as Wiggy), who is our Base Camp Manager and Communication In-charge. Wiggy is a qualified mountain guide and was a Communication Engineer in the Royal Navy (UK) until he retired last year. Our head cook Birbal will be providing a varied menu for various nationalities to suit their plates. Birbal has a team of 11 cooks and kitchen helpers to make sure all the climbers are fed well.

 Ms. Premlata Agrawal, Ms. Sunita Singh, Mr. Narendra Singh and their Sherpas flew to Lukla on 29th of March, heading for a Pre-Everest climb on Island Peak for acclimatization before joining the main team members at Everest Base Camp. The first expedition briefing of Asian Trekking's Eco Everest Expedition Spring 2011 was held on 28th March. The briefing was given by Expedition Leader Dawa Steven Sherpa, senior Sirdar Nanga Dorje Sherpa and Ted Atkin (Inventor of Top Out Oxygen Mask) and attended by the first group of expedition member Ms.Premlata Agrawal, Ms.Sunita Singh, Mr. Narendra Singh and Pawan Grewal and their Sherpa Team members.

 The Eco Everest Expedition was organized successfully for three consecutive years (2008, 2009 and 2010) to create international awareness about the impact of Climate Change in the Himalayas and the lives of the mountain communities. That is why the expedition uses highly successful alternative energy solutions like the parabolic solar cookers, solar energies for lighting and the SteriPENs for water purification and also encourages other expedition teams to use them.

 Besides this, Eco Everest Expedition also focuses on cleaning of Mt. Everest and it seems somehow successful in this task. Since 2008 until today Eco Everest Expedition has brought down more than 12,000 kilos of previous expedition garbage and more than 300 kilos of human waste produced by Eco Everest Expedition from Mt. Everest for proper disposal. Also four died bodies recovered and brought down from the mountain for a dignified burial and funeral.

Today, Nikolay Cherny, Sergei Larin, and Noel Hanna, along with a team of Sherpas went to the base camp at North side of Everest. A day before, there was a meeting with the legendary Miss Elizabeth Hawley. A journalist, in the past, this 87 years old lady, is the main authority in the Himalayan mountaineering. Even she has not made any ascent itself. Hawley in her place, is both a chronicler number 1, directly receiving an information about Himalayan expeditions, and a referee deals in complicated situations. Unexpectedly for us, this remarkable woman personally paid a visit to the hotel where located Alexander Abramov and his team. It turned out a beautiful photo.

Meanwhile, a small ceremony held in the office of the 7 Summits Club. We farewelled our beloved comrades in Nepal. Victor Bobok and Dmitry Ermakov go to the Himalayas. Dmitry will lead an expedition to the foot of Mount Everest from the south, the main aim of a large group will be climbing Island Peak. Victor will join the team of Alexander Abramov, as a guide of Mount Everest. He wants to climb the summit already by his third route (2004 - North Face direct, 2009 - a classic from the south). We know that Eugene Vinogradsky reached the summit of Everest by three different routes. Or anyone else?

Yuri Koshelenko (left) and all the staff of the Club wished them good luck !

Our 2011 Expedition.

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

Karina Mezova (28 years) Nalchik
Andrew Podolyan (39) Moscow
Dmitry Sokov (43) Sakhalin
Igor Prinzyuk (33) Khabarovsk
Yuri Beloivan (44) Moscow
Roman Grezky (39) Moscow
Christopher Cannizzaro (25) U.S.A.
Crina Popescu (16) Romania

Group with special permits (without climbing Everest):

Valery Rozov (46) Moscow
Denis Provalov (42) Moscow
Sergey Krasko (49) Moscow
Anatoly Yezhov (64) Archangelsk
Ovidiu Popescu (47) Romania
Gennady Naykov (44) Moscow

Guides of the expedition:

Alexander Abramov (47) Moscow

Sergey Larin (51) Tver

Nikolay Cherny (72) Moscow

Noel Hanna (44) Ireland

Victor Bobok (50) Moscow

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

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

Karina Mezova (28 years) Nalchik

Andrew Podolyan (39) Moscow

Dmitry Sokov (43) Sakhalin

Igor Prinzyuk (33) Khabarovsk

Yuri Beloivan (44) Moscow

Roman Grezky (39) Moscow

Christopher Cannizzaro (25) U.S.A.

Crina Popescu (16) Romania

Group with special permits (without climbing Everest):

Valery Rozov (46) Moscow

Denis Provalov (42) Moscow

Sergey Krasko (49) Moscow

Anatoly Yezhov (64) Archangelsk

Ovidiu Popescu (47) Romania

Guides of the expedition:

Alexander Abramov (47) Moscow

Sergey Larin (51) Tver

Nikolay Cherny (72) Moscow

Noel Hanna (44) Ireland

Victor Bobok (50) Moscow

Prince Harry and four disabled Afghan war veterans will finally set off for the North Pole on Mondayafter severe gales postponed their intrepid charity expedition by 48 hours.

Harry, who is a benefactor of the Walking with the Wounded charity, joined the team on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen last week. The expedition plans to raise $3.2 million to help wounded troops.

Harry's four fellow travelers, two of them amputees, hope to enter the record books as the first handicapped group to hike unassisted to the North Pole.

"We've spent plenty of days living on top of each other, so I feel like I'm one of the team now," Prince Harry said.

The prince will travel with the expedition for five days and then will be picked to return home for his military commitments.

 Carstensz Pyramid

FORMER Gwent rugby star Richard Parks told of an “adventurous and mysterious” trek as he climbed the highest mountain in Australasia and completed the first half of his global expedition challenge. The ex-Dragons and Wales player reached the summit of the 4,884 metre high Carstenz Pyramid in West Papua, Indonesia on Wednesday, local time.

This followed a seven-day trek and climb and represents the completion of the fifth of nine legs.

It means Parks is still on track to become the first person to climb the highest summit on each of the world's seven continents and venture to the north and south poles in seven months.

He described the climb, starting from dense tropical jungle, as "the most elusive, mysterious and adventurous of the seven summits." While it has the lowest summit altitude, it is the most technically challenging as it involves difficult scrambling, rock climbing and abseiling.

Parks also trekked through jungle to base camp, which involved walking through rivers, mud and torrential rain in extreme humidity. There were also concerns that the Japanese Tsunami might hit West Papua and cause delays, however, the island remained unaffected.

Parks has now successfully completed The South Pole, Mount Vinson in Antarctica, Aconcagua in South America, Africa’s Kilimanjaro and now Australasia’s Carstensz Pyramid. Next up is the North Pole.

He is hoping to raise £1 million for Marie Curie Cancer. Follow him at 737challenge.com.

Mount Everest

The Guinness World Record holder as the oldest Mount Everest climber, is currently in Brunei Darussalam as the Ambassador of Visit Nepal Year 2011 to promote Nepal tourism in Brunei Darussalam.

Mr Min Bahadur Sherchan broke the world record by reaching the summit of Mount Everest in 2008 at the age of 77 years.

He has been in Brunei since March 18 and has visited Kuala Lumpur and his next destination is Singapore.

While in Brunei, the now 80-yearold Mr Min Bahadru Sherchan, has participated in various activities carried out by Gurkha members at the British Army Camp in Seria and had special sessions to promote Nepal tourism.

In an interview with the Borneo Bulletin, Mr Min Bahadur Sherchan said he has been appointed as Ambassador of Visit Nepal 2011 by the Nepal Tourism Secretariat.

It is to lure travellers from South and North Asia like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, It is to lure travellers from South and North Asia like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, India and other European countries such as United Kingdom and United States to Nepal.

Mr Min Bahadur Sherchan (right) with his family members while visiting the Gurkha Army Camp in Seria.

The oldest Mount Everest climber said despite his age, he plans to ascend Mount Everest next year to break his own record as the oldest climber.

He extend an invitation to Bruneians to travel to Nepal as both countries have good relations and to mark the Visit Nepal Year 2011, adventurous activities will be organised such as track events, mount climbing and visit to remote areas.

He said Nepal has natural beauty and the Nepalese are warm and friendly. Nepal is also renowned for its culinary treats and affordable shopping as well as rich in culture and tradition.

During the sharing session, he said that he had to wait until the age of 77 to climb Mount Everest due to financial limitations. He added that he had to spend over US$25,000 to achieve his dream and as a Nepali, he aimed to compete with other world record holders who are mostly foreigners.

Recollecting his achievements, he said, he has climbed three mountains in Nepal. When he was 72, he walked a distance of 1,028 kilometres from the North to West of Nepal in 20 days and at the age of 73 he walked for seven days from East to South Nepal while enduring the blistering heat and snowy weather.

He said age is no barrier and his secret to staying fit is practising healthy eating 

. He does not consume rice and eats a little portion of meat but large quantities of vegetables and traditional Nepalese food `Kodo'. He also complements his healthy diet with a 30-minute morning exercise and yoga every day.

 The text literally as follows: "In full team. We are going down. " In our view it means that all members of our group (17 people) climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. And all go down as winners. We hope that no error occurred. "Mont" - is still a climbing company, and there is nothing surprising about the success of 100%. We are waiting for more accurate information.

We look at the Himalayas from south to north. Kanchenjunga.  The team collected by Alexey Bolotov will try to climb this giant mountain. It consists of two top Russian high altitude climbers - Nikolay Totmyanin and Gleb Sokolov. As well as our close friend, president of Mountaineering Federation of Azerbaijan, the snow leopard and the climber at the Seven Peaks Israfil Ashurly. Together with them - Pole Paul Michalski, Romanian Alex Gavan and Italians  Mario Panzeri and   Antonello Martinez. And also a group of Nepalese climbers. If successful Sherpa Mingma  will be the first in the country climbed 14 eight-thousanders ...

In our office: Mikhail Yarin, Alex Abramov, Gleb Sokolov and Pavel Shabalin

Makalu. Polish woman climber Kinga Baranovska, which goes to his eight eighеt-thousanders, will be there a major star ... Slovak Peter Hamor plans, high-speed solo climb without oxygen. For acclimatization he plans to climb Lobuche East and Pumori.

Lhotse. Carlos Soria, 72-year-old Spanish climber intends to climb its 10 th eight-.thousander. In the company with him will climb Carlos Pauner and Juan Oiarzabal, who has now 24 climbs on eight thousanders (overall record). Austrian paragliding Mike Kueng wants to flight over the summit ridge (8500 m), starting from the south. On account of this 42-year old athlete is a lot of records, including a flight at an altitude of 10,100 meters. But the goal is very difficult: from the bottom up in the Himalayas nobody could rise above 7300 m yet. Austrian already is flying in the vicinity of Namche Bazaar, as part of his great expedition "paratrekkers.

Soria (left), Kueng and below - the planned route record

On Everest should be lively as usual ...

In addition to numerous commercial expeditions, many people will try to speak own word on the slopes of tallest peak of the planet.

In the focus - Basque woman climber Edurne Pasaban, which tries to climb the highest peak without the aid of artificial oxygen. If successful, all 14 eight she would have "made" without oxygen. Also will try a clean, oxygen-free ascent a 35-year-old Australian climber Allie Pepper .. And men… once again going to climb without oxygen Englishman David Tait. Before that he planned to climb a new route on Lhotse. Mexican David Liano is back to his project climb Everest from both sides during the season. Without oxygen, and one day plans to go to the summit an Ecuadorian Ramiro Tesalema. Brazilian Rodrigo Raineri announced his intention to descend from the top of a glider.

 Allie Pepper - after Cho Oyu climbs Everest without oxygen

Sherpas go for at least 3 record. Famous Apa go to the top once again.

Pemba Dorji plans for a day to visit both Everest and Lhotse. His brothers dragged to the top of the world's tent - they plan to stay at an altitude of 8848 meters over 24 hours.

On Cho-Oyu the most interesting fact is that refusal to participate in the expedition Japanese Hiro Takeuchi. In solidarity with the victims of the catastrophic earthquake compatriots. Takeuchi - the first real contender for the 14 eight-thousanders from the country which was a quarter-century was among the leaders of Himalayan mountaineering. He remained only two: Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri

 24 March 2011. Blizzard lasted for four days, warm - up to -7 C °, drifting snow, white-out, a strong wind. The Arctic has prepared for our verification of the entire set of its surprises. On low speed we move through with clenched teeth, and pushing his views are more in the Navigator screen and the computer with the card than the windshield, get to the northern tip of Island Russky. Machines behave well, the team, too, going round the clock, and if the watch falls on the dark, it is considered good luck, as in the light of powerful lights landscape of snow and ice ridges are seen better than in the afternoon milk.

MLAE-2011 is short for Marine Live-ice Automobile Expedition 2011. It is organized under the patronage of Arthur Chilingarov – Special representative of President of Russian Federation for international cooperation in the Arctic and the Antarctic.

RCAE is short for Russian Center for Arctic Exploration – an Autonomous Non-profit Organisation which is developing innovative amphibious automobiles “YEMELYA” and organizing expeditions in High Arctic.

This year March 4, 2011 our team had started from town of Urengoy in Yamalo-Nenetskij Autonomous Region of Russia and is driving up to the North Pole (approximately until April 20) and further to Ward Hunt Island, Canada (supposingly by May 26) and will finish in the town of Resolute, Nunavut, Canada (probably by May 31) plus a few days spare. From Resolute Bay we shall fly to Montreal before we can fly home to Moscow.

For the expedition we shall use newly built automobiles “Yemelya-3” and “Yemelya-4”. We plan to leave them in Resolute Bay for a period of 10 months until March 2012 when we plan to return to Nunavut from Russia and continue the route of the expedition further on along the coastline of Canadian Arctic to Alaska.

During previous expedition MLAE-2009 – seven-men crew: Vasily Elagin Afanassi Makovnev, Vladimir Obihod, Sergey Larin, Alexey Shkrabkin, Alexey Ushakov, Nikolai Nikulshin in two automobiles “Yemelya-1” and “Yemelya-2” under the leadership of Vasily Elagin had started from Severnaya Zemlya, Russia and after 38 days and 2033 km of driving over drift ice for the first time in history of Arctic exploration reached the North Pole by car. It happened on April 26, 2009 and now this achievement is included into Russian Book of Records.

 Gneiting, shown during a 2004 competition, beat his previous time by two hours

A 400lb American sumo wrestler hopes to become certified as the heaviest man to finish a marathon after competing the Los Angeles race in nearly 10 hours.

Kelly Gneiting, who was the last of 11,891 men to cross the Los Angeles marathon finish line on Sunday, described the race as "pure hell".

Gneiting walked the last 18 miles, suffering through painful blisters, but beat his 2008 time by two hours.

He has won three US sumo titles beginning in 2005.

"I did it, but it was hell," Gneiting, 40, was quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times. "Pure hell."

Gneiting of Arizona weighed in after the race at 396lb (179.6 kilos) - four less than when he started, local television reported.

By the time Gneiting finished the first half, the city had begun reopening streets along the route and he completed the race on the pavement, NBC television reported.

Gneiting hopes to have his time - nine hours and 48 minutes - certified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

On 21 March, a press conference was held to present the high-latitude Arctic expedition Barneo 2011; the two venues, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, were linked by a multimedia “video bridge”.

This year Barneo 2011 is sponsored by the Russian Geographical Society. Since 2002, the Barneo ice camp ensures Russian presence in the North Pole region. The base is maintained by Polius Expeditionary Centre of the Russian Association of Polar Explorers.

The press conference participants in Moscow included Artur Chilingarov, Russian President’s special representative for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctica and the First Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society; Alexander Orlov, Head of Barneo 2011 expedition and Vice-President of the Russian Association of Polar Explorers; and Dmitri Shparo, leader of “Skiing to the North Pole!” youth expedition.

In St. Petersburg the press conference was attended by Victor Boyarsky, Director of the Arctic and Antarctic Museum; Vladimir Strugatsky, Vice-President of the Russian Association of Polar Explorers; and Viacheslav Makeyev, Head of Nature Management Department at the State Polar Academy.

Currently the expedition is getting ready for the logistics stage. Building on the Soviet polar explorers’ experience and using their own innovative approaches and designs, Polius Expeditionary Centre plans to set up the Barneo ice camp in the early April. Barneo base will work for a month, performing various operations. In 2011 the camp expects to receive more than 300 tourists who’ll have a chance to reach the North Pole.

Two research teams will be working at the station. Members of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute will work according to their research programmes on a drifting ice floe. The PanArctic Ice Camp Expedition (PAICEX) of the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Science will carry on for the fifth year running. And for the fourth year in a row, youth skiing expedition will go to the North Pole, led by Matvey Shparo and Boris Smolin.

http://int.rgo.ru/news/barneo-2011-press-conference/

Photographs by Yaroslav Nikitin and Darya Shlykova

When one place is meeting many friends, there is a peculiar aura, there is something special sense of unity. And the sense of the meaning of what we do. Of course, this may not happen often. But I would like it to be at least four times a year. The evening party began with a demonstration of the film, whose name can be taken as an epigraph for the whole of our work. "We are living rightful." As later said Victor Bobok, "at the plain we're just getting ready for real life, which is up there. In the mountains." We see on the screen Pavel Shabalin with his little daughter Masha. We see Alexander Abramov on the North Face of Aksu Peak ....

Pavel Shabalin, one of the best climbers of the world, "Father of Ice climbing sports” and motor of sports ideas in the Mountaineering Federation of Russia. Pavel - our old friend and we are always happy to see him...

Finally, we all come together. Importantly, our president and leader Alexander Abramov will be available for a few days before departure to Nepal and Tibet. “National climber of Russia” Viktor Bobok will be also, it is difficult to catch him in Moscow. Straight from the event, he will go again to his beloved Africa, at his beloved Mount Kilimanjaro. In addition, we prepare as a surprise, a few interesting guests. And so, in the program: appetizer buffet, exclusive drinks ... and reports, among which are the loudest: climbing the highest volcano in Antarctica Mount Sidley (Abramov), through the jungle to the top of Carstensz (Luda Korobeshko), on the glaciers of Patagonia (Luba Ivanova), violent season on Aconcagua (Bobok) .... The plans, of course, as usual, a raffle,,,, and informal part, meeting with close friends ...

In short, the event that can not be missed!