"7 Summits + 2 Poles" project news

News from Kilimanjaro. The guides of the 7 Summits Club, Evgeny Fedyunin and Sergey Avtomonov, report.  Jambo!  The group "Akuna Matata Rafiki" of the 7 Summits Club on December 28th met the morning on the border of equatorial forests and heather thickets at an altitude of 3000m. Everyone feels great! Through the clouds, we were greeted by the summit of Uhuru Peak 5895m, the highest point of Mount Kibo in the Kilimanjaro massif. The weather today is not particularly pampering, rain and drizzle all the way, moorland is justified (swampy area).  The team coped with all the tasks PERFECTLY!

We visited the caves of the Shira Plateau, where even before 2010 local teams of porters lived during the Kilimanjaro climbing programs! We are waiting for dinner, everyone is happy!

The 7 Summits Club Guide Artem Rostovtsev from Antarctica:

We flew to Antarctica.  It's windy and cold at the Union Glacier base. The wind means there are no clouds and you can fly to Vinson's base camp. Which is what happened. Now there is a record number of participants going up the mountain, it took 9 flight flights to transfer everyone.

To the base camp for 8 people in the plane, count for yourself. We promptly set up camp and had dinner, the rest of the expedition envied. Now we are already sleeping, resting. Tomorrow we want to move to Low camp.

 Photos from past expeditions:

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Dmitry Semenov reports from Argentina:

Greeting from Argentina!  Our group chose the name Mañana (tomorrow), this word is very popular in Argentina. Today our friendly team walked the first kilometers of the way to our goal, the Aconcagua peak (6962 m).  The group proved to be a friendly, reliable team that will cope with all the difficulties on the route.

Artem Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, transmits from the plane:

We are taking off! Everyone is on board the plane and we are already starting to take off. We will be in Antarctica in 4 hours. And it looks like there will be an opportunity to fly to Vinson's base camp right away.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Artem Rostovtsev reports from Chile:

An expedition on Mount Vinson. We are in standby mode and hope for tomorrow morning's departure to the Union Glacier. The luggage has been handed over and is already loaded on the plane. Literally, we have just been informed that the captain of the aircraft has made the final decision about the flight. We're flying early in the morning. And if the weather in Antarctica allows, we will be immediately transferred to the Vinson Massif base camp. In the meantime, we are enjoying the last evening in civilization before tomorrow's flight to Antarctica.  Almost everyone is exciting.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Dmitry Semenov reports from Argentina:

Well, our small but friendly team has gathered in the wonderful city of Mindosa and is ready for further adventures. We have already tried the famous steaks and malbec, the equipment has been checked, the little things have been bought. Today we will start in Pinitentes, this is the first camp on our way to the summit of Aconcagua.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Artem Rostovtsev reports from Chile:

Chile says hello! We have started another expedition to the Vinson massif in Antarctica. Today, all the participants finally gathered at our starting point of the route - the city of Punta Arenas. From here, the plane will take us to Antarctica. The main equipment is already on the white continent. We are preparing for departure, we hope everything will happen without delay. We start the day after tomorrow. In the meantime, the last preparations: purchases, packing of cargo and excursions in free time. Those who arrived a little earlier were able to admire the beauty of the Torres del Paine National Park. Today we have plunged into the history of the discovery of the Strait of Magellan and the first explorers of Patagonia. We are waiting for the departure, and we keep our fingers crossed for good weather. Antarctica is waiting. And in parallel with us, Alex Honold will go to Vinson, did everyone watch Jimmy Chin's movie "FreeSolo"?

Sergey Avtomonov, guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Tanzania:

Hello everyone from the slopes of Kilimanjaro! Today we left the hotel and finally got to the national park! Got a little wet in the rain while walking through the beautiful rainforest! We went up to the first tent camp, had a delicious meal and rest! The guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Sergey Avtomonov were with you.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Bon Dias! The “Coca-Cola 2×5” group climbed on the highest point of South America Aconcagua on December 25. Catholic Christmas turned out to be snowy, in the second half it started snowing. But at that moment we were already on the descent from the top. Tomorrow we have a transfer to Horcones, from where we move to hot Mendoza. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

Evgeny Fedyunin, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Tanzania:

The group of the 7 Summits Club continues to arrive in the city of Moshi, at the foot of Kilimanjaro. While we are solving organizational issues and are engaged in equipment rental.  Tomorrow the group will start on the Machame route, or as it is called here "Whiskey route" - not cola at all! Climbing through jungles, equatorial forests up to 3,000m is the task of the first running day! Pole pole or ".. but there is no need to hurry.."

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Bon Dias from Argentina! The group of the 7 Summits Club "Coca-Cola 2×5" today moved up to Colera's high-altitude camp. The height is six thousand meters. We settled in tents. Tonight we have an assault. Since we got to Christmas today, we met it with a small snowfall, which is now happening outside our tents. Tomorrow we will start to the summit!

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

The group of the 7 Summits Club "Coca-Cola 2×5" left the Plaza de Mulas camp to climb Mount Aconcagua.  According to the plan, we are going to storm the summit on December 25. Tonight we'll spend the night at Nido de Condores, tomorrow we'll spend the night at the camp Colera. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias! The Coca-Cola 2×5 group successfully acclimatizes before climbing to the highest point of the two Americas. Yesterday we climbed the Nido de Condores, 5600 meters.  We spent the night in a high-altitude camp, and to consolidate the acclimatization process, we climbed to Plaza Berlin, 5900 meters. After that, we went down to the base camp of Plaza Mulas, where we will rest before the final climb to the summit. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

Antarctica is a place to meet interesting people. You never know who you might meet on our super trips. And here is a new and completely unexpected surprise. At the Union Glacier base, we were met and greeted by the famous Will Smith. Pleasant acquaintance!

Will was in Antarctica in preparation for the show “Pole to Pole" of Walt Disney National Geographic.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Punta Arenas (Chile):

Our expedition to Antarctica on the Vinson Massif has ended. Of the 12 days, 8 had terrible weather. We fought with the wind, held flying tents, carried loads and took photos with frozen fingers. But the result is excellent, the whole team was standing on top of the highest mountain in Antarctica - Vinson Massif! The whole team rallied like one powerful fist. The team had participants from different countries: India, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Russia. This is a true friendship of peoples. Everyone helped everyone, worried, rejoiced together.  Great team!

As a result, the first Kyrgyz, Kadyr Nurmamatov, stood at the top of the Vinson Massif. And also the oldest Indian who completed the project "Seven Summits" - Sharad Kulkarni. And the second Indian woman who ascended the Vinson Massif is Anvita Padamati. The rest of the participants also climbed to the top, together with two guides Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Bon Dias! Today our small but very friendly team continued to acclimatize on the slopes of Aconcagua.  The acclimatization plans included an ascent to Plaza Canada, an altitude of 5000 meters.  Upon returning to the base camp, we learned that Argentina became the World Football champion for the first time in 36 years! Tomorrow we rest, go through a medical check and prepare to go out with an overnight stay in Nido de Condores.  The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

We arrived at the Base Camp at 6 am. We walked in the shadows. The temperature was around -30C. We walked all night. It was light, but cold.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Bon Dias!  We are in the Plaza de Mulas!  The Coca-Cola 2×5 group came to the Plaza de Mulas, an altitude of 4,300 meters, this is the Aconcagua base camp. Here we will spend most of our time, simultaneously making radial and acclimatization rotations before storming the summit. The path from Confluencia to Plaza de Mulas is 18 km, with a height difference of 800 meters. The first part of the way passes through the valley of the river without a significant set, and the second part of the way, from where the camp is visible, passes through the rugged terrain of the western slope of Aconcagua.  We are resting today.  We are recovering.  The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

The weather is fine, visibility for a thousand kilometers, a light breeze. The whole team of the 7 Summits Club (at midnight Moscow time) it stands at the top of the Vinson Massif: 2 guides and 8 participants.

Now the team has gone down to the High Camp. And we continue the descent to the base camp. The weather is deteriorating.