"7 Summits + 2 Poles" project news

Artem Rostovtsev, the 7 Summit Club guide:

Hi, 7 Summits! This is the Far South in touch. Antarctica is not allowing yet ...

We are waiting for the weather for a flight to Antarctica. In order not to rust at all, we walked a little through the Patagonian forests. Its brightened up the wait, but, unfortunately, not for long. The weather makes it difficult to fly, maybe then by the sea? We walked around the surroundings, along the shore of the Strait of Magellan, suddenly what was suitable, they did not find, but we were impressed by what we saw…

 Alexander Dorojukov, the 7 Summits Club guide:

Hello everyone from Argentina! Today, our team moved to Penitentos. We packed the things to take it to the Base Camp and walked around the local hills for acclimatization ...

Artem Rostovtsev, the 7 Summit Club guide:

Hi 7 Summits! Today we had to take off on the  White continent. But the weather thought otherwise - we have to wait. Hope not for long. All that will be  useful in Antarctica for three groups on climbing the Vinson Massif is already loaded on the IL-76. But, unfortunately, we still have a timeout before departure - Antarctica does not allow.

We will have fun before departure on the Mainland.

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from Argentina:

 Hello! Here is Alex Abramov  from Mendoza. Today, the first half of the group came to Mendoza. We collect things, relax and even participate in street parties.

 Meanwhile, the Russian camp at Aconcagua is being built ...

 Starting December 26, in Antarctica, a Belgian mountaineer Sofie Lenaerts will work with our group as a trainee guide. This is her personal chance to become the first woman in her country to complete the Seven Summits program.

 Together with his regular life partner Stef Maginelle, Lenaerts leads the 8000 Unlimited project. Climbing both in the Alps and the eight-thousanders. Last summer, a large group of Belgian climbers of the 8000 Unlimited project climbed Lenin Peak.

 In addition to mountaineering, Sofie made many other fascinating trips: she rode South America on a motorcycle from edge to edge, made a bike ride in Asia - 2700 kilometers, flew from Mont Blanc on a paraglider ...

But actually, Sophie is an inspector of the Belgian police ...

Seven Summits Sofie:

Elbrus - 2009

Aconcagua - 2010

Denali (McKinley) - 2012

Everest - 05.21.2016

Carstensz - June 2017

Kilimanjaro - 2018.

Great slogan for life:

Artem Rostovtsev from Punta Arenas. Finally, our international team, with whom we will go to Antarctica to the Vinson massif, gathered in the very southern city of Punta Arenas. Team equipment is assembled, packaged, as well as delicious, very high-calorie food. Tomorrow we will ship everything on the plane. And, if the weather allows, the next day we fly to the White Continent.

Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club from Argentina:

 Aloha, friends and girlfriends! Vovchik Kotlyar, Pemba Sherpa and Pasang Sherpa advanced in the direction of the mountain in order to prepare the camps for the start of the Russian season in Aconcagua. Today we will spend a night in the Confluence camp at an altitude of 3400. Tomorrow we will go to the base camp, where we will begin work. We are looking forward to all!

Hello from Chile! It is Artem Rostovtsev, your most southern guide. The other day I am going with a team to Antarctica with the goal of climbing Mount Vinson. In the meantime, preparations for the expedition are in full swing in the city of Punta Arenas. A month in Antarctica, you need not to freeze, eat good and comfortable, with hot food, move safely, relax in camps. We are preparing for all of this on the mainland.

 Alexandr Dorojukov fro Argentina: 

A team of the 7 Summits Club’s guides came to Mendoza. Soon we will be in the Aconcagua base camp. And now we rest and carry loads. We also check tents and equipment. But these photos we have not. There are only the following…

 For Aconcagua we have a long season ahead. The “Russian Camp” of the 7 Summits Club will host six groups, and all of them are large. And there is still the opportunity to join! Urgently call! The first group begins its trek to the highest peak of South America on December 18. But before this there is still a lot of preparatory work, which is better done under the command of the most experienced expedition organizer Alexander Abramov. In addition, this year, our friends from Nepal, Sherpas, will work in the “Russian Camp” as high-altitude porters. This is a new word in the service of climbers on Aconcagua. It should work out fine! Today  Vladimir Kotlyar and Alexander Dorozhukov flew to Argentina with Alex Abramov, and soon Andrei Berezin will join them. Great company!

Yesterday, December 7, there was the Annual Gala evening of the Russian Mountaineering Federation (FAR), dedicated to summing up the results of 2019. The main event, as usual, is considered the presentation of the prize for the best climbing achievement “Golden Ice Ax of Russia”. However, this time the evening began with a speech by our Nepalese guest Nirmal Purja (Nims).

The hero of the Himalayan year, who climbed all 14 eight-thousanders of the world in an incredibly short period of 6 months and 6 days, made a brief presentation to an impressive audience. It must be said that this year the evening of the federation  gathered a record number of spectators. And they listened with great attention and frank delight to Nims.

 Then there was the traditional procedure for awarding by Honorary Badges "Climber of Everest", climbers who first  time climbed the highest peak in the world this year. It was preceded by Maxim Shakirov with his presentation. In the past year, he carried out his own amazing project and climbed Mount Everest with video equipment for shooting 360. However, the project is not finished, we will wait for an internet site where you can admire all this.

And then Alexander Abramov and our Everest team were called onto the stage. See how it was:

After that, it was possible to move on to the main part of the evening - honoring the best climbers and the best climbing achievements of the year. But this is a different story.

Our story continued at the restaurant table…

 The first public performance of the Nepalese climber Nirmal Purji (easier, Nims) after the completion of his epic project Project Possible (14 eight-thousanders in 6 months and 6 days) took place in Moscow. The hero of this season came to Russia at the invitation of the 7 Summits Club. About 250 people came to listen to Nims's performance in the lecture hall of the Sport Marathon Travelers Club. The performance of the Nepalese was not long and detailed, he has no right to show part of his materials, because of obligations to sponsors. However, our audience remained completely satisfied. In particular, the fact that Nims devoted a lot of time to joint photographs and signing autographs. He withstood the whole rather big queue and this procedure took about an hour.

   The 7 Summits Club in the person of its President Alexander Abramov handed Nims "Golden Ice ax", so we evaluate his achievement ...

What was Nims talking about?

Nothing is impossible! The main thing in the project was precisely this idea! Show that it is possible. Nims sacrificed his pension,  laid his own house. And normal sponsorship appeared only after the completion of the first, most difficult part of the project.

 But at the same time, he wanted to show that Nepalese can be considered  as leaders in high altitude mountaineering. They consider themselves underrated.

Nims paid special attention to the fact that during the project, his team held four rescue actions. Critically, this could affect success. Especially at the very beginning, when the schedule was broken due to the rescue action at Annapurna.

The most difficult was, of course, Kanchenjunga. It was only the fourth day after the descent from Dhaulagiri. Fatigue was incredible. However, when on the descent, Nims's group found three climbers who were unable to move independently, they were assisted. And of the 40 climbers who were in the nearest camp, no one took part in the action.

Nims also climbed with  supplemental oxygen because there can be different situations on the ascent and often other climbers have to be helped. What would be impossible without additional oxygen.

Before K2 he was worried more than usual. After all, no one was able to get to the top before them. Even very strong teams. Under the mountain there were about a hundred climbers. When they arrived at the base camp, everyone turned to Nims with a question about their plans. He answered - today we drink (alcohol) and no plans. And in the morning his team took the storm of the most formidable mountain.

By the way, during the 16-year service in the elite unit of the English army (the Gurkhas are considered by many to be “the best warriors in the world”) Nims did not drink alcohol at all. But now he believes that it can even be useful in the mountains.

On Pakistan's eight-thousanders, the Nims team had difficulties associated with the work of local porters. Nepalis simply did not like the pace of their movement. Therefore, they carried goods under Broad Peak and Gasherbrum independently.

Nims plans to issue book,  ti finish a film, work in his company Elite Himalayan Adventures, make a new route to Cho Oyu, perhaps for new records ...

And! Collaborate with  the 7 Summits Club and work with our groups. And not only in Nepal!

From an interview with Forbes magazine:

I am not really afraid of anything. But there is an old saying: If someone says, “I’m not afraid of dying,” they must either be a Ghurka or they must be lying. I am a Ghurka (laughs)!

Reinhold Messner, the man of the era who first climbed the eight-thousanders: “Nims, I can see in your eyes - it comes from your soul, from your heart - I think you can do this project.”

 Now we made sure that Messner was right. Nims is a very honest, decent, pure in his goals, strong person in every way, and at the same time he is adequately thinking. We are friends now!

The hero of the year Nirmal Purja (Nims) is coming to Russia! On December 7, he will perform in front of audience of the 7 Summit Club at 15:00. And then later (from 19:00), he will visit the Annual solemn evening of the Russian Mountaineering Federation. On December 8, he is waited in St. Petersburg.

Alexander Abramov is an extra-class climber who has been on the summit of Everest 10 times. Perhaps he is the main in Russia and one of the world's leading experts on high-altitude mountain expeditions. Alex told why people go to the mountains and why they die there. And also, how much does it cost to climb to the highest peak of the planet, and at what height the line between a man and a woman is blurred.

Fully - in Russian

For six months in the office - how do you keep your form?

 My form is my work tool. Any guide should be a priori stronger than any of his clients, only in this case it makes sense to pay him. Stronger both theoretically - to know more about the mountains, to have more experience, both morally and physically.

 Therefore, I do everything for my work. So, today I came to the office only at 13:30 - in the morning I ran, did exercises. I believe that every person is obliged to devote at least an hour, and this is 4% of the day, to physical training outdoor.

 Now I am 56, many have surrendered by this age, are hunched over. And I’ve been climbing for 38 years and don’t drink any pills.

Has your occupation made you rich? Do you have half a million rubles a month on your personal account?

I don’t know how much I earn per month, but this amount, the price of a used car, doesn’t scare me. I know that Gazprom top managers also have 3 million a month, but how happy are they at their offices at the meetings?

Whether I became rich or not is a difficult question, but the fact that I have a very interesting life is for sure. For me, every trip to the mountains is a bright spot burned in the brain with a laser. And sitting in the city is such a gray strip. I will never remember what I did on Friday of such and such a date, such and such a year. But if you ask me, remember, in the year 2012 you were on Everest? Remember, on May 3 we were there with the same person? I can recover all day in my head and tell you.

But the rest ... Yes, in order to live, you need to earn some chips, this is 100%, but this is just not so interesting.

Nepalese climber, the new world record holder in the speed of ascents to all 14 eight-thousandths of the planet Nirmal Purja (Nims) accepted the invitation of the 7 Summits Club to come to Russia!

So - Miracles do come true!

 During the autumn expedition on Manaslu (8156m), the members of the 7 Summits Club group headed by Ludmila Korobeshko met Nims, who was completing his unique program of climbing the eight-thousandth peaks.   We have established good friendly relations and invited the Nepalese to visit Russia at the end of his program.  Soon climbing to the top of Shisha Pangma Nims issued a new phenomenal record, passing all 14 eight-thousandths less than 7 months.   Suffice it to say that the previous achievement he beat by more than seven years!  

And recently, on behalf of the 7 Summits Club, we sent him an official invitation to come to Russia.  Nims agreed, and with the support of the Russian Embassy in Nepal, he got a visa.

  December 7^th  the 7 Summits Club  participates in the organization in Moscow a gala evening of the Russian mountaineering Federation, dedicated to the summing up of the year.  During this event, the Golden ice Axe of Russia ceremony will be held – an award for the best mountaineering achievement of the year.  And there will also be a presentation of the "Everest Climber" honours to climbers who have reached the world's highest peak for the first time this year.

It is planned that Nims will speak to Russian climbers with a story about his unique record project and his future plans. The speech in Moscow will be his first public appearance outside Nepal!  Do not miss this historic event!

We will also organize two more performances of Nims at our friends:

 December 7^th in Moscow in the lecture Hall of the Club of Travelers of the Sport Marathon;

December 8^th in St. Petersburg in the RedFox trade center.

If successful, Alexander Abramov will become the oldest climber on Everest in the world, of those who did not use oxygen doping.  He turns 56 in January. No one over 55 has ever reached the summit of Mount Everest without oxygen. See list of climbers below…

Alex promised to give more details later. But he considers it necessary to say that his attempt will not affect the work of the expedition of the 7 Summits Club. Its members,  as usual,  will live in the most comfortable conditions possible and the climbing program will be calculated in the most careful way.

Full list, thanks for the Himalayan database.

We are proud of our guides! Not only do they lead people to the mountains, but also do sports feats! Recently, the 7 Summits Club Super-guide Boris Egorov jumped base from the highest exit in Europe. Now Boris is preparing for a trip to Brazil, and then, in the winter, will work as a guide in Aconcagua, Ecuador and Kenya, join us!

The Kükürtlü Face is the Southwestern shoulder of the Elbrus massif. Amazing natural formation and one of the steepest and longest rock walls of the Caucasus mountains.

In August of this year, a trio of daredevils made a base jump here, passing before this traverse of the Western summit of Elbrus.

You need to decide urgently - the offer is valid only until October 15. The program of climbing Mount Vinson from 15 to 30 December. The highest peak of Antarctica with guide Artem Rostovtsev.

Program

The evening dedicated еo the Birthday of the 7 Summits Club 7 Peaks and summing up the summer season, will be held on October 23 in the Travelers Club of Sports-Marathon.

  We invite all friends and those who want to become our friend!

 Come on Wednesday, October 23. Beginning at 19-30.

  Meeting place: the Travelers Club of Sports-Marathon  Ul. 5-I Kozhukhovskaya, 10

https://sport-marafon.ru/contacts/#map

The end of October – it is time for meetings friends of the 7 Summits Club  on our Birthday. This year we will celebrate it on October 23. Traditionally, we prepare an interesting program of speeches, reports, presentations and awards. But we have no doubt that the main thing in the program will be a simple friendly communication of our guests, hosts and hostesses. We love our friends and we are very pleased that the evening  of the 7 Summits Club have become almost the main gathering place of the climbing community in Russia.

The season 2018 - 2019. Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club and a guide, leads the ascent to the highest peak of Antarctica mountain Massif Vinson.

The expedition was held in the framework of the record project "7 Summits for 7 Months", which is carried out by the President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov...