"7 Summits + 2 Poles" project news

Andrey Berezin, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from the Elbrus region:

News of the Elbrus region.  The Mishutki & Co group continues to acclimatize and prepare for the ascent on Elbrus.  Today (June 5th) we went up to the Pastukhov Rocks.  It was a sunny, hot day. Sunscreen was taken out every stop. As a result, everyone has only a slight blush on their skin. Tomorrow, rest and preparation for the ascent. 

 A new adventure of the 7 Summits Club in Tanzania has begun today. And not as usual with a rest after the flight, but immediately with a full immersion in a new world. We went on safari right from the plane and it turned out to be a great idea! We took a walk in nature, watched giraffes, wild boars, baboons and colobuses very closely, and buffaloes watched us and munched menacingly. And when we finally got to the hotel, we were surrounded by Maasai, dressed up in their clothes, and we participated in their national dances. Then, as usual: the bustle of checking equipment, a briefing, gifts from the 7 Summits Club and answers to all questions. And at the end of the day, a gala dinner with a surprise: an invited jazz band set the mood especially for us. So, with good impressions and anticipation, we went to rest. Tomorrow we will have the first day of trekking to the summit of the highest mountain in Africa – Kilimanjaro.

Guides Boris Egorov and Olga Rumyantseva.

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

 Jumbo Rafiki!  The group of the 7 Summits Club "Power Rangers" started the morning with morning exercises, everyone liked the format of such an awakening! After breakfast, we had to storm the Barranco Wall, which always scares at the first sight of it. But coming closer, everything is not so scary and quite passable. Then we crossed two valleys, on the slopes of which you could see the effects of a large fire. It occurred as a result of careless handling of fire. After that, there is now a categorical ban on tourists in the National Park for the presence of any fire!

By lunchtime we were already at Karanga camp 4030m. After eating, we went for a walk a little up the hill to sleep better! And at the dinner, Anatoly was congratulated on his Birthday!

Now we are resting and preparing for the final throw - going to the assault camp and climbing!

Good luck to everyone!

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

News of the Elbrus region. The new group of the 7 Summits Club on Elbrus today (June 3) spent an active day in the vicinity of Mount Cheget.  We walked through the forest, went to the Ai cafe with a view of the magnificent Elbrus.  In the afternoon, we were busy selecting the necessary equipment at the rental point.

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

Jumbo Rafiki! News of the 7 Summits Club "Power Rangers" group. Today we passed the most difficult day of trekking, climbing the Lava Tower 4640m and descending to the Barranco wall 3900m. The height makes itself felt, there are signs of a headache, but everything is within normal limits! A wonderful lunch, watermelons for dessert, the stunning valley of senecia (grass palms) on the descent, and the view of the Barranco wall, where we have to climb tomorrow - ALL this filled the brain, even to the stingy male tears.  And the availability of free Wi-Fi in the camp was completely amazing... Now it's dinner and a well-deserved rest!

Good luck to everyone!

Andrey Berezin, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from the Elbrus region:
News of the Elbrus region. The group "Delicate" climbed the Western peak of Elbrus on May 31. In difficult weather conditions, we were able to make this ascent! The weather did not favor us on this last day of spring. There was a wind at the top, which did not even allow us to stand on the top. But we did it anyway!

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

Jambo Rafiki! Our group, which took the name "Power Rangers", today went on the Machame route or "Whiskey Route"! All day we walked in the equatorial jungle and admired the exotic vegetation. And when we arrived at the Machame camp at an altitude of 2900m, we discovered the main peak of Kibo, Uhuru peak 5895m!
Our path along the "southern circumnavigation" leads exactly there! Everyone feels great, and so does their appetite. Good luck to everyone!

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

Jumbo Rafiki! A new group of the 7 Summits Club, the name of which is still being discussed, flew to the foot of Kilimanjaro today to do trekking and climb the summit along the Machame route! The day flew by in solving organizational issues, checking equipment and a little relaxation in the park of the Aisha hotel. We will start the route tomorrow! Good luck to everyone!

The expedition of the 7 Summits Club to Mount Everest has been successfully completed and has gone down in history. This time we tried to make more video recordings, and professional ones at that. Ilya Gladkikh joined the team for this purpose. We have already published some of the materials in the chronicle of the expedition. Now it's time for the final processing and publication of the part of the filming that could not be processed on site.  Your attention is drawn to the page of the expedition diary. The first acclimatization rotation with the first overcoming of the legendary Khumbu icefall.

Andrey Berezin, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from the Elbrus region:

News of the Elbrus region.  May 29th. The second day at the National Park Refuge.  In the plans for acclimatization, we went to the Pastukhov Rocks, height 4700. The ascent and descent worked as a whole. It feels like a Team! Tomorrow is the day of rest before the summit assault, we will rest and recover.

Andrey Berezin, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from the Elbrus region:

News of the Elbrus region! The "Delicate" group began an active part of acclimatization before climbing Elbrus.  Today (May 27th) we went up to the Ai café on the slopes of Mount Cheget. In the afternoon, we were busy picking up equipment and preparing to climb to the refuge the next day.

Alla Mishina: Interview with Alex Abramov on May 20, 2024. The original is here…

 Alex Abramov: On May 19 of this year, the team of my "Seven Summits Club" descended from the slopes of Everest in full force with the summit…

 And me?  It is on the height of 8000, a couple of hours before the exit. Well, why should I climb to the top for the 13th time? Everything is going according to plan, but in places with a creak. God grant memory... This is my twenty-first Everest expedition and I have been on the summit 12 times. And in January of this year I celebrated my 60th birthday. And it would be nice to celebrate the following years as well. And this is the thirteenth time... Well, at least there are no black cats at an altitude of 8000, otherwise there's something going on with this mountain illness.

 View of Mount 8848 from the South Col 8000

  Well, what should I create? Not a damn thing, but the facts: between the 3rd and 4th camps at an altitude of 7800, I was covered specifically despite the fact that I had been training all year. But then it's worth a little snot to break through, and the writing is gone... Or maybe you should quit smoking after all? Well, wait, I quit smoking for another 7,200, so why did it get covered?

  Covered and dispersed, let's forget it. It's time to think not about yourself, but about the group. What do people pay me for? For my experience, which will keep them alive, for the fact that I control every little thing on the ascent, keep the best guides and Sherpas as part of the expedition. We have everything from a doctor to a cook, everyone is focused on the result of a small, variously prepared group. My task was to prepare the group for the ascent as much as possible, both mentally and technically. But I can't walk in their place and I can't breathe in their place. Therefore, now it is "H time" for them - they must walk the distance from 8000 to 8848 themselves. And the main thing is to return as stalkers.

 In order for them to return intact, and not be left without fingers or eyesight, each participant needs to have an experienced partner. Everything is clear here, there are 7 proven Sherpa guides for 7 of my members. But what if something goes wrong? If we get stuck in traffic and into oncoming traffic, as it was last year, when due to the many delays of weak climbers in narrow places, instead of 8 hours we went up for as much as 12 hours, wasting oxygen? And if the weather covers us like it did here three days ago? There's Kotlyar and his group barely got out of the storm, people froze.

  And two independent climbers from Mongolia, who got lost on the descent, still cannot be found. What's there to guess - they're corpses. And to prevent all this from happening to mine, we need our small private rescue team, which will drag up and spread emergency oxygen in critical places, and which will instantly participate in rescue operations if someone is covered in the death zone. This is a classic of Soviet mountaineering - we always went to serious mountains only when we were released by the head of the rescue, and he released us if there were rapid response and support groups in the climbing area.

 The group is in the area of the Southern Peak at 8750

 It's now climbing who wants where he wants and with whom he wants — that's the result. But the Soviet classics are ironclad, it's been tested. And my clients in the group — they are not athletes, so they walk at different speeds, which means they will stretch over the mountain. There was a "steam locomotive" for 3 or even 4 hours of difference: who will get into which traffic jam is not to guess. This means that seven reserve Sherpas with emergency oxygen need to be stretched along the mountain at a reasonable distance between the pairs. I can't help them there anymore, there's a real death zone there. Now we need to discuss all the little things with everyone and concentrate their forces, systematize every detail so that they do not deviate from the plan and do not come to the top at the utmost possibilities: the road down is longer. The statistics of Everest are known: more died on the descent than on the ascent. Climbing up at full strength and with euphoria, with a warm heart. What's wrong — turned around and went down. But after the summit, they go down exhausted, often in bad weather and on the last liters of oxygen, with imperceptibly creeping frostbite of the face and hands and feet.

 Well, that means 14 Sherpas, of which 7 go up the mountain and 7 stretch out on the mountain in a support group. They all have walkie-talkies. But I have only 14 Sherpas, and we are in group 7 + 1, so I am left without a partner.

   And you need to carry a lot of oxygen — 5 bottles for each pair at least: two for a sherpa, three for a tourist. And this is 22 kg of weight for two. And he gets 5 more kilos of his personal belongings for small things — the backpack itself also has weight, thermos flasks, food, battery flashlights, first-aid kit, spare glasses, spare mittens... In short, either bring in additional oxygen and arrange the emergency support group correctly, or someone from the reserve team will go with me. Either cargo and belay for the participants, or for my 13th summit. But it hit me specifically yesterday. And now the tourists will count their partners, and someone will be in the red. And then this "minus" does not go away and all his life he will think that this is because he did not receive "his" paid sherpa from me, but I went. What's more important here? Should I go and be relatively close to them, or should I give them 200% success rate? And how can I provide them with 200% if I'm not on the mountain with them? They feel better mentally when I'm around. Nevertheless, my people know and see that those Sherpas — they are getting stupid sometimes and if something is wrong, they run away under various pretexts.

 9 p.m. We have a start at 22:00. It's time to decide. Either I'm going and one of the Sherpas is with me in a rope, and we won't bring enough emergency oxygen, or I'm not going. Well, how is it — I'm not going? I'm coming, of course. But for the 13th time... And yesterday it was covered specifically. Should I throw heads/tails? What nonsense. Is it covering up again? You need to think, not throw coins.

 The stratosphere. Everything is frozen

How much oxygen can I really carry on my own? I can, of course, have my 3 cylinders. A total of 20 kilos with a first aid kit. But then I'll walk slowly and I'll be of no use. That means 2 cylinders, as usual. And that means I won't have enough oxygen. Well, somewhere at the top of the support group, something is twitching. Then we return to option 1: I'm going, but I won't fully provide belay for the participants.

 Stupidly. What am I playing with now? With the lives of other people who believe me. How fucked up all these corpses are here! Every year at least one of the guides or organizers will screw up, and then instead of analyzing the causes of the accident by specialists, as was customary in our time, we have an analysis on the Internet by sofa experts with hundreds of repostings by "peek-a-boo bloggers" with photos the wrong mountain, the wrong year, and the wrong corpse.... in short, some nerves are due to the many unwelcome cases of Sherpas. At least hire a triple supply...

  Stop. An interesting thought flashed through my mind. I'll go with two cylinders, at the back of the group, without a partner, and I won't take anything from the emergency. On the third day, people frostbitten in a storm were running down from the middle of the mountain, they probably left half-empty cylinders on the trail. Maybe I find something, if I don't find it, I'll turn down. In any case, I'll get to the middle and be reasonably close to the group and reasonably safe to return if I'm left without oxygen.

 And there is also a better idea! Either I go and find the abandoned oxygen, or I go until mine runs out at the rate of two ends, or I go to the first corpse. Well, these two Mongols have gone somewhere. And where can the corpses go? They're lying along the rope, I guess. And we are just the first group after the storm, so we will find it.

 Well, here's the first one. And above, my team members climb up and the Sherpas - well, they have stretched out competently. The mountain turned out to be empty after the storm — those who got into it were dumped down from the middle, those who were going to sit it out - they are sitting in the base camp, my plan is to climb through intermediate camps in a storm so that on the first fine day to reach the summit — it worked. It doesn't blow as much on the intermediate раrts as on the saddle and above, where people froze. In short, the plan worked. We are alone on the mountain and the guys are walking fast, without traffic jams on the oncoming lane, I can't catch up with them.

 I didn't find any abandoned oxygen, but I found a corpse — as I expected. One of the Mongols, probably. There have been no others this year yet. The height is 8700, it's time to go down, so as not to lie down next to it.

 The First Mongol

The road down at a minimum of oxygen is not fast, I freeze specifically. Oxygen is the fuel for the body to create heat, without it fats do not burn. And when there is not enough of it, the brain turns off peripheral blood circulation and drives blood only to critical points, turns off the arms and legs.

 Oh, suddenly there's a second one. He was not visible at night. So both Mongols have been found. We need to tell their team to take it off before the people go. The day after tomorrow there will be a crowd here - early tonight, from 5400 from base camp, a caravan of people moved out. Someone sat out the storm in the first 6200, so you need to shoot the Mongols quickly. Well, fortunately, this place is not difficult to organize the descent of bodies, four will cope.

 The second Mongol

 7 a.m. That's it, my friends are all on the summit and the whole support group is stretched along the route. Lord, bear with us a little longer by your side, we're leaving!

 — Yes, Andrey, I'm in touch! What happened? Can't you walk? What happened? Are you blind? How much? At all? What is the height? As under the top at 8800... Right on the Hillary step drops? ...

 God, I told you to put up with us a little longer...

 To be continued…

Alexander Dorojukov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from the Elbrus region:

Greetings from the Timshel group! Today we had an attempt to climb the summit, unfortunately, unsuccessfully. We didn't have enough strength. But in the morning, we admired the magnificent views. Even Kazbek was visible.

Alexander Dorojukov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from the Elbrus region:

Greetings from the Timshel group! We continue our acclimatization on the slopes of Mount Elbrus. Today we walked to the Refuge of Eleven, held training how to use an ice axe. And they also mastered the climbing in crampons.  The weather was beautiful today, it got warmer, the views are excellent. We continue further.

Successful ascent of Mount Everest as part of the 8000 Club group (head Viktor Volodin) Denis Grachev has completed a program of ascents to the highest peaks of all continents -The Seven Summits. Congratulations! Denis did it "according to Kosciuszko's version." Therefore, we not only congratulate him, but also invite him to join our expedition to the summit of the Carstensz Pyramid next year.

Denis is 50 years old, a Muscovite, a veteran of law enforcement agencies, and professes a lifestyle that is sympathetic to us. That is, adventures of various kinds. Motorcycle, parachute, mountaineering…

Alexander Dorojukov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from the Elbrus region:

 Greetings from the new group "Timshel" from the Elbrus region! Today we started to acclimatize on the slopes of Mount Cheget. The weather is good, the views are gorgeous, it's cool in May. We continue to walk on…

All namaste from the Himalayas! Due to the lack of communication, and sometimes even strength, it was not possible to transmit information. So, the 8000 Club group went to Camp 1 on May 12 and, having successfully overcome the Khumbu icefall, reached its goal. On May 13th, we slowly move to Camp 2, the weather is pleasant and hot. On May 14th, the march is simple at first, and then we arrive at Camp 3 on steep ice. What is pleasing is that there are practically no people on the route. May 15th is one of the hardest and longest days, but nevertheless, we reach the South Col. However, not all of us.  Leonid, before the Camp of Route 4 on Lhotse, decides to stop climbing and go down. Everyone else reaches Camp 4 safely on a Saddle. And then it began: a strong wind tearing the tents that day does not even allow us to stick out our noses, let alone go out to storm. On May 16th, in the morning, we sit and hold tents, the wind has played out in earnest. According to the forecast, there should be a lull in the evening, and we decide to start a storm at 21 o'clock. Unfortunately, as often happens, the Hydrometeorological Center slightly failed. The wind is still strong. We don't have the energy, time, and everything else to wait any longer. And we decide to move out into the night. The frosty wind, burning our face and fingers, tries to stop us, but the thirst for victory and the desire to see the whole world from a height of 8848 m pushes the team to the top. And at 7.40 Nepali time on May 17th, Adrian, Denis, Konstantin and Sergey, as well as the Sherpas accompanying them, climbed to the top. Further, the strong wind does not stop and the long but pleasant road down to home, family and friends. Descent to Camp 2 and 1, Base camp, flight to Lukla and Kathmandu. The team's guide is Viktor Volodin.

Alexander Abramov, Expedition Leader, President of the 7 Summits Club: We're all at Base Camp. And we are already waiting for the helicopter in Kathmandu. Everyone is happy. The team is great!

Dmitry Moskalev on Lhotse