"7 Summits + 2 Poles" project news

Dear Friends,

 It’s not a secret that this spring, we organized an expedition to mount Everest from the North side, in conjunction with «7 Summits Club», «RD Studio», «RedFox», «Yandex» and «Toyota». The expedition was stopped in half way, due to an earthquake magnitude of 8 – We were lucky that nobody from our Expedition was hurt. We were forced to evacuate.

Despite this fact, we managed to create a panoramic view of our 19km route, right from Base Camp (5100m) to Advanced Base Camp (6500m).

The Panoramas were published before the release of the film "Everest".

In the autumn of 2015, inspired by the many positive responses from your side, we decided to finish the job and began to organize an expedition in 2016.

May 20, 2016, we managed to reach the summit (8848м) and completed the full route whilst picturing everything in 3D panoramic views from base camp to the summit. May 22, 2016, we returned to base camp uninjured and safe.

Early June 2016 when we returned to Moscow, we started going through all the raw materials and then commenced our work to ensure it was of the highest standard. We created a special interactive page dedicated to the climb. Now, because of our project, everyone will be able to travel our full journey right from base camp (5100m) up until the summit of Everest (8848м). You will be able to pass this scenic mountainous route without exposing yourselves to any danger. 

We wanted to make such beauty more accessible and wanted to share with you this joy and positivity.

And yes – we were the first in the world to do a full 3D panoramic view of route to highest point in World – Everest Summit!

Thanks to all of those who participated in the project. We really appreciated your support. We appreciated your selfless dedication and inspiring enthusiasm.

Special thanks to:

- Anatoly Topol and Konstantin Lysenko from Yandex team – without your enthusiasm and faith, this project would not have taken place

- Olga Bolotova from the team Neq4 – as the most energetic team member of our project

- RD Studio team, and personally to Valdis Pelsh, Kristina Kozlova, Alexander Kubasov, Vladimir Kudinov – for your support in the mountains – with you there was never a boring moment

- expedition team and to Alexander Abramov – for the excellent organization of the expedition and the feeling of tranquility

- Vladimir Kotlyar and Vlad Moroz – for their selfless help during the expedition, faith and dedication

- Max Shakirov, project partner – because you were always never far behind

- colleagues, to team and to management – thank you very much for the opportunity you gave ma and fot believing in me

- parents, relatives and friends – for their support

- and, of course, to the Toyota team – for «Always a better way»

Together we make the world better – thank you.

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"I want to share with you the inspiring beauty of the world we live in."  Roman Reutov

Vladimir Shataev ascended to the summit of Kilimanjaro at 9:30 November 3, 2016, in company with another great friend of our Club Alexander Sobolenko. They left the last camp to Barafu at 01:30. The climb took 8 hours. Vladimir Shataev is 79-a-half years old, he was born May 1, 1937. It is a national record of age ... but only for men. The absolute record belongs to our compatriot Angela Vorobyova – 86 years!

Despite the fact that early November is considered the end favorable for climbing season, the weather was quiet. Snow (about 2 cm) fell only to assault the camp Barafu.

According to Vladimir, trekking to the summit on the Machame route is a much cooler than Marangu, on which he has been climbing two times. The route seemed much more beautiful, varied and difficult. Climbing on Marangu and Machame is 2 different mountains. It was a pleasant discovery!

Kilimanjaro from Machame route is really beautiful.

Alexander Sobolenko plans had to prepare for the next climbs and to lose weight. According to him, the second paragraph failed, because he was very well fed.

Our Indonesian partners are famous for their trademark technique - inscribed flags on top of the mountain and certificates. Therefore, the awarding   procedure can be regarded as the end of the expedition. Though it may be, we still have to go home. But  to leave heat in South-East Asia for the cold of Russia is not very desirable.

1. Our group guided by Maxim Bulahovsky successfully climbed the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro - Uhuru peak via the Machame route. They made it 2 days ahead of schedule! Now they are down to the Millennium camp and then to the exit of the National Park. Their plan: go on a Safari early in order to see more animals.

2. The group of Artem Rostovtsev has also reached the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. So they celebrated the birthday of Pavel Altukhov. We also congratulate Paul with summit and birthday!

3. Another group is now in the assault camp Barafu and preparing for the most important moment - the exit to the summit bid.

4. Well, Alex Lagun (St. Petersburg) is off to Tanzania to meet the adventure, to make my first ever climb (photo)

Alex is planning for the first time to try yourself as a climber and to experience all of what have long told fellow climbers...

PHOTOS BY ARTEM ROSTOVTSEV

Our team on the Pyramid Carstensz returned to the paradise island of Bali, to relax and to heal the wounds. Mission accomplished - passed through the jungle, met with the Papuans, climbed to the top. Now  we have memories and stories for a lifetime. But so far only photos:

Hello! This is Alexander Abramov, from the base camp of Carstensz Pyramid. Today, our team (all members) climbed to the top. We climbed in record time, 5 hours from base camp to the summit. We were very lucky with the weather.

One of our members, all of you know, Irena Kharazova thus completing the Seven Summits project. And we lost another customer. LAUGH!

In general, everything is fine, we are now sitting in the base camp. We went down, the weather is beautiful, everyone is happy. We send greetings to family and friends! ...

Details we write tomorrow when we shall be on Bali. Now we are waiting for the helicopter. Bye!

The President of the 7 summits Club Alex Abramov has long sought to complete the programme Grand slam (seven summits plus two poles).

... So it turns out that the short season of traveling to the Pole coincides with a slightly longer, but also strictly limited, to the duration, season of Everest expeditions. And Alex is the head  Everest expeditions each year since 2003. Everest Expedition is  the most important event of the year for the 7 Summits Club, so it stands in the foreground.

 Therefore, in 2017, the leader of the expedition to Everest will join his team later than usual. He will  be a leader of  our program  at the North Pole that ends on April 16th.

 Now there's a real possibility for any person to reach the North Pole in various ways. We know the best, the optimal way.

It is our Last degree ski program.

 The last degree is a really difficult test, a test of endurance, character, struggle with the cold and struggle with the drift, this is a real danger of falling into ocean water in ice-holes and cracks a chance to meet the polar bear.... But the victory will be ours! It has always been, it always should be!

 The last degree route is changing from year to year. In theory it is about 110 km. However, near the Poles, there is always the strong drift that is difficult or even impossible to predict in advance. Therefore, in the process of movement on skis you can just take it back and have to go a greater distance.

 Camp Barneo (Russian: Лагерь Бaрнео) is a private Russian temporary ice base established annually since 2002 on an ice floe relatively close to the North Pole used largely for tourist excursion purposes.

 The first Ice Camp Barneo was established in 2002. Since that time, the camp has been rebuilt from scratch every year because of the constantly drifting Arctic ice. For example, in 2007 Ice Camp Barneo was located at about 89°31.5′N 30°27′W. However, northerly winds caused the Ice Camp to drift towards the southeast at a speed of 0.8 kilometres per hour (0.5 mph).

 The ice camp works under the patronage of the Russian Geographical Society and normally lasts for the month of April.

 Ice Camp Barneo should not be confused with the sequential Soviet/Russian "North Pole" drifting ice stations established by the Russian Academy of Sciences Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI).

 From 2002 to 2016, the starting and final point of all expeditions to Barneo has been Longyearbyen, the capital of the Svalbard archipelago of Norway. The city has necessary facilities including an airport, hotels of different levels, restaurants, a post office, a bank, and a supermarket.

 In 2016, following military exercises by Chechen paratroopers on Barneo, Norway enacted a flight embargo, which it later lifted. As a result, the 2017 event is expected to take place with a base in Russia.

Almost at the same time four our groups went to Africa to climb the highest peak of the continent. They have different routes, but the main goal is the same - Kilimanjaro! The two groups will work with Russian guides.

  Artem Rostovtsev leads the group, which aims to celebrate the birth of one of the participants at the summit of Kilimanjaro. This is their main goal! They go by the classic route Marangu.

 A group guided by Maxim Balakhovskiy will climb by another popular and also classic route - Machame. Immediately after the descent from the mountain they have to fly to the Serengeti National Park, where they will wait for safaris and hot air ballooning over the savannah.

 Two other individual groups will make the ascent with local guides. They also go by two different routes - Machame and Marangu.

PHOTOS by Artem Rostovtsev

Hello! This is Alexander Abramov from Papua Province, from the 7 Summits Club expedition to the Pyramid of Carstensz. This morning the weather was beautiful, which is very rare in these parts of the World. We were ready to start, but it turned out that the porters did not want to go. And they had a very long meeting, it was all due to our yesterday's meeting with the armed guerrillas.

 The porters were afraid to go out, but, nevertheless, at ten o'clock still started to collect things. We have lost time, so we had to go the whole day again. We got to the fourth camp very late, in darkness. This is the last camp before the base camp, tomorrow we will have a sufficiently long march climbing about one kilometer, partly over rocks.  And we must come to the base camp.

 Today we have a remarkable event. Today Evgeniy Kravt is 41. He put the bottle of whiskey, very good quality. And on the occasion, our Indonesian cooks and guides made cake, chocolate cake.

 Now the rain continues to pour. Everything is as usual, and by the morning rain subsides. We hope that this tradition will continue, and we will be able to start early in the morning.

 So far, all are good. Everybody is happy....

Hello! Alexander Abramov from Papua. We are fine, all alive and healthy. Constantly pouring rain. We now come to the third camp, there is still a camp 4 and the base camp. Then we will climb up the mountain.

One moment overshadowed today our travel. We were stopped by some local people with machine guns and pistols. They demanded money from us. We gave all that we could - it is about 1500 dollars. And we were released, thank God. Things could have been much worse, probably. But the expedition continues ... everything is good, in general, nothing bad has not happened yet. Okay ... well, all are alive and well and  have good appetite at all.

All good-bye!

Hello! There is Alexander Abramov, the Pyramid of Carstensz. Yesterday we finally went into these terrible, wet jungle and moved in it until evening in the pouring rain. Torrential rain it is a rain that just breaks through not only jackets or coats, but also tents, where we spend the night. Dirt, of course, to the knee. The guys really did not expect this. And their surprise has no limit. All the time asking how long it will last? Yes, this dirt will continue to the base camp Carstensz Pyramid. Today we could not get the camp 2 and stopped in the intermediate camp.

 In the morning we started with the desire to reach the camp 2, but within an hour we came to a place where they were to pass the bridge.  The bridge appeared crushed, destroyed. And so for about two hours our Papuans made for us a new bridge. They cut down a tree, threw it into the water, pulled the rope. And we walked along the tree through which poured rage whitewater, belayed by  a rope...

Later in the jungle, we just started to climb on tree roots. You walk through the jungle ... in the air, at the height of half a meter. This endless climbing, endless mud, and we were not able to reach the camp 2 ...

 However, the team does not lose good spirits. Everybody is happy.

Alex Abramov:

Group took off from Timaka in Sugapa with a delay of 4 hours. In Sugapa we were waited for the crowd of Papuans with spears and bows. However, they met another plane, but we were impressed.

35 motoriders took us and our cargo and took up on a very bad road. Papuans three times stopped us and demanded money. But the policeman who was with us, decided this issue.

We finally got to Suanggama (2000 m), a village consisting of 5 houses. Three of them belong to the headman  and he posted three of his family. And two plank house built by the guides for the reception of expeditions to Carstensz. The houses of the headman  is a round hut with a grass roof. And dirt floors, as at Masai people in Africa. Our two cottages are two barn of rough-hewn boards.

We sleep on the floor and eat under a canopy of grass overlooking the whole village.

At the end of the day we witnessed an ugly scene. Men beat  one of wives of the headman  (third and youngest), she allegedly cheated on him with a white tourist. I think they even wanted to kill her. The Papuans are clearly threatened to our group. Anxious.

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 summits Club, a guide of the expedition: the 21st October, our team gradually gathered in a heavenly corner of the planet, which is called the island of Bali. This is probably one of the best places on Earth. Before hard work it is always required to relax. Here we rested from the hustle and bustle of Moscow, and before the rainy, ruthless Irian Jaya.

 It is difficult to estimate how many lobsters were killed in the bellies of our climbers. The evening of 22th October was illuminated by our noisy departure to the country of Papuans. Everything was checked, loaded and the plane dragged us to the glorious town of Timika in the South of the island of New Guinea...

Today, Alexander Abramov went to the Papuans. He is the guide of an expedition to the Pyramid Carstensz and President of the 7 Summits Club.

 Alex started a few days earlier the entire group to thoroughly prepare for this difficult expedition.

And the rest of the participants will arrive at the point of collection - Bali - 21 October. And eating seafood and having been filled with the sun, they will go deep into the island of Papua New Guinea adventures. The team gathered this times numerous - 10 PAX.

The event will be held on October 13^th  on Thursday, beginning at 20:00. The 7 Summits Club celebrates its birthday and invites you to share the feast of all his friends and those who would like to become a friend. We invite you to our office ul. Bolshaya Pereyaslavskaya, 7. Metro Prospekt Mira.

In the evening we will tell about our key expeditions of 2016, we summarize the results of several months of travel and climbing programs. You will find a meal and attention from the owners.

We present  main guests of the evening:

Oscar Konyukhov, the son and Manager of the greatest Russian traveler, tells about the organization of the expedition Fyodor Konyukhov  "balloon Flight around the world."

The participant of expeditions 7 summits Club, master of sports Alexander Yakovenko will speak about the project team's Vysota. Russian national team on high-altitude mountaineering, which this year closed the project "Snow leopard" five peaks in one summer.

We will also welcome the members of our expedition on Cho-Oyu this year, leader Sergei Larin. They had just come back from the Himalayas and will tell, how was the ascent.

We invited Natalia Kartashov our wonderful guide and instructor on the Crimean rocks. She's in the capital of many friends and we hope that they will not miss the opportunity to see her...

Natasha will tell us about the adventures of a team of 7 summits during the Big autumntrip to the Crimea. In particular, we share the impressions about participation in a unique race Crimea X Run - hard tests, an unforgettable experience!

Come, really looking forward to meeting You!

In 2006 Northern Irish adventurer Noel Hanna summited Everest for the first time in his life, one year after suffering retinal haemorrhaging on his first attempt.

Not content with climbing the world’s tallest mountain, after his descent Hanna then cycled down to sea level.

 In the following year the adventurer would complete the same feat on six different peaks; Mt. Vinson, Cartensz Pyramid, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Denali, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua, each the tallest mountains on their respective continents.

 Hanna is the first and so far only person to complete this astounding challenge.

 “It was a good challenge so it was,” he chuckles, reflecting on the superhuman effort.

 Ten years after his first successful Everest attempt, the Dromara-based climber has returned to conquer the mountain a further seven times – twice with his wife.

Hanna’s Everest pet-hate is poorly prepared climbers not respecting the mountain.

He wants to share his wisdom for those looking to take on the unforgiving mountain – less the mountain disrespects them back.

 Training on the hills – then climbing another mountain Hanna’s background in running ultra-marathons meant that he was well prepared for taking on Everest. However, he suggests that we don’t all need to be at that fitness level.

“If you’re a person of regular fitness, running 10ks or half marathons and going to the gym two to three times a week, that’s the base and then it’s just about getting out to the hills and walking with a big rucksack.

“Walking at weekends, maybe a four hour-walk or a five-hour walk in the hills with a backpack on.

“It’s very beneficial if you go to a high mountain before you go to Everest. Somewhere like Aconcagua in South America.”

Noel Hanna and his wife Lynne at the top of Everest (Photo: noelhanna.com)

Training the mind

Hanna suggests that the fitter you are, the more confident you’re going to feel on the mountain.

 “If you’re the weakest on a team, mentally that’s going to bring you down; if you’re one of the fittest on the team, mentally that’s keeping you strong.

“Go at your pace, don’t try and keep up with someone else just because they’re on your team, you have to go at your own body’s pace.”

Hanna’s kit list for Everest expeditions

Equipment for Base Camp and Advanced Base Camp: Duffle bag, sleeping bag, foam pad, gas lamp, gas stove, gas cylinders, personal items for washing, your favourite games, notebook

Technical equipment for ascent: Crampons (e.g. Grivel G12), rucksack 70-80 litres, rucksack 35-40 litres, harness, prussiks, karabiners with screwgate lockers – 3 items, jumar (ascender), telescope ski poles, thermos, rappel device, ice axe, head lamp, photo camera, video camera and assessors, accumulators, personal crockery for high camps

Equipment for body and feet: Trekking shoes, boots of “Everest” Millet type, down jacket + down trousers (or down overalls), Gore-tex jacket with wide hood, Gore-tex trousers (better semi-overalls), windblock jacket, windblock trousers, jacket “Polartec – 100”, warm underwear, personal underwear, Polartec gloves, Thinsulate gloves, Thinsulate mittens, warm woolen socks, balaclava, warm hat, windblock face mask, UV glasses, ski goggles (preferably), gaiters

Hone your ropework in the

Highlands Any technicals skills required to take on Everest can be perfected in the Scottish Highlands, or the Alps, according to Hanna.

“With Everest, there’s a technical side to it, but you don’t need to be super skilled on ropework for Everest.”

 Hanna says it is essential to religiously work on your ropework, be confident in rapelling (abseiling) and jumarring (climbing up a rope).

 Additionally, would-be Everest climbers need to be competent in clipping in and out of ropes, as well as passing anchors.

 “All of that could be done in the Highlands of Scotland or even in a climbing gym, but obviously it’s more beneficial to get in the snow with your crampons on and doing the training that way, or going to the Alps and doing Mont Blanc.”

Don’t rely on the sherpa

All climbers must be capable of doing the climb by themselves and there can be no over-reliance on sherpas.

 “A lot of people will think ‘Oh I’ve got a sherpa, if something happens to me he’s carrying me down’, but if the sherpa feels that his life is at risk he’s going to leave you.”

Tortellini and Coca-Cola

Hanna suggests that a drastic change in diet isn’t necessary for taking on the mountain.

“Some people take protein powders, but I don’t. I just eat normally, I don’t change my diet from home when I’m on the mountain because most good expeditions on the mountain, especially in the North side, get fresh stuff in all the way to base camp.

“We cook food all the way up to 7,000 metres and it’s really only on summit push at 7,700 and 8,300 that you use boil in the bag food, but normally we would have tins of tuna and foil packs of tuna.

“Ideally I like to put on maybe two or three pounds before I go to the mountain.

” Keeping yourself well fed even when your appetite fades is essential, says Hanna.

“A lot of people over 6 -7,000 metres lose their appetite. You need to force yourself to eat. It’s like a car if you don’t put petrol in it, it’s not going to go.”

 The Northern Irishman’s unconventional eating and drinking habits suggests there is room for a few home comforts when tackling the fearsome summit.

“The first year I was climbing there with a good friend of mine from Italy and he had taken tortellini pasta up with us and I had packets of tuna and we just made a lovely meal before we went to summit.

“I’ve always taken a bottle of Coke with me and I remember three years ago going for the summit – I had a small bottle of Coke – stopping to take a drink of it and as soon as I opened the lid it just exploded and 90% of the liquid inside just flew out of it with the pressure.

“I was devastated.” Noel Hanna (Photo: noelhanna.com)

 ‘There is no wall’

Hanna recommends running your own race and ignoring mountain literature that tells you exactly where you will struggle. Undoubtedly having strong mental fortitude is crucial to a successful ascent.

 “I went into climbing from endurance sports, like 100 mile runs. Somebody who has never done a marathon before, the first thing they will say to you is ‘when will I hit the wall?’ It’s a myth, it’s somebody else’s wall.

“If you’ve read a book that says you’re not meant to struggle till 7,000 metres and you’re struggling at 6,000 metres, mentally that’s going to affect you.

“I’ve seen people who struggle on their first acclimatization rotation, but once they get that sorted they’re the strongest on summit push. “I always said that 70% of it is in the head.”

 Bring a lucky charm

Making  physical, technical and mental preparations is empirical, but having a lucky charm is also of importance, says Hanna.

“My wife gave me a lucky black cat on a keyring and it’s gone to every mountain with me since 2004.

“I’m not superstitious or anything, but every single mountain that I go on, it’s attached on my rucksack.

“When I’m leaving on an expedition I need to make sure that cat’s with me.”

What does Everest mean to Hanna?

For most who complete the summit, Everest will hold a special place in their heart. For Hanna it was just another mountain – until his German Shepherd Babu passed away last year.

 “Me and my wife have a German Shepherd pup who was ten and a half years old, he passed away 10 months ago. We said if anything ever happened to him we’d take his ashes to the summit of Everest.

“That’s what me and my wife did this year, we took his ashes with us and we sprinkled them a couple metres from the summit and had a wee tearful moment for him.

“When I think of Everest now, I think of my dog’s ashes. Everest is the most thoughtful mountain for me. We don’t have any children so he was the closest thing we had.”

Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/uk/girls-body-image-one-three-believe-not-pretty-enough/

September 15th,  at 8 hours 30 minutes our heroic men were standing on the highest point of the African continent. We congratulate Alexander Tokarev and Alexey Korotkov on this achievement!

We wish them new heights and new victories!

The event will be held on October 13^th  on Thursday, beginning at 20:00. The 7 Summits Club celebrates its birthday and invites you to share the feast of all his friends and those who would like to become a friend. We invite you to our office ul. Bolshaya Pereyaslavskaya, 7. Metro Prospekt Mira.

In the evening we will tell about our key expeditions of 2016, we summarize the results of several months of travel and climbing programs. You will find a meal and attention from the owners.

More Details will be soon

That's how it was a year ago:

Team of Andrey Berezin by sunny, but windy weather, successfully reached the summit of Mount Elbrus. That these are autumn climbing. Congratulations to the brave participants and  valiant guides! It was the ending of a large climbing season on Mount Elbrus.

Ben Cranwell and Heleen Laurisson stood on top of Mount Kilimanjaro on 13 September. They climbed to the top together, accompanied by the local team.

 Now they are still in Tanzania, ready to fly home. Already, Ben and Helen make plans for the following ascents.

 The list of achievements they have already 2 of the 7 highest peaks of the continents, five ahead yet!

Our congratulations!