"7 Volcanoes" project news

On October 18, 2025, the first-ever ascent of Elbrus's main summit by a sled dog team took place. The heroes were the dogs, who received the typical Sherpa names Mingma, Pemba, and Lhakpa, and their handlers, the Simonovs, father and son. Of course, the event organizer, Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club, was also a key contributor. And of course, the filmmaker, cameraman Ilya Gladkikh, who later edited this wonderful film, was also a key contributor. Various dogs sometimes climb Elbrus on their own or with their owners. But this was their first experience climbing Elbrus with a sled dog team.

 The group climbed in the second half of autumn, in rather harsh conditions. The weather forecast was poor, which is typical for Elbrus. Preliminary training and acclimatization taught them a lot about organizing the ascent. However, the summit push itself brought many unexpected surprises and proved quite extreme. The group ascended by snowcat to 5,100 meters. The climb took 3.5 hours. On the descent, the group faced a real storm: a blizzard, winds up to 50 km/h, rough snow, and icy patches. But Mingma, Pemba, and Lhakpa withstood the test. As did the people.

 Should we continue this experiment? We need to think it over for now.

Open the "Film Studios" page and choose your viewing method!

The 7 Summits Club  guide Olya Rumyantseva reports from Mexico:

 Greetings from Mexico from the "Promising Optimists" group! This morning, we reached our base camp at 4,200 meters. We immediately took an acclimatization hike along the slopes of Orizaba to 4,750 meters. Afterwards, we descended and were able to truly appreciate the comfort of our camp. Large tents, delicious food, a gas heater in the dining room, and satellite internet.

Tomorrow we move to the summit camp and begin the ascent the following night.

The 7 Summits Club super guide Olya Rumyantseva reports from Mexico:

 Greetings from Mexico to everyone from the "Promising Optimists" group! That's the name we chose today during our climb of the Cero Negro volcano.

The climb was short and quite enjoyable, with a gentle climb and beautiful views, including of the neighboring Orizaba volcano.

In total, we gained about 600 meters and reached an altitude of 4,600 meters. There, at the summit of Cero Negro, we found a huge telescope.

After descending to the hut, we had lunch and conducted a gear check. Everyone was convinced they had all the necessary gear for climbing Orizaba and knew how to use it. Tomorrow we leave for Orizaba Base Camp.

Our most active participant in recent years, Andrey Polyakov, has completed the Seven Volcanoes program! Today, he sent a video and photos from the summit of Ojos del Salado volcano. He completed the climb in 8 hours and 40 minutes with local guide Mario. The South American season is just beginning, and we're already seeing success! Andrey Polyakov occupies a remarkable 69th place on the list of Seven Volcanoes climbers. Russia is increasing its dominance in this program! Congratulations to Andrey! He's already climbed so many mountains, but there are always more to come. So, here's to new summits and achievements!

Greetings from Mexico! The 7 Summits Club "Chingoys de la Montaña" group concluded their Orizaba ascent with a gala dinner and awards ceremony. 100% of participants reaching the summit is an excellent result, which we strive for in all our programs. Many kind words and best wishes were expressed. Special mention goes to Konstantin Lashas, who completed the "Seven Volcanoes" project with his ascent of Orizaba, and Akmatbek Mamatkaimov, the first ethnic Kyrgyz to reach the summit of this mountain. Overall, well done to all! Guides Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

The 7 Summits Club group "Los Chingoys de la Montaña" successfully climbed Mount Orizaba. Congratulations to the participants and best wishes for new achievements and greater heights!

Guides Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from Mexico! The 7 Summits Club "Los Chingoys de la Montaña" group has reached the final stretch. Tomorrow we ascend to the summit camp at 4,750 m and set out tonight to summit Volcano Orizaba. Today's acclimatization hike to the summit camp has strengthened our confidence. The forecast is favorable, and our spirits are high. We've spent the past two days preparing for the summit push, and we've moved to Base Camp at 4,200 m. We're camped in comfortable two-section tents, and our dining hall is equipped with everything necessary for a good rest. We're spending all our free time there playing Perudo and playing cards; the excitement is running high. The decisive day remains; wish us success! Guides Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

The 7 Summits Club guide Olya Rumyantseva sends a message from Mexico:
Greetings from Mexico! Yesterday, the entire Superkids team summited North America's highest volcano, Mount Orizaba. The climb took place in perfect weather conditions. There wasn't a cloud or breeze. Nevertheless, climbing nearly 6,000 meters proved to be a challenging task, and everyone accomplished it brilliantly.

The 7 Volcanoes Superkids team:
Maria Stepanova, 19, third-year student.
Aleksandra Stepanova, 16, 11th grade.
Pavel Stepanov, 13, 7th grade. School No. 1514.
And their superdad, Sergey Stepanov.

This is the team's third ascent this year. In the spring, they climbed Kilimanjaro. In the summer, Elbrus. And now, Orizaba. Ahead are ascents of the remaining four highest volcanoes on the continents.

Greetings from Mexico! The second day of the program was entirely dedicated to climbing La Malinche, 4462 meters (14,500 ft). This is an important acclimatization hike before moving on to Orizaba. The day before, the group had acquired the name "Los Chingoys de la Montaña" and left early in the morning for La Malinche National Park. The weather was beautiful, sunny, and windless. The local mountain enthusiasts, who are plentiful on weekends, were almost nonexistent, but there were plenty of local dogs, who climbed with us and participated in a photo shoot. For this, they received well-deserved sandwiches right at the summit, and then left us alone. Today, our program includes a transfer to Base Camp. Guides Andrey Berezina and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from Mexico! A new 7 Summits Club group has begun their program on Pico Orizaba. We gathered in Mexico City the day before. We all traveled on different flights and different airlines, taking a long time but, fortunately, without any unpleasant incidents. Everyone also used the time to explore the city and booked guided tours. Today was the first day of the program, a low-stress but very special one. We could only post one photo of our hot air balloon flight over the Teotihuacan pyramids to evoke admiration – how beautiful and how lucky we were to be part of such an event! An unforgettable experience! We hope that such a flight will be a mandatory part of the program for our groups in the future. Tomorrow is the first day of acclimatization – an ascent of La Malinche. The group name will also be announced tomorrow. Guides: Andrey Berezina and Valery Myasoedov.

The 7 Summits Club Guide Olya Rumyantseva sends this message from Mexico:

 Greetings from Mexico from the Superkids group! Today, our brave group acclimatized on the slopes of Volcano Orizaba. We climbed briskly to 4,750 meters, where our high camp is located. From there, we will begin the ascent tomorrow.

After returning to camp and enjoying a wonderful lunch, we unpacked our gear, tried it on, and reviewed how to put on crampons and harnesses. Tomorrow, we will ascend to the high camp and set out for the summit tonight.

The 7 Summits Club super guide Olya Rumyantseva reports from Mexico:

Greetings from Mexico to everyone from the Superkids supergroup! Today we moved to the slopes of Volcan Orizaba, at an altitude of 4,200 meters. We settled into our super-comfortable camp and even managed to take a short super-hike. We climbed about 150 meters and enjoyed the incredible (super) views.

The 7 Summits Club super guide Olya Rumyantseva sends a message from Mexico:
Greetings from Mexico from the Superkids group! Today was our first Mexican ascent. To acclimatize, we climbed the not-so-high (relatively speaking, of course, since 4,420 meters is quite a height), but very picturesque La Malinche volcano.

The ascent took place in wonderful weather conditions. We were shown famous Mexican volcanoes in all directions, including Volcan Orizaba, our next destination.

We'll be heading there tomorrow.

Greetings from Mexico, where today the adventures of another the 7 Summits Club team began. The youngest and most unusual team, the Superkids, also known as the Superfamily, began.

Three teenagers, aged 14 to 20, are climbing the highest volcanoes on the continents in the company of their father. This brave team has already climbed Kilimanjaro and Elbrus. Now it's the turn of North America and its highest volcano, Orizaba.

The boys' adventures began a few days ago, when they arrived in Mexico and began exploring it. Yesterday, we finally all got together, introduced ourselves, the boys received gifts, and early this morning, we set off.
We left very early because we decided to see the pyramids of the ancient city of Teotihuacan from above in a hot air balloon before the obligatory excursion.

This time, the weather was on our side. We had a stunning sunrise and an incredible ride above the ancient pyramids. For the kids, it was their first hot air balloon ride. It was a little scary, but the excitement was far greater.

Greetings from sunny Mexico! Today, the entire "Equipo de Orizaba" group climbed Mount Orizaba, North America's highest volcano and Mexico's highest point, at 5,636 meters. The weather was perfect: completely calm and temperatures below -5 degrees Celsius. After descending to base camp, we moved to Zoapan, where we were met by our friends and a Mexican orchestra. From there, we traveled to Puebla, where we spent the night. Our next destination is Mexico City and then home. Group guides: Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from sunny Mexico! Yesterday we acclimatized to the assault camp (4800m). The climb took two and a half hours, and we spent another half hour at the campsite. Tomorrow we'll ascend to the assault camp. Then, tonight, we'll begin the ascent ща Orizaba. Group guides: Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from sunny Mexico! The "Equipo de Orizaba" group is currently at the best base camp on Orizaba Peak, at an altitude of 4,200 meters. We are staying in large, spacious camping tents. There is a large dining room where our entire large team can eat. The food is delicious and varied. Wi-Fi is available throughout the day. The group's guides are Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

We congratulate our most active summit collector in recent years! In 2023, Galymzhan Kuspanov joined the 7 Summits Club programs. His first was Elbrus. Within two years, this courageous Kazakh climber had attempted all 14 summits in the Seven Summits and Seven Volcanoes programs! This may be a record for participants.

Yesterday, Galymzhan Kuspanov completed one of his collections with his ascent of Orizaba. We wish him the same success in the Seven Summits program in the coming year! May he maintain excellent physical fitness, a desire to expand his horizons, and the ability to do so for many years to come! Kuspanov ranked 67th on the list of Seven Volcanoes climbers, becoming the second in Kazakhstan after Yuri Lukyanov and the first ethnic Kazakh. Galymzhan turned 60 this year. He's a good role model for young people and also a record-breaker.

Kilimanjaro News, Tanzania. Summit Climb Day. The day began quite early, as internet access was nonexistent due to the country's elections. Everyone went to bed early and woke up early. We had breakfast at 7 a.m., and by 8 a.m., our group had already set out for Kibo Camp.

It's truly amazing how well the national park has managed to provide all the amenities along the route, right down to comfortable restrooms and tables. You instantly lose the feeling that you're far from civilization.

 After about four hours of gradual ascent, crossing desert terrain that sometimes feels like a walk on Mars, you reach Kibo Camp at 4,700 meters. There, cozy cabins and the thoughtful faces of climbers await you, anticipating the night of the summit. And also the carefree faces of the local guys, for whom this has long been a routine and part of their lives.

We set off for lunch, dinner, and rest at 10:00 PM. Soon, it's time to get up and make final preparations. Breakfast, which often requires forcing yourself to eat. The realization that you literally have to force yourself to eat. A final check of gear and clothing, and then "off you go!" The hardest day of our tour lies ahead. Just eight hours of climbing up a switchback road in the night over dusty, loose earth. After six hours, you reach the first point, called Gilmans Point. This is the first long rest stop, and dawn is already breaking.

 Nighttime shots of Kilimanjaro's crater in the light of the full moon, tea, and your favorite songs to help you fight off the drowsiness that rolls in like waves. And then, off you go again. Two more hours of work lie ahead, now at altitude. An hour and a half later, as soon as you pass Stella Point, the magic of sunrise begins. And you see with your own eyes how the valleys of golden Africa are bathed in the rays of the sun. This is something that can't be described in words, videos, or photos; you have to see it with your own eyes!

After the shock therapy, another half-hour of walking in the sun's rays, and there in the distance is the coveted sign for Uhuru Peak 5895.

And you say, "Hakuna Matata poli poli tutafika" (No problem! Quietly, quietly, we'll get there soon).

Guides: Alexander Dorojukov, Leuan Atabiyev.

The 7 Summits Club guide Olya Rumyantseva reports from Mexico:
Greetings from Mexico from the "Axolotl and Friends" group! Today, almost the entire group climbed Volcano Orizaba. Almost the entire group because the weather gave us a surprise. The forecasts weren't particularly bad, but forecasts don't always come true. Ultimately, two members decided to abort the climb. The others decided to continue. They found themselves at the summit, covered in icy glaze and lightly dusted with snow. It's not easy to climb with a shell of ice weighing several kilograms. But now everyone has unforgettable memories, excitement, and cool windows. And Galymzhan Kuspanov completed the "Seven Volcanoes" project with this ascent. Congratulations!