"7 Volcanoes" project news - Page 19

On January 14, the 7 Summits Club team led by Alexander Abramov successfully climbed the summit of the highest volcano in Antarctica, Mount Sidley. The weather conditions were far from ideal and on the descent the group had to wait out the blizzard in the High (assault) camp. All participants and guides Alexander Abramov and Andrey Polyakov safely descended to the base camp and are waiting for the weather to improve before flying to Union Glacier and then home.

January 16. Chile, expedition to Ojos Del Salado. The team "Zorros Rojos y otros".

Yesterday we returned to civilization - to Bahia Inglesa on the Pacific coast. In the evening, we held a ceremonial awarding of medals for climbing the highest volcano in the world - Ojos del Salado. For some participants, this is already the 5th volcano. New seven-volcano climbers are on the way! Tomorrow we fly home with new mountain plans! And today we celebrate the birthday of the Captain of our 7 Summits Club - Alexander Abramov all day long.

From Chile - expedition leader Lyudmila Korobesho and assistant leader Alexander Spirin.

 The Sidley-2 team in full force climbed to the top of Sidley on January 14 at 18:00, all 8 participants and 2 guides. Many records were set. There will be a separate post about it.

The weather was terrible. We managed to catch a small window. Then we waited out the blizzard for a day in the high camp. Now the team has descended to the Base Camp and is waiting for the plane to take off.

 Everyone is alive and well and happy!

Guides Alexander Abramov and Andrey Polyakov.

The 7 Summits Club guide Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Chile:

Yesterday, January 14, in very harsh weather conditions, most of the Zorros Rojos y Otros team climbed to the top of Ojos del Salado. Halfway to the summit, we were caught in a snowstorm. But we decided to continue climbing. As a result, the Foxes fought the elements for about 17 hours, including the ascent and descent. During this time, about 30 cm of snow fell on the mountain. We descended in the dark. And we also had to drive down dangerous snow-covered roads. A real Snowstorm in the desert!

Now - for a well-deserved rest by the sea!

The 7 Summits Club President Alexander Abramov from Antarctica:

 Hooray! The Sidley team has arrived at Base Camp! Tomorrow morning, January 13th, we will have breakfast, pack up, and head to High Camp. Summit ascent and descent on the 14th. Flight to Union on the 15th. We need to hurry, as the forecast says a storm will start on the 15th for 3 days.

January 11-12. Chile, expedition to Ojos Del Salado. "Zorros Rojos y otros" team. On January 11th, we returned to our home (Laguna Verde camp) after a rest in Copiapo. We got there in 3.5 hours and climbed into our favorite tents, having had dinner in our huge and cozy tent beforehand.

On January 12, we went for the last acclimatization before the assault - to a height of 6000+. We walked up to 6200, it was somehow not easy. And cold. We walked parallel to Sasha Dorojukov's group. There were only young people there. We tried to keep up with them, but fell behind a little.

In the evening, at dinner, we gathered in two groups, listened to songs, drank wine and exchanged experiences.

Sasha's group is going down tomorrow, and we are resting and at night - for the assault. The forecast is not encouraging - snowfalls will start from tomorrow ... we will fight our way through!

From Chile - the leader of the expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko and assistant leader Alexander Spirin.

The 7 Summits Club guide Alexander Dorojukov reports from Chile:

Chile is in touch. The 7 Summits Club Pipi de Chat group. Yesterday we had a day of rest. We spent it in the area of the Laguna Verde base camp. The participants had classes with iron, they learned how to use equipment for climbing and descending on fixed ropes. Everyone liked it.

12.01 Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Jambo Rafiki! Today, the 7 Summits Club group "Tribe-Ki" went through the jungle and lost 2 km vertically. On the descent, we had lunch and the long-awaited restoration of the water-alkaline balance with local beer "Kilimanjaro"!

In the evening, there was an awards ceremony, as well as "demobilization" speeches about the Mountain and future plans. Good luck to all!

Guides: Fedyunin Evgeny and Svetlana Kotlyar.

Jambo Rafiki! Hooray, there is the summit!  Yesterday, the 7 Summits Club group "Tribe-Ki" successfully climbed Uhuru Peak 5895m! The highest volcano and the highest mountain of Africa Kilimanjaro is ours!

For tactical reasons, we divided the team into two subgroups - standard and faster. We started from the assault camp Kosovo (4800) at 01:00 and at 02:00.

Yesterday, there were so many people who wanted to climb the summit that in order not to freeze in queues on the trail, we had to go around the slope. Before dawn it was quite windy and cold, but very beautiful - a simply stunning view of the Mawenzi volcano opened up.

The mountain did not seem easy to any of the participants. One subgroup reached the summit in 6 hours, the second in 8. All this time Kilimanjaro showed us its character. It was quite cold and windy at the summit - such is Africa!

All participants are great! For many, Kilimanjaro was the first mountain, but I would especially like to note the achievement of the youngest member of our group - Richard. It was not easy for him, but he reached a height of 5200! We are proud and congratulate him!

After the summit, we went down to the Kosovo camp, rested a little and began the descent 1000 m lower to the Millennium camp. Tomorrow we will already be in civilization.

We did it!!! Good luck to everyone!

Guides: Evgeniy Fedyunin and Svetlana Kotlyar.

The 7 Summits Club guide Alexander Dorojukov reports from Chile:

Chile is in touch. Hello everyone from the Pipi de Chat group! Our gang climbed the San Francisco volcano today. We walked quietly and evenly. We reached the summit in about 7-8 hours. The weather allowed us to go in. Tomorrow is a rest day!

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov from the Sidley base camp:

There was terrible bad weather at the Sidley Base Camp. The wind speed reached 100 km per hour, according to the forecast, and in fact. The wind howled like an airplane turbine. I tried to watch a movie on my iPhone. I couldn't hear anything. The worst thing was that the tent would be torn. Then death.

 The tents were damaged, but they held up. Because our 20 years of experience have taught us to fight such bad weather. It happened that the tents were torn. Or the tents flew away. Now we have the best equipment suitable for Antarctica.

 There are only two of us in the camp, so if something happened, no one would help us. The nearest station is 1100 km away. Watch the video and enjoy.

 The weather in Sidley is getting better now. We are waiting for a new group.

The ascent through the eyes of Alexander Spirin:

January 9. Chile, expedition to Ojos Del Salado. The "Zorros Rojos y otros" team. Today our team climbed the San Francisco volcano, and it was a moment we will never forget. We stood at the summit, where the sky seemed closer, and the ground below disappeared into a dusty haze, leaving us alone with the grandeur of nature. The altitude of just over 6,000 meters was a test for each of us, especially for the four participants, for whom this was an altitude record.

The wind beat in our faces, as if testing our determination, and the dust swirled around in whirlwinds, forcing each breath to be suffered. We walked forward through the cold, fatigue and doubt. Each step was given with effort, but no one gave up. It was a fight with ourselves that we had to win.

When we finally reached the top, I looked at the faces of my comrades in the personal altitude record. They were beaming. It was not just joy - it was the realization that we had conquered not only the volcano, but also our fears, weaknesses and limitations. We hugged, feeling the strength of the team that is always ready to support, even at an altitude of six thousand meters.

The view from the summit was harsh and beautiful at the same time: endless plains, distant mountains, clouds that now seemed so small. This feeling of freedom, pride and unity cannot be expressed in words. It will stay with us forever.

This ascent changed us. Now San Francisco is not just a volcano for us, it is a symbol of strength, faith and perseverance. Tomorrow we are going on vacation. To the town of Copiapo. We deserve it! Leader Lyudmila Korobeshko, assistant leader Alexander Spirin.

9.01 Tanzania, Kilimanjaro. Jambo Rafiki! The 7 Summits Club group "Tribe-Ki" moved to the Kosovo assault camp 4800m; everything is fine! To storm the summit at night! Keep your fingers crossed for us! Good luck to everyone!  Guides: Evgeny Fedyunin and Svetlana Kotlyar.

January 8. Chile, expedition to Ojos del Salado. Team "Zorros Rojos y otros". Today we devoted the day to rest before climbing to the summit of San Francisco (6018 m). After breakfast we went to the Atacama Desert, which has already become our home. 4 hours of travel (with mandatory stops for photos) and we arrived at the hot spring. It is really hot and, as the locals say, has healing properties. The bravest of the Red Foxes even washed their hair. The whole team enjoyed the already traditional barbecue masterpieces from our chefs. Tomorrow we have an acclimatization trip to San Francisco - wish us luck!

From Chile, expedition leader Lyudmila Korobeshko and assistant leader Alexander Spirin.

The President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov from the Sidley base camp:

Greetings from Antarctica! Having completed the 7 volcanoes project in 66 days, I encountered a surprise. It turned out that there were only 18 seats on the plane, and there were 19 of us,

Everyone flew away, and I was left alone at Sidley Base Camp. It is about 1,100 km from the nearest station where people live. They said they would arrive tomorrow, but I immediately realized that they would not. They would not scuttle the plane because of one person.

However, I have another partner in misfortune, Bob. A guide from New Zealand. He was also left behind. He must have behaved badly. We are settling in. We sorted out all our things. Two petrels flew in yesterday. They circled over the camp for a long time. They refused to eat bread and sausage. They realized that we had no fish, and flew away. It is 300 km from the shore. Imagine how disappointed these birds were.

That's all the news for now. We have been sitting here for three days already. They said that they will not pick us up until the next group. And that is in about five days. No big deal. It's cool to live in the desert. True, there is Internet and a generator. But we have little gas. We are saving. There is food too, don't worry. And whiskey too.  Anyone who has read Jack London is incredibly jealous of me right now.

Photos of our guide Artem Rostovtsev

The 7 Summits Club guide Alexander Dorojukov reports from Chile:

Chile is in touch. Today, our Pipi de Chat group set off in the morning for an acclimatization hike from the Atacama camp towards the Tejos refuge. We safely reached the planned altitude of 5,700 meters. The breeze was brisk, but we had a good walk. New views, new colors and an interesting road. Tomorrow we will rest before a new acclimatization ascent.

The climbing conditions were quite difficult. Strong wind and frost. The group was divided into teams, but everyone moved together, both on the ascent and on the descent. Physically, it turned out to be quite a difficult test. But everything happened on a strong emotional upsurge, and all participants felt like a single team. This certainly helped to cope with all the difficulties.

The first team.

1. Boris Egorov - Seven volcanoes!
2. Mikhail Melekhin - Seven volcanoes! 
3. Marat Vladimirov
4. Farid Sagutdinov - Seven volcanoes!
5. Alexander Khlebnov - Seven volcanoes!

The second team
6. Andrey Polyakov
7. Boris Pustovoitov - Seven volcanoes!
8. Alexander Bachmann - Seven volcanoes!
9. Artem Gurshteyn - Seven volcanoes! Speed record!
10. Boris Fadeev - Seven volcanoes!

Third team
11. Artem Rostovtsev
12. Karolina Lukyanova (Kazakhstan) - Seven volcanoes!
13. Yuri Lukyanov (Kazakhstan) - Seven volcanoes!
14. Galymzhan Kuspanov (Kazakhstan)

Fourth team
15. Alexander Abramov - Seven volcanoes! Second time! Speed record!
16. Dmitry Tertychny - Seven volcanoes!
17. Alexander Tertychny - Seven volcanoes!
18. Konstantin Lashas
19. Viktor Alexandrov - Seven volcanoes!

19 climbers in one expedition - a record.
16 climbers from one country - a record.
14 climbers who comleted the "Seven Volcanoes" program in one day.
Speed record – 2 people: Alexander Abramov and Artem Gurshteyn (66 days).
Alexander Abramov – the first to complete the “Seven Volcanoes” program twice.
Alexander Abramov – the first to complete two programs, “Seven Summits” and “Seven Volcanoes”, twice.
Yuri and Karolina Lukyanov – the first father and daughter to complete the “Seven Volcanoes” program.
Aleksandr and Dmitry Tertychny – the first father and son to complete the “Seven Volcanoes” program.
And a number of ethnic and national championships that need to be clarified.

Mount Sidley from the plain

Alexander Abramov and Artem Gurshteyn

Yuri and Karolina Lukyanov 

Aleksandr and Dmitry Tertychny 

The 7 Summits Club guide Alexander Dorojukov reports from Chile:

 Chile is in touch. Our Pipi de Chat group sends greetings from the base camp! Today we moved to this cozy, beautiful place. On the way we drove through the desert, stopped to see a waterfall and had our first meeting with our goal, Mount Ojos del Salado. We had lunch and are resting. Tomorrow is a new day and new views.

Jambo Rafiki! Today the "Plemia-Ki"  group of the 7 Summits Club had the most difficult day of trekking: ascent to Lava Tower 4640 m and descent to the Barranco wall 3900 m. The altitude makes itself felt, there are signs of a headache, but everything is within normal limits.

A wonderful lunch, watermelons for dessert, a stunning valley of senecias (grass palms) on the descent, and a view of the Barranco wall, which we will climb tomorrow. ALL of this overwhelmed the brain ... Now dinner and a well-deserved rest! Good luck to everyone!

Guides: Evgeny Fedyunin and Svetlana Kotlyar.

January 6. Greetings from the Atacama Desert, Chile, from the group “Zorros Rojos y otros”! Our morning at Laguna Rosa began with a run along the lake. And then Olya Moroz held a yoga class right in front of a flock of flamingos. Even the guanacas were curious about what we were doing, and they came closer.

After breakfast, we got ready and went to Laguna Verde. On the way, we stopped at a warm river called Lama. And a little later we saw Ojos in all its glory.

The camp at Laguna Verde amazed us with its beauty and comfort. A huge dining tent with electricity and internet, separate sleeping tents, super-stable toilets (which is extremely important in the strong Atacama winds).

Before dinner, we bathed in the hot springs. And celebrated Christmas.

Tomorrow we have acclimatization on the slopes of Ojos - we plan to walk at altitudes of 5500-5900.

Expedition leader Lyudmila Korobeshko and assistant leader Alexander Spirin. Hasta la vista!