Asia - Page 86

Today is the anniversary of the Vasily Kernicky, Muscovite, climbers on Everest, Cho-Oyu, our 7thousanders peaks. The 7 Summits Club congratulates him with a birthday and wishes strong health, happiness, luck and new achievements! We hope to meet the 13th October at a gala evening in our office! Vasily is now returning with friends from the expedition to the sixth highest peak in the world Cho Oyu. This beautiful mountain is a great gift for the celebrant!

Sergey Larin, head of the expedition: So, on September 30th at 9 am 5 participants of the 7 Summits Club expedition were on the top of Mount Cho Oyu. "Turquoise Goddess" has taken the above-mentioned part of the team and almost let go. The composition of the group: Vasily Kernitsky, Dmitry Kuznetsov, Igor Smirnov, Zygmunt Berdychowski (Poland), Sergey Larin. With the support of four sherpas: Nima, Pasang, Doji, Mutuk ...

 On the same day we went down to 6400, and the next - in the ABC camp. Now organizational problems began at an early depart of the team and changing tickets dates.

 The second part of the team starts to climb 3 October ...

Sherpas Team

Alexey, we congratulate you on your birthday! Catch weather and good luck!

 From the diary.

Hello!

24/09/16 - Rain at night, I sleep.

 By 9 00 the rain is over, I get out. The trail goes upward through the jungle, sometimes blurred.

 In the 13-00 come to the Base Camp (4800). There are many companies, I am going to visit the Makalu extreme (Oksana and Chetur). Then I met Dmitry Grekov and his company - Diana, Zamir, Igor, Solyus, Natalia. Of course, here is Lekha Bukinich.

 Last night there was a big snow, broken tents. Although now is sunny, the snow has not yet melted. Put my tent, I look around and rest the remainder of the day.

25/09/16 - snow at night, we are saving the dining room tent. In the morning - fog, cloudy. Everyone sits on the site, as there is no the road for the first camp.  I do not know where to go, plus the fog - I sit drinking tea. The 11 people from neighboring camps began to move upward. At 12 for better acclimatization, I decide to walk to the camp 1 (5600), see and leave depot. I managed to dusk.

26/09/16 - Dmitry and Zamir decided to cancel and go down. His remaining team decides to try and keep up. I join them. Good company - a good acclimatization))) rise in Camp 1 (5600).

09.27.16 - night was good - that is, sleep well, my head does not hurt. We go to camp 2 (6250). There is normally, but not fast. My friends have tents here. Fortunately they were not smashed by snowfall. We dig out and start to cook. We went early,  but fell asleep only to 23 00.

09.28.16 - In the morning, while having breakfast, my head ached a little, as soon as began to move actively  everything went. We go up to Camp 3 (6900). Making the site, put up tents. I feel altitude, but eat with appetitу. Everything as always - eat and sleep.

29/09/16 - Morning. Head! But never mind, the task is completed. More liquid - tea, vitaminka, etc.

9 00 -  I'm going to run down. The base came 13 30. Change tall boots on the tracks, hour rest. Now ready to go in Samagoon, I have time before dark. A bit tired. In the loggia, where he lived - a full house. For a long time waiting for dinner, sip tea, juice, beer, lemonade. In 20 00 - SLEEPING

30/09/16 - rest, but this time set off all to the summit bid *, good luck !!!

01/10/16 - Today, I collect power to output plan. I try to catch the weather window!!!

* 30.9.16. Igor Zhdanowicz, Saulius Damulevichus, Natalia Zenina, Dina Terentyev climbed Manaslu.

Today the team of the Seven Summits Club - five Members and four Sherpas - at 9 am Nepal time stood on the top of Cho Oyu. Some of us are still standing. Now we begin the descent. Team: Sergey Larin, Dmitry Kuznetsov, Dmitry Smirnov, Zygmunt Berdychowski and Vasily Kernitsky. I hope I did not forget any one. And four Sherpas. Congratulations are accepted only in the ABC camp. In our expedition team there are two more participants, but they work on a different route. Today, they do not climb. Sergey Larin.

25 th and 26 th of September - rest days in the ABC camp. We showered, had classes on oxygen equipment. It turned out that we have selected a strong company in preference.

September 27th. Out up to the C1 camp.

22.09. We went to the camp C1 (6400). In the morning there was a puja, a ceremony was held at ABC, we opened the camp and climbing program according the Buddhist tradition. The first day without snow.

23.09. Natalia Smirnova went to Lhasa, she has such a program. We are in C1. Weather forecast unstable and often changing. Therefore, we will not acclimate as expected on the theory, but on the basis of weather windows.

24.09. We went up to 250 meters from the C1 (6400m) and descended to ABC. The weather deteriorated again, this time coincided with the forecast.

18.09. We went from the base camp for acclimatization, we scored 500 meters.

19.09.We collected our camp and prepared for moving loads in the Middle Camp and ABC camp. When weighed to give a total weight - 2.5 tons. Participants left by foot, the goods had to leave later on a truck. But the truck will not allow by the police. Now we are sitting in the intermediate camp, Middle Camp at 5400 and forward to their belongings., who slowly drive up on  motorcycles. Everything else is good.

Sergey Larin, leader of the expedition. 

Diary of the expedition on Cho Oyu. 15.09 we arrived in Shigatse (3800), the second largest city in Tibet. We walked around the city and who wanted could buy  pillows. While there was not a single day without rain.

 16.09. In the morning we went to the monastery, the second largest in Tibet. There we worshiped the world's largest Buddha statue. Then we went to Tingri (4300).

 17.09. After breakfast we drove to the base camp. In Tingri Chinese began to build housing estates and road towards Cho Oyu. Therefore, after 1.5 hours we were in base camp (4900). On Cho Oyu - it is rather an intermediate camp, than the base, as we plan to spend only two nights here. All the rest of the time camp ABC (5700)  will be our base. Everything goes according to plan, the members feel good.

Alexey Lonchinsky - the coach of the 7 Summits Club, who runs Mountain School of our Club in St. Petersburg, went to the Himalayas today. His goal - to climb Manaslu (8156 m), the eighth highest mountain in the world. Alex plans to climb as soon as possible and in alpine style.

 This expedition is organized with the support of 7 Summits Club. We wish good luck to Alex and weather on the route!

 Remember that Aleksey Lonchinsky is the winner of the international competition "Piolet d'Or" in 2014.

Sergey Larin from Kathmandu:

Preparations for the expedition to Cho Oyu continues. Finally, all participants gathered in Kathmandu. All luggage was delivered on time! Sherpa Team of 7 people today early in the morning went to Tibet with loads through Gyirong. Since the road through Zhangmu is still closed after the earthquake. Monsoon is not over yet, every day in Kathmandu rains. Today we will have a gala dinner dedicated to the start of the expedition. Tomorrow our plan is to fly  to Lhasa at 11 a.m.

Guide Shota Komakhidze reports: Today is the second day of our expedition! And we made a heroic ascent from Stepantsminda village (at the foot of Mount Kazbek) to the base camp at 3700! The weather pleased us with abundant rains! Group bravely endured all the hardships, is now resting and saves power for the upcoming performances. Namely, we have go to acclimatization and  for training with a special climbing equipment - it plans for tomorrow. And, of course, we shall climb to the summit of Mount Kazbek!

September 6th an expedition of the 7 Summits Club on the 6th highest mountain of the World Cho Oyu (8201m) begins. Leader - Sergey Larin, many times Everest summiter.

The legendary mountaineer, basejumper, skydiver and holder of numerous records - Valery Rozov is taking part in the expedition. He plans to establish another world record!

Members of the expedition:

- Valery Rozov

- Nick Lebanidze (Georgia)

- Zygmunt Berdychowsky (Poland)

- Dmitry Kuznetsov

- Igor Smirnov

- Natalia Smirnova

- Vasily Kernitsky

September 6th, Sergei Larin flies from Moscow to Kathmandu. And all participants will gather in the capital of Nepal, Sept. 11^th. Then - they will go to Lhasa and then to the base camp of Cho Oyu.

 Nadejda Usovich participated in the expedition to the Lenin peak in early August. The expedition did not achieve its main goal. Due to bad weather conditions the climbers returned home without the summit. Instead, they got a lot of impressions and experience of high-altitude climbing…

 From her diary…

Day 14.

All night the wind was blowing and it was snowing. Since the hour of the night,  groups woke up one by one, exchanging a few words, and, obviously, delayed outing, the weather was bad. By 5 am a group of St. Petersburg climbers ventured to go to the assault, but they have not succeeded to reach the top in this day. There was a strong wind swept up the entire trail all the way and they had to make snow trails knee that takes a lot of strength. Other groups have postponed exit at night. By 7 am established fine weather, the sun was shining and it was even more or less heat. I slept most of the day, compensating for a sleepless night. By 7 pm the weather began to deteriorate again.

Day 15.

All night the wind blew a hellish and snowing. At times it seemed that the tent will take, as the house of Elli. Again, starting with the one in the morning, here and there flashing lights, there were heard a short dialogues and all subsided. I rearranged the alarm for an hour before 5am. Two my halves fought, one wished that the wind abated, and with peace of mind to go down. Another eagerly prayed to the wind ceased, and we finally came to the assault.

 We came out of the tent at 5 am, still a strong wind blew, but the snow had stopped, the view of Peak Lenin was excellent. The clouds were under our feet, and on the horizon, a thin strip of scarlet doing amazing beauty of the sunrise. I noted that some of the tents for the night drifted almost completely. At an altitude somewhere in 6300 could be seen three flashlight, nevertheless there were brave souls who dared to go out today to the assault. As it turned out later, they returned to the camp as early as 10 am, much frostbited.

 The forecast for the next 2 days were given the deterioration, sit next to an altitude of 6100 does not make any sense, and it was decided to begin the descent at 8am. The entire inside of the tent was covered with frost and any awkward movement, with its walls, attacked snowfall. All things were damp, at the feet of piled up a snowdrift. Several tents of our group had to dig out from the outside. It was bitterly cold, while a fixing crampons in fleece gloves, I froze all the.

All members of the group to the question «how are you?» - answered “never again”.

Down we ran almost happily. In camp 2 it was very warm and we stayed there for almost an hour, basking in the sun. This camp offers a great view on the top, I looked up to see around the ridge huge flags - the wind raged there until now, it was clear that to come in that day to the summit would be impossible, would there blew us away like dry leaves from the tin roof. By 3 pm we were down to camp 1, the descent took place without incident, though it was slow and tiring. By 5 pm again it threw the snow, but here, in a huge tent, its knock on the tent even gave some sense of comfort…

Vladimir Shilkov from the 7 Summits Club climbed the summit of Mount Kazbek from Georgia. He was traveling as part of an international team led by guides, our Georgian friends. Vladimir sent us an excellent selection of photos that can be viewed in a separate gallery. Many Thanks!

All photos here

This year, climbers of the  7 Summits Club took part in four expeditions to Lenin Peak. Two have already been completed and two are underway. We wish the participants a successful ascent and safe descent! Congratulations to Natalia Kurgapkina - the first our climber in this season that reached the summit!

July 27^th  the top of Mount Kazbek was reached by the 7 Summits Club by a team, consisting of citizens of the Republic of Latvia. We all congratulated them on the successful ascent. And heroes of Kazbek sent us some photos to illustrate their expedition. It's obvious that everything turned out, all participants are satisfied or even happy. So it should be, because we go to the mountain for happiness!

Today our Latvian group started the climb from the Meteorological station at night. And in the morning, when the overall favorable weather conditions, the summit Kazbek was achieved by all members of the group. Congratulations on your great success! New summits and new achievements!

Today Natalya climbed to the top of Mount Kazbek together with our Georgian guide. But her friend Zakhar had to turn back from the col due to poor health (lack of acclimatization).

Congratulations to Natasha! We wish both of them new mountains!!!