Lonchinsky Alexei

On October 24, at 9 o'clock Nepali time, Yuri Koshelenko and Alexey Lonchinsky made the first ever ascent on the summit of Rolwaling Kang Shar, with a height of 6645 meters. The length of the route is about 1800 m. Three bivouacs. To ABC from the base under the Tashi Lapcha Pass is an 8-hour walk along the Talomban glacier [Dolombao]. "The buttress consists of destroyed granite, it is good that it is fused with ice in many places."

Yuri Koshelenko (mountain.ru ): The route "Katana" to Rovaling Kang Shar, why katana, yes, because it is associated with duty, with the harsh rules of military valor. "Katana" is a samurai sword…

 When Alexey and I entered climbing mode, we managed to get out of it only after reaching the top. If I was the first to work on Fangi in our previous first ascent, then Alexey was in the lead on this route for the entire rocky part. He was very good at passing long intricate sections of rocks.

 Alexey brought with him a completely new Vento equipment, skillfully used it, showed a high level of climbing technique. Sections 5 and 5 + k. sl. M4, M5. we all went free climbing, without using fixed ropes. I happened to be the first to climb on the day of reaching the top through complex conglomerates of crests and mushrooms from icicles and empty snow.

 The idea of the first ascent in Rowaling is not the only idea, I have a lot of them.  Perhaps this idea, despite the crazy logistics, vibrated the most strongly and Alexey was easy on the upswing.

 In general, he is an outstanding climber, I do not understand why he is underestimated in the St. Petersburg Federation, probably, as always, personal motives.

Thanks to Vento, Bask Co and personally to my friend Konstantin Babkin, who ordered me a painting, and then helped me a lot in financing this expedition!

 Go to the mountains as to a temple and do not look for dividends, Its will decide for themselves how sincere you are, there is not for  money and fame here, but moreover, super-existence....

A message from our friends from Vento company:

 Today (23.10) at 9 o'clock Nepalese time, Alexey Lonchinsky and Yuri Koshelenko made the first ascent to the summit of Rolwaling Kang Shar. The original version of the descent was abandoned, because: "the ridge is solid hollow snow, even it was not easy to get out to the top, and it was almost impossible to continue further."

During the daylight hours they managed to get down to the glacier and pass the crack zone. Then there was a simple descent to the base camp.

Alexey Lonchinsky and Yuri Koshelenko are among the best climbers in the World, repeatedly awarded with various "Golden Ice axes", champions of Russia. Alexey is a leading methodist coach at the 7 Summits Club. He manages all the training mountaineering camps that our company conducts. Yuri Koshelenko also worked as a guide in the 7 Summits Club company.

Super-guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexey Lonchinsky reports from the Elbrus region:

A mountain school - training courses for climbing Mount Everest, Denali and Antarctica has completed its work in the Elbrus region. We were able to go autonomously with all the necessary equipment and provisions for 5 days to the area of Lake Elbrus, get up to a safe bivouac. We conducted classes on the basic principles of safe movement on ice and snow terrain, how to properly use a field kitchen and cook! For the first time, they were able to go up from the lake to the Mir station and then settle in the houses of the National Park shelter. The next day, we made an acclimatization rotation to 4600 (Pastukhov Rocks).

The weather in the region was unstable, the ascent had to be abandoned. The window for a safe ascent will only be in a few days. We went down. Unfortunately, we were met with rain and sleet...

We hope that next year there will be lower temperatures and more snow! Guides Alexey Lonchinsky and Dmitry Semenov.

Super-guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexey Lonchinsky reports from the Elbrus region:

Good afternoon! It snowed the night before and caused concern, but everything turned out well, and it only dusted the bivouac quite a bit. In the morning, we slowly gathered and moved up. For the first time during our events, we left not on the way up to Garabashi station, but up to the Mir station. This was facilitated by the weather and the mood of the participants!

Today we are housed in the National Park refuge, tomorrow we plan to go up.

Super-guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexey Lonchinsky reports from the Elbrus region:

 Today, as planned, we moved "into the fields". We have reached our usual base, near the Elbrus Lake. The climb took place at a calm pace, everyone feels good, the mood is excellent. The bivouac is set up, dinner is cooked!

Your guides: Alexey Lonchinsky and Dmitry Semenov.

Alexey Lonchinsky, guide of the 7 Summits Club, from the Elbrus region:

Yesterday we went up to the camp 3900, settled in trailers.  After lunch, we discussed the topic of avalanche formation and plans for the future. This morning there were training sessions with climbing and descending  with ropes.  In the afternoon (the wind had died down, the sun was shining) everyone went for a walk together, were able to climb to the top of the Pastukhov Rocks and descended to the base as quickly as possible. Just in time, we managed to get there before dark and the rising fog, the wind also began to blow and, moreover, it was getting stronger by the minute. There will be no good weather for tomorrow (and the next two). As promised, there will be a strong wind...  In the morning we will descend into civilization. The group continues to work on the program "Training courses for Everest, Denali and Vinson".

Alexey Lonchinsky, guide of the 7 Summits Club from the Elbrus region:  Good afternoon! News from the winter Elbrus! Yesterday, participants of the training courses for Everest, Denali, Antarctica came up to us.  This time the program includes climbing Elbrus. Today there was great weather, bright sun and calm. We moved away from the Cheget clearing down the Donguzorun River. And in an excellent, sunny glade, classes were held on the device of a bivouac and cooking in the field. Bottom line: snowshoes fall into the snow less when they are dressed on feet. Sledges ride well on snow if they are oriented with a sliding surface to the ground. Actually, we could not learn or discover anything particularly new. But during classes we could observe great views!  Your Andrey Berezin and Alexey Lonchinsky, instructors and guides of the group.

Participants and guides: Garrett Christian Madison, Chase Allan Merriam, Jennifer Lynn Drummond (all from the USA), Alexey Lonchinsky, Viktor Afanasyev (guides from Russia).

 On September 14, the start is at 7: 00 from the Bezengi base. The path goes along the glacier and turn left – there is the Russians bivouac at 3500 . We got there at 14-30. On September 15, the start was at 6-00, we came to the VTSPS bivouac at 15-00. But we climb to the bivouac higher, where there is more space for tents, in total, we reached it at 16 o'clock.

On September 16, exit 5-30 and at 13 we were at the top  of Mount Dyh-Tau. We went down to the bivouac at 18 o'clock.

September 17 descent to the Bezengi base, exit at 7-00, finish at 18-00.

We climbed as standard, everything according to the plan. The weather was rather good, but we got into a thunderstorm on the top. We were lucky, there were only static discharges...

Alexey Lonchinsky, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Georgia:  

Good afternoon, today is Friday 13. Our group, had a good rest after the climb at the Meteostation Refuge (3700). Thanks for the excellent food: 3 times a day and the opportunity to make a coffee break at any time. This helped to quickly restore strength. At 9 o'clock in the morning, we loaded the horses with some of our personal belongings and went down light. The journey to the church took 2 hours (usually 4). From there we went to our excellent hotel in Stepansminda by car. We're going home tomorrow morning. Thank you  Kazbek, Georgia and the host operator for the opportunity to make a great ascent!

Alexey Lonchinsky, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Georgia: The IronMan group climbed on the top of Kazbek today. The day before, the weather forecast was alarming and there was an option to try to postpone the assault to the day after tomorrow. But there the forecast was even worse. There was an intrigue until one o'clock in the morning, but now it's time to make a decision and - yes, there is a chance! We are starting! After 45 minutes, we came to the surface of the glacier, then the movement was with limited visibility, 30-50 meters. When dawn broke, the fog receded in places, a light wind blows. We are going in a tight group, other groups are going in parallel, quite a lot. At 9 and 9-30, we finally reach the top. Unfortunately, there was no visibility, we were standing in the cloud, but the task was completed. Our group went down to the Meteostation Gefuge at 13 o'clock.

Alexey Lonchinsky, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Georgia:    August 11.  Today, in the first half of the day, we held training sessions in the snow, walked around in roped team and with helmets.  Now we are preparing for an early exit to storm Kazbek and are watching the weather...

Alexey Lonchinsky, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Georgia: Good afternoon! The “Kazbek-IronMan” group is in touch.  On August 8, at 10 o'clock in the morning, my colleague Guram and I picked up the members of group at the Marriott Hotel in Tbilisi. We got acquainted with the group and went on a short journey - 2.5 hours to Stepansminda (altitude 1700 m), from where we will start our ascent on Kazbek. We stayed in an excellent hotel, which stands above the center of the village.  It offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains! Here we met another of our guides - George. Everything is going fine so far, the weather and the mood are on top!

Today, on August 9, we moved out of the hotel on two Trucks, passed the PCR and immediately went up to the Sameba Church. We loaded the horses on a large platform and started the track to the AltiHut shelter (3014m).  We reached it at a good pace! Everything is fine, we were lucky with the weather, it was windless, without precipitation and cloudy (not so hot).

Alexey Lonchinsky, coach, guide of the 7 Summits Club from the Elbrus region: Good afternoon! Our team successfully spent last night at the refuge, and Igor Kamynin spent that night in a comfortable snow cave made by us day before! In the morning, we continued training on snow, and mastered the skills of building wind protection snow walls. In the afternoon we went down to the Azau Glade. At this point, all the tasks of the preparation courses for climbing Mount Everest, Denali and Antarctica can be considered successfully completed!!!

Alexey Lonchinsky, coach, guide of the 7 Summits Club from the Elbrus region: The 7 Summits Club is completing the second group of training courses for climbing Mount Everest, Denali and  in Antarctica. All the days on Elbrus, the weather conditions were difficult. A lot of snow fell, avalanche danger appeared. However, the entire program was executed.

The course participants practiced on technical snow climbing skills and belay on snow slopes, basic skills of climbing on ice in crampons, organization of belay on ice screw, climbing with fixed lines. The participants learned how to set up a tent camp in the snow, build protective wind walls from firn blocks, tear off and equip snow caves.

Alexey Lonchinsky, guide of the 7 Summits Club from the Elbrus region: Yesterday, the second group of training  preparation courses for climbing Mount Everest, Denali and Antarctica arrived. Yesterday I checked the equipment, today we had a lecture on the use of public equipment (sledges, kitchen, tents). Then we went for a walk on snowshoes, set up a tent camp, and studied the operation of a gasoline burner. Then we repeated the movement on fixed lines and other techniques of working with the rope.