Yelkov Alexandr

Tonight, third part of our team started for the summit push. The group consisting of: Lyudmila Korobeshko, Arno Ter-Saakov, Valery Tebiev, Daniil Briman and our high-altitude operator Luis Lopez.

The summiters of K2 of the first wave Ekaterina Safronova and Maria Oglobleva safely descended to the Camp-2.  Dmitry Moskalev and Bartolomey Pachosky stayed overnight at Camp 3. Everyone is resting. Tomorrow they plan to go down to the Base Camp.

Message from RD Studia: There is a K2 summit! Maria Oglobleva, Ekaterina Safronova and high-altitude operator Vladimir Kotlyar just now have climbed to the top of the most difficult eight-thousandth mountain in the world! Good luck to them on the descent!

A little bit later. Dmitry Moskalev and Bartholomew Pachosky are on top! The weather is getting worse, they are waiting for an unsafe descent. We pray!

Well, the ascent continued. The first two groups spend the night in Camp-3 (7400), the third – in Camp-2 (6600). The path to Camp 4 has already been trodden and equipped with fixed ropes. Tomorrow, the leading team of Sherpas will continue processing the route in order to reach the top on July 27.

 Lyudmila Korobeshko (Group-3):

They went out to storm, moving to Camp 2 on 6600. There was no good weather for a week. It seems to be getting better now.

Now at lunchtime on July 25, we came to Camp 2 on K2.

Vladimir Kotlyar, high-altitude operator (Group-1):

Today, according to the forecast, there should be bad weather, but to our joy, the forecast has not yet been justified.

At six in the morning, we got out of the tents, put on the crampons and harness, then and climbed up in the hope for the best.

If this weather lasts for four days, then we have every chance. There is a mountain, you have to climb!

We haven't waited for good weather yet, but there is still hope. Today our third group went up to Camp-1. And groups 1 and 2 continued to "sit out" in Camp-2.

Tomorrow is a key and decisive day - either up or down to rest and wait for the weather window.

Bad weather has descended on K2 again. Rain in the base camp, snow along the route. The first and second groups are together in Camp-2, and the third remained in the ABC Camp. While waiting for news. There is a very strong company of Sherpas on the route, whose task is to make a route to the top. And it is possible that they will succeed.

Today, the final, third group headed by Alexander Abramov and Lyudmila Korobeshko set off on their way to the summit of K2. They will spend the night in the ABC camp and tomorrow they will presumably go up to camp-2.

The first and second group are in Camp-2. Everything is fine with them, tomorrow they will go to the Camp-3.

Vladimir Kotlyar, high-altitude operator: We are in the second camp, altitude 6550. The weather is bad, for the second day in a row. A lot of snow has fallen. Yesterday there were several avalanches along the route, but we were not hooked, almost. We are idling in a tent, baiting stories. Tomorrow we will make our way to Camp-3.

The RD Studio team reports from the base camp: Yesterday, July 21, the second group, consisting of: Maria Oglobleva, Ekaterina Safronova and Bartek. They went out into the rain.  And higher it is already snowing. Bad weather again on K2. The news from the first group is good. They are already in the first camp, the height is 6100 m. They are doing well!  Today, the third group headed by Alexander Abramov is going up.

Today, the team of the 7 Summits Club GenKa2 in full force climbed to the ABC camp (altitude -5300 m). They will spend the night there.  Everything is fine, everyone feels good.

Tomorrow all participants, together with the Sherpas, will move up early in the morning. And at 12:00 they will begin the descent, each from the height that he will take.

Photos by RD Studio (from puja):

 On May 21, 2023, an unprecedented event for Russian mountaineering took place: "Snow Leopard", climber Vitaly Lazo became the first Russian to use skis to descend from the highest point of the planet. He started from a height of 8845 meters, which is only three meters below the top.

The ascent, organized by the 7 Summits Club, was made by Vitaly together with the Snow Leopard Anton Pugovkin, his friend of the Freeride in the Death Zone project (climbers storm the highest mountains of the planet, followed by skiing). Everest became the fifth eight-thousandther.

The team climbed on the summit with a special mission, which you can learn about by watching the documentary "Oxygen 2. Everest", which has been shooting for more than three months in partnership with Gazprom-Media Holding and its companies: Central Partnership and Red Media.

On the descent, Vitaly Lazo needed medical help, he was evacuated from Camp 2 to a hospital in Kathmandu. Anton Pugovkin feels well.

⠀Vitaly Lazo (VK): Hello everyone!  Our latest news is on May 22, I was evacuated from a height of 6500 meters to Kathmandu. Now I am in the hospital with a diagnosis of "cerebral edema" ... I am much better... I am on the mend, I will be discharged in a day and on the 26th, in the morning, I already plan to be in Moscow…

Anton Pugovkin:  There are 44 days of the expedition behind me and we already want to put an end to it. Therefore, after 6 hours we go to Camp 2, at 6300. Then, according to the plan, on the 19th C3 (7100), on the 20th C4 (8100), on the night of the 20th to the 21st we go out to storm the summit, well, there's a matter of technique. What we need, yes, in principle, everything is there, except that a little bit of luck definitely won't hurt. See you later!

Vitaly Lazo:  And again, greetings from the Base Camp at 5300! Yesterday Anton and I came down from Camp 3, from the acclimatization rotation. We also met blue ice, and stones were flying — but everything is fine with us, and we even went skiing.

This downhill skiing was the most exciting in our output: fresh snow, good skiing. Tomorrow we are preparing to descend 1 km below, to rest in Pangboche.

Vitaly Lazo: "Today, on April 24, a Puja ceremony (a ritual of receiving the blessing of the gods) took place at the Base Camp — a monk read prayers for more than an hour. Once upon a time I treated this with a laugh, but when ice discharges occurred near South Annapurna 15 years ago, in which several Koreans died, I began to throw rice towards the future path together with the Sherpas and say: "Om mane padme hum!".

Puja was held, sanctified, we can go to the mountain! Our group will go upstairs tonight. Plan: we go straight to Camp 2 at 6400. Overnight — and climb to Camp 3 at 7100, overnight. On April 27, maybe Anton Pugovkin and I will go higher — from Camp 3 to Camp 4, just one touch — and immediately descend to Base Camp.

Vanya Rodin and Anton Skripachenko will climb up to 6000 meters and immediately go down without spending the night. And Farit will be walking in the lower regions, in the BC area."

Message from April 16.

On April 14, the DZF team arrived at the Everest Base Camp. The transfer from Lobuche to EBC took 4 hours. Yesterday we walked along the moraine on which the tent city is located — in fact, the base camp itself.  Our expedition takes place in cooperation with the 7 Summits Club and 8000 Club and that's what Vitaly Lazo tells about the first days in the camp: "The base camp of the 7 Summits Club is a delux level camp! This is the first time I rest under the route in such conditions. To say that I am surprised is to say nothing. Kitchen, recreation area, personal space — tents, sanitary zones, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. To do all this is a lot of work, experience and understanding of the pain points of the expedition participants. Alexa Abramov, bravo!"

 Today Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovkin conducted classes for our operators — they taught how to move in crampons, what is the ascent and descent of fixed ropes, and much more. And then we went towards Camp 1, through the Khumbu icefall. Beauty! The team reached the height of 5700 m and returned home to DC, where a 5-star lunch was waiting for everyone.

Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovkin with a small shooting and escort team are scheduled to fly to Lukla tomorrow. And from there start your march to the foot of the highest peak in the World. This year they will work in cooperation with the expeditions of the 7 Summits Club and the 8000 Club, using our vast experience in organizing and conducting ascents of Mount Everest.  So we will be doubly worried and rooting for these outstanding athletes, wishing them the successful execution of their plans.

 One, two, three: GO! Death Zone Freeride team is pleased to announce the start of the next step of the project: an ascent and following skiing from Everest. Death Zone Freeride is the project of two Snow Leopards, Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovkin. On April 4, the team flew to Kathmandu to begin their way to the highest mountain in the world.

⠀During the ascent, a documentary film “Oxygen 2. Everest” will be filmed (with the support of Central Partnership, Red Media and Gazprom-Media Holding).

⠀Follow us on Instagram @deathzonefreeride

 Introducing ourselves:

1. Club 8000 is a closed, elite club of climbers on the highest peaks of the World.

2. Only a person who has climbed on the summit above 8000 meters can become a member of the Club.

3. People who have climbed the peaks of 7000m and above can become candidates for Club membership. That's why we support the Snow Leopard project - the best high-altitude mountaineering school.

 The company "Club 8000"

Under the new project, a new organization was created, the company LLC "Club 8000".

Club 8000 is the first company in Russia that implements the most complex and prestigious project for organizing ascents of all 14 eight-thousand-meter peaks.  Every year we plan 5-6 expeditions to the peaks above 8000 meters.  All our expeditions are led by our super qualified high-altitude guides, climbers of Mount Everest, K2 and other eight-thousandth peaks. The company is headed by Alexander Abramov, the most famous leader of Himalayan expeditions in Russia, an authoritative all over the world, an 11-time climber of Mount Everest.

About 8000.club website

We have opened a new website. On it you will be able to get acquainted with all the climbing programs for 14 eight-thousand-meter and 5 seven-thousand-meter (Snow Leopard).  There will also be an opportunity to register, that is, to become a member of the Club. We will inform you about the progress of our expeditions.

Join the most ambitious and prestigious project "Climbing 14 eight-thousand-meters"!

Friends, love the mountains, love nature, go to the mountains!  Congratulations on the International Mountain Day! The 7 Summits Club is always ready to help you with travel arrangements. Follow the updates of our programs.  Mountains should give us the happiest moments of our lives, and giving people happiness is our mission.

  If possible, leave the mountains clean after you!  And in general, do everything possible so that the mountains remain (become) a territory of freedom, a territory where you can meet with pristine nature, a place of joyful meeting with friends, a place you want to return to, where you want to bring children, where everyone will be happy!

UNO Official information

Women move mountains

The theme of this year's International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December will be Women move mountains.

Women play a key role in mountains' environmental protection and social and economic development. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture, and experts in traditional medicine.

Increasing climate variability, coupled with a lack of investment in mountain agriculture and rural development, has often pushed men to migrate elsewhere in search of alternative livelihoods. Women have therefore taken on many tasks formerly done by men, yet mountain women are often invisible due to a lack of decision-making power and unequal access to resources.

As farmers, market sellers, businesswomen, artisans, entrepreneurs, and community leaders, mountain women and girls, in particular in rural areas, have the potential to be major agents of change. When rural women have access to resources, services, and opportunities, they become a driving force against hunger, malnutrition, and rural poverty and are active in the development of mountain economies.

International Mountain Day 2022 is an opportunity to promote gender equality and therefore contribute to improving social justice, livelihoods and resilience. 

Get to know more about women in mountains and use FAO's, communication materials in all six UN languages, which are available on their website.

While Women move mountains is the suggested theme for 2022, countries, communities, and organizations are welcome to celebrate IMD through a theme that is more relevant to them.

Celebrate this International Day 2022 with your community and friends preparing an event or joining the conversation on social media using the hashtag #MountainsMatter. Pass on some of the key messages, or share about the important role of women in mountains, or post, or a photo of your favorite mountain.

Natural jewels we should treasure

Mountains are home to 15% of the world´s population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots. They provide freshwater for everyday life to half of humanity. Their conservation is a key factor for sustainable development and is part of Goal 15 of the SDGs.

Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change and overexploitation. As the global climate continues to warm, mountain people — some of the world’s poorest — face even greater struggles to survive. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people.

This problem affects us all. We must reduce our carbon footprint and take care of these natural treasures.

The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN to declare to 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for the first time the following year, 2003.

Its roots date back to 1992, when the document “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” (called Chapter 13), was adopted as part of the action plan Agenda 21 of the Conference on Environment and Development.

Most recently, the UN proclaimed 2022 the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development. 

The corporative tour of the guides and managers of the 7 Summits Club to Arkhyz turned out to be extremely successful in terms of the weather. Like the day before, today was sunny, warm unseasonably. We just returned to summer and got full satisfaction from a long, tedious and fabulously beautiful route.  In turn, all the lakes of the Sofia necklace - the emerald pearls of Arkhyz were visited. Thanks to our wonderful guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Dmitry Semenov! Thanks to everyone who drove and waited for us!  Our journey took seven and a half hours and ended just after dark. It was the right thing! On all agenda items…

  Yesterday, a big meeting of friends of the 7 Summits Club took place in the lecture hall of the Sports Marathon Travelers Club.  The program included the presentation of Alexander Abramov's book "The Height-Altitude  Gene" and the first ever presentation of orders “Seven Summits”.  The hall was crowded, and everyone showed great interest in what was happening "on stage".  The procedure for awarding orders has turned into a solemn presentation of outstanding personalities, such are the heroes, the climbers of all "Seven Summits".   

 The Order of the Seven Summits is an honorary award to climbers who have climbed the highest peaks of all seven continents of our planet. In total, there are almost half a thousand people who have completed it.  There are already about fifty of them in the list of Russians. The first number in it is the famous Russian traveler Fyodor Konyukhov, who completed the program back in 1997.

  The presentation of the badge of honor, which is called the order, is a long-standing idea of the president of the 7 Summits Club company, Alexander Abramov, who, by the way, has already completed the program three times. Finally, the idea that the climbers of the "SevenSummits" are worthy of a separate award has been brought to life.  And the heroes who have passed through all continents, climbed to their highest peaks, received a beautiful order!  The 7 Summits Club plans to make the solemn procedure of awarding the Seven Summits Orders traditional. After all, the award can only be received in person, not everyone could be in Moscow that evening. Well, we are waiting for new heroes, the mountains are calling and waiting for us!

 The list of climbers who received the order (themselves or through family representatives):

Konyukhov Fyodor

Moskalev Dmitry

Abramov Alexander

Korobeshko Lyudmila

Bobok Victor

Ashurli Israfil

Larin Sergey

Kofanov Sergey  

Prinzyuk Igor

Turovsky Mikhail

Podolyan Andrey

Sokov Dmitry

Simonovich Vitaly

Filkov Andrey

Kadochin Igor

Dudko Sergey

Krasnov Dmitry

Dmitriev Sergey

Kravt Evgeny

Bautin Alexey

Balakin Alexey

Tertychny Alexander

Tertychny Dmitry

Sadetsky George

Belkovich Vladimir

Semeshkin Kirill

Lachkarev Vladislav

Popov  Alexander

Rostovtsev Artem

Zisman Irina

Gurgov Yuri.

This morning Lakpa Sherpa climbed on the top of Mount Everest and became the first woman to do it for the 10th time!  She simply has no competitors.  Lakpa is our old friend, a participant of several of our expeditions. She is the sister of our sirdar, the representative of the 7 Summits Club in Nepal Mingma Gelu.  However, in expeditions Lakpa always works according to its own program. This is especially true of the current one, in which she is accompanied by a small film crew from the USA. Recently, Lakpa managed to "break through the wall", that is, to get to American sponsors. So now it will be necessary to report.

 By the way, Lakpa plans to climb K2 in the summer to "enter the history of mountaineering," as she claims. And there, I think, it will be necessary to add the "Seven summits". We will wait on Elbrus!

At the end of March, work begins on the installation of base camps on Everest, processing the route of ascent. The Icefall Doctors have already arrived at the base camp and started work. The team of Sherpas of the 7 Summits Club, led by our permanent sirdar Mingma Gelu, gathered in Kathmandu before leaving for Lukla, which is scheduled for March 25. The shipment of goods is being completed, but there is still a lot of work to be done in the preparatory period. And from the photos it is felt that our Nepalese friends, our partners, are looking forward to the start of the expedition with great impatience.