Korobeshko Luda

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 30. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 “High Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! Today we finally got enough sleep! Firstly, we slept on beds with blankets. Secondly, breakfast was already at 8.00 and there was no need to pack! After breakfast, we had a shower. And after lunch - an afternoon nap.

Tomorrow we make the first acclimatization rotation - to ABC at 5300 and return to BC.

The heads of the expedition to K2 Alex Abramov and Lyudmila Korobeshko and the expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov are in touch.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

 June 29. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "High Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! Today is a significant day - we finally came to the K2 Base Camp!!!

It was snowing and raining all night at Camp Concordia. We also went out in the snow. On the road alternately - then snow, then rain, then a little sun. On the approaches to the BC, the majestic K2 finally emerged from the clouds. However, not for long. But it impressed us very much.

By lunchtime we came to the place of BC. We put on a team uniform, raised the flag and solemnly entered the camp. Here we were joyfully greeted by a team of our Sherpas led by Alex Abramov.We comfortably accommodated in single tents with beds (!). Had lunch. Now we rest. Snowfall is forecast for the next 2-3 days. We will rest and acclimatize at the Base Camp.

The heads of the expedition to K2 Alex Abramov and Lyudmila Korobeshko and the expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov are in touch.

Fotos by Arno Ter Saakovs

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 28.  All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "High Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2!  Today we spent the first night on the glacier in the Goro-2 camp at an altitude of 4200. It was cold. But the first time we got enough sleep - breakfast was scheduled as early as 7.30. Woke up, opened the tents and gasped - such beauty around: K1 or Masherbrum, just a little short of 8000 - few people have been to its top; Muztag Tower Summits, ahead of the gorge - the Steep pyramid of Gasherbrum IV, on the edges of the two-horned Mitre and Marble Peak…

The trek to the Concordia camp today was quite simple - we reached it in 5 hours. Here Broad Peak has already opened in all its glory. But K2 is still hiding in the clouds.

Tomorrow we go to base camp K2.

I want to mention the friends from the RD studio team. They not only keep up with the whole group -  but also manage to shoot on the road, running ahead of the group. And after coming to the camp, when everyone is resting, they work - they shoot interviews.

The head of the expedition to K2 Lyudmila Korobeshko and the expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov are in touch.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "High Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! Wow, what a day we had today - tin!!!  We got up before 4 am. We had breakfast at 4.30 and left at 5. An hour later we reached the famous Baltoro glacier and started moving along it. From the good - these are stunning views, especially of the Trango Towers. And again Broad Peak flashed in the distance. From not very good - we walked almost 10 hours to the Urdukas camp. It's hot again, but the clouds have already started to come and even a little rain has fallen.

The biggest impression of the day is crossing the river. Barefoot, almost waist-deep in icy water - almost frostbitten our feet. But everyone is alive and well. Although one of the participants received a minor knee injury - a few scratches - Andrey quickly healed.

By the way, our doctor Andrey is in great demand - especially among local guys. Yesterday, a delegation of 15 porters came to him - everyone asked them to be treated. Andrey is kind - he does not refuse anyone.

The walk will be easier tomorrow. We'll rest there.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 25. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition on K2 "High-Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! Today we got up with the roosters again - at 4.30. We had breakfast at 5 in the morning. And we decided to "cheat" a little - we drove up 5 km by car. The remaining 15 honestly walked. Again in the heat, but the places are beautiful - along the river along the sand at first, then along the rocky paths. We saw Broad Peak and K2 in the distance. By lunchtime we reached the Paiju camp at 3400 in a small green grove - hooray - shade!!   Tomorrow will be the longest part of our trekking.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

 June 24. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "High Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! We got up early today - at 4.30, because at 5.30 we already had breakfast, and at 6.00 we went out on the trail to K2! In 3 hours we reached the green oasis - Korofon camp along a wide rocky gorge. They had lunch there. Then we continued on our way to the final goal of our today's transition - the Jola camp (3200).

We found ourselves in the camp at noon - the heat is terrible. So we hide in tents until the evening. And the bravest swim in the mountain river Braldu, near which our camp is located.

Tomorrow we have an even longer trek - about 20km to the Paju camp - it's about 7-8 hours on rocky trails and with crossings over numerous rivers.

The head of the expedition to K2 Lyudmila Korobeshko and the expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov are in touch.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 23. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "High Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! Hurray! We have finally started moving towards our goal - K2. Early in the morning at 5 a.m. we had breakfast and at 6 a.m. we got on jeeps and moved to Ascole. The road turned out to be difficult and interesting - after an hour the asphalt ran out and the broken primer went. Many times the rivers were forded - in some places it was just dangerous - deep and stormy waters. But our dashing drivers successfully overcame everything. After lunch we arrived in Askole, a village at an altitude of 3050m, settled into tents, had lunch, rested. We are having dinner now and going to bed early, since tomorrow is an early exit. There will be a 7-8 hour walk to the Jola camp.

The head of the expedition to K2 Lyudmila Korobeshko and the expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov were in touch.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 22. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "Height Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! This morning we went to one of the highest plateaus in the world - the Deosai Plateau. There, at an altitude of 4,300, bears live, stormy rivers flow, snow caps of mountains rise. There we made a couple of acclimatization trips, visited a high-altitude classified military base, tasted pink Baltistan tea. In the evening we returned to our hotel, where we had a hearty dinner, a barbecue with a bonfire and music.

Tomorrow we leave for Ascole very early in the morning! Towards adventure!

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 21. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition on K2! The second day we are in a hot Skardu. In the morning, we packed the trunks, which will leave earlier immediately to the Base Camp. We walked through the market once again and pleased ourselves with vitamins, which we will not see soon now - we bought cherries, mangoes, melons.

Having received a message from Abramov from the trek, we rushed to buy umbrellas and shorts to escape from the incredible heat that is now on the trek. In the evening we went to a very interesting place - a Cold Desert. We rode on the dunes in jeeps, and the bravest even flew on moto-paragliders and hang gliders.

Already late in the evening we received information that so far the military has not given us the permit to enter the border zone. Well, we are not discouraged. We have a plan B. And tomorrow we will implement it!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the co-head of the expedition to K2, and Andrey Selivanov, the expedition doctor, are in touch.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 20.  Greetings to all from Pakistan - now from Skardu (2300m) from the participants of the expedition to K2! Three more members of our expedition arrived early this morning (Sergey Bogomolov, Dmitry Moskalev and Bartek). And already a full team (16 people) we flew to Skardu.

Just 45 minutes of flight - and we are at an altitude of 2300 (the heat, however, is almost like in Islamabad). While flying, we admired the second highest peak of Pakistan – Nanga Parbat (which is often called the killer mountain).

We settled with the maximum comfort available in Skardu at the Summit Hotel. A visit to the castle was scheduled for the evening… And for good reason - the walk around Skardu and the surrounding area turned out wonderful: we visited the local market with colorful characters and goods; we looked at the local sports complex - the stadium where matches are held for two of the most popular games in Pakistan - polo and cricket. The main event of the day is the acclimatization ascent on the top of Karpocho (ruins of the fortress of Karpocho). From here we had stunning views of Skardu, the bends of the legendary Indus and the distant peaks of Karakorum. At the end of the day, we took a picture at the inscription "I love Skardu". And, indeed, we managed to fall in love with this hospitable town.

Tomorrow is our procurement and preparation day. The day after tomorrow we plan to leave for Ascole, where our track to K2 will begin.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the co-head of the expedition to K2, and Andrey Selivanov, the expedition doctor, are in touch.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 19.  Greetings to all from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "The High Altitude Gene"! Today, almost all the members of the expedition and the entire crew of the RD Studio have arrived in Islamabad. As soon as the temperature dropped a little below 40 C, we went on a tour of the capital. We visited the Monument of Pakistan - a huge structure in the form of a flower, symbolizing Pakistan itself with its regions. Then we visited the largest mosque in Pakistan (and one of the largest in the World) - the Faisal Mosque, which simultaneously accommodates more than 300,000 worshippers. And we went up to the Himalayas - to the hills that end the Himalayas in Pakistan. This is the Margalla Ridge.

3 more participants will arrive tomorrow, and we will all go to Skardu together.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

June 17.  Hello everyone from Pakistan! The advanced troika of the expedition on K2, consisting of the leaders Alex Abramov and Lyudmila Korobeshko, as well as the expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov, flew from Moscow on June 16.

Early in the morning on June 17, we arrived in hot Islamabad. A few hours later, Alexander Abramov went straight to Skardu. From there, he will soon start moving to K2 together with our Sherpa team in order to prepare everything in advance for the arrival of the main team.

Andrey and I stayed in the capital to wait for the arrival of the whole group. We are making purchases, looking for hot spots to add spice to the future film about K2 and Pakistan!

The head of the Makalu expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

 Yesterday, a solemn celebration of the Makalu climbers took place in the Makalu BC. They were awarded certificates and medals. And then the unofficial part began - with a cake from our chef Dandy and dancing from our Sherpas. By the way, we also solemnly presented the main sirdar and Guinness Book record holder Lakpa Makalu from our 8000 Club with a commemorative medal for Makalu (this year he climbed to this peak 7th times). This morning, part of the group was able to fly to Kathmandu. 5 participants were stuck in Lukla due to bad weather (Simone Moro personally settled everyone in good hotels and promised to take them to Kathmandu tomorrow). One participant, Volodya Belkovich, flew to the Everest BC and plans to climb Lhotse in the coming days. We hope that tomorrow, on May 20, everyone will gather in Kathmandu - both Makalu and Everest teams and celebrate our successful ascents!

 Congratulations to the brave climbers!  On May 17, six climbers from the 8000 Club team climbed the summit of Makalu.

List of summiters:

Lyudmila Korobeshko - head of the expedition;

Israfil Ashurli – deputy leader;

Igor Smirnov;

Yuri Lukyanov;

Vladimir Belkovich;  

Valery Babanov.

At the Base Camp, the climbers received certificates and honorary badges-medals.

On May 17th, the team of the 8000 Club climbed on the summit of Makalu 8,485 m:
Lyudmila Korobeshko - head of the expedition;
Israfil Ashurli - ascended on the second attempt, took part in rescue work;
Igor Smirnov;
Yuri Lukyanov;
Vladimir Belkovich;
Valery Babanov.
Now the whole team is in the Base Camp.

.

This morning on May 17, the 8000 Club team led by Lyudmila Korobeshko was able to climb to the top of Makalu 8485m! Now the group is coming down, everyone is healthy and safe. Details will come later.

Today, the 8000 Club group led by Lyudmila Korobeshko climbed to Camp 3 at a height of 7,400 meters. The weather is very bad, a hurricane-force wind is blowing. In such conditions, climbing to the top is impossible. We need to wait for the weather to improve.

The head of the expedition on Makalu Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

May 13. In the morning, a helicopter arrived and finally our entire team of Makalu Minions gathered in Makalu BC. Yesterday, due to bad weather, only part of the group - 5 people - was able to fly. Even the pilot Simone Moro himself could not immediately take off. And he spent about 2 hours with us at the base camp waiting for the weather to improve.

So, there are 9 of us. Marina Gevorgyan completed her program "Touching the Makalu" and flew home. Veronika Zaripova, one of the strongest participants of the expedition, fell on the descent after the second rotation and suffered a severe knee injury. Until the last, she hoped that she would be able to return to the ranks. But the doctors said that a month minimum load is prohibited. So Veronica had to complete the expedition. She has already left Nepal.

Yesterday there was a strong wind and a terrible cold in the camp.  The weather has improved this morning. And at 8.00 the good news came - a team of Sherpas led by our Lakpa hung ropes to the top!!!  There is the first ascent on Makalu in the 2023 season!!!

By the way, Kristin Harila also climbed the summit of Makalu.

Tomorrow we are going to start - the first climb to C2 and further according to the plan.

 List of climbers:

1. Lily Kovalenko
2. Irina Zisman
3. Vladimir Belkovich
4. Yuri Lukyanov
5. Igor Smirnov
6. Vasily Kernitsky
7. Valery Babanov
8. Israfil Ashurli (deputy leader)
9. Lyudmila Korobeshko (leader)

 Wish us good luck!

The head of the expedition on Makalu Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

Part of our group flew under Makalu. Barely maneuvering between the clouds. And then the weather completely deteriorated. Simone Moro made an attempt to fly out for the rest of the participants, but got into heavy clouds. He had to come back, turn off the screws of his helicopter and sit with us at 5700 waiting for the weather to improve…

The head of the expedition on Makalu Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

Greetings from Nepal from the magical Rivendell from the Makalu Minions team! We have the third (it is the last) day of rest. Yesterday, some of the Minions went for a fabulous walk to the village, where no one had been before - the Portse. It is located on the opposite bank of the river. To get into it, you need to climb to the Tengboche monastery, then descend 300 meters, cross the river and climb 300m again. There are practically no tourists in the village (it is far from all routes). But there are many mountain tours in the vicinity, musk deer, ulars, eagles are found here.

 In the evening, Alla Mishina from the Everest Masala Team group gave us a surprise - a festive dinner at home style: fried potatoes with onions, baked chicken with garlic, sauerkraut ... we were shocked ... pleasant.

Closer to night, we received news from Makalu base camp that Kristin Harila had arrived there. Now the fixing route will definitely  fast!

In the morning, I solemnly signed my new books with all the participants of our exp. (the first 10 copies were delivered to me from Moscow - thanks to Kristina for bringing them to Nepal).

Our participant Marina Gevorgyan was escorted to Kathmandu today. Her program "Touching the Makalu" has ended. But she promised to continue to pray for us. 

At lunch, we walked to the stupa above Tengboche and ran down to the soup that Alla had prepared. In the evening, she promises some kind of surprise for dinner ... tomorrow morning on May 12, we fly to BC Makalu. Most likely, this will be the plan.

 May 13 - preparation at the base camp (BC)

May 14 - move immediately to Camp 2

May 15 - climb to C3

May 16 - climb to C4

May 17 - summit and descent to C2

May 18 - descent to BC.