Korobeshko Luda

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

May 10th.  Greetings from Nepal from the magical Rivendell from the Makalu Minions team! We have the second day of rest. Yesterday, on May 9, Victory Day and Igor Smirnov's birthday were celebrated. In the morning, we arranged a festive exercise and a festive breakfast with songs. Then we went for a walk through the sacred places above the Tengboche Monastery. Having descended, we found a group of Everest with Abramov at the head in our lodge. We continued to celebrate together.

This morning Viktor Volodin flew to visit us in a blue helicopter, and then a group of trekkers led by Kristina Putintseva came. They promised to send us the book "The Height Gene 2. A Woman's Look" from Namche by this evening.

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

Greetings from Nepal from Deboche, from a height of 3800 m, from the team "Minions of Makalu"! All night the Minions slept a heroic sleep in the Makalu base camp at an altitude of 5700 m, after the second acclimatization rotation.  By morning, they listened with trepidation to see if the wind was getting stronger. After all, we decided to fly down to Deboche, relax on the green before the decisive assault. And according to the forecast, strong winds were promised for three days. After breakfast, we packed our things, and the painful hours of waiting dragged on. The wind was getting stronger. And lo and behold, Simone Moro cuts the clouds with screws and descends after us from heaven (more precisely from the Mainland). In a couple of hours, he transported the whole group to the wonderful Rivendell hotel (2 km lower in altitude than BC). He drove 2 people each time - from 5700 it's the only way.

And now our dreams come true - hot water, heated sheets, cappuccino and apple pie! How little a person needs for happiness!

According to the plan, we have three nights of rest on the green (May 8-11).

May 11 return to BL.

May 12 preparation for the climb.

May 13 climb to C2 (6600).

May 14 move to C3 (7500).

May 15 move to C4 (7800).

May 16 assault Makalu and descent to C2.

May 17 descent to BC.

 Lyudmila Korobeshko, the head of the expedition to Makalu, and Israfil Ashurli, the head of the minions, were in touch.

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

News from the expedition on Makalu.  A couple of hours ago we went down to Makalu base camp. As planned, we acclimatized to 6800, spent two nights in the second camp. Everyone feels good, we are waiting for the good weather to fly down to rest. Valery Babanov, who later went to the slopes of Makalu, stayed one more night in Camp-2 at 6600m.

Against the background of Barunze. On the way from Makalu Base Camp to Camp-1. The height is 6000m. The views are amazing.

The team "Minions of Makalu" goes from the second to the third camp on Makalu. Behind - Everest and Lhotse. So they look unusual from here.

Camp 2 at 6600 on Makalu at night.

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

On May 5, we entered the second rotation. By 18.00 we arrived at Camp-2, having gained 900 meters in a strong wind. We warm up in tents. A heavy mountain. But it's all right. Tomorrow we will go up to 7000 meters if the wind subsides. The weather is not good, there is a strong wind. We are also planning to meet Valery Babanov, who is planning an oxygen-free ascent as part of the 8000 Club expedition.

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

May 4. The weather has deteriorated since morning.  Snow and wind. We decided to postpone the climb until tomorrow. A team of Sherpas came out to try to fix ropes to the top of Makalu on May 6-7.

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

Happy May 1st to everyone!  Yesterday we went to the first acclimatization. The climb to Camp 1 turned out to be quite difficult - there was a steep part in front of the camp itself. We spent the night at 6300. In the morning, part of the group got up into Camp 2, left the drop there and also ran down. The snowfall was quite heavy both days. Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, May 2 and 3, according to the plan, are rest days. Everyone feels good. But we tired, of course.

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

  Hello everyone! The 8000 Club team flew into the Makalu base camp. The helicopter flight impressed the participants very much, there were passes, gorges, ridges under us. The pilot was the legendary Italian climber Simone Moro. The camp itself also pleased the participants of the expedition. Very comfortable and convenient. At the camp we were greeted with bread and salt by our old friend the cook from Everest - Dandy. He treated us to the traditional Everest soup "Chicken Water" (potato chicken rice). Tomorrow  there will be the puja ceremony in the camp and if the weather allows, the team will go to camp 1. Everyone feels great, the mood is good.

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

 Greetings to all from Nepal, again from Pheriche, from “Makalu Minions team”! Today we spent the second night at the Everest Base Camp and left the hospitable camp of climbers on the Everest of the 7 Summits Club. We went down to Pheriche. By 15.00 we were in our cozy Edelweiss lodge. And then it just started snowing. We hope the weather will improve by morning, because tomorrow morning we have to fly directly to the ABC camp on Makalu. We will burhan today for good weather! Wish us the weather and good luck!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the head of the expedition on Makalu, and Israfil Ashurli, the head of the minions, were in touch.

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

Greetings to all from Nepal from the Everest BC (altitude 5300) from the Makalu Minions team! We spent the first night at an altitude of 5,300 in the Everest BC. Slightly swollen. To disperse the blood, we went for a walk around the camp. We went to lunch at the camp of our partners - 14 Peaks. Here we met a lot of friends - including Volodya Kotlyar.  We met the legendary Kami Rita Sherpa - 26 times on Everest. After a delicious lunch, we went to visit our group with Vitya Volodin and Sveta Kotlyar. In their camp, we were given delicious coffee. According to the plan, Victor and his team will go up for a few days for acclimatization tomorrow.

And we're going down to Periche tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow we have to fly into the camp near Makalu.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the head of the expedition on Makalu, and Israfil Ashurli, the head of the minions, were in touch.

P.S. Alex also conducted a theoretical oxygen lesson.

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

 Greetings from Nepal from Everest Base Camp (altitude 5300) from the Makalu Minions team! This morning we left Lobuche (4900) and by lunchtime we arrived at the Everest Base Camp of the 7 Summits Club Expedition. Here we were greeted with a solemn formation and champagne, comfortably placed in large tents with beds, fed a delicious lunch.

For the next two days we will live here and acclimatize. All participants of the expedition on Makalu feel great. Almost as good as the Everest people who have been living here for three days.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the head of the expedition on Makalu, and Israfil Ashurli, the head of the minions, were in touch.

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

Greetings from Nepal from the height of 4900 (Lobuche) from the team "Minions of Makalu"! This morning we woke up in Feriche, swept by snow. For cheerfulness, we took out the flag, took a morning team photo with it and moved up.

A little rest was arranged in Dukla. Further along the way, we stopped at the memorials of the fallen comrades, tied prayer ribbons and honored their memory with a minute of silence.

By lunchtime we came to Lobuche at 4900, again in a snowfall. Somehow the weather doesn't want to get better yet. But we are not discouraged - we pray. In Lobuche we met Valera Babanov again. Tomorrow they are going to spend the night on the top of Lobuche. Tomorrow, according to the plan, we are coming to the Everest BC to visit our Alex Abramov Everest expedition.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the head of the expedition to Makala, and Israfil Ashurli, the head of the minions, were in touch.

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

Greetings from Nepal from a height of 4200 from the Makalu Minions team! Today we made the trek from Deboche (3600) to Pheriche (4200). On the way, we made a small detour to visit the oldest monastery in the Solo Valley-Khumbu - Pangboche. Here we were shown the scalp and the hand of the Yeti (they are kept inside the monastery in a locker under lock and key). In the village of Shomare we ate delicious pizzas. After that, the weather turned bad. In Pheriche, we were already almost fully laid out - in gortex and warm clothes.

In Pheriche, we stayed in a cozy Edelweiss lodge, where there is a cappuccino and even a foot massage! We'll try it tonight!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the head of the expedition on Makalu, and Israfil Ashurli, the head of the minions, were in touch.

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

All namaste from Nepal from the expedition on Makalu "Minions of Makalu". Today we woke up in Namche and saw that the entire Sherpa capital was covered with snow. But by the time we left, the snow had almost melted - we were walking to the sound of drops. The whole trip to Tiangboche pleased us with beautiful views of Ama-Dablam, Cholatse (where Valera Babanov is going now), Everest and Lhotse. We walked through thickets of yews and rhododendrons.

We could not pass by the famous Tiangboche Monastery - already, according to the good old tradition, the whole group made a cora around the monastery and went inside. We were very lucky - a very cool local lama was reading a prayer there. At our request, he agreed to bless our expedition on Makalu and tied a thread around each participant's neck and katu.

Now we are staying at the wonderful Rivendell Lodge (perhaps the best on the route). The owners of the lodge and their dog Shenki remember us well and welcome us very cordially. We washed with hot water, had lunch and rest.  We're going to Pheriche tomorrow.

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

All Namaste from Namche from the participants of the expedition on Makalu! We started this morning cheerfully - with morning exercises.  After breakfast, we went out to acclimatize to the famous Everest View Hotel. In an hour and a half we gained 400m and sat down to drink tea with a view of Everest and Ama-Dablam (soon covered by clouds). After about 10 minutes, the snow began to fall. We danced in the hope of dispersing the clouds (it helped for 20 minutes) and through this window we rushed down to Namche.

Only three of the most advanced (Irina, Marina and I) decided to stay and try something new - yoga at the lodge at 3800. It was awesome! First the tuning, then stretching and asanas, at the end - shavasana with singing bowls and tea with rhododendrons.  While we were at yoga, bad weather raged, as soon as we came out, the sun came out. We quickly rushed down to Namche. We ran straight to the Sherpa Barista, where we had a great lunch with the whole group and even with Valera Babanov.

Here the weather has completely deteriorated. It's been raining and snowing for the fifth hour. We hope the weather will improve tomorrow. We have to go to the famous Tiangboche Monastery.

By the way, today we finally approved the name of our team – "Makalu Minions". Everything will be clear from the photo.

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

20 April. News of the expedition on Makalu.  Namaste from Namche Bazaar - the capital of the Sherpas! We ran here together in 5 hours from Phakding today. And very timely - immediately after our arrival in Namche, it began to rain with hail. But we were no longer afraid - we settled in rooms with hot water and heated sheets.

At lunch in the most famous cafe in Namche - Sherpa "Barista" - we met with Valera Babanov. He and a friend were lifted to Namche  by Simone Moro by helicopter. The next 3-4 days our routes coincide with Valera.

Tomorrow we are planning a day of rest and a disco in a Japanese hotel with a view of Mount Everest.

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

April 19. Greetings to all from the expedition on Makalu!  Today our team arrived in Lukla and started moving towards Everest.  This year there are new rules - now at the checkpoint immediately after Lukla, documents are checked for a long time and a special trekker card is issued.

Halfway to the Phacking we had lunch and at sunset we came to the Shangri la Resort Sherpa - a cozy hotel among the pine forest and overlooking the neighboring Summits.

Tomorrow we move to the capital of the Sherpas – Namche Bazaar.

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

Greetings to all from Kathmandu from the expedition on Makalu! Today, on April 18, the last two participants arrived - Marina and Valery Babanov. We sent part of the cargo immediately under Makalu (in very beautiful bags). Then part of the group went to buy equipment, and the other part - to get acquainted with the culture of Nepal.

We visited several Hindu and Buddhist temples, saw the world's largest statue of Padmasabhava, meditated in the caves where Padmasabhava himself achieved enlightenment, made three koras around the largest stupa in Nepal.

In the evening we gathered for a gala dinner, which our Ecuadorian friend, Edgar Parra, unexpectedly shared with us. Tomorrow morning, according to the plan, we will start the trek to Everest Base camp.

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

Hello everyone from Kathmandu!  Today almost all the participants of our expedition on Makalu gathered in Kathmandu! Almost all of them are Everest summiters, many of them have several eight-thousandth peaks behind them, there are two "Snow Leopards"!

Tomorrow we send some things straight to the base camp Makalu, we buy more equipment and the day after tomorrow we are on the road! Forward and Up!

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

 Greetings from Nepal from the expedition on Makalu! The first members of our team finally began to arrive in the capital of Nepal. In the morning, Veronica and Lilia (climbers of last season's Everest) arrived. By the way, these brave girls are planning to make two ascents of 8000 at once - to Makalu and Lhotse.  In the late afternoon Israfil Ashurly arrived in Kathmandu, an experienced high-altitude climber (took part in a dozen expeditions to the eight-thousandth Summits) who is an assistant leader in our expedition.

In the evening we paid a friendly visit to the Everest expedition led by Alex Abramov. All the girls first of all ran to be photographed with the legend of Soviet mountaineering - Sergey Bogomolov. He is participating in an expedition to Mount Everest as a preparation for his main goal - K2 this summer. Early tomorrow morning, the Everest team will fly to Lukla, and we will meet the main part of our team on Makalu.

At the party on April 6, the team of the 8000 Club expedition to Makalu will be presented to the guests. Come and wish them a good journey! In this millennium, Russia has not yet been represented on this mountain by such a large and strong expedition. All the participants of the expedition have extensive experience of climbing, including eight-thousand meters. And Valery Babanov and Israfil Ashurli are recognized authorities in the world of sports mountaineering. Good luck, weather, health! Everyone come back with a victory!

We present the participants of the 8000 Club expedition on Makalu.

1. Irina Zisman. Moscow.
Experience: The Seven Summits project. Everest, Manaslu, Cho-Oyu. Ama-Dablam.

2. Lilia Kovalenko. Samara.
Experience: 6 Summits from the Seven Summits project, Everest, Manaslu. Plans 2x8000 - Makalu + Lhotse.

3. Veronika Zaripova. Ufa.
Experience: Everest, Ama-Dablam, Lenin Icon. Plans 2x8000 - Makalu + Lhotse.

4. Vladimir Belkovich. Moscow.
Experience: The Seven Summits Project, Everest, K2, Manaslu, Lenin Peak, Ama-Dablam. Plans 2x8000 - Makalu+ Lhotse

5. Igor Smirnov. Moscow.
Experience: 6 Summits from the Seven Summits project, Everest, Manaslu, Cho-Oyu, Shisha-Pangma, Ama-Dablam.

6. Vasily Kernitsky. Moscow.
Experience: Everest, Manaslu, Cho-Oyu, Korzhenevskaya Peak, Communism peak, Lenin Peak.

7. Yuri Lukyanov. Shymkent, Kazakhstan.
Experience: 6 Summits from the project "Seven Summits", "Snow Leopard", Manaslu.

8. Valery Babanov Valery. Chamonix.
The star of world mountaineering. New routes to the eight–thousand-meter Broad Peak and Dhaulagiri, twice winner of the international prize "Golden Ice Axe", the best ascents in the Himalayas - new routes to the Peak  Meru, Nuptse and Jannu.

9. Israfil Ashurli (assistant to the head of the expedition to Makalu) Baku. Azerbaijan.
Experience: The Seven Summits project, Everest, Manaslu, Broad Peak, Kanchenjunga, Lhotse, Snow Leopard.

Head: Lyudmila Korobeshko. Director of the 7 Summits Club. She has completed the Seven Summits project three times, visited the poles twice, three times Everest summiter, Cho-Oyu, Manaslu.