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Valery Myasoedov, A Guide of the 7 Summits Club, sends from Iran:

Greetings from Iran! "Ripe Peaches" has completed its program of stay in the country, this early morning the last participants flew home. What we saw during the three days of the excursion program, as they say... can't be described in a fairy tale or with a pen. The ancient capitals of Persia Shiraz, Persepolis, Pasargadae, Isfahan... touching this part of the cultural heritage of mankind takes your breath away. History is at every step here. 2500 years of construction used technologies that even now are impossible for modern man to understand. Centuries-old history, excellent cuisine, friendly and welcoming people await you in this hospitable country. Combining this exciting tour with climbing Damavand is the best gift to yourself! Plan and join us next season, recruitment for groups is already open.

A guide of the 7 Summits Club Valery Myasoedov:

Greetings from Iran! The "Ripe Peaches" group, or rather part of it, is still in the country and is making a sightseeing tour of the ancient capitals of Persia.

Yesterday, early in the morning, we flew to Shiraz, the capital of the province of Fars, and spent the whole day in this ancient city of poets, love and roses. So many magnificent gardens and parks, magnificent mosques... in this aspect Shiraz has no competitors. We visited the Narenjestan Garden, the Garden of Eden, the tomb of Hafez, the great poet of the 14th century, revered by all Iranians, then had lunch in a traditional restaurant near the Vakil Bazaar. The bazaar itself has 400 years of history, a walk through it is an obligatory part of the program of stay in Shiraz. In the evening we walked in the city center around the Karim Khan Fortress, where on weekends, and Thursday is a day off in Iran, like Saturday in our country, thousands of city dwellers gather, and tasted the famous Shiraz dessert faloodeh. A wonderful end to the day!

The third group of this season from Club 8000 is already in Kyrgyzstan! Today we arrived at the Base Camp and are starting the program of climbing Lenin Peak. The day before, our participants arrived in Osh throughout the day. Of course, we had a traditional walk around the city and climbed Suleiman-Too. Then we all gathered together for a welcome dinner in our favorite teahouse "Navat". All the participants are cheerful, happy and determined. The name of the group has not yet been thought up, but it will definitely be announced in the next news. Guides Valery Myasoedov and Andrey Berezin.

Greetings from Kyrgyzstan, the glorious city of Osh! The joint group of the 8000 Club on Lenin Peak has completed the program! Today we saw off the last participants. And the day before, we held an award ceremony at a gala dinner. The best tea house of Osh "Navat" was chosen for the ceremony. The busy program and the early departure of some participants did not allow the ceremony to be held in full, nevertheless, it took place and was held in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

 All participants noted that the mountain is very difficult, it was hard. The path to the top was trodden only in the 20th of July, which makes our achievement more significant. We are proud of our participants, they showed incredible endurance and will to the top, without this, no ascent to such a height is possible. Well done! Guides Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from Kyrgyzstan from the "Always Gotov-s" group! The acclimatization part of the program continues. Three busy days flew by quickly, we are already in the Base Camp, resting, gaining strength before the decisive exit. During these days, we spent two nights in the Second Camp with a rotation to the Third Camp and Razdelnaya Peak itself, 6.148 m. It is worth noting that both groups, going in parallel, in full force entered Razdelnaya in a strong wind. And special mention should be made of our young 18-year-old participants Katya and Natalia, for whom Razdelnaya was the finale of the program. However, Katya, feeling confident in her abilities, changed her plans and decided to go with the main group to the summit of Lenin Peak! The weather is stabilizing, our chances are growing, we believe in our success. Guide Valery Myasoedov.

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 8000 Club, reports from Kyrgyzstan:

Greetings from Kyrgyzstan from Lenin Peak from the group "Always ready-s"! We are already in the First Camp at 4,400 m! We reached it at a good pace in 5 hours. We didn't have time for lunch according to the schedule, but, of course, they were waiting for us, and the stuffed peppers were universally approved. The weather is not good, it is even more or less acceptable before lunch, which we took advantage of, today we held snow and ice classes, remembered the skills of using jumars and ascender devices. After lunch, it was swept away, we rest in comfortable tents with mattresses, pillows and blankets, and electricity is supplied to each tent, a light bulb and a pilot for charging. It's somehow more pleasant to experience bad weather this way.

Greetings from Kyrgyzstan from the "Always ready-s" group! On the second day of the program, according to the plan, we had the beginning of active acclimatization, reaching the shoulder of Petrovsky peak. On a clear, slightly cool morning, Lenin Peak appeared in front of us. He appeared like such a snow-covered giant, showing his power and greatness and setting us up for a serious challenge. We accept the call and start working. The walk turned out to be unhurried, at a comfortable pace for everyone. We reached the 4000 m mark, admired the surroundings and went down to the camp at lunchtime. We never cease to be surprised by the service at the Base Camp and marvel at the amenities of our super comfortable yurts. It will be a pity to leave them, but tomorrow we plan to move to the First Camp. Guides Andrey Berezin and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from Tehran! Yesterday (July 2) the Persian Lions group stood in full force at the top of Damavand! The weather conditions continue to surprise us. It was the third ascent in a row, which took place in difficult conditions, in fog and with strong winds. It should be noted that such weather is unusual for Damavand at this time of the year. And this makes this ascent an even more significant achievement. At the last moment, the exit to the assault was again postponed to 23.00, up to a height of 5,200 m we walked in one group. Then we split into two.  The "fast ones" broke away for half an hour, but stayed at the top to take a general group photo - team spirit, what else can you say! Of course, it was not easy, of course, everyone was tired, but the memory of achieving the goal in such conditions will remain with us for the rest of our lives. We are proud of the Team with a capital letter! Guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Valery Myasoedov.

Breaking news from Iran! This morning, our participant Roman from the Third Mountain group, together with our Iranian guide, climbed Damavand. On the eve of the assault, Roman had a high fever, and he did not go up with the main group. However, he decided not to leave the summit "for later" and successfully completed the program! Well done! Congratulations! Guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Valery Myasoedov.

Salom from Iran! The third group of the Damavand season arrived in Tehran early yesterday morning. A short transfer and we are already at Espinas Palace, the best hotel in Tehran at the foot of the Elburs mountain range. After rest and breakfast, we traditionally went on a city tour. We visited the Golestan Palace, learned a lot of interesting things about the reign of the Qajar dynasty from our Iranian guide Pasha. During the tour, there were many diverse questions on political and economic topics, which Pasha adequately coped with. We have an inquisitive group!

 Lunch at the national restaurant, where the main dish is "dizi", was appreciated by everyone. And a welcome dinner at the Milod Tower with a panorama of evening Tehran completed the first day of immersion in this incredible colorful culture of Iran. We decided to be called "'Persian lions", which shows the most determined attitude to the climb.

Guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Valery Myasoedov.

Greetings from Iran from the group "Third Mountain"! We are already in Tehran! For many, it was the third mountain in a row, and we are glad that the name of the group justified itself. Yesterday, at about 7.30, the "Third Mountain" in two subgroups, almost in full force, went to the top of Damavand with an interval of 15 minutes. Unfortunately, one participant reached only 5200 m. In total, 13 of the 14 participants reached the top. Why is it so early at 7.30, the question arises. We had to accept the challenge of bad weather, which settled in the Damavand area for several days. We had to make a choice between a bad forecast and a very bad one. The collective decision of the guides was to go out in two subgroups at 21.00 and 23.00. A very non-standard plan, but it justified itself. Through snow and wind in difficult conditions, for the first time in our many years of experience, we made this ascent. Our participants showed incredible courage and perseverance. We will always remember their desire and will to reach the top and set an example for our future bands. Photos and videos convincingly show this. Guides Evgeny Fedyunin and Valery Myasoedov.

Valery Myasoedov, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Iran:

 Salom from Iran! Yesterday, the group "Three by three" in full force made an ascent on the summit of Damavand.  In my memory, the most difficult climb, the most difficult weather conditions, all the most unusual… We went out to storm at 23.00, whereas before, all our groups went out at 4-5 in the morning. This was due to the thunderstorm front, which has been steadily covering the Damavand area for the past few days in the afternoon. Safety is always a priority for us, wherever it is, on any mountain. We spent more than a day on our feet, just a couple of hours of rest after dinner, the participants showed a full understanding of the situation and the mood to achieve the goal. As a result, at 6.45 am we were all standing at the top, very tired, but also very happy from this moment of being on the highest volcano in Asia. After almost 8 hours of work in difficult conditions, the snow was knee-deep in places, it was completely uncharacteristic for the June Damavand, in fact, it was like a winter ascent. The indomitable character and willpower of the band members are admired. The guys are great fellows, real fighters! Now we are already in Tehran, resting and recovering. There will be a gala dinner and an award ceremony in the evening.

Valery Myasoedov, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Iran:

Greetings from Iran! The group "Three by three" continues its climbing program on Damavand. Today was the third day, which we tentatively called Kebab Day the day before. Great name, fully justified. After breakfast at the Tochal Mountain Hotel, we took a cable car down to Tehran and started moving to the foot of Damavand. On the way, we had lunch planned at our favorite Adam and Eve restaurant. A non-Muslim name, say, but nevertheless…  And they also started celebrating Kebab Day there. Lamb on a bone, lamb kebab, several fresh salads and snacks with beer and doug, milk drink. A great start!

   Later we stopped at the House of the Iranian Mountaineering Federation to apply for permits. And how they would have been decorated. But, in fact, they did not get their hands on it, since the big boss was not in the office. We left copies of our passports, paid for them, and were formally given the go-ahead to move on. Thanks to the time saved, we then drove to the poppy meadow. We spent an hour there. This is some kind of poppy paradise... Look at the photo and you will understand.

Next, we reached Larijan, a hotel with thermal springs. We settled in, took a walk, rested, and finished the Kebab Day at a local kebab shop. Liver kebab, pork fat kebab, bone kebab were insanely tender and delicious, they even asked for an addition. Well-fed and satisfied, we took an evening walk around Larijan and went to bed. Tomorrow is a hard day, climbing to the camp at 4,200 m.

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Iran:

Salome from Iran from a group called "Three by three"! We have three participants with climbing experience, and three are beginners, hence the name. More experienced people share their experience with beginners, and guides also take an active part in this. Today, on the second day of the program, we took the cable car to the Tochal Hotel, located at 3,500 m. It is such an oasis of comfort in the middle of rocky and snow-covered slopes.

The weather is trying to nightmare us, but for now we are skillfully avoiding a meeting with a thunderstorm front that has surrounded Tehran and the surrounding area. For this reason, we went to the summit of Tochal, 3964 m, right after lunch. The right decision! In Tehran, as they say in Russia, there was a mega-downpour, but not a drop fell on the rocks during the ascent. We climbed at a good pace. We spent an hour at the top, had an interesting time, played the Ninja Strike game, this is a new game idea of our guide Hamid. It was a lot of fun!

We went down to the hotel, had a delicious dinner, now we are relaxing in the lobby, playing board games and waiting for the start of the European Football Championship. We hope we have enough strength at least for the first half.

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Iran:
Greetings from Iran! A new season has started on Damavand! Hurray! How we've been waiting for this!.. The first group arrived yesterday, the visa was processed quickly, and in less than an hour we were at the hotel. Almost 5 whole hours of rest after a night flight were very useful. Tehran greeted us with a heat of +38, but this is normal for this time of year, we were ready for it. On the first day of the program, as always, we have a sightseeing tour of the city and lunch at a restaurant located in an ancient building where the first Tehran bank once stood. Traditionally, they tried "dizi sangi", a dish in a pot with mutton and vegetables. We haven't had time to get hungry yet after a hearty breakfast at the hotel, however, we got an idea about the peculiarities of cooking this dish and Iranian cuisine in general.

Then, accompanied by our guide, the magnificent Mariam, we proceeded to the Golestan Palace, where we examined numerous expositions and artifacts of the Qajar and Pahlavi dynasties. We are very lucky that Mariam is our city guide again this season, she is already our mascot, sets a good positive mood for the whole program. In the evening, a welcome dinner was held in the panoramic restaurant of the Milod TV tower at an altitude of 280 m. We got to know each other better and came up with the name of our group. We are now called "Three by Three". Why? I will explain in the next news. Today we are going up to the alpine hotel Tochal for acclimatization.

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Mexico:

Greetings from Mexico from the Quetzal group! The final news from us, in which I will try to fit the most striking events that have happened to us over the past 24 hours. So, in order, in the form of a kaleidoscope.

1, When we left our partner Roberto's cozy hostel in Zoapan, we left a significant mark behind us. Quetzal's initiative group organized the decoration of the flag of the 7 Summits Club in the living room, in which dozens of flags of different countries and companies were hung, but ours was not there. Now there is!

2. On the way to Puebla, we managed/were lucky enough to see the real eruption of the Popocatepetl volcano. They write about him everywhere now, even the airport was closed in Puebla.

 3. Puebla itself. Two hours is negligible for such a paradise tourist center. You can wander for hours - the unique churches of the 16th century, the church of Santo Domingo of the Dominican Order, in which the altar and decorations are made of bread, countless streets with many souvenir shops. And, of course, we learned how to drink tequila. Only with sangrita now!

4. From Puebla, we returned to Mexico City, stayed in one of the best hotels in the city of Barcelo, in the Premier Suite. It is worth noting separately that according to the program we had the best hotels and haciendas, you can also write a lot about this. Only 20 minutes for accommodation, and for a festive dinner and an award ceremony. Many kind words and wishes, discussion of plans for future programs. I am glad that I was able to share the joy and emotions of climbing with such a great group!

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Mexico:

Greetings from Mexico! Details of the successful ascent of the Quetzal group to the summit of the Orizaba volcano. In the afternoon, after a short acclimatization trek, we had time to rest and even sleep. In general, the acclimatization was successful, and our attitude was the most determined. The route from the South is not often used by Orizaba. So, our Mexican guide Julio, who goes to the summit twice a week in the season, was here with us for the first time this season. All the other ascents he had were from the North. The route from the South is mainly an ascent along a loose trail and some sections of large stones. In places, the trail is not obvious, which brought its own difficulties. The last 200 meters is a loose slope, covered with small and medium-sized stones, and a rock hazard. We were the first on the route, so there was no chance that someone would drop rocks on us.

 Going out at midnight at night did not affect our well-being in any way. In my opinion, the difference of 9 hours with Mexico is beneficial here. When it's midnight here, it's 9 a.m. in Moscow. The body does not have time to fully adapt to a different time zone, and it is not necessary to struggle with sleep, as in Kilimanjaro, for example. We are at a good pace, we climbed to the top in 7 hours and 15 minutes. The sun was already shining. We took a bunch of photos and videos. To be honest, we were not even very tired. The descent took only 2.5 hours. But, it should be noted that the pre-summit 200 meters on the descent require special concentration and attention, since the slope is quite steep, 25-30 degrees. After a light snack, we moved to Zoapan, where we were served a delicious lunch with wine, and then to Puebla. Sorry if the report turned out to be boring… But I promise you interesting news from Zoapan later. And a photo report from Puebla, where we have an excursion part of the program today.

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Mexico

Greetings from Mexico from the Quetzal group! Yesterday we went up to the camp at 4,500 m from the South. The journey took a little over two hours, it was not boring and very informative to look at the Mexican countryside. March is the end of the Orizaba season, besides us there are two other small groups in the camp, there is enough space for everyone. Yesterday afternoon we walked to the refuge, such a good-quality building with a small kitchen and bunks for 25 people. The mountain is very close, at hand and does not cause any fears from the outside, nevertheless, with whom we communicated, they say that it was not easy. We take note of this, tune in and believe in our success. Today, at midnight local time, we go out to storm. Wish us good luck!

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Mexico:

Greetings from Mexico from the Quetzal group! Yesterday we had the third day of the program, climbing La Malinche, 4462 m. Why are we Quetzal? This is in honor of a small unusual bird that is found only in Central American countries and is a symbol in many of them. In Guatemala, for example, the country's currency is called the quetzal. And we also call it the firebird.

 We are leaving our cozy hacienda today, we spent two nights here. The hacienda is an estate with many buildings, in the architectural style of colonial times, in which both owners and employees lived.

And the main event of yesterday - we climbed La Malinche. We gained almost 1400 m in 4.5 hours. Everyone successfully coped, admired the beautiful views, and tired, but satisfied with the stage we had passed, returned to our hacienda. At dinner, the appetite was excellent.

Valery Myasoedov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Mexico:

  Greetings from Mexico! A new team of the 7 Summits Club has arrived in Mexico City on the Seven Volcanoes program and go to Orizaba (5636 m), the highest volcano in North America. First day: arrival of the group and acquaintance with Mexico City, the largest city in Central America. And today, on the second day, we visited the famous pyramids of Teotihuacan. They really look mysterious and keep a lot of secrets. But our guide Natalia gave exhaustive explanations to all our questions. Undoubtedly, one of the wonders of the world and the mysteries of mankind.

After the tour, we had a delicious lunch at the national cuisine restaurant. We tasted pulque, a local drink made from fermented agave juice, and everyone was satisfied. After lunch, we moved to the town of Huamantla, closer to La Malinche Park, where tomorrow we are going to acclimatize to the peak of the same name with a height of 4,500 m. Yes... we are housed in an ancient hacienda, an estate from colonial times, which I will tell you about tomorrow. And about the name of the band, which we have almost decided on.