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Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club talks about the recent visit to the island of Papua.

 Team of the 7 Summits Club, consisting of Irina Zisman, Michael Kornev, Gregory Sadetsky and Vladimir Kotlyar visited several places in Western part of the island of Papua New Guinea from 1 to 11 March and climbed the most mysterious and difficult of the 7 summits - the great Pyramid of Carstensz.

 On a sunny day, back in 1623, Dutch researcher Jan Carstensz saw a glacier on the banks of hot New Guinea from afar. Returning to Europe, he announced his discovery, for which he was ridiculed.

Almost 400 years have passed since then, and now any traveler can personally verify that Jan Carstensz was not at all an inventor and the glacier in the tropics was not a figment of his imagination or hallucination caused by excessive consumption of rum.

 The glacier really exists and is situated near the highest mountain of Australia and Oceania, named in honor of its pioneer Pyramid Carstensz. The second name of this mountain - Jaya, which translated from Indonesian means Victory.

The world has become more accessible, now to get to the other end of geography is not necessarily to go sailing on a sailing boat for months and years.  You can get on a plane, sit in a chair, and you're in a different country, a different culture, a different world. And although "McDonald's" and "Starbucks" climbed almost everywhere, the world is still beautiful and diverse.

A couple of flights and we get from -15 to + 35°, from snow - covered and cold Moscow - in green and stuffy Jayapura, from native Russia in far New Guinea.

In some places of this island are some persons eat people, somewhere in the depths of the jungle tribes still living as primitive people. And somewhere instead of guys with bows and spears, you can meet guys with machine guns who are fighting for independence from Indonesia.

But we don't need the jungle, we need the mountains, our goal is Jaya, our goal is Victory.

Some days we have been acclimatizing, visiting a tribe of Papuans, walking to the lake at 3200, where for more productive acclimatization, having a swim. On the fifth day not to meet guerrillas, we fly by helicopter to base camp on 4200. After lunch I spend training with the team on the ropes.

In the morning of the 6th day we put on harnesses, hang carabiners and other climbing rattles and begin to climb up. The rock wall is full of flow streams, and sometimes become to the river. The mountain does not get bored, only tired of jumaring - and you're walking on steel cables over the abyss, breathed and op, you need to jump somewhere. In short, climb the Carstensz is a fun, albeit wet))). The breaks in the clouds sometimes, the views are spectacular.

Five and a half hours of work on wet ropes and rocks and we stand on top. For me, this is the sixth summit of the project "7 summits". The descent reminded me more of a canyoning than mountaineering. In the camp we were waited by hot tea and the watermelon beautifully cut out in the form of a flower. We wondered in honor of what we get watermelon flower, in honor of the ascent or in honor of March 8th. Agreed that the watermelon is dedicated for the only girl in our team - Irina. Together we go on not the first climb, but first time on March 8)).

That's how climbers celebrate international women's day!

P. S. the Glacier we saw and witnessed the opening of Jan Carstensz))))).

Do travel, love life and appreciate the beauty of this world! V. Kotlyar.

Irina Zisman after the return sent us pictures in high resolution, we have done a separate gallery. See here ( 47 photos)

Mikhail Sandakov and his group made an ascent to the top of Kilimanjaro on March 7^th  this year. After returning home, he sent us a large selection of photos, for which we express our gratitude!

Full photo gallery: 110 photos and 3 videos…

Video by Alexey Gribkov

Less than a month remains before the departure on Everest of the team of  the 7 Summits Club under the leadership of Alexander Abramov. It will be our 15th expedition, and it will be the largest in terms of quantity, almost 40 people.  But equally important are changes in quality of service. Experience shows that the percentage of successful ascents in expeditions directly depends on the conditions in which the participants are placed, how comfortable is their rest, on the quality of food and service in general.

 Therefore, from year to year our base camp is becoming more and  more comfortable, we come up with new types of affordable services, new forms of leisure, trying to improve communication and so on. This year, for the first time in the history of Everest base camps, the 7 Summits Club will provide members of our expedition with individual tents equipped with full beds, lighting and a separate room with a work desk. In addition, we will again improve our places of social pastime, we will have a full bar, sauna and massage salon…

Listen for yourself head (for the 16th time) Everest expedition Alexander Abramov (in Russian):

Everest "luxury camp»

Luxury camp

In the base camp we will have large heated tents, at the rate of one per person. In the first room there will be a table, a chair, lighting, a charge for gadgets - you can sit and work on a computer. In the second room - a bedroom, which is an elongated (210 cm) bed with a 12 cm mattress, and a wardrobe for storing personal belongings. Floors are covered with carpets, and oil heaters will contribute to a comfortable rest.

Also on the territory of the camp will be installed "pub" - a huge 12-meter tent with a pool table, poufs and drinks.

According to comments, some climbers dream of Everest about massage in the base camp. Well - the impossible – is possible! This year the team of the 7 Summits Club  will organize a small salon of sports massage!

A group of 5 people climbed Kilimanjaro on March 7, 2018. The entire journey lasted from 3 to 9 March.

The team members reached the top in the conditions of heavy snowfall, not typical for this time and the region. But they did it and the difficulty only united the group!

 CONGRATULATIONS!!!

 Comment of the ascent of the team members - Michael Sandakov.

 In general we enjoyed the climb. Very experienced, sociable guides Victor and Rashid! They supported the group in a good mood, even when we  did not laugh very much. Every morning and evening they check the health of everyone, gave recommendations.

 In addition a few photos/videos...

Alexander Tishkov, a guide of the 7 Summits Club from Morocco: Today, a group of the 7 Summits Club climbed Toubkal.  The weather was difficult, strong wind and frost. This Is Africa!

The team of Vladimir Kotlyar successfully climbed to the highest point!

Greetings from Vladimir Kotlyar, Mikhail Kornev, Georgy Sadetsky and Irina Zisman from the base camp of Mount Carstensz!

Here are photos from our international group (members gathered from Russia, Turkey, Latvia), which managed to climb to the top almost in full  stuff to the top (Uhuru peak, 5,895 m).

Photos by Igor Kharkiv...

Further photos from Alice Ivanitskaya and Shishkin Sergey...

A video with a finish song and dance winners from Konstantin Dyrgiallo

This is an excursion to the coffee farm from Alice Ivanitskaya

I was at a coffee farm today. A Cup of coffee - the hard work. Can only be overcome if a large company...

This is Alisa Ivanitskaya at the top

Airisa from Latvia on the snowy top of Kilimanjaro.

Vladimir Kotlyar, a Guide of  the 7 Summits Club:

Our group continues their adventures in Papua, while the Papuans had not eaten us))). We made an acclimatization trip with a short walk to the height of 3500. Now we are waiting for a helicopter from Timiku to the base camp of the mountain.

The journey continues: after meeting with the local folklore group of Vladimir Kotlyar climbed for acclimatization on the stunning mountain lake Sentani...

Unprecedented for March, the big snow can be not only in Moscow!  Groups of the 7 Summits Club were in the similar situation on Kilimanjaro. In cold conditions and zero visibility our members and guides tried to get to Uhuru peak. But not everyone succeeded! Someone managed to climb to the top and to descend back.  But some of our members was less fortunate. But, nevertheless, in these unrealistic for African conditions, our comrades managed to reach the edge of the crater - Gilmans point. Which is a great achievement! And they became witnesses a rare natural phenomenon in Tanzania-a snowstorm in Africa! Their good luck we can only envy!

We got a review of the trip to Baikal from Mary Minaeva.

I would like to express my gratitude for the organized trip. It is indeed deservedly included in the list of the best tour on the planet. Your partners from Irkutsk also deserve all praise. We were the first group this year and all the roughness of the "pioneers" were imperceptibly smoothed for us.

 It is very difficult to convey all the emotions and impressions received during the trip, it is necessary to see with your own eyes.

Amazing, unforgettable, gorgeous, charming, impressive, divine, multifaceted, fabulous, soulful... this is only a small fraction of those epithets that should characterize this miracle. I hope that the photos will at least bring a little closer to those fantastic realities and take your breath away.

 Sincere gratitude and recommendations to all, all, all: at least once in my life to visit Lake Baikal.

The 7 Summits Club thanks Mikhail Netishinsky for the great selection of quality pictures that he sent us in return from Kilimanjaro!  And for the original slide show. Mikhail visited Tanzania in early February this year, climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro and visited national parks, where he managed to make excellent shooting of local fauna…

The journey of our group under the leadership of Vladimir Kotlyar continues on the territory of the island of New Guinea, or Irian Jaya, as it is officially called. The team of four people made friends with the local "good inside" people, but it's time to do mountaineering. So now on the agenda – flight under the Pyramid Carstensz and climbing it.

 Watch and listen to Vladimir Kotlyar...

Our video.  Alexey Lonchinsky - master of sports in mountaineering, four-time champion of Russia in mountaineering! Alexey trains youth section on mountaineering in St. Petersburg, works as an instructor in Bezengi, has an international award for the best climbing of the year - "Golden Axe".

 Six months ago, he in pair with Yuri Koshelenko climbed the Fang- Peak in the Himalayas, won the first place in Russia in the High altitude class. A month ago as a tour guide climbed with a group of  the 7 Summits Club  on Mount Cook in New Zealand. In a month he goes with our group on Lobuche and then on one the most beautiful summit of the world – Ama-Dablam.

Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club:  adventures of Russians in Papua begin!!!! We got to Jayapura after long and painful seats in planes and airports. The Papua met by the heat and the greenery. Such a contrast after the Russian frosty winter….

 This time we have made a special program – it starts immediately in the Papuans-cannibals, so that participants better acclimatize and get used to the world of Papuans.

Passed this stage, they will be admitted to the subsequent ascent to the highest point of Australia and Oceania - Pyramid Carstensz.

 Members of the expedition:

 Irina Zisman (great Amazon, recently returned from South America and Antarctica with Vinson and Aconcagua in his belt);

Irina - beauty Ambassador at the Seven Summits

 George Sadetsky (who has already climbed Everest and Vinson);

 Mikhail Kornev (just few days as ascended of Orizaba with Sergei Larin).

On March 2, Alexander Abramov and Lyudmila Korobeshko showed themselves to the St. Petersburg audience. At the invitation of our friends from the company "Red Fox" they performed in the store Planet Sport. The lecture was originally supposed to be dedicated to the speed record set by team Alpari, headed by Lyudmila Korobeshko in 2012. But Alexander Abramov at the last moment introduced the topic adjustments. "Seven Summits in seven weeks. The impossible is possible" - at first I thought that it was some kind of joke. But listen for yourself (in Russian):

On March 1th, the hall of the 7 summits Club was crowded. Our small room could barely accommodate all those wishing to attend one of the leading national authorities in mountaineering Ivan Dusharin. Vice-President of Federation of mountaineering of Russia, "Snow leopard", a three-time Everest climber, a writer, an outstanding organizer, a wise and sympathetic person.   The theme of his lecture: "The legendary ascent of the impregnable K2." In 1996, the team under his leadership, composed of Togliatti climbers and reinforced by several strong athletes from the regions of Russia, made a bold attempt to storm the second highest peak in the world. K2, or Chogori – mountain of beauty and treacherous, not every year it allow mountaineers to reach the summit. Here and that year it gave the mountaineers only a small chance. And for the success they paid an expensive price. You can learn all that from the recording of the lecture, which will appear on our youtube channel on Monday or a day later.

Nastya Kuznetsova, guide and Manager of Club 7 Vershin:

News from Tanzania, from the group of Nikolai Sokolov.  And some more information on the end of the season on Kilimanjaro.

 Yesterday on March 1th Nikolay Sokolov's group went down from the mountain and returned to civilization where they were waited by a shower, a festive dinner and pure warm bed. Everyone was tired, but satisfied and happy. According to them everything was cool, but suddenly hard!  On the slopes they had to work out in full, but immediately it is clear that all the efforts and careful preparation were not in vain.

 I would also like to note that for this season January / February 2018 (2 months!) with the 7 Summits Club, more than 100 people climbed the highest peak of the African continent!!!!

And HORROR! We even miss our bronze medals of the 7 Summits Club “For climbing Kilimanjaro”, which we sent to Tanzania for the upcoming season. We offer our deepest apologies in advance to the groups that have successfully reached the summit and are now going down for the imprudent mistake on our part. But, of course, all participants will be awarded.

Every climber will be invited to the ceremony in person!

A message from Nikolai Sokolov. February 28th, 10: 16. Nikolay Sokolov's team has climbed today to the highest peak of Africa, UHURU peak (5,895 m), all together, and they are now on the descent. Part of the group has already returned to the base camp of Barafu, some still on the way. After 3 hours, all should all be in the Millennium camp at 3800 m. The Weather is good!

 From us: we wish everyone a safe descent and completion of the program!

Our old friend Boris Egorov returned to the team of coaches of the 7 Summits Club. As the record-holder of Russia, and maybe Europe's, speed climbing on El Capitan's Nose route, he joined the training of the team preparing for Yosemite climbing.

Boris Egorov: Last weekend we held the second cycle of training before climbing on El Capitan.

Climbing technique, high-speed races on the wall, practicing in belay skills and even a little exercise with ice tools. The guys are training hard for the ascent.

Just 2 weeks ago, we showed different ways to climb up the rope, and last weekend they, with ease, climbed 100 meters, dragging the load!

Sergey Larin, guide of The 7 Summits Club from Mexico: Hello! Today 26.02, as it was written in the program, at 13:30, Miguel, Sergio and Julio were on the top of Orizaba. At 22:00 we arrived back toSiapan. Details later, as I want to sleep (we went out to the mountain at 1 a.m.)