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Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from the Ice Camp Barneo. Today Greenpeace “Save the Arctic” expedition completed a preparation for the ski trip to the Pole. Members were s engaged in a training session, once again learn how to survive in the ice desert, checked equipment. On the same day they say goodbye the group of Fyodor Konyukhov and Victor Simonov. They flew to the North Pole with a large support group and journalists in a helicopter. Automobile expedition lead by Vasily Elagin just the day came at the Pole, after 37 days of travel by ice of theArctic Ocean.

MLAE 2013 Sea ice automobile expedition

April 6, 2013 04:30MOSCOWTIME

Geographical North Pole N 90 ° 00,000'

It is the second time in the history of world automotive industry that cars reached the North Pole from the closest land. And again as well as four years ago these cars are "Yemelya" of Vasily Yelagin's design. This time to reach the North Pole fromSevernaya Zemlyatook 37 days that is only one day less than in 2009. In the MLAE team there are seven people: Vasiliy Elagin, Afanasiy Makovnev, Vladimir Obikhod, Alexey Shkrabkin, Andrey Vankov, Sergey Isayev, Nikolay Kozlov. Today and tomorrow the team will take a rest and also arrange themselves and cars. We have the second not less difficult step before us – to reach the Canadian settlement Resolute 74 degree of north latitude, and we have to do it using fuel that we took on start for the whole route at once.

Afanassi

www.yemelya.ru

Hello! This is Lyudmila Korobeshko from the Expedition Save the Arctic. So, now we are already on Barneo, as planned. This morning we flew here by plane, successfully landed and had been even conduct training outing.

At the moment, the stationBorneois located about 50 kilometers from the North Pole, and continues at a rate of about 5 km a day to approach it. Weather is good, relatively warm. Around minus 15, however, there is wind. Tonight here we are waiting for large group to arrive, in which the main characters are Fyodor Konyukhov and Victor Simonov.

Leila Albogachieva from Ingushetia last year climbedMount Everestin the expedition of 7 Summits Club under the leadership of Alexander Abramov. This year, she decided to try to climb a different route - from the south. 7 Summits-adventure Co has been organizing this climb.

Leila Albogachieva brought with flag Olympics in Sochi, which she was given in the Olympic Committee in Moscow with a request to place it on the summit of Everest. Russian Ambassador to Nepal Sergey Velichkin received a delegation of 7 Summits Club …

In the airport Leila was met by Alex and  Mayla, her partner from last year expedition

Finally, for the first time, Greenpeace organizers showed a magic capsule. Our mission will be to bring it to the North Pole and sink it down to the bottom of ocean. Inside it marked the names of more than 2 million people that supported Greenpeace in the program of protecting theArctic. On the left in the photo, it is a famous American actor Ezra Miller. ...

We still have a couple of hours trying to finally pack the sleigh and deliver them today to load the plane.

Departure is scheduled for tomorrow at 9 a.m.

This morning, Victor Boyarsky briefed our two groups. Eric Phillips had questions :)

In the background, Dmitry Ermakov translates the speech of Boyarsky from English to Russian.

Morning training

Greenpeace team Aurora

Members and guides

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/arctic-impacts/Save-The-Arctic-North-Pole-Expedition/The-North-Pole-Expedition-Team/#a0

Ezra Miller

On April 3rd, 2013 together with Victor Simonov, Fedor Konyukhov bid his farewell before setting off to the North Pole - Greenland journey. A farewell ceremony took place in the village Matrosi (30 km off of Petrozavodsk). It was attended by state personnel of the Republic of Karelia, journalists, sponsors’ representatives and of course a large crowd of the people who are interested in this event and came to wish their best to the two explorers.

http://www.konyukhov.ru/eng/

At the ceremony Victor Simonov announced that all 12 dogs are of the Siberian Husky breed and that all of them except one were raised and trained in his kennels, right in the Matrosi village of Karelia.

On April 4th together with the 12 dogs, 2 sleds of 80 kg (when empty) and 25 people of various relations to the expedition, Fedor and Victor will board the An74 aircraft provided by “Utair” Aviation Company. The first stop is Spitsbergen (Longyear settlement), then off to Russian Camp Barneo. Fedor and Victor plan to start the North Pole- Greenland trek on April 6th. While at Camp Barneo (which is pretty close to the North Pole), the two explorers will be flown on a helicopter to the North Pole. Fedor plans to place a Russian Orthodox Church Cross at the North Pole and conduct a service of supplication to honor 1025 years since the Christianization of Kievan Rus'. The expedition has received a blessing from the bishop Kiril, the Patriarch of Moscow and all the Rus'.

In 2006 two Russian explorers Georgiy Karpenko and Artur Chubarkin reached the North Pole on dog sleds. All of the dogs were strictly of Siberian Husky breed. One of the dogs, 9 years old Cherke will run together with Fedor and Victor’s dogs. Once the team reaches Greenland, they will be joined by 14 more dogs of Greenland Husky breed.

It will be Fedor’s 4th arrival at the North Pole: in 1988 he reached the Pole together with the team of Dmitriy Shparo; in 1989 with the expedition “Arctica” under the leadership of Vladimir Chukov; and in 1990 Fedor conquered the Pole solo. This time though, Fedor will be leaving the North Pole heading towards Greenland.

The expedition is planned to take approximately 4 months. This arctic route has never been completed and is considered the most challenging area in the entire Arctic region. Despite the prognosis, both Fedor and Victor are very optimistic and remain with the most positive attitude: “We are eager to begin our adventure. It’s getting quite warm here for our dogs, but at the North Pole the temperature is the most optimal for them- negative 38. As for me and Victor, the harder the frost the better for us,”- remarked Fedor.

Dmitry Ermakov and Lyudmila Korobeshko fly today to Spizbergen. They will de leaders to separate group to reach the north Pole.

Lyudmila will be one of guides of the Greenpeace group.

More about the Save the Arctic campaign

In a less than one year, the Save the Arctic movement has grown to 2.7 million people from all over the world who want a say in what happens to the Arctic.

The Save the Arctic campaign is about protecting the area around the North Pole (where no people live) from resource exploitation (oil drilling and overfishing) and associated conflict. Currently these resources are unreachable under the sea-ice but ad climate change causes this sea-ice to melt in the Arctic summer, countries around the North Pole are staking their claims on the area and its natural resources.

The campaign aims for the area around the North Pole to be declared a global sanctuary so it will not belong to one country but to every person in the world.  Greenpeace already ran a successful campaign to do this in the South Pole so we know it can work!

Find out more and add your name to the Arctic scroll.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Flag for the Future competition. The judges were overwhelmed with the quality and creativity of the entries. You can view a selection of entries here.

Judge Aishah is writing an article about her experience of being a judge which is coming to the website soon.

Alex was met by our Nepal chief Mingma (7 Summits Adventure Co) and his friends Nima and Pemba.

This will be the 10th in a row, that is, the jubilee expedition, it will join a record number of participants. 27 clients and 5 guides will be at the base camp at Rongbuk Glacier. Our subsidiary 7 Summits Adventure Co has been involved in the preparation of the season.

In the expedition of 7 Summits Club 13 members will climb with permits for the summit of Everest, 4 guides will work with them, 7 pax have permits for Changtse, 2 – for North Col (1 guide), 6 persons have the right to go up to camp ABC.

Besides the main ascent, Alexander Abramov plans to re-try a new route: traverse Changtse - Everest.

MOVING MOUNTAINS: How the dream to climb the seven summits transformed in the charity Global H2O

According to his publisher's site, Outskirts Press, the summary is as follows:

Publication Date: February 12, 2013 Number of pages: 410

MOVING MOUNTAINS "The story of how my dream to climb the seven continental summits transformed into providing clean drinking water to the people of northernUganda. In 2010, I set out to climb Everest from the north side and to complete the seven summits (climbing to the summit of the highest peak on every continent). During my training in theHimalaya, I discovered the water crisis and it changed me. It was then in 2009 when I fell ill with dysentery onCho Oyu, forcing me to turn back on my attempt to reach the 6th highest peak on the planet. During the time I was sick, I encountered what most people without clean water experience on a regular basis. Upon my return home toMunich, I dedicated my climb of Everest to the water crisis and founded a 501(c)3 entity in theUSA. I focused an entire year of my life on reaching the highest point on the planet and creating an all-volunteer organization with the goal to provide clean drinking water to the people in northernUganda. What was originally a personal goal became a quest to deliver clean drinking water to the thirsty millions in war-stricken northernUganda. Through this story, the charity, Global H2O, was born." http://outskirtspress.com/moving_mountains/

James DeWitt Wilde V (born September 24, 1970) is an American sportsman, explorer and philanthropist living inMunich,Germany. On October 19, 2010, Wilde climbed Kosciuzsko inAustralia, completing his quest to climb the seven summits, becoming number 216 on the all-time Kosciuszko list.

Currently, James is working on the restructuring project of a major telecommunications operator inAngola, originally as the Head of the Finance Team and now the Executive Director of Strategy.

Apart from his native language, English, James speaks German, Portuguese, French and Russian. James has an MBA in International Business and Finance and Bachelor degrees in Journalism/Marketing as well as Business Administration.

James founded the charity Global H2O in 2009, helping to establish a means to bringing clean drinking water and developmental progress to theNorthern provincesof worn tornUganda. Since its inception, James has worked tirelessly to help the needy in his free time and most notably has completed the book, MOVING MOUNTAINS, documenting this amazing journey.

Wilde's seven summits

Aconcagua, 12/01/2006

Elbrus, 30/04/2003

Everest, 23/05/2010

Kilimanjaro, 04/11/2002

Kosciuszko, 19/10/2010

McKinley, 02/07/2004

Vinson, 02/01/2009

On Everest

Jim has participated in two expeditions 7 Summits Club on Everest. In the first one, in 2005, he could not reach the top. But he got a lot of Russian friends and a new name - "Dikiy", which appeared only as a translation of his surname. Then, in a warm international company of 7 Summits Club, headed by Lyudmila Korobeshko and Sergey Kofanov, Jim met new 2009 inAntarctica. Then he climbed to the top of the Mount of Vinson. And in 2010, he managed to make the main dream - to climb Everest. It happened on May 23, in the company of Noel Hanna, Steve Berry, Mikhail Turovsky, Andrey Filkov, Sirdar Mingma and four other Sherpas.

Everest expedition 2010

Site of James

http://jamesdewittwilde.com/

 Global H2O

http://www.globalh2o.org/

http://www.facebook.com/GlobalH2O.org

 Moving Mountains on Amazon

Pictures from Vitaly Simonovich, who this year climbed Mount Vinson, Mount Sidley and made Last Degree  to the South Pole. Real master of photo !

In two days Alexander Abramov will fly to Nepal to Kathmandu to do on-site preparation for the great expedition of 7 Summits Club on Everest. This will be the 10th in a row, that is, the jubilee expedition, it will join a record number of participants. 27 clients and 5 guides will be at the base camp at Rongbuk Glacier. Our subsidiary 7 Summits Adventure Co has been involved in the preparation of the season.

In the expedition of 7 Summits Club 13 members will climb with permits for the summit of Everest, 4 guides will work with them, 7 pax have permits for Changtse, 2 – for North Col (1 guide), 6 persons have the right to go up to camp ABC.

Besides the main ascent, Alexander Abramov plans to re-try a new route: traverse Changtse - Everest.

Generally 7 Summits Club sends toNepalthree large groups: forIslandPeak, for MeruPeakand for the classic trekking to Everest base camp.

Vitaly Simonovich – one of the most active members of the 7 Summits Club. This winter (in Antarctica it was summer) he climbed onMount Vinson, reached the South Pole (Last degree) and climbed the highest volcano of Antarctica Mount Sidley. Hat trick! Now Vitaly collects things for the expedition on Everest. For June he plan a trip for Mac-Kinley. And further: Carstensz, Cosczushko andFuji. So, we will wait for new wonderful photos. Especially from Everest. Good luck, Vitaly!

Photo gallery completely … ….

The expedition of 7 Summits Club under the leadership of Denis Savelyev was completed in early March, when the participants returned home. It was quite successful, the topOjos del Saladowas reached by 4 climber and one guide.

This season is generally was with very bad weather there, so the victory was not easy. Half of expeditions cancelled climb because of the strong wind ...

On he top of Ojos del Salado were:

Yuri Lukyanov,

Nadezhda Lukyanova,

Lily Bogucharova,

Alexander Utvenko,

Guide Denis Saveliev.

Ivan Lukasiewicz and Irina Salova little reached the top.

Today we publish a large (huge) collection of photographs from the expedition - 158 pictures

See full .....

Google has been doing a lot to make Google Maps more about exploring the world, including places few will ever be able to see with their own eyes. Today, the company announced that it has added more locations to Maps, including Street View-style access to some of the highest peaks in the world.

Via the official Google Blog, the company revealed the introduction of new Street View features for some of Earth’s most celebrated mountains, including Everest, Mount Elbrus, Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro. They belong to the famous Seven Summits, an elite collection of the highest mountains on each continent. You don’t even have to acclimatize to high altitudes to check out these locations on Google Maps.

There’s a lot of detail in the virtual tours you can take of these peaks, including images of base camps set up by actual explorers. Google set out with a fisheye lens and lightweight tripod to capture the images, and will be detailing the whole expedition in a Google+ Hangout which is set to kick off at 10 AM PT today.

Google has been doing a lot to build out some amazing views of the more remote corners of the world, including its recent introduction of Street View tours of the Grand Canyon, Antarctica and other far-flung locations. Google’s remote tourism is actually an incredibly cool way to attract eyeballs to the Maps product, while helping the company build out an even more comprehensive database than it already has.

techcrunch.com

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Aconcagua. Summit

http://maps.google.com/intl/en/help/maps/streetview/gallery/the-worlds-highest-peaks/aconcagua-summit.html

Everest. Base camp

http://maps.google.com/intl/en/help/maps/streetview/gallery/the-worlds-highest-peaks/everest-base-camp.html

Kilimanjaro. Shira camp

http://maps.google.com/intl/en/help/maps/streetview/gallery/the-worlds-highest-peaks/shira-camp.html

Elbrus. Barrels Refufe

http://maps.google.com/intl/en/help/maps/streetview/gallery/the-worlds-highest-peaks/shira-camp.html

wired.com

Your day job, not to mention fitness level, will probably keep you from ever ascending the mightiest peaks on Earth. Don’t worry. Google’s done the hard work for you and released the stunning panoramic images needed to make you feel like you’re on top of the world.

Google, which seems determined to map every square inch of the planet, on Monday released Street View images from four of the seven tallest mountains on earth. One lucky engineer, who happens to be a passionate mountaineer, led the Google Mountain Enthusiast team during a project that was strictly a labor of love for all involved.

“There’s a social benefit to using these tools to tell the story in these environments. A chance to really connect to whats on the ground with a rich imagery so they can see what it looks like and feels like to be there,” says Dan Fredinburg, who is a technical program manager for security and privacy when he isn’t scaling summits.

Fredinburg’s teams — which included four to seven people, depending upon the trip — used a lightweight tripod and digital camera with a fisheye lens to visually map Aconcagua in Argentina (22,841 feet), Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (19,341 Feet), Mount Elbrus in Russia (18,510 feet) and Everest South Base Camp in Nepal (17,598 feet). It’s the same setup the Street View team uses for the Business Photos program. They opted to use that rig instead of the 40-pound, 75-megapixel Google Trekker backpack.

“When you’re going expeditions in the alpine style environment, every gram, every ounce, every pound counts,” Fredinburg says.

Fredinburg says Google has been very receptive and supportive of his blending together work and play. Beyond slaking his thirst for adventure, the excursions — made over the course of 18 months — helped make Street View more accurate, vivid and useful for his fellow adventurers, as well as those happy to explore Earth from the comfort of home.

His passion for climbing almost got the better of him while climbing Everest. He really, really wanted to go all the way to the top, but the team arrived just before the summit window in October.

“It was only planned to go to the basecamp,” says Fredinburg. “I did try to convince my guides to take me further up. I was very excited when I got to basecamp.”

His enthusiasm led to an awkward conversation with the guides, who refused to take him any higher than base camp. He pressed the issue, and offered to pay them for their trouble. Still, they refused. It eventually dawned on him that perhaps it was too risky. So he asked about the odds of dying.

“Certain,” came the response. “100 percent.”

Dan Fredinburg on Elbrus

Vladimir Shataev: secrets of the mastery of the legendary climber.

The legendary mountaineer domestic Vladimir Shataev came Received Yoki.ru personally than not a little surprised. It's no joke, our guest this "Snow Leopard". The idea is we must have to go to him at the meeting, armed with a tape recorder and camera. However, Vladimir Nikolayevich, a modest man, democratic, open and "star does not suffer from the disease." Conversely, a lively interest in what is happening and willingly share their experiences, memories and experiences.

Vladimir Nikolayevich, we know that your "mountain" experience includes 46 years of almost continuous practice. And how you came to climbing?

When I was 15 years old, I lived with my aunt in Kislovodsk and every day saw Elbrus. Of course - this spectacle thrilled boyish imagination, I found a partner and we both went to the foot of the mountain. Imagine that we had nothing with him except the blankets. When three years ago, I traveled by car to the places he himself was surprised. It is unclear how we as children were 70 kilometers without equipment. But the fact remains that at the breaking point we reached the glacier, though it nearly killed crossing a river. When we returned back, I'm his friend said that up to 25 years of age must climb Elbrus.

After this incident, I was seriously interested in rock climbing , began to study books. Realizing how difficult and dangerous this sport. By the time I was seriously engaged in athletics came in "Spartacus" and got a ticket to the base in the Caucasus. As a result, in 1922 I already had two climb Elbrus . And then have dragged on, eventually I became an instructor.

As you consider how much of modern Russian youth is interested in climbing?

Judge for yourself in the Soviet Union officially climbing involved 35,000 people. Today, such statistics are not, in my estimation are constantly traveling to the mountains around 5,000 climbers. And - this is a high-level athletes who are on the shoulder 6A level and above. In fact - they are elite.

But, unfortunately, they have about 40 years. That is, those who came to climbing back in the old days. Young people too. The last two or three years, the interest appears to be enhanced. Moreover, that the different committees allocate funds for the development of mountain sport. Therefore znachkisty and dischargers have the opportunity to travel to the mountains.

True, climbing still can not now be called a mass sport. The main problem is that actually stayed bases. Only in the Caucasus remained the camp. For young people had all been available, voucher worth 30 rubles. And now the system is completely destroyed, it is not restored.

However, for example, in Moscow there are about 20 clubs, where you can practice and mountaineering and climbing.

By the way, what is the difference between rock climbing and mountaineering?

Paradoxical. But those who engaged in rock climbing, mostly rocks themselves do not even see. Previously, indeed often the competitions among the climbers, athletes climbed to the natural topography. And now everything is being done in the halls, on the artificial surface.

Climbers imagine this can not. They need the mountains, a real relief, and nature. In addition, climbing expensive, because the necessary equipment. The same backpack, ice pick, crampons, all worth serious money.

p align = "justify"> climbing all over the world called sport climbing. In some countries, like France, it is taught as a separate discipline. Indeed, children like to climb, why not develop and does not pay for the benefit of the child.
Vladimir Nikolaevich, saying that you have conquered all "seventhousanders?

I have a 113 number in the "Snow Leopard" (laughs)
("Snow Leopard" - is official and an extremely rare title in mountaineering. For him the assignment it was necessary to conquer the all seventhousanders the former Soviet Union: Communism peak, Lenin, Victory Korjenevskaya. Then he added another of Khan-Tengri).

And outside the Soviet Union, where were you?

I was at eight-two.: Shisha Pangma and Everest. Also, I involuntarily participated in the program climb to the highest point of the continents: Everest in Asia, Elbrus in Europe, McKinley in North America, Aconcagua in South America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Kosciusko in Australia and Vinson in Antarctica. Of these I have left to conquer only Vinson, though hard to get to Antarctica, this requires 30 thousand dollars.

Interestingly, the man leads in the mountains? "What kind of feelings he feels, being on top?

Some special feelings on the top of the conquered rarely feel. Usually not before. Although, if itineraries lighter lucky with the weather and see from the height of all this beauty, it certainly touches the heart. It would be desirable for an hour or half to stay there and watch. This gives a charge of vivacity that his missing almost a year.

Why do people go to the mountains ... all individually. One way to overcome this yourself, others want to demonstrate their power, others seek escape from the routine and bytovuhi that surrounds it. Fourth, for example, in the mountains can guide the groups, but in life to be ordinary clerical and invisible people. In the mountains, it changes, it is the head, depends on him a lot, almost every step. Not by accident earlier among climbers had a lot of physicists, chemists, scientists. People dumb distant from real life. Those who took a mountaineering school, many life situations are more easily overcome. Indeed, in the mountains, they face challenges that require a momentary solution: have the tent set and the food is cooking, and washing, and negotiate with the drivers of cars.

Sounds in the mountains ... What are they?

Silence. Than the quieter the better. I remember one of the most wonderful moments when we go on-Shisha Pangma. I left the base camp along a small mountain stream in which trout splashing and just two o'clock sat in that silence.

You meet a strange? Yeti, for example.

There are also strange, and luck, which then settle in mountaineering folklore. And that's not Bigfoot , or UFOs are not met.

Extreme situations are? After all, the group may consist of climbers to the preparation of various levels ..

Extreme sports in the mountains - it is a natural situation. Any bad weather, storm, already fraught with troubles. Security depends on the manager. Sometimes "gornyashka" (mountain sickness) is such that people have to bear. From lack of oxygen a person can be either a lack of energy, apathy or irritability.We had a case where people just sat down and decided not to go any further, I had to take his backpack and get to follow her footsteps. It is true, then he crossed himself and walked to the summit - 6100

And what more difficult to climb or descend?

Fifty-fifty, although some believe that to go down harder.

What's in your future plans?

Just a few days we will travel to Turkey on Ararat . This will be My sixth ascent of the famous mountain.

On this expedition Yoki.ru tell our readers a later date.

Vladimir Shataev:

Born May 1, 1937

Awarded:
The medal "For Labour Valour - 10/05/1972 city (№ 165197);
The Order of Honour - 01/09/1990 city (№ 1524514);
Medal "Veteran of Labour" - 5/22/1985 city;
Medal "For the glory of Ossetia" - June 1995;
Commander of the Order "Edelweiss", 1 st degree (№ 09);
Anniversary medal "Golden Jubilee of Mount Everest (Nepal).

Began athletics in 1955 - two-Union junior record in the relay 4 ? 800 meters.

Went to the mountains in 1959: the first peak in the Caucasus - Gumachi (3,805 m).
Graduated from high school instructor in 1961 at the climber camp "Dzhantugan"

Currently, public office: President, Union of mountaineers and rock climbers from Russia on Feb. 7, 2000, Executive Secretary of the Mountaineering Federation of Russia with 20 November 1993, Executive Secretary of the Eurasian Association of Mountaineering and Climbing on December 1, 1996. Member of the Board of the International Union of climbing Associations (UIAA) - 1997-2000.

In April of 2013, Fedor Konyukhov and a native of the Republic of Karelia, Victor Simonov will undertake a unique expedition of crossing the Artic expanse by dogsled. The uniqueness of the expedition is in the route itself. Fedor and Victor are planning to dogsled from the northern part of Karelia up to the North Pole and all the way down to the southern coast of Greenland. During the four month expedition they will have to overcome four thousand kilometers of ice, drift-ice, snow and permafrost. This is the longest route in the Arctic, which will become an extreme test of human possibilities for both explorers.

Back in the 70s, the legendary Japanese adventurer Naomi Uemura defied northern latitudes and paved the route for his dogsled from the coast of Canada to the North Pole, and then back via Greenland. However, he was not able to complete his undertaking. After that, explorers from different countries (Norway, Italy, USA, and Denmark) were trying to conquer the Arctic ice by dog sledding. None of the expeditions succeeded. Fedor Konyukhov and Victor Simonov plan to dog sled the Naomi’s route completely.

This expedition should enhance the credibility of Russia as the Arctic state power. Also, it will contribute to the development of dog sledding as a sport which has already gained popularity in the Republic of Karelia. One of the main objectives of the expedition, in the run-up to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, is to draw the attention of the Russian Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee to this sport. The goal is to see that dog sled racing is included in the Winter Olympic Games.

The Republic of Karelia was intentionally chosen as the starting point for this expedition. Apart from being the “Russian gates to the Arctic”, the Republic of Karelia is actively developing mushing that is becoming one of the attractions in sport tourism in the region. Today Karelia is the only region in Russia, where the World Cup of dog-sled racing takes place, as well as the other major international competitions in this sport, both for the short and marathon distances. Thanks to its entertainment dog sled racing is gaining popularity and great interest among the athletes and spectators in Karelia, Russia, and its European neighbors. The expedition “Karelia - North Pole - South of Greenland” will only have dogs raised in the kennels of the Republic of Karelia and trained specifically for this expedition.

Fedor and Victor plan to take off in April of 2013 under the auspices of the Russian Geographical Society and the government of the Republic of Karelia. The expedition is supported by Artur Chilingarov, a special representative for the Artica and Antarctica to the President of the Russian Federation. Mr. Chilinagrov is the vice-president of the Russian Geographical Society.

The expedition is scheduled to finish in August of 2013.

THE NOMINATED ASCENTS

Kamet (7,756m), India

Kamet is the highest mountain inIndiafor which it is currently possible to gain a permit, and the ca 2,000m southwest face was previously unattempted. After establishing an advanced base in the glacier bowl below this steep mixed wall, Sebastien Bohin, Didier Jourdain, Sebastien Moatti and Sebastien Ratel (France) climbed it, alpine-style, in five days. They found conditions excellent and connected a succession of steep snow fields linked by often vertical ice pitches to reach a bivouac on the south ridge at 7,500m. The summit day presented unexpected difficulties, after which the team descended to the bivouac and next day went down the previously untouched south face.

Shiva (6,142m),India

Elegance summarizes the traverse of this mountain east of Kishtwar, effected via the arrow-like northeast ridge, dubbed the Prow of Shiva, followed by a descent of the south ridge. It was the fifth known ascent of the mountain. Mick Fowler and Paul Ramsden (UK), 2003 recipients of a Piolet d'Or, completed a traverse in a nine-day round trip from base camp, finding sustained climbing on the Prow, which ranged from numerous pitches up icy cracks in Chamonix-style granite to long, protectionless leads on thinly-iced slabs reminiscent of winter climbing on Ben Nevis.

Muztagh Tower(7,284m),Pakistan.

Much discussed, though never previously attempted, the 2,000m northeast spur of this iconic Karakoram peak took Russians Dmitry Golovchenko, Alexander Lange and Sergey Nilov (Russia) 17 days to complete. The three climbed alpine-style but took a large haul bag of food and fuel, a strategy which allowed them to sit out, or persevere slowly through bad weather. The technical crux proved to be the very steep rock barrier between 6,600m and 6,900m. Supplies ran out shortly before they gained the main (east) summit, and in bad weather they were unable to reach the northwest ridge, their planned descent. Instead, they came straight down the north face.

Baintha Brakk (a.k.a The Ogre, 7,285m),Pakistan

The Ogre is one of the most celebrated of the world's mountains yet until last year had been summited only twice, and never from the south, despite many attempts. Kyle Dempster, Hayden Kennedy, and Josh Wharton (USA) chose a cunning line up the southeast ridge to southeast face to south face. Gaining the upper south face involved a steep traverse across complete rubble and, higher, they overcame hard sections of mixed ground. From a bivouac at 6,900m, Dempster and Kennedy reached the summit but then had to make a difficult descent with an unwell Wharton.

Nanga Parbat (8,125m), WesternHimalaya,Pakistan

The complete Mazeno Ridge of Nanga Parbat was undoubtedly one of the most famous unclimbed lines on the great peaks of the Karakoram/Himalaya, having been attempted many times, and by some of the world's greatest mountaineers. It is arguably the longest ridge on any of the 8,000m peaks, variously quoted as 10-13km. Veteran Himalayan activists Sandy Allan and Rick Allen (UK), accompanied for much of the way by Cathy O'Dowd (S Africa), Lhakpa Rangdu Sherpa, Lhakpa Zarok Sherpa and Lhakpa Nuru Sherpa (Nepal), took a pragmatic approach to this huge undertaking by acclimatizing on the first section of the ridge, before setting off alpine-style from base camp. They crossed all eight Mazeno summits, and from a bivouac at 7,200m made an unsuccessful attempt on the unclimbed continuation of the ridge direct to the top. At this point all but Allan and Allen gave up and made a difficult descent to the south. The British pair eventually traversed the north flank to the summit and made a difficult descent of theNormal Routeon the north flank, reaching the bottom after a traverse lasting 18 days.

Kyashar (6,770m), Nepal

A coveted line, having been the goal of at least seven previous expeditions, the first ascent of the 2,200m south pillar of Kyashar was one of the finest technical alpine-style climbs inNepallast autumn. Tatsuya Aoki, Yasuhiro Hanatani and Hiroyoshi Manome (Japan) took six days to climb this elegant line to the summit, making only the second known ascent of the mountain. A crux section of ridge on the fifth day was deemed irreversible, adding to the commitment. The three descended the west ridge with one further bivouac.

JURY 2013

Stephen Venables

Stephan Venables is a 58-year-old British alpinist who is considered a theorist of alpine-style climbing, which he helped popularize through his book “Himalaya Alpine-Style” (Arthaud, 1996, with Andy Fanshawe), and which in turn inspired numerous alpinists. In 1988, together with Robert Anderson, Ed Webster and Paul Teare, he completed his most famous ascent, the Kangshung face to the south col of Everest, which is considered difficult and dangerous. After reaching the south col at 8,000m, Stephen went on to reach the summit of Everest on his own after an incredible ascent and without bottled oxygen, which was a rare thing at that time and still remains exceptional. Stephan has been on numerous expeditions: Hindu Kush (Afghanistan/Pakistan, 1977), Kishtwar Shivling (India, 1983), SoluTower (Pakistan, 1987), Kusum Kanguru (Nepal, 1991), Panch Chuli V (India, 1992). He also climbed in Peru, Bolivia, Patagonia and South Georgia. He authored books and documentaries and was the President of the Alpine Club. He is the President of the jury of the 21st Piolets d’Or, seven years after having endorsed this same role, which honoured American alpinists Steve House and Vince Anderson for their remarkable ascent of the Rupal face onNanga Parbat.

Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner

Gerline Kaltenbrunner is the first woman to have climbed all the 14 8,000m peaks in the Himalayas without oxygen, sometimes by ascending difficult routes, but mostly with small teams. She climbed the north ridge of K2 in august 2011 to complete this challenge, together with Pole Darek Zaluski and Kazakhs Maxut Zumayev and Vassiliy Pivtsov. This 41-year-old Austrian alpinist recently did an alpine-style ascent of Nuptse (7861m,Nepal), where she repeated, over the course of four days, the Bettembourg-Hall-Rouse-Scott route with German alpinist David Gottler. After focusing on climbing the 14 highest summits on the planet for the past 12 years, Kaltenbrunner is now applying her alpine-style ethic to lesser-known summits in theHimalayas.

Silvo Karo

52 years old, is one of the best Slovenian alpinists. He has solved some of the great alpine “problems”, such as Bhagirathi III (India, Garhwal, 1990). In 1986, together with his Slovenian friends, he opened a new route on the East face of Cerro Torre inPatagonia, called The Directissima to Hell. He has been very active in this south part of theAndes, where he did a first ascent on Torre Egger and on Fitz Roy. With Rolando Garibotti, he experimented with the non-stop style of climbing by doing a 30hour push up the Slovak route on the southwest face of Fitz Roy. In 2005, he climbed the southeast ridge of Cerro Torre, which starts by ascending the Aguje Medialuna: 1700m of climbing. In Pakistanin 2006, he climbed Eternal Flame on Trango (Pakistan) in a day. Silvo is a particularly fast climber with a long and prolific career. He is also an activist for the mountains through Mountain Wilderness. He was a member of the jury of the Piolets d’Or in 2006, under Stephen Venables’ presidency.

Katsutaka Yokoyama

Katsutaka “Jumbo” Yokoyama is a 31-year-old Japanese alpinist who has distinguished himself on many occasions on mountains all over the world:Bolivia,Alaska,Canadaand most recently,Patagonia. Several of his ascents, notably with his compatriots Yasushi Okada – 1st of the southeast face of mount Logan (5900m, Canada), I-To route, 2010 – or with Fumitaka Ichimura and Yusuke Sato – link up on Denali (6,194m, Alaska) of the Isis Face, Ramp on the descent and Slovak route, 2008 – were praised by their peers. They were awarded a Piolet d’Or from Greg Child who was the president of the Jury that year. Katsutaka is a keen supporter of alpine-style ascents; together with his friends listed above, he personifies this ethic, where commitment and the sparing use of resources are rules.

7 Summits-Club - a climbing School

February 9, 2013 One of the greatest expeditions of the 21st century has quietly started on the perrone of the Yaroslavskiy train station in Moscow. YEMELYA-team: all seven members of the next Marine Live-ice Autmobile Expedition-2013: Makovnev Afanasy, Elagin Vasily, Vankov Andrey, Obikhod Vladimir, Shkrabkin Alexey, Kozlov Nikolai, Isaev Sergey.

MLAE-2011. On March 4, 2011 Marine Live-ice Automobile Expedition is scheduled to leave Urengoy, Russia and, under the flag of the Russian Geographic Society, to traverse the Arctic and the North Pole reaching Resolute Bay, Canada by June 15th 2011. The expedition is organized by Russian Center For Arctic Exploration and carried out under the patronage of the Special Representative of the President of Russian Federation In International Cooperation In The Arctic and The Antarctic the First vice-president of the Russian Geographic Society A.N. Chilingradov. The expeditionary crew will be traveling in two custom built amphibious vehicles "Yemelya-3" and "Yemelya-4" following the route: Urengoy - Dudinka - Dickson - Ostrov Russkij, Kara Sea - Ostrov Sredniy, Severnaya Zemlya archipelago- The North Pole - Ward Hunt, Canada - Resolute Bay, Canada.

Previous expedition MLAE-2009. In 2009 Marine Live-ice Automobile Expedition successfully traversed 2033 kilometers of the Arctic waters and ice between Ostrov Sredniy island of Severnaya Zemlya archipelago and The North Pole. The route took 38 days between 20th of March and the 26th of April 2009. The expedition was carried out under the patronage of Russian President's Special Representative for The International Cooperation in The Arctic and The Antarctic A.N. Chilingradov. The support and safety monitoring of the expedition and the crew was provided by the aviation department of Federal Security Bureau. Expedition was headed by the decorated Master of Sport V.I. Yelagin. Expeditionary crew consisted of seven people. Vehicles used to traverse the ice and water en-route were two custom designed and built vehicles "Yemelya-1" and "Yemelya-2" with three axels and 6x6 wheel drive equipped with diesel engines, low pressure tires and cargo trailers.

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Saturday, February 23, 2013We are at Golomyanny Polar Station on Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago ten days already. It is normally -30 degrees Celsius. Daylight hours are not very long. The sun showed up above the horizon only two days ago. It means the end of the polar night. Here we are living in a warm house, eating homemade food, working in a warm garage and in a warm workshop, preparing our two cars "Yemelya-3" and "Yemelya-4" for the long trip across the ice. Panasonic has sponsored me with a new video camera Panasonic AG-AC90. I have to learn a lot about the way it works, as it has many adjustments for a high quality picture and professional sound Dolby 5,1ch.zoom. Now I am sewing a warm coat for the camera, because it has to work at -30 – -40 degrees Celsius. During the first try of filming here at such low temperature I could hardly press the On/Off Manfrotto external button through my gloves, so small the button is. I had to make a wooden addition to that button about 1 inch square, so I will be able to press it with big mittens on my hands. Now one car - green Yemelya-3 is ready, now it has a double insulation layer of foam inside. The red Yemelya-4 is in the garage now. The work is going for more than 12 hours every day. We also need to prepare 6 trailers; each of them will carry 400 liters of Diesel fuel and plastic drums with food and personal staff.
And now a short geography lesson about Severnaya Zemlya Archipelago. This year it is 100 years since it was discovered by s/v "Taymyr" and s/v "Vaigach". Its first name was The Land of Nicolas the Second (the last Russian tsar). It was the last geographical discovery on our planet. It is the biggest polar bear sanctuary in the Arctic. Posted by Afanassi Makovnev.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013Congratulations!!!
Happy birthday to MLAE-2013 expedition leader Vassily Yelagin!!! We wish you luck. We wish you to find the right way in the ice fields in the dark polar night and reach the cherished point. We root for you and your team and believe in the success of the expedition. Your Friends

Wednesday, February 20, 2013. Severnaya Zemlya, Sredny island.It does not happen often when you have three holidays in one day. The first one is The Rise of The Sun. We could watch its red glow every day, but today it must have shown us its upper edge above the South horizon at noon. But at the record temperature of -36°C it was cloudy and we did manage to see it. The second holiday is a jubelee - Vasily Elagin is 60 today! This is him who we could see the whole working day (more than 12 hours), in the garage and in the workshop, where we continued to work on green "Yemelya-4". In the evening gathered round the festive board we congratulated the hero of the day on his birthday, wished him in this final year of the decade to achieve all what he sought the latest ten years. After greeting toasts Vasily called his home and told us the news, which appeared to be the third holiday - the Canadian Embassy in Moscow granted visas for us to enter Canada, and this entry we are allowed to do at its northernmost village Resolute Bay.
Posted by Afanassi Makovnev.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013An early wake up at 5 o'clock allowed us to make a very long charter flight by twin engine Antonov-26 from Vorkuta to Norilsk and then to Sredniy Island of the Severnaya Zemlya Archipealgo. While the plane stood still on the runway of Norilsk airport (Alykell) Father Georgiy, the head of Taymyr eparchy, came on board to give us his blessings. Each of us was also greeted by our old friend and the most loyal expedition supporter Igor Uzdin, the head of NorNikel Transportation Department. Another very good friend of the expedition Victoria Koriukina came from Norilsk, but was not allowed to reach the plane by the airport security, that was a pity, as we brought a gift for her today's birthday. Then right in the plane our foreign passports were stamped and we filled in customs declaration. Russian border was officially crossed. Immediately after that the plane was airborn agin; and three hours later in the polar darkness lit only by the crescent moon, several stars and runway lights we landed on 3000 meter long airstrip of Sredniy Island. Miracles do happen sometimes, and it was one of that sort.
Posted by Afanassi Makovnev.