Greetings from the edge of the world - from Punta Arenas! Today, participants of two Antarctic expeditions - to Vinson and Sidley - finally began to gather here.
In the morning, the most active part arrived - those who are closing the Seven Volcanoes project. We went straight from the airport to watch the ships, then checked the equipment and then the guys rushed to Fort Bulnes (a historical place, the southernmost Chilean settlement once). They want to visit as many places as possible, because Patagonia is the dream of all boys. There are many interesting locations here. We are waiting for the rest members by this evening.
Lyudmila Korobeshko - a guide to Sidley and Elena Abramova - the manager of our Antarctic expeditions and a representative in Chile.

Olga Rumyantseva, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Tanzania:

Hello everyone from Tanzania! Today, the first group of the winter season of the 7 Summits Club gathered at the foot of Kilimanjaro. Tomorrow we will go on the route. Today, using our free time, the band members went on an excursion, saw coffee plantations and a waterfall. And we also went to the market by local tuk-tuk transport.
In the evening, we had a briefing and distribution of gifts from the 7 Summits Club.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, a guide and director of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Chile:

Greetings from the edge of the world from the southernmost mainland city of the world - Punta Arenas!
On December 24, Lena Abramova and I flew to Punta Arenas from different parts of the world and immediately rushed to buy everything necessary for Antarctica, since Christmas was coming. And on Christmas Day, absolutely everything is closed here.
By the evening, we exhaled and even managed to celebrate the upcoming holiday with seafood delicacies, of which there are many. We took crab porridge.
On December 25, we reviewed and repacked the purchased items, and in the evening we went to visit our old friends, the IL76 pilots. For many years, it was the only aircraft that brought both equipment and people to Antarctica. It was very spectacular and romantic - flying to Il76 and landing it on the ice!
Now it imported by Boeing, and IL is used only for cargo transportation.
The participants of our Sidley and Vinson programs are already starting to arrive tomorrow.

Artem Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica, from the vicinity of the South Pole:

Hello, Seven Summits! This is Artem Rostovtsev. We are currently in Antarctica, the expedition "The last degree to the South Pole". We are already less than a degree from the pole. Four days have passed. We are very lucky with the weather. Well, everything, of course, is monotonous around — a white desert. But so far we haven't tired to death. We are moving towards our goal, the South Pole, where we hope to be soon. We will definitely please you with news from there, with a call. Another hello to everyone from far, far away. We are 40 kilometers away from the lower exit of the axis from the globe — to the South Pole.

Photos from previous expeditions

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Boris Egorov transmits from Argentina:
Greetings from Argentina! Our unique program in Patagonia has finally begun. Yesterday we stopped at the small tourist village of El Chalten at the foot of the mountains, and today we have already conducted the first warm-up training on the rocks, climbed many simple routes. It is very sunny, but the famous Patagonian wind does not let us relax. We squint at the light and crunch the sand on our teeth. Tomorrow we will work out the joint-work in the multipitches.
Guides Boris Egorov and Vladimir Murzaev.

Andrey Muravyov, a participant in several of our programs, sent us a message from far away Australia. There, by climbing Kosciuszko Mountain, he successfully completed the "Seven Summits" program, climbing all the highest summits of all continents. The 7 Summits Club cordially congratulates Andrey and wishes him good luck in achieving new goals!  For example, why not complete the "Seven Volcanoes" as well?  Or add some eightthousander? Andrey is an entrepreneur and traveler, a native and pupil of Buryatia, who now lives in Moscow. We hope that his career as a "collector of summits" will continue with the participation of our company.

 Andrey Muravyov from Australia:

Yes, I decided not to delay and finish the project "Seven Summits - Seven Continents" this year. Mount Kosciuszko, the highest point of the continent of Australia, is located here.

And even though the Mountain is the most technically simple and not high (2228 m) of the entire "star seven", now it is very difficult to just get here, taking into account the circumstances. I climbed the first peak of Kilimanjaro in Africa in 2017.

Accordingly, seven summits of all continents of the world have been reached in seven years; it seems to me that this will be a good result.

Andrey Berezin, the Guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias from the slopes of Aconcagua! The Brain Storm group spent the night at Nido de Condores, at an altitude of 5500m, as part of acclimatization. Our camp is located on a flat area closed from the wind, consists of a dining room and several tents for climbing participants.

In the morning, we climbed to an altitude of 5800m to consolidate acclimatization, after which we went down to the base camp to rest. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

Andrey Berezin, the Guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Argentina:

 Buenos Dias from the slopes of Aconcagua! Today we have a rest day before going to Nido de Condores (we will spend the night there). We spent the day usefully.  First, we took care of the equipment: we fitted the crampons to the shoes. Then we visited the gallery of the artist Miguel Dauro, looked at his work. In the evening, we passed the medical check necessary before going to altitude. We're going to spend the night at Nido de Condores tomorrow. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

Artyom Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club reports from Antarctica, from the Union Glacier base:

 Hello everyone! The weather postponed the flight by only one day. Now we are already in Antarctica, and now the Antarctic season has really begun. So far, according to the forecast, the vicinity of the pole is not very suitable for flights, we will spend at least one day on the Union Glacier. There will be something to do, we will practice with the equipment before going on the route already in the environment for which it was created. Skis, sleds, stretches, systems.

And yes, there is Wi-Fi!

 For the first time in history, an Internet connection has been established with Antarctica this year. We are waiting for new reports and operational information from Artyom!

Andrey Berezin, the Guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias from the slopes of Aconcagua!  The band "Brain Storm" continues to explore new heights. Today we had an acclimatization rotation to Plaza Canada, the height is 5060 meters. We climbed at a good pace and spent about an hour at this altitude. After that, we went down to the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. Tomorrow we are resting, preparing for an acclimatization trip with an overnight stay at Nido de Condores.  The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Punta Arenas (Chile):

Punta Arenas, the southernmost mainland town in the world, broadcasts. From here, all expeditions to the Vinson Massif, to the Sidley volcano and the "Last Degree" to the South Pole on skis will start. First, a flight to Union Glacier, which is only 3,000 km away. This season the 7 Summits Club has 4 expeditions: The "Last degree" once, twice the highest point of Antarctica the Vinson Massif, and once the highest volcano in Antarctica Mount Sidley.

According to the plan, the first group for the "Last degree" was already supposed to take off today, but the weather is making adjustments. We've packed and prepared, but we're still waiting. Today, the expectation was diluted with a visit to the museum with 1:1 replicas of famous ships on which Magellan made his exploratory voyages at the beginning of the XVI century and almost 300 years later Fitzroy. Charles Darwin was on the latter's team. Desperate and brave people were, to go into the unknown on such ships.

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

Greetings from the Aconcagua Base Camp! We continue to introduce you to the infrastructure of the camp. Last year, as a test, double dormitories with beds and heating were installed at the Plaza de Mulas. The testing was successful, and already this season accommodation in such houses is included in the climbing program. Such a house is assigned to the climber for the entire period of stay at the Base Camp, which is 7 days. Seven whole days of comfort at an altitude of 4350 m!

Andrey Berezin, the Guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias!  Today, the Brian Storm group, for better adaptation to altitude, made rotation to 4000 meters in the Plaza France gorge under the Southern Face of Aconcagua.  Tomorrow we have a long walk to the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

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

Greetings from the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp, which is located near Aconcagua! The 2023-24 season is gaining momentum, and tomorrow the first group will come up here, where they will spend most of the program, like all our other groups. That is why we attach great importance to the comfort and convenience of our participants' stay at the Base Camp. Good nutrition and good sleep are the key to a successful ascent. This season we have exclusive accommodation conditions, a separate dining house where we eat and relax in our free time. Take a look at the video for yourself, what it looks like. Really, it's wonderful! There will be other videos telling about the infrastructure of the Base Camp and high-altitude camps. Follow the news!

Andrey Berezin, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias! Our group called "Brain Storm" went to the foot of the highest peak in South America - Aconcagua.  After we received permits and permission to visit the Horcones National Park, we drove from hot Mendoza to windy Penitentes in three hours, where we stayed in glamping. We spent the night and arrived at the Horcones National Park in the morning, registered and walked to the Confluencia camp in three hours. We will spend two days here, and then go up to the base camp of the Plaza de Mulas. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Sergey Avtomonov.

Buenos Dias from sunny Mendoza!  The climbing season of the 7 Summits Club in the Southern Hemisphere begins. Today, all the members of the first Aconcagua group gathered in Mendoza. The guides met the participants, checked the equipment, collected and shipped the cargo for the base camp. Tomorrow we will receive permits for climbing.  And we go to the foot of Aconcagua.

And also today we wished happy birthday to our climbing partner Anna.

Guides: Andrey Berezin, Sergey Avtomonov and Valery Myasoedov.

The Antarctic season of the 7 Summits Club has begun!!! Yesterday, our guide and the most experienced polar explorer Artem Rostovtsev arrived at the edge of the world and the starting point of expeditions to Antarctica, in the southernmost (mainland) city of the world - Punta Arenas.

In a few days, the participants of the first expedition will arrive - a ski trip to the South Pole. Then, according to the plan, we will have two more large groups of climbers to the highest point of Antarctica - the Vinson Massif. And also after Christmas, the highlight of our season in Antarctica starts - the largest Russian expedition to the highest volcano in Antarctica, Sidley. Several members of this team are planning to complete the 7 Volcanoes project!!! At the moment only 8 people in Russia have been able to complete this project. Now there are only 42 such lucky people in the world.

P.S. - Meetings with interesting people often happen in Antarctica. We wish Artyom and our teams the most unexpected and pleasant Antarctic meetings!

Buenos Dias from sunny Mendoza! Here, the guides of the 7 Summits Club continue to prepare for the season on Aconcagua.  They bought food, checked and packed expedition equipment, and prepared gifts for the participants of the programs. The guides of the 7 Summits Club Sergey Avtomonov, Valery Myasoedov and Andrey Berezin will work with the first groups. The first participants are due to arrive on December 12th.

Congratulations on the International Mountain Day! Friends, love adventures, give yourself vivid emotions, love nature, go to the mountains! And let's do everything to preserve the beauty of the mountains for us and for our descendants!

 We keep calling you to the mountains! The 7 Summits Club is always ready to help you organize mountain trips around the world. Follow the updates of our programs.  Mountains should give us the happiest moments of our lives, and giving people happiness is our mission!

   If possible, leave the mountains clean after you!  And in general, do everything possible to keep the mountains a territory of freedom, a territory where you can meet with pristine nature, a place of joyful meeting with friends, a place you want to return to, where you want to bring children, where everyone will be happy!

The International Mountain Day on December 11 was established by decision of the UN General Assembly in January 2003.  Every year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the United Nations, responsible for this holiday, determines the themes of the year.

It all started with an August 2022 video message to me from Alexander Abramov and Fyodor Konyukhov.

They were then "sitting" with a group of climbers on Mount Damavand in Iran. And, as usually happens, there was a conversation about the 14x8000 program, its implementation in the world and in our country. It turned out that I had been the leader of this program for 21 years and there was "no one close", but at the same time I had "stopped" high-altitude mountaineering since 2016.

 They called for "shaking up the old days", making another attempt to climb K2, and took over the organization and financing.

I replied to him: Alex, hello everyone! I am glad to see and hear! You don't let me live up to my age!

Yes, let the young people be puzzled by the question and solve it! It's so cool!

And I'll bend over there and fuck who needs it! I will also make a negative image for Russia! Hugging everyone!

In previous years, there were also conversations on this topic, with the same Abramov, with the famous athlete and guide Sergei Baranov. Sergey, addressing me, said - Listen, now mountaineering has become not the one that you "walked". Everything has become easier, go ahead, and I'll find the money.  But the brakes were "sitting" inside me and I refused.

 But this time Alex convinced me - Listen, Serega, I saw how some girls could not overcome the Baltoro glacier, walked, "died". And then I find out that they climbed K2! The mountain has changed, everything will be fixed, you will be helped by Sherpas to carry the cargo, plus oxygen. This year (2022) 180 people did it!

The last phrase especially impressed me.

- How is it, did they put an "elevator" there!?

I was all in doubt and decided for myself that I needed to "check" my body. Judging of the Kazbek races was scheduled for September. And I decided to make a full-fledged ascent to the top from the Karmadon gorge along the standard route 2B of the difficulty category.