All news: September 2010

September, 30 we had a traditional evening meeting friends of 7 Summits Club. At this time, a record number of people came to hear reports on our expeditions. The famous mountain climber, winner of the Piolet d'Or Jury Koshelenko was the chief guest. He spoke about his expeditions to Peru and the Pamirs. Then our guides were made with tales of his expeditions, we have shown films and pictures. Victor Bobok and Oleg Banar sang songs, we gave prizes for the best slogan for the club, played the lottery etc…

Photos from the party – full gallery is here >>>>>>>

September 27, 17:10. Today, our group went up to Camp 2 at an altitude of 7,150 m. We have overcome heavy wind so the way took more than 7 hours. On the way, there was an ice wall and a few steep parts, which significantly delayed the temp of our group. Many groups came down to one "thread" on the fixed route, and we had to wait in line.

Quality of fixed ropes leaves much to be desired. The group of Tibetan climbers who have fix it did not return to base camp to continue operations.

Two Sherpas, who yesterday had stopped by a small avalanche, today tried to reach the summit. But they again got on top of a slope in an avalanche, which, fortunately, it was scattered along the slope, and no one caught. As a result, no one managed yet to reach the summit. But the way to the top now is almost trodden.

We have scheduled two nights at 7150m, then at 7500m and will be on the way back tomorrow. Descend to thr base camp: for rest and preparation for the main summit assault.

A group of climbers 7 Summits Club on Sept. 23 flew to the Caucasus, and had settled in the hotel Povorot in Terskol. September, 24 they made acclimatization outing up to the Pastukhov Rocks. September, 25 in the morning the team started the Elbrus climb. In the group were: Alexander Abramov (leader, guide and president of the 7 Summits Club), Sergei Onufrienko (guide), Ilya Shershnev, Dmitry Freiman, brothers Petr and Pavel Tolstykh.

At a good pace climbers went up from Pastukhov Rocks to the saddle of Elbrus (5300 m). However, here, on one of the Tolstykh brothers decided to turn back. Although, according to Abramov, he was in a good shape. Nevertheless, the two brothers and guide Onufrienko at 10:00 a.m. went down. Abramov, Shershnev and Freiman started climbing to the western summit (5642 m).

At about 10-30 a.m. they saw at a distance app. over one kilometer people who scream calling for help. Without hesitation, the group refused to continue climb and started to traverse to the victims. It turned out to be Polish climbers, young guy and girl. They slipped on descent from the summit and received multiple injuries when falling. The guy apparently had broken his leg and could not go by himself. Girl with a collarbone injury, minor injuries on hand and head could go. She was taken to a rescue hut on the another side of the saddle. The construction of this shelter was completed only on 1 September.

Unfortunately, the telephone and radio link on the saddle of Elbrus still does not work and to call for rescuers you need to go lower, about half hour. Except our group and Polish couple, only four climbers made the climb on this day. At 12:15 one of guides of the other group went down and called to the rescue services. The Polish girl and Dmitry Freiman left later down with Lisa Pahl, another Elbrus guide who was with a client. Alexander Abramov and Ilya Shershnev were stayed with the injured Polish climber. With great difficulty they dragged him to the hut. It takes about two hours of hard work. Approximately 3.30 p.m. four rescuers reached the hut, they provided medical assistance and at 4.00 p.m. started transportation. Approximately at 5.30 p.m. the group reached the Pastukhov Rocks, where a snowcat was waiting for them. The same evening, the Polish climbers were taken to hospital.

In the shelter 

Alex Abramov - on the left and rescuers

September 25 - the first day when we can say that the weather is good. While none of the expeditions of unable to climb to Camp 3. Chinese "cooperative", which had to fix route has long gone down. Expeditions should make route joining efforts.

Igor Svergun - leader of the expedition

Our climbers Kijko - Zakolodny – Bublik reached the Camp 2 at 7150m altitude in the last outing and went down. After that, the way was blocked by snow. Two Sherpas, who tried to make a scheduled shipment, were crushed by the powdery snow on a steep section of the ridge. Fortunately, they managed to rescue themselves.

And now, today - September 26, our team finally got to Camp 1 at 6400m. Then we plan to reach a height of 7500m, with two overnight stays at 7150m.

All members are in good shape, not counting the usual maladies that accompany climbers - a cold, illness, throat, runny nose, cough ... But it all goes away as soon as putting on a backpack on your back.

Rodiontsev and Chistovsky intend to ski descent from 7500m. Today Rodiontsev tried to go off on a snowboard from a height of 6700m in an oxygen mask. Everything turned out. We hope that he will be able to descend on skis from the summit.

Members

Records on Elbrus, Polish climbers have reached a new level
Press Release Competition Elbrus Race

September, 24  International Elbrus Race competitions were held on the slopes of Mount Elbrus. Competitions in speed, sky running on the highest peak of Europe held  sixth year in a row, starting in 2005.  In September, when ice-snow conditions are better and  when the number of climbers reduced.

Competitions are held in two classes. The first one  is "Extreme": from the foot of mountain -  Azau Glade (2400 m) to the highest point of Mount Elbrus - the Western Peak (5642 m). Route length is  approximately 13 kilometers, vertical drop of more than 3000 meters.  Anywhere in the world is no more competition on the track with such drop. A short track names "Classic". "Classic" starts from the refuge Barrels (3700 m) located at the upper cable car station Elbrus. The finish of this route is also on the western summit of Elbrus.

 Two days before the main trial, athletes started in the classification race from Barrels to Pastukhov Rocks (4900m). The control time was two hours - this will be a "pass" on the main race.

  A large group of experienced climbers, guides of Elbrus were on duty at the track up to the summit. They are capable of working at height for a long time, and can help athletes in case of changing weather conditions.

  This year's Elbrus Race  was attended by athletes from Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Poland, USA and Indonesia. The Polish team was led by well-known mountaineer, Himalayan climber Artur Hajzer.  It was a group of young, well trained and motivated athletes.  Artur  wants to build a new national team, capable to continue  traditions of Polish Himalayan mountaineering.  Hajzer  regards  Elbrus Race  as a good possibility of endurance testing for athletes.  

 Young Polish ski-alpinist, mountain guide from Zakopane  Andrzej Bargiel (22 years old) became a champion on  "Extreme" class, with a phenomenal time - 3 hours 23 min 37 sek. He managed to improve the previous record set by Denis Urubko in 2006 (3 h 55 m 59 s) more than on half of hour.  28-years old “snow leopard” Alexandra Dzik from Poland was first in women contest with record time - 5 hours 4 minutes 41 seconds!

On the track "Classic" Andrey Puchinin from Kazakhstan came to the finish line first (2 hours 34 minutes 33 seconds), improving his own result in 2006 almost on 12 minutes! Russian Oksana Stefanishina (Sochi) won the race in the class of "Classic" for women. Her time was 3 hours 22 min 01 sec.

 Particularly we should note a veteran Boris Korshunov, who on Aug. 31 was 75 years old. His result on the Classic track was 4 hours 16 minutes - 14 th place.

  Elbrus - it's not a treadmill. There are factors inherent in the high mountains, for example, a strong wind. In calm weather the result of all  athletes would be higher. This year's judges were forced to postpone the race start from September 23 to September 24 because  on the mountain was very bad weather.

For the sixth time the Top Sport Travel company (www.sklon.ru) and news server www.Russianclimb.com organize competitions International Elbrus Race.

NPF Bask is the third time became the general sponsor of the international competitions.

Mountaineering Federation of Azerbaijan - General Partner VI International Elbrus Race.

Sponsors of the competition:
Company SIVERA (Ryazan)
Shop "Tramontana" (St. Petersburg)
The memorial fund  Anatoly Boukreev (USA)

Official website of the competition www.Elbrusrace.com

 Russia made its ambitions clear by planting a flag beneath the North Pole. An international meeting to try to prevent the Arctic becoming the next battleground over mineral wealth is taking place in Moscow. One quarter of the world's resources of oil and gas are believed to lie beneath the Arctic Ocean. Russia, Norway, Canada, Denmark and the United States have already laid claim to territory in the region.

Although the summit is promoting dialogue, a Kremlin adviser said Russia would defend its national interests.

Senior Norwegian adviser Olaf Orpheum told the conference that nowhere else had seen "such dramatic changes in the surface of the Earth".

The race for the Arctic centres on an underwater mountain range known as the Lomonosov Ridge.

In 2001, Moscow submitted a territorial claim to the United Nations which was rejected because of lack of evidence.

Three years ago, a Russian expedition planted a titanium flag on the ocean floor beneath the North Pole in a symbolic gesture of Moscow's ambitions.

Law of the Sea

As evidence of the gathering momentum in the race for mineral resources, Russia has announced it will spend $64m (£40m; 48m euros) on research aimed at proving its case.

The man behind the 2007 polar expedition, Artur Chilingarov, has announced that he will attempt to launch a drifting research station next month.

Kremlin climate change adviser Alexander Bedritsky told reporters that Russia had a "strong chance" to win approval when it submitted its data to the UN in 2012-13.

Last week, Canada's foreign minister met his Russian counterpart in Moscow to discuss their competing claims.

Canada is likely to hand its file to the UN around 2013 and has said it is confident of its case.

Denmark plans to put forward its details by the end of 2014.

For the states involved in the territorial dispute, the key lies in obtaining scientific proof that the Lomonosov Ridge is an underwater extension of their continental shelf.

Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a coastal nation can claim exclusive economic rights to natural resources on or beneath the sea floor up to 200 nautical miles (370km) beyond their land territory.

But if the continental shelf extends beyond that distance, the country must provide evidence to a UN commission which will then make recommendations about establishing an outer limit.

Last week, Russia signed a treaty with Norway, ending a 40-year dispute over their maritime borders in the Barents Sea and Arctic Ocean.

Russian Arctic expert Lev Voronkov said the experience of the Cold War proved the need to work together.

"No one problem of contemporary Arctic can be resolved by one country alone. So that's why I think that we are doomed to co-operate in the Arctic. And military confrontation especially is completely counterproductive."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said last week that Nato's presence in the Arctic could raise additional problems.

The insurance company RESO-Garantia established with our 7 Summits Club a world record. 35 people from one insurance company at once were stayed on the top of Mount Ararat. Sergey Sarkisov, founder and principal shareholder, Chairman of the Board of Directors of RESO-Garantia and the Group Reso was among the lucky ones. September 16th, members of this historic expedition gathered at a restaurant in Moscow, to sum up the event. The culmination of evening was awarding summiters by climbing certificates and badges "Mountaineer of the USSR”. That was done by expedition guides, representatives of the 7 Summits Club Vladimir Shataev, Victor Bobok, Lyubov Ivanova and Olga Rumyantseva in a solemn ceremony.

RESO-Garantia - one of the bigest insurance companies in Russia, and Sergei Sarkisov one of the 50 richest people in our country.

Expedition leader Igor Svergun reported from Tibet following. Sept. 15 an auto-part of our expedition ended at the Base Camp (BC), Cho Oyu at an altitude of 5100m. Today Sherpas and yaks begin to transport goods to Advanced Base Camp (ABC, 5700m).

After a day of rest and acclimatization at BC, all members of the expedition "7 Summits Club - Ukraine-Himalaya-2010" also make pedestrian crossing (with a stopover at 5400m) to ABC (5700m), where it will be the main base needed to climb the summit of Cho Oyu (8201m).

Results of medical examination conducted at the Base Camp, showed that all members received sufficient at this stage of acclimatization. Pressure and pulse are within normal limits, there is no health claims.

Sept. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Japan may start charging people to climb Mount Fuji as a surge in visitors strains facilities on the nation’s highest peak. Local governments of six towns around the cone-shaped mountain are considering introducing the fee, said Masatoshi Hada, spokesman for the Fujiyoshida city government. No decision has been made on the level or timing of any charge.

The number of climbers of the 3,776-meter (12,388 feet) peak has risen 46 percent during the last four years. It costs government and local companies about 35 million yen ($414,000) a year to maintain mountain huts, toilets and other facilities for climbers, Hada said.

“Costs are going up with the huge increase in visitors,” Hada said by telephone today. “We think most people won’t object about a small charge because it’s funding facilities.”

The Fujiyoshida government collected 1.7 tons of plastic bottles, cigarette butts and other garbage on the mountain last year. Fujiyoshida is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Tokyo.

The Japan tourism organization says the ascent from the 2,305-meter fifth station of the most popular route takes about six hours, and recommends climbing in July or August.

About 292,000 people climbed to at least 3,100 meters in the year ended March 31, from 200,000 in 2005, according to the Ministry of Environment.

Expedition leader Igor Svergun reports from Tibet: "On 10 September the team successfully reached the Chinese border. The road from Kathmandu in a few places is covered by mudflows and forwarding cargo was transferred manually with the help of the local population. This means additional cost.

Some teams who drop in to Tibet, has already lost 5 days on transportation. Total for Cho-Oyu in the fall season showed up about 35 expeditions. We are somewhere in the middle. On the way to the base camp we will have another 5 days of acclimatization. Today we made an ascent to an unnamed peak height of 4250m. I was pleasantly surprised by the changes that have occurred in recent years: first, a perfect road from the border, it blends harmoniously into the mountain landscape. And the new chic (at a glance undemanding climber) hotel in the town of Niola. We moved into it at the personal request of our Sirdar Mingma Gelu, director of the company 7 Summits Adventure, organizing ascent.

In view of the most powerful in recent years monsoon, in the mountains there is a lot of snow. According to our records, nobody begins climbing part of expeditions. Our goods, accompanied by Andrei Kiyko and Sergei Bublikt, move ahead of the main expedition, they are into the next village of Tingri at 4100 m. We want to reach the base camp sooner to get the best places for tents.

Mingma

Three Russians, Viktor Afanasyev, Irina Kukueva and Valery Evgrafov from 11 September to 4 October 2010, will attempt to climb the summit of Shisha Pangma (8027m.) Viktor Afanasyev - one of the leaders of the Russian high-altitude mountaineering, has to his credit ascents on K2, new routes on Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I, together with Valery Babanov.

Viktor Afanasyev and Valery Babanov

Viktor Afanasyev: "In preparation for the expedition we managed to find several variations on the theme " the height of the main summit”. And the numbers "jumping" from 8013m to 8046m mark. Most frequently used figure - 8027m. Conventionally, while we use this figures”.

Viktor Afanasyev was born May 15, 1979 in Adygeya, in the mountains since 1994 - Master of Sports in mountaineering, rock climbing, 3-time champion of Russia on mountaineering.

In his thirty years he made over 300 ascents in the Caucasus, the Pamirs, Alaska, Karakorum and Nepal, 53 - the highest category of difficulty. He climbed Mount Elbrus in more than 50 times!.

Muscovite Irina Kukueva is known as the first Russian woman-climber reached eight-thousander in Karakorum (Broad Peak in 2007). She runs marathons skiing, touring the world on a bicycle, she has two sons and a cat called Shisha, which also applies to the subject of this article. And Valery Evgrafov - it's her constant companion for life, travel and climbing. Incidentally, he was the leader of the expedition on Broad Peak, although he did not go to the top. Together they went on Kilimanjaro, Lenin Peak, Mount Fuji, Korjenevskaya, Communism ...

Heroic work of enthusiasts supported by sponsors were not in vain. 1th of September at an altitude of 5300 meters it was opened a mountaineering refuge, the highest in Europe, and probably in the world. This is an elegant half-sphere, which is placed in the bottom part of the saddle of Elbrus. It is designed for rescue purposes, to spend the night in case of sudden weather changes, to assist frozen, tired or sick. A building still must pass the test of a winter season, still it is not clear who and how it will dispose. But now just congratulate all people involved in this unique work.

It has long been in the Caucasus mountain climbers do not build shelters for mountain climbers, on their own initiative. Construction was nearly three seasons. The first year of operation was for reconnaissance. A second summer season ended unloading materials for building shelters on the eastern peak of Mount Elbrus. The third summer was full of worries and heavy physical work. It seemed that the guys could not make it before winter .... and then it is unlikely that the building withstand a strong winter winds. They managed, well done!

Dmitry Gurianov - the author of project. Respect !

 Sunday we have dedicated rest of the night flight. On Monday, all done exersizes (almost all), had breakfast, swim and started to work. Communication, of course, not ideal, but we will try all to hear and to answer everybody. And most importantly, we have already started to discuss the further development of the Club. The days to employees of 7 Summits Club: Alexander Abramov (president), Lyudmila Korobeshko (Director), Victor Bobok, Lyudmila Ivanova, Olga Rumyantseva, Tatiana Stukalova and Alexandr Yelkov will work in Dahab. We will not be in Moscow, but we remain in touch.

7 Summits Club and our subsidiary Nepalese company 7Summits Adventures (director Mingma Gela) organizes an international climbing expedition on Cho Oyu. Project Manager is 7 Summits Club guide Igor Svergun, who gathered to take part in the ascent climbers from Ukraine and Russia. This action is called also the international expedition "Ukraine-Himalaya-2010". September 4th all Ukrainian participants departed from the airport "Borispol" (Kiev) in Kathmandu, where they were waiting for Russian colleagues.

The expedition consists of experienced climbers, that were as members in the spring expedition "Ukraine-Makalu-2010 (Sergey Boublik, Andrey Kiiko, Alexander Zakolodny), and climbers who will be first time to climb 8000m. The basis of the expedition are kharkovites. The leader – an experienced Himalayan climbers, master of sports of international class, Igor Svergun.

Ukrainian climbers consider climbing Cho Oyu as the initial phase of the multi-year program of conquering all the highest peaks of the world, 14 eight-thousanders . This "battle test" the new team of high-altitude climbers, working out tactics and operating mode of Himalayan experience.

Success and weather!

International expedition "Ukraine-Himalaya-2010":

Igor Svergun (Kharkov) - expedition leader

1. Kiiko Andrew (Kharkiv)

2. Zakolodny Aleksanndr (Kharkiv)

3. Kashaev Badawi (Kharkiv)

4. Boublik Sergey (Sumy)

5. Chistovsky Gennady (Sumy)

6. Rodiontsev Andrew (Kiev)

7. Samarsky Tim (Zaporozhye)

8. Sanzharevsky Igor (Zaporozhye)

9. Fedorov Evgeny (Moscow)

10. Koveshnikov Pavel (Moscow)

11. Matusova Natalia (Moscow)

12. Bige Dmitry (Moscow)

The organizer of the expedition - the Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing Kharkiv region (President, MSMK Gennady Kopeika, vice president, ZMS, ZTU Sergei Bershov).

Sponsorships - OOO Stalkonstruktsia "(Kharkov, SM Evel).

Information support - Federation of alpinism and rock climbing of Ukraine (President ZTU, MC V. Simonenko)

Igor Svergun

Mingma at the top ofr Cho Oyu (on the right)

Fresh doubt has been cast on the record of a Korean climber, who was hailed in April as the first woman to climb the world's 14 highest peaks.

Oh Eun-sun "probably failed" to reach the top of the world's third-highest peak, Kangchenjunga, the Korean Alpine Federation (KAF) judged on Thursday.

Top Himalayan record keeper Elizabeth Hawley is investigating the KAF ruling.

If she decides to list the 2009 ascent as "unrecognised", the record will pass to Spanish climber Edurne Pasaban.

Ms Oh climbed Annapurna, the last of her 14 mountains above 8,000m, on 27 April. Ms Pasaban completed the list by scaling Shisha Pangma just under three weeks later, on 17 May.

Ms Oh responded to the Korean Alpine Federation's verdict - issued at a meeting of seven local climbers who have scaled the 8,586m mountain - by describing it as "a unilateral opinion".

"All participants were climbers who had doubts about my achievement from the beginning, so their conclusion must have been already set," she said in an interview with MBC television, quoted by the AFP news agency.

Miss Hawley, keeper of the authoritative Himalayan Database, told the BBC in June it was looking "unlikely" that Ms Oh summited Kangchenjunga.

This came after one of the three sherpas who accompanied her on the ascent of Kangchenjunga said she stopped 150m below the summit, in high winds.

The sherpa, Nurbu, told Miss Hawley he was leading the group when the others waved at him to come down.

Another sherpa, Dawa Wangchuk, has already stated publicly that the group did reach the summit.

"I'm sure she's not lying. She just believed her guide, Dawa Wangchuk. She had great confidence in him," Miss Hawley told the BBC.

Jin Park, a spokesman for Ms Oh's sponsors, the Korean outdoor clothing firm Blackyak, said Dawa Wangchuk had climbed Kangchenjunga four times.

"So I think there is no possibility for confusion about the summit," he said.
Evidence 'piling up'

Doubts have been circulating about Ms Oh's ascent of Kangchenjunga for months.

Experts say there is no convincing picture of Ms Oh on the summit, and have questioned whether she could have finished the last 200m or so of the climb, when clouds obscured the view from below, in the time available to her.
Continue reading the main story
 
Is Oh Eun-Sun a record-breaker?

A member of the next team to reach the peak of Kangchenjunga, in May 2009, the Norwegian climber Jon Gangdal, says he found Ms Oh's Korean flag weighed down by stones, some 50m or 60m below the summit.

At present, the ascent is listed as "disputed" in Miss Hawley's Himalayan Database. In June she said it seemed likely to remain that way, even though evidence was "piling up" against her.

Questions about Miss Oh's ascent of Kangchenjunga first arose in Korea itself just weeks after she claimed to have reached the summit. Climbers linked to a rival woman climber Go Mi-Young (who died in a climbing accident in July 2009) were particularly sceptical.

Korean Alpine Federation secretary general Lee Eui-Jae said participants in Thursday's meeting all shared the view that Miss Oh's photographs on Kangchenjunga did not "seem to match the actual landscape".

"They also agreed that Oh's previous explanations on the process of her ascent to Kangchenjunga are unreliable," he told AFP.

Meanwhile, Eberhard Jurgalski, from the website 8000-ers.com, points out that most climbers who want recognition for their ascents either take conclusive summit photographs or have eyewitnesses.

He says he has seen convincing photographs of Miss Oh on the summit of only eight of the 14.

"If someone is collecting peaks and wants to be accepted as the first woman to have climbed all 14 8,000ers, she should be able to give more evidence of her climbs," he says.

"The whole attitude of people who want to be accepted as having done exceptional things must change."

By Joanna Jolly and Stephen Mulvey BBC News