All news: 13 January 2013

Prolonged period of bad weather was in the mountains of Caucasus. This was accompanied by heavy snowfalls. Clearly, this has created a critical situation for mountaineering groups. The first case occurred on Kazbek. A group of four climbers from the city of Volgodonsk climbed to climb Kazbek to plateau at about 4,500 meters, and there they were waiting for the weather. Continued bad weather forced them to abandon the assault of Kazbek. Snow was very high. On the descent group was crashed by an avalanche. Only one of them was left on the surface. He called the emergency services. His companions were found only in 2 days. Three people were killed.

On Elbrus a group of climbers spent a night in a storm on a small rescue shelter in the saddle. On the descent, one climber Artem Ivanov was broken by strong wind in the beginning of traverse. He fall for about 500 meters. All attempts to approach him failed. The weather is very bad, rescuers could not get through the storm to the victim. Rather, he is already dead.

Elbrus in Winter

In the reigon of Bezengi two very strong groups chose to climb a very serious climbing routes on the North Face of Krumkol. One led by Valery Shamalo, another – by Victor Koval. They made two very strong climb. However, in the vicinity of the top a storm came. It fall so much snow that a descent became too dangerous. The situation was critical. Food ran out, some of the climbers had frostbitten.

Famous team from the Heliaction company came to the rescue. Private helicopter flew from to Bezengi. The weather improved and the climbers were rescued.

Watch the video