All news: August 2013

Kuril Islands- very rough country. Travelers should be patient and be able to wait. Due to the severe weather here is hard to get, hard to see in the fog, it is difficult to go back ...

The Kuril Islands form part of the ring of tectonic instability encircling the Pacific ocean referred to as the Ring of Fire. The islands themselves are summits of stratovolcanoes that are a direct result of the subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Okhotsk Plate, which forms the Kuril Trench some 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of the islands. The chain has around 100 volcanoes, some 40 of which are active, and many hot springs and fumaroles. There is frequent seismic activity, including a magnitude 8.5 earthquake in 1963 and one of magnitude 8.3 recorded on November 15, 2006, which resulted in tsunami waves up to 5 feet (1.5 m) reaching the California coast.

The climate on the islands is generally severe, with long, cold, stormy winters and short and notoriously foggy summers. The average annual precipitation is 30–40 inches (760–1,000 mm), most of which falls as snow.

The chain ranges from temperate to sub-Arctic climate types, and the vegetative cover consequently ranges from tundra in the north to dense spruce and larch forests on the larger southern islands. The highest elevations on the islands are Alaid volcano (highest point: 2,339 m or 7,674 ft) on Atlasov Island at the northern end of the chain and Tyatya volcano (1,819 m or 5,968 ft) on Kunashir Island at the southern end.

Landscape types and habitats on the islands include many kinds of beach and rocky shores, cliffs, wide rivers and fast gravelly streams, forests, grasslands, alpine tundra, crater lakes and peat bogs. The soils are generally productive, owing to the periodic influxes of volcanic ash and, in certain places, owing to significant enrichment by seabird guano. However, many of the steep, unconsolidated slopes are susceptible to landslides and newer volcanic activity can entirely denude a landscape.

Cape Stolbchaty (Columnar)

Volcano Mendeleyev

Volcano Golovnin

Volcano Tyatya

The city of South Kurilsk, museum…

Vladislav Lachkarev was in travel groups of 7 Summits Club for the fifth time. In July, the good weather has favored the successful ascent to the summit of Mont Blanc. A group was led by our guide Denis Savelyev. Thus Vladislav Lachkarev is preparing for an ascent of Mount Everest, which is scheduled for next year.

Today, six climbers from China and two Russian guide reached the Western summit ofMount Elbrus... It was not easy, as the physical form of our Chinese friends were not quite good. But the weather was favorable, and the whole group reached the summit. Alex Abramov and Alexandra Sack were the guides from the 7 Summits Club. It was our first group from China, and we hope that in the future hundreds of Chinese climbers will go to Elbrus. We have already learned how to work with them, and most importantly, what and how to feed them. Welcome!

Alex Abramov met a new group in Terskol, it is a group from China. First time in our practice we met climbers from this country. Just a leader of group speaks English, but we communicated mostly by smiles. The first day they climbed Mount Cheget, unfortunately it was made under the rain. Next day, the team went to the slopes of Elbrus. The weather is still bad. But we hope for a change in few days…

On the Mount Cheget

Just before going to Elbrus

On the Elbrus slopes

Yesterday a guide of the 7 Summits Club Denis Saveliev with a group started from the Refuge of Gonella , climbed the summit of Mont Blanc and descended by the route “Three Mont Blanc” (via Mont Maudit). They reached Aiguille du Midi and went down by cable car to Chamonix. Now they are resting in this resort. All is OK…

Alexander Abramov from Elbrus. Today, August 15, we had a remarkable event: the whole our team, 7 members and 3 guides, reached the summit of Elbrus. The weather was qiuite good. Also, two our friends Jenia and Katja, with a guide Eugene Pismenny, climbed two peaks, Western and then Eastern, and continued on their way down to the north side of Mount Elbrus. The rest of the team went down to the south.

Un this team Elena Abramova, and Denis Abramov for the first time reached the summit ofMount Elbrus, and made it with his father, Alex Abramov. Such family climb .... . It was hard, seriously. But, in general, all managed.

Alex with children on the summit

Dima Ermakov from Georgia. Today, we (almost whole group) climbed Mt.Kazbek. Only Marina has not reached the main summit, she was stopped on the Saddle. Everything is OK. On the way down we were captured by bad weather. It was hard, but now we are save on the meteostation. All people dream about tomorrow return to the hotel and having a bath.

Yesterday, an Elbrus group of Alex Abramov has climbed a refuge of Islam at 3800 m. Today under bad weather conditions they climbed to the Pastukhov rocks for acclimatization. On the way the team visited buildings of a new refuge on the slopes of Elbrus. It was contracted but not in use yet. Just one group had an overnight there. Now it names LeapRus Shelter made and erected by Italian manufacturer “Leapfactory”. The owner is the North Caucasian Mountain Club which is a part of North Caucasus Development Corporation.

More information:

http://caucasus.ru/en/placement/item/1?#section_description

Or (better) in Russian

http://kuchavo.ru/archives/3057

A new group of the 7 Summits Climb led by or guide Denis Saveliev  has climbed the peak of Signalcuppe or Gnifetti in the Monte Rosa massive. It was an acclimatization for Mont Blanc climb. Now they are resting, and day-after-tommorow start of Mont Blanc climb.

Sergey Bogomolov after climbig Lenin Peak is going to conquer Peak Pobeda (7439 m) in the Tien Shan  Mountains. From Osh he flew to Bishkek and then went by car to Karkara, a base camp of the Central Tien-Shan mountaineering camps. The weather is very bad and Sergey is waiting for helicopter in Karkara.

Denis Provalov, a guide of the Seven Summits Club sent a message from our Terskol office. 8th of August he led a group of six climbers that reached the Western Peak of Elbrus. Then two of them made a traverse to the Eastern Peak and went down to the North side of the mountain. The weather was perfect as well as conditions of the group members. The climb was dedicated the World Mountaineering Day, pointed as a memory of the first successful climb of Mont Blanc at 1786.

Today, 9th of August is a great day for our Club. Three new big groups departed from Moscow to different directions.

1. Mount Kazbek expedition. It will be an international team, they meet in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. Tour leader – Dmitry Ermakov.

2. The fourth in this season group of the 7 Summits Club will start its Mont Blanc program. This program includes an acclimatization on Monte Rosa. Tour leader - Denis Saveliev.

3. For the first time we organize a big tour on the Kurilskyie Islands in the Far East. A program was made by our managers Marina Nemirova and Olga Rumyantseva. The members of this expedition will visit the islands of Shikotan and Kunashir. And climbs volcanoes Mendeleeva, Golovins and Tytya. Unique program !

And the President of the 7 Summits Club Alex Abramov flew to the Caucasus. He will a leader of a new our group that will climb Mount Elbrus.

6th of August the group of Vladimir Gusakovsky (his family) climbed the Mount of Fuji. Now they continue a trip in Japan, visiting a region of Khayasan. This is a standard program of the Seven Summits Club.

It was only one chance, only one day with good weather.

The weather forecast was very bad, but in the night it became clear that conditions may be mild and more convenient for climb. About 30 climbers started early in the morning and most of them reached the summit of Lenin Peak. Among then members of the 7 Summits Club expedition led by Sergey Bogomolov.

A long period of bad weather changed plans of a group of climbers of the 7 Summits Club led by our guide, a famous Russian high altitude climber Sergey Bogomolov. Two from three climbers cancelled the program due health and weather problems. Now Sergey with a client stay at the third camp at 6100, waiting for good weather.

A guide of the 7 Summits Club Denis Provalov met a new group in Terskol. Today they made an acclimatization outing tо the Mount of Cheget. The weather was severe for climbers. But they could to see their aim - Mount Elbrus.

A fresh information from Elbrus. 2th of August two groups of the 7 Summits Club have climbed the Mount of Elbrus. It was the first day of good weather after a long time of cyclone and a lot of people went together this night. One of them – an American group led by a guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexandra Sak reached the summit in full. Later the western Peak of Elbrus was reached by our second group with a guide Andrey Berezin. Congratulations!

According an information of Anna Abramova, a leading manager of our office in Terskol

Today a group of the 7 Summits Club led by our guide Dmitry (Dima) Ermakov went down from the Saddle camp to the base camp South Inylchek. Unfortunately, without reaching the summit of Khan-Tengri. Four days of heavy snowfalls made a route very dangerous. But our climbers managed to went down safe. Now they rest and waiting for the home flight.

One of the most active members of our Club Vyacheslav Adrov after traveling in Japan went to continue his adventure in the Hawaiian Islands. He climbed to the top of the highest (from sole to the top) mountain on Earth - Mauna Kea by motorcycle with a start out of underwater (with depth) of diving.

This climb was recognized as an official record of Russia (unanimous decision) in the global category of "one-of-a-kind."

The record was set May 9, 2013 and is listed in the "Guinness Book of Records Russia"

In the final version of the wording of the recognized record: "The biggest change in air pressure in the individual mountain climbing" - 0.87 atmosphere in 4 hours 48 minutes while climbing Mauna Kea (Hawaii).

See  illustrations: