All news: January 2016

Vladimir Kotlyar from the Plaza de Mulas camp (expedition to Aconcagua): I send you some pictures of the team "Robinson and The Three Musketeers." Today we have a day of rest and have the opportunity to use the Internet. But, in truth, it is not  the fastest))), so not a lot of pictures. I promise more photos on  return to Moscow))

It is a joke

Hurrah !!! Our team is at the top of Ojos del Salado! Alex Abramov, Dmitry Ginkulov, Oleg Pimenov, Irena Kharazova ... Three our members for various reasons have not reached the top. But the weather ... the wind blows constantly. We managed to find a window in the weather, we were in doubt a long time, thinking and calculating. We started late enough to avoid night frost. But now we're standing on the top… we are the first team in the last few days, which had climbed it. All other teams turned back because of the strong winds and bitter cold. That all! Our expedition to the Ojos del Salado ends successfully. The 7 Summits Club made another victory. Everybody, bye! Wait for us in Moscow!

 Our men in Mexico, Alex and Andrey, yesterday 27 January climbed the  mount of La Malinche, 4460 m. This is the climb for acclimatization to the main goal of expedition - Orizaba.

We started climbing at 8 am and at 12 were already at the top. Good weather, but strong winds were accompanied their ascent (sometimes up to 80 kilometers per hour)

 Today, January 28^th, our small  group left towards Orizaba Peak.

Fragments of the climb to La Malinche

View on La Malinche

and on the way to Orizaba Orizaba

Hello! This is Alexander Abramov with a report from the highest camp on the summit of Ojos del Salado. The altitude is about 5800 meters. Now we went up to a height of almost 6000 meters. For acclimatization. Wind has not as strong as yesterday. We plan to start at five o'clock in the morning to three hours later to be caught by the sunrise. We hope that the wind will not be as strong and as cold as in previous days, and we will be able to climb Ojos. All members feel well and fine.

That all, Goodbye! We are fine. We have enough products and water. In general, tomorrow - the day of summit bid. Bye!

Hi, Seven Summits Club! It is Artem Rostovtsev from a South American program. I

have already reported of the Ecuadorian pro, then we had the Peruvian, which ended early yesterday morning. We managed to see the ancient capital of the Inca city of Cusco, where everyone enjoyed it. And then we went to Machu Picchu that is one of the current "seven wonders of the world."  We were lucky with the weather - it was gorgeous. We finished the Peruvian program, as I said, yesterday morning. We went to Argentina in Mendoza, with the main aim of the expedition - the ascent to Aconcagua. But then it turned out that, due to the closure of the road,  the authorities will not issue permits for Aconcagua next 2-3 days.

 In the end, we decided not to sit those extra days just idly in Mendoza. We opted for another interesting summit, the second highest in South America and in general the highest volcano in the world - Ojos del Salado. So now I am telling from Chile, the city of Copiapo, is in the middle Atacama. And a few hours later, we have already put forward in the Ojos del Salado side. There we hope to meet with the group of Alex Abramov …

Hello! Alexander Abramov, from the expedition to the summit of Ojos del Salado ... Today there was a hard night full of hallucinations ... that we looked at night ... Due to the fact that there is little oxygen in the air, of course, few people slept. All tossed. Acclimatization was in full swing ... This night there was terribly strong and cold wind. British team of three started climbing, but reached only the height of 6000 ....

(Post snapped)

Hello! It is Vladimir Kotlyar. The group gathered in the city of Mendoza. Mendoza met us by cloudy weather and the long-awaited cool. We are four, Sergei Shilkin, Eugene Kraft, Daniel Birman and me. Right as Robinson and the three Musketeers))))

We could not leave Mendoza today because a mudflow ruined road, it is closed. In order not to waste time in vain the command "Robinson and the three Musketeers" decided to take fitness!  Not only vine and steaks!

Mudflow that went between Confluencia and Horkones:

Alex Abramov: Hello! Our team is now in the camp Tejos, at an altitude of 5800 meters. Here we come to the very strong wind. The actual wind at the top, according to the forecast, more than 100 kilometers per hour. We on the trail, I think it was 50-60 . Also on the way we broke one car and in a strong wind we had to repair it.

All members are in a great mood. Dinner was just super. Lena had prepared extraordinary thing for the altitude of the 5800. It was salmon with puree and sauce with real prawns.

Today we will spend the night here at the shelter. We hope to wake up in a good condition and went down again in the Atacama base camp. All Goodbye!

Hello, Seven Summits! It is Artem Rostovtsev from Ecuador. We finished the first two days of travel to Ecuador. And there was half of day when we walked through the historic center of Quito. And in the next two days, we went to the two volcanoes. The first volcano – Pasachoa. It was very rainy weather. We almost did not see anything, but checked our equipment. Yesterday we went to the volcano Rucu Pichincha, in more or less pleasant weather. We had no luck only on the top. It started a shower of hail ... but we're not even afraid of it. We stayed at the top full time, photographed and quietly went down.

Today our journey continues, we fly to Peru. We have ahead the ancient capital of the Incas in Cusco, and, of course, Machu Picchu. After that, the journey will continue in Argentina. One more time, hello! It was Artem Rostovtsev and the team. Photographs attached ...

Our tour in Morocco was passed in one breath, as a separate small life. Fuss of Marrakech form the first minutes dictated a pace of all trip. First thing after plane, hitting the main square Jemaa El Fna Square, you realize how much the world is diverse and colorful. Here, all in one place and at the same time: a restaurant, theater, shopping, circus, book market, concerts and, of course, the real bazaar.

Ascent of Toubkal held within the next two half days. The transition from the shelter to Imlil - spending the night in a shelter - climbing and go back to Imlil.
Everything was easy and pretty quick. By the evening of the third day, I understand that the main purpose of travel is made, and you can relax.

And then - constantly moving with the changing picture of the outside of the machine. I will not list the names of all the sights seen that the first time it was hard to remember. It is to be seen.
See ... inhale the smells, to contemplate these landscapes, to communicate with people who live there and who are happy ... and try to understand another culture, another way of life, a different way of thinking.

Thank you for your help!

Sincerely, Elena Konareva.

Once we settled in the loggia, it started to rain. Rain went to the darkness and midnight. All around it was wrapped up in mist, so that come true what was promised by all our predecessors. They said that we will go in the sputum, in swamps, trembling dank. In the morning, it was announced earlier (5 a.m.) wakey. There was no rain. Looking ahead, I will say in that day it did not start, it started only with the following darkness.

By the way, the loggia, where we settled (name Magic Lodge) was quite a good quality. Stilt house for two people, electricity, toilets in each, hot water, clean linen, warm blankets (important! - 12 degrees in the night), great food from a local chef, a lot of fruit.

In the morning we got into jeeps and drove an hour to the village of Malka at an altitude somewhere in 2550 m. There we met porters of 14 people (2 for each person). Local guide Luke came with us, he was from the village of Paya. The porters were divided exactly in half on bare and shod.

We distribute the goods and went. On this day our guide Olga Rumyantsev promised us 7:00 grueling transition. First, a bit along the fields, and then we went into impassable jungle…

About four hours later we were on the barely visible path, climbing over fallen tree trunks and forced his way through the bushes. Sometimes porters had to work a machete. One of the locals are periodically read to us a short lecture on the local flora (fauna there is miserable).

The first big rest we did after four hours of walk, came out of the woods on an alpine meadow. By the way we have risen about a thousand meters. The mood was good: More three hours at an open area with a small rise - and we are in the camp. But three hours later accompanied us Papuans showed no indication that we will soon stop. And our forces were calculated at the end. I asked - where? And I get the answer: three hours. Maybe a mistake? We are waiting for Luke to ask again, but he confirmed. It came as a surprise even to Olga Rumyantseva. And Luke said that, first, it will be a normal place for the camp not earlier than three hours, and secondly, that place is convenient because is close to the top.

 We go further, angry and knackered, knowing that he was right. Around the swamp, there is no place to put the tent. Someone tries to joke, they say, the Papuans have no watches there, so their concept of time is extensible. Not fair. Papuans were very punctual (told breakfast would be at 6:30 - and it was), and the sense of time they have correct. As a result, the very first of us did go three hours. And the latest (this, of course, I) – at all four. All this time we walked by a long ridge at an altitude of approximately 3800-4000 meters, the trail first rose 50-100 m, then fell and rose again.

At the end of such difficulty we lost scored meters, going down at 300 meters to the river and the forest, where there really was a clearing suitable for the camp. An hour went to make a campsite. …. I was upset by my tent and laid down to sleep on an empty stomach, I only drink.

Full in Russian

Ludmila Korobeshko: Hello from Ecuador!

The second expedition to the most distant point from the center of the Earth - the top of the volcano Chimborazo ended. Last night we made a summit bid. Unfortunately, because of the strong winds we had to turn from a height of 5600m. But the team fought to the end! A small consolation was the fact that all group this night, too, turned out of the weather. But it still hurt.

We decided to try again next year, but this time under the expanded program. First ascents in Peru and Bolivia, as well as a snack - Chimborazo :)))

Vladimir Kotlyar: Unfortunately, we have not reached the top of Aconcagua. Sergey was very froze and we decided to go down ...

News by Yuri Gurgov from Tanzania: a team consisting of four friends successfully climbed the highest peak in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro. At the top there were: YURI Gurgov, Gleb GOGOLENKO, Igor Koval and Mikhail Komarov. The group climbed by the route Lemosho.

Congratulations to all guys with the summit! We wish to continue the route to the all Seven!

January 5, 2016 the second in season team of 7 Summits Club under the leadership of Alexander Abramov climbed to the highest point of Antarctica.
Alexander Abramov reported from the summit of Vinson Massif: "Our whole team has reached the top - Mikhail, Roman, Janusz, Kirill and, of course, I, Alexander. Kirill then immediately “stripped” to celebrate it... It's nothing, because the weather is perfect. We walked all the time in the windless, it was hot. Can you imagine such Antarctica "!

December 27, 2015 a team of 7 Summits Club led by Alexander Abramov climbed the highest point of Antarctica.

Hello! This is Alex Abramov. I run my report from the summit of the Massif Vinson. We are the first and only team, which today climbed to the highest point. The weather is beautiful, and it is almost no wind! I did not even put a down jacket ... there are lovely views around, however, some clouds, but no wind .. We took a chance, went out in bad weather, and guessed. At the top are staying now: Alexey, Dmitry, Vasily, and our American friends ANI guides Scott, Næss and Andy. And, of course, your humble servant, Alexander Abramov.

We want to congratulate you with New Year! Let it will bring good luck and will open new horizons! And also we would like to draw some conclusions on the completion of the New Year period on Kilimanjaro

Namely, we want to note that last month (mid Dec 2015 to mid January 2016) 9 groups with a total of 39 people climbed on Kilimanjaro with the "7 Summits Club".

Group climbed from different sides of the volcano, by the route - Marangu, Machame, Lemosho with local Tanzanian and Russian guides.

For someone Kilimanjaro was the first summit, for others it was the next peak after Everest. The youngest participant was 14 years old, the most experienced - 70. They also reached the top of Africa.

32 persons of 39 reached the highest point in Africa (Uhuru peak 5895 m), it is about 84% of successful ascents.

Photos by Ramil Biktashev, Kilimanjaro LEMOSHO 26 Dec - 3 Jan 2016. New year at the top