All news: January 2019

28 Jan.  The final and culminating part of our journey to the Andes and  ascent of Aconcagua begins.

Today we leave Plaza de Mulas and again climb to the 5500 camp Nido de Cóndores.

The transition took 6 hours, only the weather unlike the previous acclimatization exit - like heaven and earth!  On Nido the sun is shining, a little cool breeze is blowing, almost like on Mulas, maybe a few degrees lower.

 And we waited for another beautiful sunset over Aconcagua, then scattered to the tents and getting ready for bed.

29 Jan.  Transfer from Nido de Cóndores to camp Cólera.

 Climb 500 meters, we have overcome that distance in three hours.

The camp Cólera is very beautiful - it is surrounded by picturesque rocks, and closer you can see our goal — the summit of Aconcagua!

Super-guides of the 7 Summits Club prepared chicken soup. At 6000 -  real masterpiece of Alpine cuisine!  We dined in the open air and discussed  upcoming plans for tomorrow.

We went to the tents around 6 PM, we are saving up for the ascent! Start at 2: 30.

30 Jan.

Team "Aconcagua-3" consisting of 12 people heroically climbed to the highest point of the two Americas - the summit of Aconcagua 6962!

We left camp Cólera at 4 am, the way to the top took almost 12 hours!

 The weather was excellent: only at the site with the traverse the wind was blowing about 40 mph, but in General, the conditions for climbing were very favorable!

 The last climberss went down to the camp for about 10 PM, all the forces left on the ascent. And in the camp we were waiting for a hot chicken soup prepared by Viktor Ershov.

 We woke up on the morning of January 31 and soon ran down to the Plaza de Mulas! Now we are resting, recuperating and accept your congratulations!!!

 From the video clips sent by Alexander Abramov, we have mounted a small video film. This is the story of how on January 27 he and Artem Rostovtsev climbed to the top of Mount Aconcagua.

Details, emotions and colors in the video:

On January 27, 2019, Alexander Abramov climbed the highest peak in South America, Mount Aconcagua,  it was a part of “Seven summits in seven months” project. Artem Rostovtsev, also the guide of the 7 Summits Club, was his climbing partner.  Climbing took place in difficult weather conditions, the summit was not easy.

Svetlana Kotlyar from Argentina:

Hello 7 Summits Club from "Aconcagua-3"!

 Yesterday we had a great day of rest here: we had time to sunbathe, and walk to the waterfall, and pass the medical check.

 At Plaza de Mulas there is almost summer — by 10 am the sun comes out and a cool breeze blows.

 For lunch, our Alpine chef Anya cooked us mushroom soup of real Russian mushrooms, for dinner there was fried potatoes with mushrooms! The team members were thrilled!

 Everyone feels good! Now we have breakfast and prepare to go up. Today again we spend a night at 5500 m in Nido de Cóndores, tomorrow we rise to 6000, and from there we will try to storm the top of Aconcagua!

 Wish us luck!

Svetlana Kotlyar from Argentina: Hello, 7 Summits Club!  Group Aconcagua-3 with you!

Yesterday we made quite a difficult marsh up to the camp Nido de Cóndores, gaining more than 1000 m in height.

The weather changed.  Already in the morning the summit of our "stone guard" was tightly tightened dark gray clouds, and we were blown by unpleasant wind.

 We left Plaza de Mulas at 10: 00 am, less than three hours before we reached Canada Camp.  And then a strong wind came up, by feelings up to 30-35 km/h, and after a minutes it started to snow.

But even in such difficult conditions the group reached 5500 m in six hours! Our super guides say it's a good time!

  In the upper camp there is a large tent-dining room (“Strong hall”), where we were waiting for hot soup and tea prepared by Andrei Berezin! We settled in large comfortable triple tents, walked around the camp.

In the late afternoon the sun came out and you could see how fast the clouds are running over the top of Aconcagua!

Today we spend a night at a new height and tomorrow we run down to the Plaza de Mulas!

Svetlana Kotlyar from Argentina: Hello, 7 Summits Club!

 There is Aconcagua-3 group:  We continue acclimatization rotation on Aconcagua!

 Yesterday we went up to the height of 5000 m to the camp "Canada". We managed it at a good pace in three hours. There we had lunch, admired the views and went down to our Russian camp on Plaza de Mulas, where we were waiting for a hot dinner.

 The weather is bright sunshine and blue sky!  Tomorrow according to the plan there will be a day of rest and then we will climb to Nido de Condores - 5500 m.

 In the Russian camp there are Russian songs to the guitar!

Alexander Abramov from Argentina:

 Today  there was a day of rest and preparation for the ascent. Tomorrow morning I and Artem Rostovtsev go to Nido de Condores.  And today we walked through the camps, went to the Studio of Miguel.

 There we met a Japanese guide Hiro (Kazuya Hiraide). He brought 86-year-old Yuichiro Miura and his son. Son ascended the summit, but Old Miura would not reach 300 m to the summit.

Svetlana Kotlyar from the base camp under mount Aconcagua:

Greetings from the group "Aconcagua-3" from the base camp Plaza de Mulas!

 Yesterday we made a long trek: we gained almost 900 m in height and walked more than 20 km. The whole trekking took about 8.5 hours with snacks and rest stops.

We left the Confluence camp at 8: 00 am. Just a couple of minutes the sun came out and warmed with its rays.

Trekking can be divided into two segments: the first,  so-called "frying pan", a fairly long (about 13 km) area of almost flat surface. Second — is the steep  path to the  base camp.

The weather is good. At these altitudes become warmer — the previously frozen streams melted, and several times we were looking through them the crossing.

The idea that the Plaza de Mulas is waiting for us helped made the way warmer! Anya Ershova (mountain chef) and guide Andrey Berezin have prepared everything for our arrival: what could be better than a hot lunch after such a hard day?

 Service at height level: members of the group live in separate tents, we have our own kitchen and a large tent-dining room, where it is warm and cozy to gather together. Food, drinks, vegetables, fruits, sweets - all this in abundance!

 Today, the plan is a small acclimatization walk.

Alexander Abramov, President of 7 Summits Club from Argentina:

The team of «7 Summits in 7 months” decided to make a new project: "Each of 7 summits in 7 days".

I and Artem Rostovtsev go to Aconcagua for 7 days. Today is the second day. We came to the Plaza de Mulas, height - 4300 m. Health - so-so. But we finally saw our Russian camp on Aconcagua. Perfectly. Super camp. Cheerfully. The neighbors came: Irina Galai, Dasha and the rest…

A group of  the 7 Summits Club headed by Andrey Podolyan made a trip to Nepal, with climbing to the top of Lobuche and Ama-Dablam.  They took the filming of the video very seriously. That was made a great movie. If we can get better through the normal campaign?

Our friends from the  team of  Vasily Yelagin and our friends from the RD Studio led by Valdis Pelsh successfully completed the Antarctic program and returned to the Mainland. Record, unprecedented automobile campaign is successfully completed, we will wait for reports and the main thing – the movie. 

RD Studio: in 1820 the Russian expedition Bellingshausen and Lazarev gave the world the sixth continent. On the eve of the bicentennial of this event, we went to Antarctica to create a documentary about the brightest pages of its history. And at the same time we did something that no one else did: a unique Autonomous auto vehicle run on the ice through the Antarctic Continent! For 38 days we passed 5519 km on all-terrain vehicles "Yemelya" without refueling and replenishment of stocks on the way!

Today began the adventures of our team. Having collected all things, in the morning we went to the mountains! Friends, what a beauty here! Majestic Andes of all shades of red and brown against the blue sky-stunning scenery!

By lunchtime, we got to Penitentes, checked into the hotel. Our guides Vladimir Kotlyar  and Viktor Ershov led the first acclimatization  trek to the altitude of 3000 m.

The sun is shining bright, and from the mountains blows soft and cool — perfect conditions for walking!

Team members feel great. Now we are having dinner and gaining strength! Tomorrow we will go to   Confluencia camp at a height of 3400 m, where we will meet again with Alex Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev.

  The second part of the project "7 summits in 7 months" begins. Today Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev bought permits for Aconcagua. Tomorrow is the start of the expedition!

The 7 Summits Club congratulates Vladislav (Vlad) Lachkarev with the ascent on the volcano Sidley and completion  the epic "Seven summits + Seven volcanoes + Two poles"! Waiting for him on Big Earth!

 According to updated data, the ascent on the highest volcano of Antarctica Mount Sidley took place on January 15. The group that gathered by ALE company, was led by Chilean guide Maria Paz (Pachi) Ibarra. It was an employee of the American Fred Aldridge (aviation coordinator) and three people who completed  by this ascent program "Seven volcanoes". This Indian Satyarup Siddhanta, the Hungarian Sandor (Sanya) Toth and the Russian, the representative of the 7 Summits Club Vladislav Lachkarev.

 Vlad Lachkarev is 42 years old and he is one of the most prominent businessmen of Irkutsk (Siberia, Lake Baikal). A recognized professional, founder of several companies, former Director of a large enterprise, an intelligent, strong-willed and consistent person. At one time, he struck all of us in the 7 Summits Club by his full report on the ascent of Everest.

Look here (in Russian)

On January 12, an unusual event happened at the South pole. A group of 13 men arrived here on bicycles.  It was the team of the 7 Summits Club: 11 members plus guides Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev. For the first time people on two-wheeled bicycles reached the South pole. And let the distance they traveled is not so great, it's still done!  Small, but a feat! Bright, unusual - will be something to remember!

Oleg Tinkov says hello to his countrymen from the South pole:

Boris Yegorov, guide of the  7 Summits Club from Patagonia:

Hello dears! This is the guides Boris Yegorov and Sasha Lastochkin. Yesterday we made an attempt to climb to the top of Mount Fitz Roy.  At first everything went well. We came in the dark under the start point to the shoulder.  At first there were steep snow and ice, we're through with it.  But as soon as we came out under the wall, towards us the hurricane blew, we were almost blown from the pass. We wanted to climb, but with such wind and cold it was too much for us. We turned back. We got down without a problem. But everyone is happy, made the most, to turn in time it is great art!

On January 6, a group of the 7 Summits Club successfully climbed to the top of Vinson Massif, the highest peak of Antarctica. The President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov led the assault. For him, this climb has been eighteenth on  Mount Vinson. The 7 Summits Club has been organizing ascent programs in Antarctica since 2004. The second guide was Artem Rostovtsev, for whom it is the second Antarctic season. The ascent was very difficult.  Due to delays in the arrival of the second part of the group, the acclimatization schedule was not possible. The decisive assault takes 12 hours. But everything ended well.

Hello!  Abramov Alexander and Artem Rostovtsev from Antarctica. Now our team of cyclists has returned to the Union Glacier. Our journey is coming to an end. Everyone feels good and great... we'll wait for the plane to Punta-Arenas, it's scheduled to be tomorrow.

Hello!  Abramov Alexander from the South Pole. Today, our team on bikes  reached  the South Pole. We drove more than 15 kilometers a day and as a result became the first people in the world who conquered the South Pole on two-wheeled bicycles. We have great photos, great views of the pole, with bikes... we'll post them later.

In General, our crazy idea was realized. Everyone is very happy, despite the fact that the weather today is very bad. There was a very high risk of frostbite. The road was in fact  invisible. White snow merged, it was very, very difficult.

Well, that is all. Our mission actually ends here. We hope to fly to Union Glacier tomorrow. On the 14th our Soviet IL-76 will be able to arrive and take us.

The mood of the team is great, cheerful. All the guys make future plans for new adventures…

Victor Yershov, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Argentina:

We climbed to the top of Aconcagua yesterday!!! Very harsh weather conditions, temperatures down to -40 ° C, strong winds up to 60-70 km / h. But most of the group with guides Viktor Ershov and Zhenya Staroselsky, 9 people, climbed to the top! A real storm! And we're the only ones in 7 days who could get in. We started from the camp Nido De Condores, 5500 m, and in 16 hours climbed the mountain, and for another 5 hours – went down. Today we have reached the Base - Plaza de Mulas, tomorrow we run to the entrance to the Park and to warm Mendoza!

 Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club and guide the group, from Antarctica:

 Today we flew from Union Glacier to the region of South Pole.  We arrived at the mark of 50 km, where we were met by a ratrak (snowcat) with sledges, in which there were 13 bikes and  13 skis. Today we went skiing 15 km to the camp, which Artem set in advance (kitchen and all tents).

That is all right. It is cold, -30 degrees and wind. But members of the team say that in the North pole was much worse. Tomorrow we have 35 km by Bicycle to the Pole. Usually we go 40 minutes and then all collect and drink tea. With us there is a snowcat.

So, tomorrow we have to make a world record - to come to the South pole on two-wheeled bicycles. No one has done this before us. We're 13 people.