All news: April 2020

The quarantine mode found the guides of the 7 Summits Club in different places. Some of us are away from home, some of us have to spend time in cities. This is a time for training, for understanding many things, for creativity, finally.

Our main guides-athletes are ready to demonstrate their high fitness. The best place for this is at the dacha. Get out of Moscow!

Boris Yegorov, as expected, is ready for any space overload!

Artem Rostovtsev relax at home.

Alexander Abramov and Ludmila Korobeshko are in Crimea, where they have the opportunity to train in nature.

Vladimir Kotlyar left for one of the most severe regions of the world – Kolyma just before the quarantine. I decided to stay there for a long time.

Alexander Dorozhukov is preparing to use his new car.

Dmitry Ermakov: "Snow leopard" needs a full meal, and always in the fresh air.

Luba Pershina in Mexico started (and with pleasure!) cook Mexican food. She wants to treat you. And also, reads scientific literature on the culture of Mexico, to know even more and tell you a lot of interesting things when you arrive…

Looking Back ... some nostalgic feeling of being in Antarctica and summiting Mt Vinson with Alex Abramov and the crazy Russian team:  Vladislav Lachkarev and  Alla Mishina.

The entire trip was freezing cold, white-out, windy ...only the Russians can heck this ... super strong and resilient folks not forgetting their spirits! (not vodka .... but pure alcohol! :))

As crazy as they can be, but I had some wonderful time and learned so many values!

Since I got back from the trip … I wondered why was it so much fun and at the same time, we all became so close and manage to endure that atrocious weather and manage to get to the pinnacle of Antarctica. These were some of my reflections and learnings for this expedition!

Leadership – I have been in many teams, also have run companies and transform a few of them but the Leadership of Alex was the difference. He was motivating, educating, at times a drill Sargent (driving us crazy) and a fun-loving individual! And when he is on the mountain… he is definitely in charge together with Artom (Guide) He truly exhibits it when the situation arises during so many challenges along the way up to the summit, At times he raises his voice, jokes, teaches, etc. and mind u the people who climb with him are all Business owners/ CEO’s (Vlad, Alla, Sergey, Sasha…) We all continue to climb with him because of the same reasons.

There was a particular time I was struggling in the climb and was beginning to have self-doubt, he turned around and told me u are stronger and u know that! I didn’t get it in the beginning, but later I knew he just wanted me to focus on the climb and not noise inside me! He can be fun and crazy at the same time and an example of it was when he bought a Xmas tree and shipped to Union Glacier and placed it outside our tent area so we will not feel left out and will feel festive!

Teamwork – When I first met the team, I felt the odd one out among an entire Russian team, This brown Malaysian guy trying to blend in with these folks who spoke a different language and culturally different! But then as the expedition progressed, I truly felt the comradeship of the team, they looked after each other, supported each other, to the extend when we have meals they will wait for me, not once but every time and not forgetting the alcohol drinking sessions after our meals. So there was once I asked my fellow teammate, Vlad, why are these folks so hospitable, then he replied we are FAMILY! In a family, there will be ups and down but we stick together. I also realized that my tentmate Ella (a super fit grandma) who keeps an eye on my safety and wellbeing! AN example of it was once I wandered out of the tent after dinner and I was out for many hours, and as she got worried, she got hold of Alex and started searching for me!

Knowledgeable – He might not be the fastest or fittest climber I know, but he definitely knows his mountains esp. places where he climbs (Everest 10x, the 7 summits in 7 months and many more). An example of this was when we got to the high camp that evening, a couple of teams just got back after summiting. They were surprised we came in when the weather windows are about to close. And we were told the park rangers will also come by the following day to inform us to go down. Alex just smiled and told us to have a hearty meal and go to bed. A few hours later, he called out to all of us and asked us to get ready in 20 mins. I was puzzled, when I stepped out it was windy (easily 40 -50 km hour) and freezing (probably -30c)!

Without saying more, we all got ready and had our breakfast before heading out. As expected it was cloudy, windy and freezing… we just kept walking and walking … a couple of hours into the climb and when we took a turn, the sun which was hiding behind the mountains rise! Although it was still cloudy it was not so windy and the weather got better as we climbed higher. It was a challenging climb as we got closer … gasping for breath we manage to reach the summit ridge and summited!

When we got back to base camp, the other teams were surprised that we actually climbed and more so to the summit! That’s where I know Alex knows his mountains pretty darn well!

No doubt every mountaineer would have similar stories and teams who love them and great experiences, meanwhile, this was my personal experience something I thought worth sharing!

The Grand Canyon of Crimea is a beautiful natural site, a fracture of the earth's crust. It impresses with its dizzy steep walls, blue bathtubs for swimming with ice water!

 The depth of the canyon exceeds 300 m, the length is 3.5 km, the width in some places does not exceed 3 meters. Hiking in the canyon takes a whole day and remains forever in the memory of the traveler.

The premiere of the film was supposed to take place in Moscow cinemas in April. Today's situation has changed all plans, the screening was held in an online format on April 20 at 13:00 Moscow time.

The expedition to Nanga Parbat took place in the summer of 2019 and became the third stage of the project “Freeride in the death zone”. At this stage, the first Italian Snow Leopard Carlalberto Chimenti joined the Russian deuce. The team climbed the Diamir Wall on July 3, 2019. Skiing down from 8080 m. Based on the results of the expedition, the feature film "Death Zone of Nanga Parbat" was shot. For the first time, the team used quadrocopters for filming. The drone was shot above 8000 meters. The film has already become a winner and entered the short lists of several foreign and Russian film festivals. The film is presented at the 23rd Moscow International Film Festival of Mountain and Adventure Films “Vertical”.

Alexander Abramov visits places of "his military glory" in the Crimea! Mount Morcheka is the most difficult climbing face of the Crimea! 30 years ago, Alex climbed the face very quickly, in 3.5 hours. It was at mountaineering competitions and his partner was Valery Rozov!

And here is the camping place of experienced climbers near Morcheka! Alex Abramov reads reports on climbing in a local  book.

A little more time and we will decide to climb on the face of Morcheka ourselves!