All news: May 2023

Kristina Putintseva, guide and manager of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Bezengi:

Hello to everyone from our Super Sherpa Team! Today we spent a wonderful day on the rocks.

We recall long-studied material, learn new things and learn to teach. After all, in our work it is important not only to have knowledge, but also to consistently present the studied material.

Our friendly international team use three languages: Russian, Nepali and English. This makes our classes even more interesting. 

A guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from the Elbrus region:

News of the Elbrus region. The group "El Gol" spent the first night at an altitude of 3900 m, in the morning everyone felt fine and efficient. This was confirmed during the acclimatization rotation to the Pastukhov Rocks. During the ascent, which took 4 hours, the weather changed a lot: if there was both sun and heat at the bottom, then a blizzard and wind met us on the rocks. And when we went down to the camp, the weather was already fine. Only 700 meters difference, and how the climate is changing. Tomorrow is a well-deserved rest before climbing the summit of Elbrus.

Two groups of the 7 Summits Club continue to prepare for the ascent on Elbrus. Today, on May 30, they climbed the slopes of Elbrus and held training sessions on the technique of climbin on snow and ice. Guides Andrey Berezin and Alexander Dorojukov.

Kristina Putintseva, guide and manager of the 7 Summits Club:

The 7 Summits Club welcomes guests from Nepal. Our old friends and partners Pemba Nurbu and Kippa Lhamu have arrived in Russia to take a mountaineering instructor training course. Every year, the Russian Mountaineering Federation organizes a school of mountaineering instructors on the basis of the Bezengi mountaineering camp.  The guests arrived in Moscow on May 27, and on May 28 we admired the beauties and sights of our capital.

And on the morning of May 29, we went to the airport and made a long journey from Moscow to Nalchik, and then to the Bezengi alpine camp. On the way we visited beautiful Blue Lakes.  While driving, we admired the endless green hills and then the snowy Summits.

At the camp, we talked with the instructors, remembered the joint Himalayan ascents, resolved organizational issues, and discussed our joint plans for the next month.

Two groups of the 7 Summits Club began their acclimatization on the slopes of Mount Cheget.  Guides Andrey Berezin and Alexander Dorojukov.  It was raining quite heavily in the morning, so the groups left late. Then the weather pleased us: the sun, a light breeze. We enjoyed the surrounding views of the mountains. Both groups went up to the Ai Cafe. Tomorrow both groups will climb the refuge National Park, the height of 3850 meters. There they will continue acclimatization.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from the Elbrus region:

News of the Elbrus region. The DIY group climbed to the highest point of Elbrus yesterday. The weather forecast did not coincide with the reality on the mountain, but this did not prevent us from climbing to the top at a good pace. 

  The guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Dorojukov reports from the Elbrus region:

The group "Glacier" sends greetings from the top of Elbrus! Today we successfully climbed the summit and went down. The forecast deceived us, of course, but this did not prevent us from reaching the highest point in Europe and Russia. Even today, our participant Elena celebrated her birthday on the ascent. Congratulations to her on two holidays!

Vladimir Belkovich climbed to the top of Lhotse accompanied by sherpa Dava. Thus, Vladimir, within the framework of the 8000 Club programs, did a "double" - in one season he climbed two eight-thousand-meter Makalu and Lhotse.  After his return to Kathmandu, our season can be considered over. And completed successfully!

 On May 21, 2023, an unprecedented event for Russian mountaineering took place: "Snow Leopard", climber Vitaly Lazo became the first Russian to use skis to descend from the highest point of the planet. He started from a height of 8845 meters, which is only three meters below the top.

The ascent, organized by the 7 Summits Club, was made by Vitaly together with the Snow Leopard Anton Pugovkin, his friend of the Freeride in the Death Zone project (climbers storm the highest mountains of the planet, followed by skiing). Everest became the fifth eight-thousandther.

The team climbed on the summit with a special mission, which you can learn about by watching the documentary "Oxygen 2. Everest", which has been shooting for more than three months in partnership with Gazprom-Media Holding and its companies: Central Partnership and Red Media.

On the descent, Vitaly Lazo needed medical help, he was evacuated from Camp 2 to a hospital in Kathmandu. Anton Pugovkin feels well.

⠀Vitaly Lazo (VK): Hello everyone!  Our latest news is on May 22, I was evacuated from a height of 6500 meters to Kathmandu. Now I am in the hospital with a diagnosis of "cerebral edema" ... I am much better... I am on the mend, I will be discharged in a day and on the 26th, in the morning, I already plan to be in Moscow…

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Dorojukov reports from the Elbrus region: Today, our group successfully walked through the wind and snow to the Refuge of 11. There we held classes on climbing on snow slopes with self-arrest and walking on fixed ropes. The weather is very bleak - a cold May wind, plus snow sometimes broke. Well, in general, this is normal The May weather. We continue to walk along the slopes of Elbrus.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Dmitry Semenov reports from the Elbrus region:

Today our group ascended Mount Elbrus, the Western peak (5642m.).

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Dorojukov reports from the Elbrus region:

Greetings from the Elbrus region! Today we started our acclimatization on the slopes of Mount Cheget. There is still a smell of spring, a cool wind, snow is still lying, streams run in places, it rains afternoon every day. But, in general, everything is fine.

Yesterday, the participants of the project "Deathzone Freeride" Vitaly Lazo and Anton Pugovkin climbed to  the top of Mount Everest and safely descended to Camp 2.  And today, together with their entire team, they flew by helicopter to Kathmandu. This year, all the climbers who have been declared by us and received permits have made successful ascents to the top of Mount Everest!

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the 8000 Club team "We are just tourists"! On May 19, our friendly team ascended to the highest point of the planet — the summit of Mount Everest!!!!

This ascent was not easy for all of us. A very difficult and harsh mountain. On the day of the ascent, the wind reached 40-45 km / h, but none of the participants turned around, everyone reached their dream! I had to struggle with the weather conditions and with myself.

We were very tired, we gave it our all. After the mountain, the last participants returned to the second camp at 6400 only by 10 pm.

We will write more detailed news later. Now we are already at the base camp, celebrating the ascent. Our Sherpas have prepared a delicious cake, we communicate, share our impressions, received certificates and medals for our ascent!

Congratulations to Alexander Abramov on his twelfth ascent to the highest peak of the planet! And also with the successful leadership of the group with one hundred percent summits!   This time, most of the ascent took place during daylight hours and the filming turned out to be more than usual. Watch and listen…

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from the Elbrus region:

News of the Elbrus region. UralSib Group has climbed on the top of Europe. May is capricious in the Caucasus mountains. Therefore, we were not very lucky with the weather, sometimes the visibility was only three meters. Plus, cloud cover, wind, frost accompanied our ascent.  But we were lucky with will, perseverance and strength. Bottom line: at 8:30 a.m. we were already at the top.

President of the 7 Summits Club, head of the Everest expedition Alexander Abramov reports from Nepal:

So, today the Everest team of the 7 Summits Club flies from BC to Kathmandu. I want to sum up. A difficult expedition. Everyone was sick. Not everyone was able to recover. 6 people at the top. 11 people have already died this season. 100 got frostbite.

Our expedition is the best. Not a single injury. Probably due to the colossal experience of the organization. I have the 12th ascent of Everest. I was even praised for it. We will continue to work. And ahead of K2, where our team of 17 participants is starting in 3 weeks.

The head of the Makalu expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Nepal:

 Yesterday, a solemn celebration of the Makalu climbers took place in the Makalu BC. They were awarded certificates and medals. And then the unofficial part began - with a cake from our chef Dandy and dancing from our Sherpas. By the way, we also solemnly presented the main sirdar and Guinness Book record holder Lakpa Makalu from our 8000 Club with a commemorative medal for Makalu (this year he climbed to this peak 7th times). This morning, part of the group was able to fly to Kathmandu. 5 participants were stuck in Lukla due to bad weather (Simone Moro personally settled everyone in good hotels and promised to take them to Kathmandu tomorrow). One participant, Volodya Belkovich, flew to the Everest BC and plans to climb Lhotse in the coming days. We hope that tomorrow, on May 20, everyone will gather in Kathmandu - both Makalu and Everest teams and celebrate our successful ascents!

 Congratulations to the brave climbers!  On May 17, six climbers from the 8000 Club team climbed the summit of Makalu.

List of summiters:

Lyudmila Korobeshko - head of the expedition;

Israfil Ashurli – deputy leader;

Igor Smirnov;

Yuri Lukyanov;

Vladimir Belkovich;  

Valery Babanov.

At the Base Camp, the climbers received certificates and honorary badges-medals.

On May 17th, the team of the 8000 Club climbed on the summit of Makalu 8,485 m:
Lyudmila Korobeshko - head of the expedition;
Israfil Ashurli - ascended on the second attempt, took part in rescue work;
Igor Smirnov;
Yuri Lukyanov;
Vladimir Belkovich;
Valery Babanov.
Now the whole team is in the Base Camp.

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