All news: April 2010

On Saturday, 3th of April in Kathmandu a historic event took place - the first commercial climbing competition among Sherpas who work on Everest. Name of competition: "1-st Everest Sherpa wall climbing competition". The idea belongs to the leader of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov and director of Asian Trekking - Dawa Steven Sherpa.

These competitions were designed as a team competition between expeditions. Therefore, the participation fee in the amount of $ 10 per person were paid no Sherpas, but by leaders of expeditions. 11 Sherpas from 7 Summits Club and 11 Sherpas from Asian Trekking and 2 Sherpas from the team of Jamie McGuinness took part in the competitions.

Competitions were held on speed, as pair races without time fixing (elimination system or knock-out system). As a result, 1-st place (as well as 3 and 4) got the Sherpas of the 7 Summits Club, second place went to a Sherpa from Asian Trekking. The winners received prize money provided by the organizers: $ 200 for 1-st place, 100 for second, 50 for 3rd and 50 for 4 th place.

After the competition, all participants ate dalbat and discussed the competition and their results.

Numerous spectators, journalists of the leading Nepali newspapers, legendary climbers were all delighted with this event. President of Nepal Mountaineering Association Ang Tsering offered to make it as an annual event and hold them between all the expeditions, departing on Everest.

Great Sherpa Apa (in green) is going for the 20 th climb the summit of Everest. At this time his mission is to place the ashes of Mt Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary on the summit of the world's tallest mountain

Our friend Ang Tsering came to look at the competition

Alex explaining the rules

The winners hiding unplanned cash

Mingma, our permanent Sirdar and Alex

Summit attempt took place on April 1. Prior to this, March 30, it was snowing and so the whole day on March 31 team stayed at Camp 2, waiting "until the snow settles." The weather was normal: a strong wind and cold. In 6800 Peter Pustelnik, from the morning not feeling very well, decided to turn down. Slovak Peter Hamor went with him. The remaining climbers continued their ascent. However, only 100 meters from the summit, they were forced to retreat. The reason: lack of equipment, they required screws and snow stakes. It was decided not to risk, because the main purpose of ascent was not a summit, but getting acclimatization.

In the evening the entire team except for Russians was down to base camp. Sergey Bogomolov and Eugene Vinogradsky, again for reasons of acclimatization, they still remain for the night in Camp 2.

S. Bogomolov: "But we are satisfied. Acclimatization plan on the mountain run well".

According to Peter Pustelnik, it is possible that the Kinga and the Portuguese Joao Garcia will make another attempt to climb Pumori. But I think this is unlikely, because the Russian participants had already turned down the camp and lowered equipment.

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