All news: 2016

In 2006 Northern Irish adventurer Noel Hanna summited Everest for the first time in his life, one year after suffering retinal haemorrhaging on his first attempt.

Not content with climbing the world’s tallest mountain, after his descent Hanna then cycled down to sea level.

 In the following year the adventurer would complete the same feat on six different peaks; Mt. Vinson, Cartensz Pyramid, Mt. Elbrus, Mt. Denali, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Aconcagua, each the tallest mountains on their respective continents.

 Hanna is the first and so far only person to complete this astounding challenge.

 “It was a good challenge so it was,” he chuckles, reflecting on the superhuman effort.

 Ten years after his first successful Everest attempt, the Dromara-based climber has returned to conquer the mountain a further seven times – twice with his wife.

Hanna’s Everest pet-hate is poorly prepared climbers not respecting the mountain.

He wants to share his wisdom for those looking to take on the unforgiving mountain – less the mountain disrespects them back.

 Training on the hills – then climbing another mountain Hanna’s background in running ultra-marathons meant that he was well prepared for taking on Everest. However, he suggests that we don’t all need to be at that fitness level.

“If you’re a person of regular fitness, running 10ks or half marathons and going to the gym two to three times a week, that’s the base and then it’s just about getting out to the hills and walking with a big rucksack.

“Walking at weekends, maybe a four hour-walk or a five-hour walk in the hills with a backpack on.

“It’s very beneficial if you go to a high mountain before you go to Everest. Somewhere like Aconcagua in South America.”

Noel Hanna and his wife Lynne at the top of Everest (Photo: noelhanna.com)

Training the mind

Hanna suggests that the fitter you are, the more confident you’re going to feel on the mountain.

 “If you’re the weakest on a team, mentally that’s going to bring you down; if you’re one of the fittest on the team, mentally that’s keeping you strong.

“Go at your pace, don’t try and keep up with someone else just because they’re on your team, you have to go at your own body’s pace.”

Hanna’s kit list for Everest expeditions

Equipment for Base Camp and Advanced Base Camp: Duffle bag, sleeping bag, foam pad, gas lamp, gas stove, gas cylinders, personal items for washing, your favourite games, notebook

Technical equipment for ascent: Crampons (e.g. Grivel G12), rucksack 70-80 litres, rucksack 35-40 litres, harness, prussiks, karabiners with screwgate lockers – 3 items, jumar (ascender), telescope ski poles, thermos, rappel device, ice axe, head lamp, photo camera, video camera and assessors, accumulators, personal crockery for high camps

Equipment for body and feet: Trekking shoes, boots of “Everest” Millet type, down jacket + down trousers (or down overalls), Gore-tex jacket with wide hood, Gore-tex trousers (better semi-overalls), windblock jacket, windblock trousers, jacket “Polartec – 100”, warm underwear, personal underwear, Polartec gloves, Thinsulate gloves, Thinsulate mittens, warm woolen socks, balaclava, warm hat, windblock face mask, UV glasses, ski goggles (preferably), gaiters

Hone your ropework in the

Highlands Any technicals skills required to take on Everest can be perfected in the Scottish Highlands, or the Alps, according to Hanna.

“With Everest, there’s a technical side to it, but you don’t need to be super skilled on ropework for Everest.”

 Hanna says it is essential to religiously work on your ropework, be confident in rapelling (abseiling) and jumarring (climbing up a rope).

 Additionally, would-be Everest climbers need to be competent in clipping in and out of ropes, as well as passing anchors.

 “All of that could be done in the Highlands of Scotland or even in a climbing gym, but obviously it’s more beneficial to get in the snow with your crampons on and doing the training that way, or going to the Alps and doing Mont Blanc.”

Don’t rely on the sherpa

All climbers must be capable of doing the climb by themselves and there can be no over-reliance on sherpas.

 “A lot of people will think ‘Oh I’ve got a sherpa, if something happens to me he’s carrying me down’, but if the sherpa feels that his life is at risk he’s going to leave you.”

Tortellini and Coca-Cola

Hanna suggests that a drastic change in diet isn’t necessary for taking on the mountain.

“Some people take protein powders, but I don’t. I just eat normally, I don’t change my diet from home when I’m on the mountain because most good expeditions on the mountain, especially in the North side, get fresh stuff in all the way to base camp.

“We cook food all the way up to 7,000 metres and it’s really only on summit push at 7,700 and 8,300 that you use boil in the bag food, but normally we would have tins of tuna and foil packs of tuna.

“Ideally I like to put on maybe two or three pounds before I go to the mountain.

” Keeping yourself well fed even when your appetite fades is essential, says Hanna.

“A lot of people over 6 -7,000 metres lose their appetite. You need to force yourself to eat. It’s like a car if you don’t put petrol in it, it’s not going to go.”

 The Northern Irishman’s unconventional eating and drinking habits suggests there is room for a few home comforts when tackling the fearsome summit.

“The first year I was climbing there with a good friend of mine from Italy and he had taken tortellini pasta up with us and I had packets of tuna and we just made a lovely meal before we went to summit.

“I’ve always taken a bottle of Coke with me and I remember three years ago going for the summit – I had a small bottle of Coke – stopping to take a drink of it and as soon as I opened the lid it just exploded and 90% of the liquid inside just flew out of it with the pressure.

“I was devastated.” Noel Hanna (Photo: noelhanna.com)

 ‘There is no wall’

Hanna recommends running your own race and ignoring mountain literature that tells you exactly where you will struggle. Undoubtedly having strong mental fortitude is crucial to a successful ascent.

 “I went into climbing from endurance sports, like 100 mile runs. Somebody who has never done a marathon before, the first thing they will say to you is ‘when will I hit the wall?’ It’s a myth, it’s somebody else’s wall.

“If you’ve read a book that says you’re not meant to struggle till 7,000 metres and you’re struggling at 6,000 metres, mentally that’s going to affect you.

“I’ve seen people who struggle on their first acclimatization rotation, but once they get that sorted they’re the strongest on summit push. “I always said that 70% of it is in the head.”

 Bring a lucky charm

Making  physical, technical and mental preparations is empirical, but having a lucky charm is also of importance, says Hanna.

“My wife gave me a lucky black cat on a keyring and it’s gone to every mountain with me since 2004.

“I’m not superstitious or anything, but every single mountain that I go on, it’s attached on my rucksack.

“When I’m leaving on an expedition I need to make sure that cat’s with me.”

What does Everest mean to Hanna?

For most who complete the summit, Everest will hold a special place in their heart. For Hanna it was just another mountain – until his German Shepherd Babu passed away last year.

 “Me and my wife have a German Shepherd pup who was ten and a half years old, he passed away 10 months ago. We said if anything ever happened to him we’d take his ashes to the summit of Everest.

“That’s what me and my wife did this year, we took his ashes with us and we sprinkled them a couple metres from the summit and had a wee tearful moment for him.

“When I think of Everest now, I think of my dog’s ashes. Everest is the most thoughtful mountain for me. We don’t have any children so he was the closest thing we had.”

Read more at: https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/uk/girls-body-image-one-three-believe-not-pretty-enough/

Today is the anniversary of the Vasily Kernicky, Muscovite, climbers on Everest, Cho-Oyu, our 7thousanders peaks. The 7 Summits Club congratulates him with a birthday and wishes strong health, happiness, luck and new achievements! We hope to meet the 13th October at a gala evening in our office! Vasily is now returning with friends from the expedition to the sixth highest peak in the world Cho Oyu. This beautiful mountain is a great gift for the celebrant!

Hello from the Crimea! It  is Kartashov Natalia, a guide of the Mountain School. Today, we have completed our program with Ginkulovs family. They left, all very satisfied. Yesterday we went to a small cave on the Koshka mountain, and enjoyed it very much.

 We are working today on the Belichiy rocks. It is such a news. Today, we can say, a new rock sector was opened, which is called Belichiy (Squirrel) rocks. Routes there are named by the names of the many peaks of the world: the Aconcagua, McKinley, Mount Everest, Elbrus, and so on. Routes are created by us with the help of the 7 Summits Club.

 Today Liana Morozov came in, it was the first day, and on the rocks squirrel ... Tomorrow we will continue on the Koshka mountain. We hope that the weather will be just as warm and good as it is today...

Sergey Larin, head of the expedition: So, on September 30th at 9 am 5 participants of the 7 Summits Club expedition were on the top of Mount Cho Oyu. "Turquoise Goddess" has taken the above-mentioned part of the team and almost let go. The composition of the group: Vasily Kernitsky, Dmitry Kuznetsov, Igor Smirnov, Zygmunt Berdychowski (Poland), Sergey Larin. With the support of four sherpas: Nima, Pasang, Doji, Mutuk ...

 On the same day we went down to 6400, and the next - in the ABC camp. Now organizational problems began at an early depart of the team and changing tickets dates.

 The second part of the team starts to climb 3 October ...

Sherpas Team

Alexey, we congratulate you on your birthday! Catch weather and good luck!

 From the diary.

Hello!

24/09/16 - Rain at night, I sleep.

 By 9 00 the rain is over, I get out. The trail goes upward through the jungle, sometimes blurred.

 In the 13-00 come to the Base Camp (4800). There are many companies, I am going to visit the Makalu extreme (Oksana and Chetur). Then I met Dmitry Grekov and his company - Diana, Zamir, Igor, Solyus, Natalia. Of course, here is Lekha Bukinich.

 Last night there was a big snow, broken tents. Although now is sunny, the snow has not yet melted. Put my tent, I look around and rest the remainder of the day.

25/09/16 - snow at night, we are saving the dining room tent. In the morning - fog, cloudy. Everyone sits on the site, as there is no the road for the first camp.  I do not know where to go, plus the fog - I sit drinking tea. The 11 people from neighboring camps began to move upward. At 12 for better acclimatization, I decide to walk to the camp 1 (5600), see and leave depot. I managed to dusk.

26/09/16 - Dmitry and Zamir decided to cancel and go down. His remaining team decides to try and keep up. I join them. Good company - a good acclimatization))) rise in Camp 1 (5600).

09.27.16 - night was good - that is, sleep well, my head does not hurt. We go to camp 2 (6250). There is normally, but not fast. My friends have tents here. Fortunately they were not smashed by snowfall. We dig out and start to cook. We went early,  but fell asleep only to 23 00.

09.28.16 - In the morning, while having breakfast, my head ached a little, as soon as began to move actively  everything went. We go up to Camp 3 (6900). Making the site, put up tents. I feel altitude, but eat with appetitу. Everything as always - eat and sleep.

29/09/16 - Morning. Head! But never mind, the task is completed. More liquid - tea, vitaminka, etc.

9 00 -  I'm going to run down. The base came 13 30. Change tall boots on the tracks, hour rest. Now ready to go in Samagoon, I have time before dark. A bit tired. In the loggia, where he lived - a full house. For a long time waiting for dinner, sip tea, juice, beer, lemonade. In 20 00 - SLEEPING

30/09/16 - rest, but this time set off all to the summit bid *, good luck !!!

01/10/16 - Today, I collect power to output plan. I try to catch the weather window!!!

* 30.9.16. Igor Zhdanowicz, Saulius Damulevichus, Natalia Zenina, Dina Terentyev climbed Manaslu.

Greetings from the Crimean Mountain School! Dima Ginkulov with two lovely daughters trains on the rock "Wings of a swan." Weather – super, girls mastered 5c routes. The two learned to knit and to belay a bowline. Currently Dima is swimming in already bracing sea, and I watched him out of the juniper. Next we will work with rope and nuts.

Today the team of the Seven Summits Club - five Members and four Sherpas - at 9 am Nepal time stood on the top of Cho Oyu. Some of us are still standing. Now we begin the descent. Team: Sergey Larin, Dmitry Kuznetsov, Dmitry Smirnov, Zygmunt Berdychowski and Vasily Kernitsky. I hope I did not forget any one. And four Sherpas. Congratulations are accepted only in the ABC camp. In our expedition team there are two more participants, but they work on a different route. Today, they do not climb. Sergey Larin.

25 th and 26 th of September - rest days in the ABC camp. We showered, had classes on oxygen equipment. It turned out that we have selected a strong company in preference.

September 27th. Out up to the C1 camp.

22.09. We went to the camp C1 (6400). In the morning there was a puja, a ceremony was held at ABC, we opened the camp and climbing program according the Buddhist tradition. The first day without snow.

23.09. Natalia Smirnova went to Lhasa, she has such a program. We are in C1. Weather forecast unstable and often changing. Therefore, we will not acclimate as expected on the theory, but on the basis of weather windows.

24.09. We went up to 250 meters from the C1 (6400m) and descended to ABC. The weather deteriorated again, this time coincided with the forecast.

   Season of lectures open, opened successfully. Club Manager of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Tishkov read the first lecture. We heard a detailed account of the fact that it is important to consider when planning a trip to Nepal. All of the most curious and interesting points, some historical facts, trekking routes and much more.

It was very interesting. Thanks to everyone who came to see us. It was nice to see the face inspired by the desire to travel, to conquer the peaks and discover new corners of this planet.

We are waiting for the next session on October 13 on the Gala evening of  the 7 Summits Club - birthday! Details about the Gala evening ....

Our Alpine trek the  group of the 7 Summits Club continued in other parts of Switzerland. We made a heroic climb to the summit above 4000 meters, Breithorn - 4164 meters according to official figures. It was the first real climbing experience for the majority of the team members.

Congratulations to the new climbers!

We climbed the by two ropes up of 4 people, led by guides Olga Rumyantseva and Alexander Elkov. The weather was terrible - no clouds, no wind. As we have stripped down the road, as well as not able to achieve harmony. Just the main threat was heatstroke! And it's in the second half of September! This we did not expect. Other members of the expedition also had a great time,  admiring Matterhorn from different angles, as well as enjoying the unique warm and friendly atmosphere beautiful town of Zermatt.

September 15th,  at 8 hours 30 minutes our heroic men were standing on the highest point of the African continent. We congratulate Alexander Tokarev and Alexey Korotkov on this achievement!

We wish them new heights and new victories!

18.09. We went from the base camp for acclimatization, we scored 500 meters.

19.09.We collected our camp and prepared for moving loads in the Middle Camp and ABC camp. When weighed to give a total weight - 2.5 tons. Participants left by foot, the goods had to leave later on a truck. But the truck will not allow by the police. Now we are sitting in the intermediate camp, Middle Camp at 5400 and forward to their belongings., who slowly drive up on  motorcycles. Everything else is good.

Sergey Larin, leader of the expedition. 

Diary of the expedition on Cho Oyu. 15.09 we arrived in Shigatse (3800), the second largest city in Tibet. We walked around the city and who wanted could buy  pillows. While there was not a single day without rain.

 16.09. In the morning we went to the monastery, the second largest in Tibet. There we worshiped the world's largest Buddha statue. Then we went to Tingri (4300).

 17.09. After breakfast we drove to the base camp. In Tingri Chinese began to build housing estates and road towards Cho Oyu. Therefore, after 1.5 hours we were in base camp (4900). On Cho Oyu - it is rather an intermediate camp, than the base, as we plan to spend only two nights here. All the rest of the time camp ABC (5700)  will be our base. Everything goes according to plan, the members feel good.

The event will be held on October 13^th  on Thursday, beginning at 20:00. The 7 Summits Club celebrates its birthday and invites you to share the feast of all his friends and those who would like to become a friend. We invite you to our office ul. Bolshaya Pereyaslavskaya, 7. Metro Prospekt Mira.

In the evening we will tell about our key expeditions of 2016, we summarize the results of several months of travel and climbing programs. You will find a meal and attention from the owners.

More Details will be soon

That's how it was a year ago:

Team of Andrey Berezin by sunny, but windy weather, successfully reached the summit of Mount Elbrus. That these are autumn climbing. Congratulations to the brave participants and  valiant guides! It was the ending of a large climbing season on Mount Elbrus.

Ben Cranwell and Heleen Laurisson stood on top of Mount Kilimanjaro on 13 September. They climbed to the top together, accompanied by the local team.

 Now they are still in Tanzania, ready to fly home. Already, Ben and Helen make plans for the following ascents.

 The list of achievements they have already 2 of the 7 highest peaks of the continents, five ahead yet!

Our congratulations!

Alexey Lonchinsky - the coach of the 7 Summits Club, who runs Mountain School of our Club in St. Petersburg, went to the Himalayas today. His goal - to climb Manaslu (8156 m), the eighth highest mountain in the world. Alex plans to climb as soon as possible and in alpine style.

 This expedition is organized with the support of 7 Summits Club. We wish good luck to Alex and weather on the route!

 Remember that Aleksey Lonchinsky is the winner of the international competition "Piolet d'Or" in 2014.

Sergey Larin from Kathmandu:

Preparations for the expedition to Cho Oyu continues. Finally, all participants gathered in Kathmandu. All luggage was delivered on time! Sherpa Team of 7 people today early in the morning went to Tibet with loads through Gyirong. Since the road through Zhangmu is still closed after the earthquake. Monsoon is not over yet, every day in Kathmandu rains. Today we will have a gala dinner dedicated to the start of the expedition. Tomorrow our plan is to fly  to Lhasa at 11 a.m.