All news: December 2021

Nikolai Kirillov and the Ecuadorian guide Franklin send greetings to everyone from the top of Ilinitsa Norte! All the best to everyone and congratulations on the upcoming holidays! Ilinitsa Norte is a beautiful volcano, five thousand meters with technical elements. Now the preparations for climbing the Chimborazo volcano are almost complete. Ahead is a rest and an assault on the most remote peak from the center of the Earth - Chimborazo volcano (6310 m). The assault on Chimborazo is scheduled for Nikolai's birthday. A great gift!! Good luck!

 Alexander Rykov's adventures in Ecuador continue! Today, according to the program, there was acclimatization climb on the Rumina volcano. The weather pleased with its variety. There were many interesting meetings and gorgeous views at the top. And of course the main thing is a good mood and a positive attitude!

Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Aloha to the 7 Summits Club! The expedition to the Vinson Massif is in touch. Guides Artem Rostovtsev, Vladimir Kotlyar and Nirmal Purja. We're finally back on Union Glacier. We sat in the base camp for four days, waiting for the weather. And today we were lucky. I can't say that the flight was absolutely uneventful, we were a little shocked.  But our pilots are real professionals and that's why everything ended fine. Despite the severe turbulence. Artem and Mikhail stayed at the Vinson Massif base camp to continue climbing program. Other participants came to the Union Glacier base. And now the main part of the group is waiting for a flight to Punta Arenas. Well, the part of the group that goes with me to the South Pole, we are waiting for departure to the starting point.  So wish us good luck! I hope we will complete one more of our tasks and reach the South Pole. Everyone, adios!

Message from a guide of the 7 Summits Club Nikita Slotin, Chile, Ojos del Salado: The Black caps team has climbed to a height of 6100, acclimatization is going according to plan. A day of rest is planned tomorrow. On the night from Thursday to Friday, the group plans to storm the summit. Everything is fine, the participants feel good.

Nikita Slotin, a guide of the 7 Summits Club from Chile: Hello to everyone from Laguna Rosa from the “Black caps” group! Today we climbed to acclimatize to a height of 4650, almost as Pastukhov rocks, only without snow and ice. We could admire the views from a height. Now we are preparing to move to the hot springs. By the way, today we saw the guanaco for the first time! Now we are frying American steaks and admiring the stars of the Southern Hemisphere. And we are also catching the Internet, because from tomorrow it will not be, finally! Guide Nikita Slotin.

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Hello, Seven Summits! Antarctica is on the line. We are at the Vinson Base camp now. Yesterday our team made a successful ascent on the summit of the Vinson Massif, in ideal weather conditions. We spent almost an hour at the top. Our descent was a little complicated by the storm that started, but everyone successfully went down to the base camp. And now we are sitting here and waiting for a plain to take us out to the Union Glacier base. Unfortunately, the weather is still non-flying. As soon as there is a window, the planes will take us out. The guides of the expedition Vova Kotlyar, Artem Rostovtsev and Nims. Hello everyone, from the White Continent!

In the morning, Union Glacier gave permission and ALE's Boeing successfully flew to Antarctica. On board a comfortable plane, there was a group of "Brothers", consisting of 5 people, which went to the Ice Continent. At the Union Glacier base, they should join with four more participants of the Vinson Massif ascent and together go skiing to the South Pole under the "Last Degree" program. Also, two participants of the expedition to the highest volcano of Antarctica, Mount Sidley, representing the 7 Summits Club, arrived in Antarctica on this flight.

In general, in the 2021/22 season, the 7 Summits Club has 4 large groups on the Vinson Massif and one group on the ski South Pole. There are 42 participants and 7 guides in total. The season is hard, after last year's break, but interesting!

Elena Abramova, manager of the 7 Summits Club, from Chile (Punta Arenas):  Good evening!  Elena Abramova has been broadcasting from “the end of the world”. The team "Brothers", the program "Last degree" on skis to the South Pole, finally gathered together. They are ready to go to Antarctica!

In the picture, the group members, guides of our Nepali programs Tashi Lakpa, Mingma Sherpa and Chhang Dawa Sherpa. Elite Nepalese climbers are planning to add ‘Seven summits” and “Two poles” to the collection of 14 eight-thousand-meter peaks in the near future.

Nikita Slotin, a guide of the 7 Summits Club from Chile: The first day! We are finally in Chile! We got by hook or by crook to Bahia Inglesa on the Pacific coast. Today we are resting, looking at the surroundings, enjoying the noise of the ocean. Tomorrow we leave for Laguna Santa Rosa.

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Hello, Seven Summits! Antarctica is broadcasting. We are at the slopes of the Vinson Massif, or rather, an assault  camp. Today we have climbed up the High camp. We are trying to jump into the last weather window for the near future.  They promise not a strong wind tomorrow. Therefore, early tomorrow morning we plan to go to the summit. Today everyone ascended much faster than last time. With a better state of health, it feels like they have acclimatized. And after that we had time to rest. So if the weather doesn't surprise us, we should be able to make the summit tomorrow. Nims with his team decided to do it a little differently. His plan is to leave the Low Camp right away at night.  And go to the summit. It was not possible to convince him join us. In general, we have two different options tomorrow we will go to the top. Greetings again from the Antarctic guides Tema, Volodya and Nims!

 Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Hello to the Seven Summits Club from Antarctica! An expedition to the Vinson Massif under the guidance of Artem Rostovtsev, Vladimir Kotlyar and Nirmal Purja is in touch. We caught the right weather today. This is the first day of perfect weather for us since the beginning of the expedition – clear sky, sunshine, almost no wind. After a good rest in the base camp, after all the twists and turns in the High Camp and Low Camp, we went up back to the Low Camp. Tomorrow we are promised an even greater improvement in the weather and we will move to High Camp. Well, the day after tomorrow we hope the summit will be with us. Wish us good luck! Now we will get enough sleep. Tomorrow we want to go out not too late, we will try to get to the High Camp early so that we can also have more rest. And the very next day to climb to the top. Your Antarctic guides Artem, Vova and Nims.

Vladimir Kotlyar, guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Hello to the Seven Summits Club from Antarctica! The team of guides Artem Rostovtsev, Vladimir Kotlyar and Nirmal Purja continues to stay in the base camp. BUT! Tomorrow we are already heading towards the summit. We hope that in a few days we will reach the highest point of Antarctica. Wish us good luck! And we're going to bed... and getting ready for tomorrow's victory march.

Vladimir Kotlyar, guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Aloha, Seven Summits! Guides from Antarctica Artem Rostovtsev, Vladimir Kotlyar and Nirmal Purzha are in touch.  We are staying at the base camp for now. We dug in, fortified the camp properly, set up walls of snow blocks here. And we wait out the bad weather. We hope to move back towards the summit from day to day…

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club: I am writing today, because the last 3 days have not been easy for us. In the area of the Vinson Massif and on the Antarctic Horn, bad weather has played out in earnest. It piled up to 1 m of snow.

Our Automobile expedition decided to complete the reconnaissance. Many conclusions have been made, equipment has been tested, and adjustments have been made to our subsequent crossing of Antarctica. Good luck to everyone in life and new adventures! We flew home on a private plane.

It also happens....

The team on the Vinson Massif attempted an ascent. But they went down because of the strong wind and snow from the High camp to the Low camp. They will be waiting for a new opportunity to climb the mountain. Now the members of the team are digging in tents and preparing for the approaching 2-day storm.

Vladimir Kotlyar, guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Hello to the Seven Summits Club! Vladimir Kotlyar, Artem Rostovtsev and Nirmal Purja are in touch. This is a group of the 7 Summits Club "Pingvinson" or "Vinson-2" , climbing on the highest point of Antarctica. Now, unfortunately, due to the unfavorable forecast, we had to go down. But we hope to return to the summit again in the near future and still do it.

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club: Happy International Mountain Day, friends!In the life of each of us there is our own "Everest", to the top of which we strive to ascend. I wish you to achieve everything you strive for! Good luck, great heights and grandiose successes!

Sustainable mountain tourism

The theme of this year's International Mountain Day (IMD) on 11 December will be sustainable mountain tourism.

Sustainable tourism in mountains can contribute to creating additional and alternative livelihood options and promoting poverty alleviation, social inclusion, as well as landscape and biodiversity conservation. It is a way to preserve the natural, cultural and spiritual heritage, to promote local crafts and high value products, and celebrate many traditional practices such as local festivals.

Mountain tourism attracts around 15 to 20 percent of global tourism. Tourism, however, is one of the sectors most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, affecting economies, livelihoods, public services and opportunities on all continents. In mountains, the restrictions of the pandemic have further compounded the vulnerabilities of mountain communities.

This crisis can be seen as an opportunity to rethink mountain tourism and its impact on natural resources and livelihoods, to manage it better, and to harness it towards a more resilient, green and inclusive future.

In the coming months, FAO, leading UN agency for this International Day, will prepare communication materials in all six UN languages, which will be available on their website. Hard copies will be available upon request.

While sustainable mountain tourism is the suggested theme for 2021, countries, communities and organizations are welcome to celebrate IMD through a theme that is more relevant to them.

Celebrate this International Day 2021 with your community and friends preparing an event or joining the conversation on social media using the hashtag #MountainsMatter. Pass on some of the key messages, or share about the biodiversity in the mountains near you, or a photo of your favorite mountain.

Mountains are home to 15% of the world´s population and host about half of the world's biodiversity hotspots. They provide freshwater for everyday life to half of humanity. Their conservation is a key factor for sustainable development and is part of Goal 15 of the SDGs.

Unfortunately, mountains are under threat from climate change and overexploitation. As the global climate continues to warm, mountain people — some of the world’s poorest — face even greater struggles to survive. The rising temperatures also mean that mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates, affecting freshwater supplies downstream for millions of people.

This problem affects us all. We must reduce our carbon footprint and take care of these natural treasures.

The increasing attention to the importance of mountains led the UN to declare to 2002 the UN International Year of Mountains. The first international day was celebrated for the first time the following year, 2003.

Its roots date back to 1992, when the document “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” (called Chapter 13), was adopted as part of the action plan Agenda 21 of the Conference on Environment and Development.

Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica: Hello, Seven Summits! Artem Rostovtsev, Nirmal Purja and Vladimir Kotlyar are in touch.  We climbed up as a whole, a full group, to the assault camp. It's snowing here now. We make water from it. And we hope to break through the weather window tomorrow. Well, there, as the card will fall. Come on, keep your fists and fingers crossed for us! That’s all, we hug everyone!

Hello, Seven Summits! The next expedition of the 7 Summits Club to the Vinson Massif has begun. We have an international team again and one of the guides is Nirmal Purja – the famous Nims. Yesterday we quickly flew to the base camp, from Punta Arenas with a short stop at Union Glacier. And today we decided to move higher, to the Low Camp. The fact is that the base camp is under clouds, but the sun is still shining here. And it's nicer to be here. We got up quite quickly, settled down, and plan to spend at least a couple of days here. We will wait for the good weather - while there is a strong wind above. And we will accumulate strength and in good weather we want to go to the top. Group guides: Artem Rostovtsev, Vladimir Kotlyar and Nirmal Purja.

Among the first climbers of the season at the highest point of Antarctica were climbers from the 7 Summits Club group with a guide Artem Rostovtsev. It was a very difficult ascent, especially the descent in bad weather. Artem has already started working with the next group, and the three participants have safely reached Punta Arenas. There they were met by the manager of the 7 Summits Club Elena Abramova.   These are three elite Indian climbers from the legendary Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. At one time, this organization was created by Jawaharlal Nehru personally under Tenzing Norgay, after his first ascent of Everest. The current director of the institute, Jai Kishan, was in the group. He is famous, first of all, as an outstanding parachutist (2000 jumps) who made a jump over Everest. Jai officially has 6 world records. With him in the expedition was an instructor of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute Mordunya Soumendu and a young climber Mahender Kumar Yadav.  Congratulations!

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from Antarctica: Today Is December 7th. Our Vinson-2 team flew to Union Glacier. And literally 2 hours later they flew to the base camp of the Vinson Massif.  After that, the weather window immediately closed. And an hour later it was already snowing.

The team of the Round-the-world Automobile Expedition has very bad news. The weather on the route of our cars deteriorated for about 6 days. A hurricane is raging on the Peninsula (Antarctic Peninsula). We can't fly to our cars. There is a week of waiting ahead. The weather on Union Glacier has also deteriorated. It's snowing now. We don't give up.