All news: 5 July 2023

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

Greetings from the slopes of snow-white Elbrus! Today was an important and responsible day for us.  Our group "Vertical" has made its first ascent to a serious height, and this is the top of the Pastukhov Rocks - 4700m. The weather was accompanied by a successful ascent, we walked at a good pace and the reward for this was wonderful views. Tomorrow we have a rest and a night out to storm the summit.

In the mountains to the stars can be reached by hand. Mountains fulfill dreams! Our climbing night started at 04:20, we started from the Base Camp at an altitude of 4200 meters.

The full moon illuminated the mountain peak of Demavend. Everyone was in anticipation and expectation. The weather favored us and our group "Deniski" went out to storm.

After completing one third of the climb, our team divided into two groups: fast and active, and measured and calm. 

The way to the top of the first group took 8 hours. The second group stood at the top of the Demavend at 12:50. Total: On July 4, 2023, the Deniski team of the 7 Summits Club in full force ascended to the summit of Demavend (5671m), the highest volcano in Asia!  The ascent was 100% successful!

Tired, but happy, we went down to the Base Camp at 17:00. There we were waiting for a hot delicious soup from our super chefs.  It is noteworthy that on the day of our ascent, Demavend Day is celebrated in Iran and in the evening we heard an ancient legend from our local guide Hamid and admired the fireworks.

Guides Valery Myasoedov, Evgeny Fedyunin, Olya Startseva.

Salaam from the group "Me and my young team" from Ascole!  Today we went to the alpine settlement of Askole at an altitude of 3300m. The journey was not fast — more than 6 hours on off-road vehicles on a serpentine through rivers. There are few places where you can get such an experience!

 The road ran along the Valley of the Shigar River. Dust and stones were replaced by a riot of green color. You drive along the serpentine, all around are sheer cliffs, rocks and the dirty Shigar River ... and roses from nowhere ... and then green oases of firs, apple trees and apricot trees.

Ascole is a place where civilization has not reached. In addition to well-equipped camps for climbers, the simple life of the Pakistani people flows here.

By the way, the people here are incredibly colorful. Men and children are happy to allow themselves to be photographed, but not women. Women hide and ask to pass by. We have set up our first tent camp and are preparing for tomorrow's march to Jola Camp. The transfer from Ascole to Jola Camp will take 6-7 hours, 17-18 km.  It's too early to say, but so far trekking to K2 can compete in beauty with trekking to the Everest Base Camp.

P.S. The GenKa2 climbing team is looking forward to us at the Base Camp, which is very nice!

Most likely, today we are the last day with a stable Internet. Wish us good luck and stay tuned!

Viktor Volodin and Daria Sivova are in touch.

Guide and director of the 7 Summits Club Lyudmila Korobeshko reports from Pakistan:

July 4 and 5th. All salaam from Pakistan from the participants of the expedition to K2 "High Altitude Gene 2" or briefly GenKa2! Yesterday we went to acclimatization in ABC. We walked briskly through the icefall 2 hours from Base camp. We ate and went to bed early.

It started snowing immediately in the evening. By midnight, we were specifically swept up. At 3 we woke up, had breakfast and at 4 in the morning went up in a complete blizzard. With each rope, the slope increased. I had to trail - 10-15 cm of fresh snow fell. Small avalanches were coming down the slope. After 8 a.m. we got out to Camp 1 at an altitude of 6100. There are 6-7 tents stuck here with difficulty. The wind increased almost to a hurricane. So we gratefully stumbled into the empty tents that the Sherpas allowed us to enter. We sat for half an hour, drank tea. We discussed the further ascent to Camp 2. To which our Sherpas shouted with one voice that it was extremely dangerous and it was necessary to go down while the force and the weather allowed.

As a result, we were dumped down into the ABC and then into the Base Camp. The snow never stopped. More precisely, it ended only on the approaches to the base. Here a snowman named Genka was waiting for us for lunch, carefully sculpted by our film crew to our delight.

Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow we rest.

Photos by Arno Ter-Saakov