Antarctica 2017 - 2018

The team of Japanese mountaineers, who climbed to the highest summit of Antarctica mount Vinson under the leadership of Alexander Abramov, included one unusual person.  Unusual appearance it could cause a question, whether everything is in order with her head.  Don't worry, it's all only a game! But the game is not amateur, but very professional.  Ayako Imoto is a real star of Japanese television. Moreover, the star is in comedy plan, professionally trained and with experience as a comedian on television for more than 10 years.

In 2007, she started working with a team called Sekai no hate made itteq, which means I couldn't figure out exactly. But judging by the videos, their range of interests is quite wide. With regard to Imoto, she was given the image of a naive girl in a popular apparel: mix school uniforms and sailor. And most importantly, distinctive feature – a strange and  hard painted eyebrows. Over time, another feature of her specialization was determined. The plot of the program was based on adventures in different natural places, contact with animals, people of different cultures. Humor was side by side with serious stories.

In 2009, the television team together with Ayako made a successful expedition to Africa with the ascent of Kilimanjaro. After that, there were born "Napoleonic plans" - and why not "seven summits"? In 2011, with great difficulty they climbed Mount Aconcagua and began to prepare for Everest. In the fall of 2013, they successfully climbed to Manaslu. And the next spring the team went to Everest, from the South, of course. It is known that that year almost everything, except one Chinese woman, stopped ascension after the tragedy which carried away lives of the whole group of Sherpas. Imoto also wanted to continue the assault on the summit, but the leadership decided to bring this issue to the vote of the viewers. And the majority turned to the expedition to stop. Apparently, the second attempt will be soon. After Everest, Ayako went to the other two key peaks of the project: Denali and Vinson. Will she end the project with Elbrus? In any case, Welcome to Russia!

And  a small trailer turned out from this season expedition:

Artem Rostovtsev from South America:

 Our expeditions on Vinson ended for this season.  And carrier pigeon finally delivers pictures from Antarctica.

Below are some of them

Photo gallery from Artem Rostovtsev

Full: 64 photos and one video

Photo gallery from Irina Zisman

Full: 58 photos

Alexander Abramov: Please find here photos of my last group on Vinson. And a video of the first landing of the Falcon at Union Glacier...

Alexander Abramov reports: our valiant guides Artem Rostovtsev and Vladimir Kotlyar just called me. They said they were coming down from the summit of Vinson Massif. Yesterday the whole team reached the summit. And they fold up camp and dream  to be fast in the camp Union Glacier, and there to take a breath. Well done. Antarctic epic of the 7 Summits Club 2017 - 2018 is over!!!!

This is pictures of our second group: 13 Japanese, and 3 guides on Vinson. Climbing and the awarding of medals...

Hello 7 Summits! Here is a group of Vladimir Kotlyar and Artem Rostovtsev....

 We continue our journey in Antarctica. We are now in the Low camp under the Massif of Vinson. Tonight we have an easy walking, acclimatization, training on fixed ropes. With the descent to Low camp.  And then we will continue to watch... Wait, what the weather tell  on the following days. And we catch a window of weather to try to reach the top. So that's the news,  we all feel fine. Fighting mood, ready to storm right now, right away...

Hello! Today the team of the 7 Summits Club in the amount of four participants and one guide, Alexander Abramov, climbed the summit of Vinson Massif. The weather... the morning was not very good, but on top of ... calm. In General,  Alexander Abramov finished his Antarctic project. And Vladimir Kotlyar and Artem Rostovtsev still work with another group. In General, everything is fine. Okay, bye! With a holiday!

Alexander Abramov from Antarctica:

Hello! This is Alex Abramov from Antarctica, Vinson Massif. Artem Rostovtsev is waving his hand.  There was an unique event – for the first time today Airjet Falcon landed on the Union Glacier. Moreover, the plane landed in bad weather. The pilots gave 25% of a successful landing. Around there were clouds, fog... well, somehow they landed...

 And the same day we moved to base camp. Also the weather was unfavorable. We were the only one who arrived under Mount Vinson.

Elena Abramova from Punta Arenas (Chile): Good afternoon!

Third Expedition to Vinson yesterday visited  penguins. The team seriously prepared for this meeting...

Alexander Abramov from Antarctica:

Hello! This is Alexander Abramov from Antarctica. Perfect, clear weather, but only is a strong wind. Today, however, our team started the climb. As a result, 14 people out of 16 climbed to the top of Vinson Massif. I was forced to turn down with a friend, actually from under the top. But I'm not upset because for me it would be the sixteenth summit.

Second, I want to congratulate Artem Rostovtsev, for him it was the first ascent of the Vinson Massif.

 Now I flush the water, waiting for the command in the High camp ...

 And so, all is OK. Tomorrow we will descend to base camp. And then we get on the Union and will wait for the next group to arrive 29^th December. This will again be a large group - 11 members and three guides.

That is all. Thank you, goodbye!

Hello! Alexander Abramov from the High camp of Mount Vinson. An altitude of 3800 meters. In general, over the last two days the real storm raged, bent almost all our tents. And now there established a perfect weather. Now we climbed up the ridge to the High camp. It was very hot and absolutely no wind.

  Now we set up six tents. Then we'll eat and tomorrow we have a big chance to reach the top of the Vinson Massif. We hope so, for all 16 members of our expedition. We now have probably the biggest expedition in the history of the conquest of the Massif Vinson – 16 people.

 All, all, goodbye! We go up with  good jokes and mood. For a While!

Hello! It is Alexander Abramov from Antarctica. Yesterday the weather turn to better. We dug up all the tents that were broken with snow, found all the things that were covered with snow. Yesterday we had a day of rest – we ate three times, finally. Today, we're going to go upstairs to the High camp. At  25th December there will be good weather, we are promised...

In general, at 3 p.m., we're going up. Up to 11 in the evening we will climb to the High camp. The next day we will try to go climbing...

All 16 people on our team feel great... All, bye!

Hello! Today we have bad weather. We just tonight came to Low camp. In general we were warned by the Rangers that there will be a strong wind. Somewhere 60 knots, about 110 km per hour (?) but somehow we did not believe it.

This morning I was awakened by the Japanese – they have broken one arc on the tent.  It begun to blow hard. All day we have struggled with wind made snow walls, repaired tents etc…

Also, thank God, we have one big tent, which is called Sensei. And now this tent, it now tries to break by the wind, the wind about 110 km per hour.

Trying to break, but as long as it stays.

But inside the tent we're fine, we've got a lot of food,  there are tables, chairs. We have enough fuel, the main thing – not to break the main tent. We only have two tents that are visually not affected. The rest is either one arc is broken, either all...

If the wind will weaken, we will repair...

All, all, goodbye!

Hello! Alexander Abramov from Antarctica, from the base camp of Vinson Massif. Yesterday, we came here. The weather was gorgeous. We made a movie and a group of porters went to the Low camp and put a new tent. And took all the products. Today we plan to move to an altitude of 3200 meters...

  Today, the rangers said that at night  there will be a very strong hurricane in Low camp. Up to 60 knots So now we urgently collect base camp and moved to the Low camp, because we don't want the bad weather caught us on the road. Now visibility is very bad. It is seen that bad weather is approaching. In general, we will try to escape it  this afternoon.

The team we have ... 12 Japanese members, one Japanese tour guide, Vladimir Kotlyar, Artem Rostovtsev and Alexander Abramov.

 Bye!

Alexander Abramov from Punta Arenas: Today we packed and put into the plane with all our things. Our Japanese group have 30 bags. And plus 15 public bags. A total - 45 bags! And now we will try to fly with all that weight, about 800 kg. Of that 200 kg is just equipment  for movies. We have a team of 12 members and 4 guides. A strong team.

In the evening we had a meeting. The guides told about how to behave in Antarctica. In the office, we met old and new friends. And Vladimir Kotlyar and Artem Rostovtsev has rested from the first group waiting for us at Union Glacier. Tomorrow we must fly to Antarctica. The adventure continues!!!

Alexander Abramov from Punta Arenas: Congratulations!!! The first group of the 7 Summits Club came back from Antarctica from Mount Vinson. And here in Punta Arenas, they received a well-deserved silver medal "For the ascent on the Massif Vinson". The 7 Summits Club has produced 7 medals for each of the seven summits. Elbrus and Kilimanjaro - Bronze. Vinson, Denali, Aconcagua and Carstensz - silver. And Gold - for Everest.

Today the first awarding ceremony of medals took place in a café in Punta Arenas. The guys and a girl were happy!!

Vladimir Kotlyar,a guide of the 7 Summits Club from Antarctica:

Aloha, 7 Summits! The group of Artem Rostovtsev and Vladimir Kotlyar successfully climbed to the top of the Vinson Massif. Unfortunately, one participant did not get up, but it's okay. This is our friend from Canada, with him everything is OK.

Now we went down to Low Camp and Artem here cooked an amazing risotto with seafood ... In general ... I'm now salivating a chill ..

In general, he met us with a teapot. It was great!  Unfortunately, Low Camp has suffered a little, so now we have such a beautiful snow picnic ... Everyone is happy, everything is fine. Slowly everything, the group is going to go home. All thanks for your attention! And before the connection!

And a second, now I'll give you!

Tatiana Yalovchak, participant of the group:

Hello! I am Yalovchak Tatyana. Igor Grushko and I have finished the Seven summits proram today, thanks to the Seven Summits Club company, Kotlyar and Artem. Thank you very much!

Vladimir Kotlyar:

In general, Tatyana is the first Ukrainian woman who made the program "Seven Summits".

Hello 7 Summits! It is Vladimir Kotlyar and Artem Rostovtsev, we're calling from the High camp on Mount Vinson.

We now have for the third overnight here. It is sunny and very southern Antarctica. Why are we still here? Because there's a very strong wind. We wait for the better weather. We have promised by forecast that tomorrow may be good weather. So tomorrow we have to go to the top.  Wake up, and let's see whether this is so. Let's hope so. We hope to please you with my next call, after our ascent. Everyone, Hello!

Message from a guide of the 7 Summits Club  Vladimir Kotlyar. The group is in the High (assault) camp. There is very strong wind up to 80 km per hour. They are waiting for the weather. According a forecast the weather will be better  by December 13-14. In the lower camp there is also a very strong wind. The group has a large stock, they have enough products, and fuel. The members feel good. We are waiting for further reports.

Hello! There are guides of the 7 Summits Club  Rostovtsev Artem and Vladimir Kotlyar. We are broadcasting from Antarctica, from Mount Vinson. Today we had a day of rest, almost complete relaxation. But we did not rest especially. Without ceasing, we built our tent camp for the following groups. We built walls from snow blocks, dug pits, improved the kitchen. There was  work  enough for everyone. Also, the group made a training exit, we went through one pitch for training on jumars ...

Today there was a hot day ...

We send greetings to our homeland! ....

Bye!