Everest 2023. 8000 Club

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the 8000 Club team "We are just tourists"! On May 19, our friendly team ascended to the highest point of the planet — the summit of Mount Everest!!!!

This ascent was not easy for all of us. A very difficult and harsh mountain. On the day of the ascent, the wind reached 40-45 km / h, but none of the participants turned around, everyone reached their dream! I had to struggle with the weather conditions and with myself.

We were very tired, we gave it our all. After the mountain, the last participants returned to the second camp at 6400 only by 10 pm.

We will write more detailed news later. Now we are already at the base camp, celebrating the ascent. Our Sherpas have prepared a delicious cake, we communicate, share our impressions, received certificates and medals for our ascent!

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings from the Everest Base Camp from the team "We are just tourists!" of the 8000 Club! This morning we left Namche Bazaar after four full days of rest and flew to base camp, which has already become so dear to us in a month! After breakfast, we attended a briefing, at which we approved the plan for the next 6 days:

May 15: Camp 1 — 6100

16th of May: Camp 2 — 6400

May 17: Camp 3 — 7100

May 18: Camp 4 — 7900

May 19: 8848 Everest summit and 6400 descent

May 20: descent to Base camp

We went to the camp of the 7 Summits Club, where Alex Abramov gave us a practical lesson on the use of oxygen equipment.

After lunch, we charged gadgets, collected snacks and other things. The whole team is in a pleasant excitement! We're finally getting to the finish line!

Wish us good luck!

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings from the 8000 CLUB team "We are just tourists!" After the second rotation, our team moved to Namche Bazaar for a rest. We checked into the hotel "Namche Hotel", today we were joined by the head of our expedition — Viktor Volodin. We have already spent 3 days in Namche.

Today we found out that on Fridays and Saturdays there is a local market. Many locals descend from the mountains to Namche for 3 hours to buy vegetables and fruits here. We bought fresh juicy mango and bananas. After that, we looked into the butcher shop. The male half of our team decided to buy meat and cook soup for the arrival of Viktor Volodin!

The owners of the "Yeti Bar" next to us gave us the whole kitchen and we cooked a delicious rich goat meat soup. Tomorrow is another day of rest and the day after tomorrow we return to BC. The assault on the summit of Mount Everest is planned for May 19.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

  Greetings to all from the team "We are just  tourists" of the 8000 Club! Our second rotation has finally ended and today after lunch we returned to the base camp! This time we overcame the Khumbu icefall 2 hours faster — in just 5 hours, which we consider a very good indicator of successful acclimatization. When we arrived at Camp 1 on 6100, the weather was beautiful and sunny. We managed to dry things and arranged a nap at this height in one thermal underwear — how much the tents warmed up.

 The next morning we had to postpone our exit a little because of the increased wind. But we reached 6400 in three hours. Our Sherpas greeted us with hot chicken soup, delicious baked potatoes and pizza.

   Yesterday was the most difficult psychologically and physically day for this rotation — the climb to 7,100. All night long, the wind ruffled our tents, preventing us from having a full rest. In the morning, gusts reached 45 km/h, then the wind subsided a little and we were able to get out of the second camp higher.

We walked under the wall for about two hours, all the time driven by the wind, which did not abate for a second. At the same time, the sun was shining all day, but it was very, very cold.

 It's nice that there were few people who wanted to spend Monday morning as actively — there were no queues on fixed ropes. We spent a lot of effort fighting the wind, but in the end we reached the desired level of 7100. It wasn't easy.

 At night, the tents were shaking again, making it difficult to sleep. In the morning we waited until the gusts subsided a little, and ran down to the Base Camp.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

All namaste from the 8000 Club team "We are just tourists!" The rest days in Namche Bazaar have come to an end. Today the weather finally got better and we took the first flight to Base Camp at 6 am.   Now the weather in the camp is clear and sunny. Tomorrow morning we go to the second rotation: according to the plan, we spend the night in camp 1 at 6100, then go to camp 2 at 6400, the next day we go up to camp 3 at 7100, go down to 6400, spend the night and then descend to the base. We will be out of touch for 4 days.

The rest in Namche and the altitude drop definitely benefited all participants: we are rested and got full of energy for new feats.  Last night we held an informal meeting of the 7 Summits Club in a pub. It so happened that about 35 participants of our Nepali programs turned out to be in Namche Bazaar at the same time!  In the evening we gathered in a pub, hung our flag in front of the entrance, turned on Russian music and connected a projector with the broadcast of the film "The Height Altitude Gene".

The evening was attended by members of a huge trekking group going to the Everest BC under the leadership of Sergey Avtomonov, members of Nikita Slotin's VIP group, future Everest climbers of the 7 Summits Club and 8000 Club teams. As well as the expedition doctor Andrey Selivanov and our legendary Sergey Bogomolov!

The evening turned out to be very emotional! We got acquainted, talked, sang songs to the guitar, danced and played billiards!

Today everyone went on the route, we hope that we will still have time to cross paths with the guys on May 9 in BC.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the 8000 Club team "We are just tourists"!  After the first rotation, we decided to recover for a couple of days and go down to Namche Bazaar for a rest. The weather did not allow us to leave for two days, but yesterday a helicopter still took us to the capital of the Sherpas! How nice it is to go down 2000 m below! So many smells and sounds! Delicious food, hot water and heated sheets — everything you need for a good rest!  Today we met in Namche our big trekking group going to the BC of Everest.

We plan to fly back to the base the day after tomorrow, gaining strength before the second rotation.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the team "We are just tourists" of the 8000 Club!  Our team successfully completed the first rotation and today returned to our warm and cozy base camp! We spent one night at 6100 and one at 6400.

The climb to the first camp (6100) took 9.5 hours. This year, the Khumbu icefall does not look as intimidating as in the past, there are much fewer difficult ice walls and unpleasant areas, everything is passable. On the way to the camp, we met the team of Alex Abramov.  In the afternoon after the climb, happy and contented, went to bed and slept almost until evening.

The climb from 6100 to 6400 (Camp 2) takes about 5 hours. Camp-2 is already more comfortable. We were fed a three-course lunch, we were accommodated in tents for one person.

The minimum plan is fulfilled — we made two high-altitude overnight stays. We woke up early today and ran downstairs.

Now we are sitting happily at dinner and discussing all our adventures!

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the team "We are just tourists!"! Today, after breakfast, a puja ceremony took place, at which the lama and monks recited mantras, burned incense and blessed the ascenders.  Surprisingly, literally immediately after the ceremony, a rainbow appeared over the top of Lhotse! And then a second one appeared over our heads!

After lunch, we held a briefing, where we discussed and approved further plans: tomorrow morning we go to the first camp at 6100, we planned to leave at 4 am. If everything goes according to plan, then the day after tomorrow we will move to the second camp at 6400. We'll be out of touch for a few days.

Wish us good luck!!!

The head of the Everest expedition of the 8000 Club Viktor Volodin reports from Nepal:

Today is April 25th.  News from Volodin's group. We spent today in a training style, went out on the glacier and had a good workout on moving the steep ice. We walked along the U-shaped railings and staircases through cracks, after which we carried out analysis and work on errors. The condition of the participants is good, the weather is favorable.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the team "We are just tourists!" of the 8000 Club! We continue to acclimatize at the Everest base camp. Today, the weather did not allow us to hold snow and ice classes, so we were checking and fitting equipment. We remembered the main nodes in mountaineering, conducted an instruction with a demonstration of the use of climbing equipment using jumars for climbing a rope and a descent device.  We discussed the specifics of traveling along the route.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the team "We are tourists!" of the 8000 CLUB!   Today we had a day of active acclimatization: after breakfast, we walked at a leisurely pace to the Pumori base camp, up to an altitude of 5500 m. Towards noon, the sky was overcast, but we managed to see a beautiful panorama of Mount Everest and Lhotse, opening from this height.  Also, the scale of the Khumbu icefall is almost entirely visible from there.

By lunchtime we went down and went to tea at the base camp of the 7 Summits Club. We met with Alex Abramov and his team of Everest climbers.  Well, in our 8000 Club camp there is another innovation: last night in the tent of each participant there was a lamp that is charged from a solar battery. So now there is no need to burn flashlights in the evenings — now we always have light!

We plan to hold snow and ice classes tomorrow.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings from the Everest base camp from the 8000 Club team "We are just tourists!"! Yesterday our friendly team reached the base camp! This year's acclimatization program is slightly different from the previous one: for better acclimatization, we spent 2 nights in Namche Bazaar and 2 nights in Dingboche, so trekking took 8 days.

Our camp pleasantly surprised all participants: comfortable tents in full height, where there are beds and dressing rooms for storing things. The floors are covered with carpets, there is enough space for storing equipment.  We have our own separate toilets, showers, a washbasin with hot water and a separate large tent where we can all gather together. Everything is at the highest level!

Three times a day we are deliciously fed, and at any time you can come to the coffee shop and drink delicious coffee with fresh pastries with a view of the Himalayas.

Today our group was left by Elena, who accompanied her husband only to the base camp. We presented her with a diploma and a medal for completing this beautiful route.

Today we rest all day and adapt to the new height. Tomorrow our leader Viktor Volodin will once again check the equipment of all participants, we will fit the crampons and we will prepare for snow and ice classes.

The head of the Everest expedition of the 8000 Club Viktor Volodin reports from Nepal:

Dear friends, April 20, 2023 is on the calendar. We spent the night today in the glorious village of Dingboche, in the morning we started slowly in the direction of the village of Periche. The trail first led us up, and then traverse through a picturesque gorge surrounded by beautiful highest peaks. And in the end we saw Pumori, it's a big beautiful pyramid. All participants feel well, saturation ranges from 82 to 98. 

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

All Namaste from Dingboche from the group "We are just tourists!" 8000 Club!  Yesterday our friendly team moved from Tengboche to Dingboche at an altitude of 4300 m. All the way we were surrounded by beautiful views of the majestic Ama-Dablam!  According to the acclimatization program, we spend two nights in Dingboche. Here we live in a still relative civilization — with a hot shower and delicious coffee.

New lodges are being built on the route to the Everest base camp, new cafes and coffee shops are appearing, the food in which is becoming more diverse.  Today we had an active day of rest! We had a good night's sleep and after breakfast, taking our time (we are tourists!), we walked to Chukhung, gaining another 400 m in height. The weather pleases, the saturation of the participants is normal!

Tomorrow we move to Lobuche at 4900, and the day after tomorrow we plan to be at the Everest base camp!

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

The 8000 CLUB team "We are just tourists!" sends greetings to everyone from Tengboche from a height of 3850 m! Today our trekking was 11 km, we passed a section of the route from Namche Bazaar to Tengboche.  In the morning the weather was fine and for the first time in these days we saw Everest, Lhotse and the pearl of the Himalayas — the beautiful Ama Dablam! The members were delighted!

Behind the endless jokes, conversations about mountains and travel, time goes unnoticed.  I would like to say a few words about the guides of our expedition — Viktor Volodin and Pasang.

 VIKTOR VOLODIN has more than 70 routes of the highest difficulty category (5B and 6) to his credit. He climbed Everest twice (the second time on the record Northern Face), as part of the team he passed the most difficult route in the world – the Western Face K2, climbed among the first ascenders to the Middle peak of Lhotse ("Russian eight-thousandth). He climbed all the Pamir seven thousand meters.

 PASANG SHERPA — has been on the top of Mount Everest 17 times. Climbed 9 out of 14 eight-thousandths of our planet! 

We feel as safe as possible in their hands!

 Tomorrow we will go higher, to a height of 4200.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from Namche Bazaar from the 8000 CLUB team "We are tourists!"! Another beautiful day in the Himalayas is coming to an end!  We continue our acclimatization program, today we walked to the Hotel Everest View, gaining 450 m in height.

The morning started with beautiful views, but by lunchtime the mountains were covered with clouds. We spent about an hour on the observation deck, drank our favorite Ginger lemon tea with honey and quickly went down. After lunch it started to hail, but then the weather cleared up and amazing mountain views opened up near our lodge!

Saturation of all participants is normal, tomorrow we go higher — forward and up!

 The head of the Everest expedition of the 8000 Club Viktor Volodin reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the 8000 CLUB team "We are just tourists!"! Today we moved from Phakding to Namche Bazaar, gaining 800 m in height. The weather is great, the views are beautiful: wild cherry blossoms, the purest mountain rivers and slopes dotted with bright rhododendrons! We are glad that there are not so many people on the trek yet.

At a fairly brisk pace, we reached Namche in 5 hours. Before approaching the city, we saw a Himalayan pheasant in the forest, which is one of the symbols of Nepal. We considered this meeting a good sign! Before dinner, we walked around the neighborhood and visited the cafe "Sherpa Barista" with delicious coffee and desserts — today we deserved it. According to the acclimatization program, we will spend 2 days in Namche, tomorrow we will walk a little higher.

Svetlana Kotlyar, manager of the 7 Summits Club and a member of the expedition, reports from Nepal:

Today the 8000 CLUB team "We are just tourists!" visited all the main attractions of colorful Kathmandu!  After breakfast, we went to the most sacred place in the capital of Nepal — the Buddhist temple complex Bodnath, in the center of which there is a stupa founded in the V century. It is the main symbol of Tibetan Buddhism in Nepal.

Then we visited Pashupatinath, a Hindu temple complex located on the banks of the sacred Bagmati River. This temple is known for its cremations, which are carried out here, on special pedestals.

Closer to lunch, we got to Svayambunath, where we received a blessing to climb Mount Everest from local monks. This place offers a beautiful view of the whole city!

On the way to Thamel, we stopped at the central Durbar square.

Over dinner, we discussed plans for tomorrow. At 2.00 am we will start at the airport and go to meet the highest mountains of our planet!

The head of the Everest expedition of the 8000 Club Viktor Volodin reports from Nepal:

Greetings to all from the capital of Nepal — the city of Kathmandu from the 8000 CLUB team! All our small, but already friendly company gathered today at the Yak & Yety Hotel. In the first half of the day, we checked the equipment, held a briefing on the upcoming program, got to know each other.

After lunch, we walked through the bustling Thamel, a tourist area of Kathmandu, bought sim cards and missing equipment. We have received our cherished climbing permits! Over dinner we met our local partners.

Tomorrow we will have a rich excursion program in the capital, and the day after tomorrow we will start in the mountains!