Our Club's friends expeditions

Gleb Sokolov announced his plans for 2011. He just ensured supports of sponsors: NPF Basc, Grivel, etc. and could now begin to detail plans of expeditions. Projects are, we must say, impressive. Gleb with his partner, Vitaly Gorelik (both from Novosibirsk), is going to climb a new route on Everest. Some experts believe that is impossible to find something new on the slopes of the highest mountain of the World. But look on the East Face, so-called Kanchung Face ! There are three unclimbed buttresses between the American route and the North-East ridge.

Scared even to look? Eyes do not believe, but the hands and feet are doing. That is what these guys have been doing on Pobeda Peak in 2009. Conditions on mountains can be different, you need to watch and think. According to the plan of expedition, acclimatization will be on the classic route from the north side. Probably, it will be in cooperation with a team of 7 Summits Club (leader Alex Abramov). And then, climbers are going to cross the pass ... to make a decision and implement it.

If everything succeeds, they were still alive, then for next summer, Gleb plans to climb a new route also for Pobeda Peak. For this purpose, Alexander Kirikov should join Sokolov and Gorelik. Last season, he participated in climbing a partly new route "Snake" on Khan-Tengri. Sokolov knows Pobeda Peak better than anyone, he climbed it by 4 different routes. Now he has a new idea for new routes.

Gorelik (left) and Sokolov

Aireal  photo by Leo Dickinson

Gleb Sokolov born in 1953 (September, 5)

He began climb in 1972. His first high-altitude summit was Peak Lenin in 1979.

Master Sport, many time winner and prized of Russia Mountaineering Championship.

Snow Leopard (all seven-thousanders of the former USSR): Peak Lenin, Peak Communism, Peak Korzhenevskoy, Peak Pobeda, Khan Tengri – more than 50 climbs. Gleb have a speed climb record on Pobeda Peak – 20 hours.

Himalayan ascents:

Makalu 1996

Lhotse 1997 and 2000

Lhotse Shar 1998

Lhotse Middle (first climb) 2001.

Everest North Face (new route) 2004

K2 West Face (new route) 2007

Manaslu 2009/

For a new route on Pobeda Peak Sokolov and Gorelik were nominated for Piolet d’Or in 2009 for

Married, 4 children, one grandson.

Piolet d'Or 2009. Vitaly and Gleb are staying in the middle

Three Russians, Viktor Afanasyev, Irina Kukueva and Valery Evgrafov from 11 September to 4 October 2010, will attempt to climb the summit of Shisha Pangma (8027m.) Viktor Afanasyev - one of the leaders of the Russian high-altitude mountaineering, has to his credit ascents on K2, new routes on Broad Peak and Gasherbrum I, together with Valery Babanov.

Viktor Afanasyev and Valery Babanov

Viktor Afanasyev: "In preparation for the expedition we managed to find several variations on the theme " the height of the main summit”. And the numbers "jumping" from 8013m to 8046m mark. Most frequently used figure - 8027m. Conventionally, while we use this figures”.

Viktor Afanasyev was born May 15, 1979 in Adygeya, in the mountains since 1994 - Master of Sports in mountaineering, rock climbing, 3-time champion of Russia on mountaineering.

In his thirty years he made over 300 ascents in the Caucasus, the Pamirs, Alaska, Karakorum and Nepal, 53 - the highest category of difficulty. He climbed Mount Elbrus in more than 50 times!.

Muscovite Irina Kukueva is known as the first Russian woman-climber reached eight-thousander in Karakorum (Broad Peak in 2007). She runs marathons skiing, touring the world on a bicycle, she has two sons and a cat called Shisha, which also applies to the subject of this article. And Valery Evgrafov - it's her constant companion for life, travel and climbing. Incidentally, he was the leader of the expedition on Broad Peak, although he did not go to the top. Together they went on Kilimanjaro, Lenin Peak, Mount Fuji, Korjenevskaya, Communism ...

ExplorersWeb: “American Marty Schmidt, Canadian Don Bowie, Russian Alexei Bolotov and Czechs Radek Jaros and Libor Uher have checked in from the top of Hidden Peak. Their's may be the first GI summits this season since previous summit claims last week were left unconfirmed or denied by the climbers themselves”.

Don Bowie site (www.calpinist.com):

“Don called at 7:45 am (July 28) PKT to announce that he and Alexey along with Czech climbers Radek Jaros and Libor Uher and American climber Marty Schmidt have summited Gasherbrum I. Don reported that a storm was due to come in shortly, so they would not be long on the summit. He expected the return trip to base camp would be a long, arduous one due to inclement weather, deep, unstable snow, and tired climbers. However, at the moment, they were all elated to have accomplished their summit goal”.

It is possible that Alex and Don will continue the expedition. They will try to climb Gasherbrum - II.   Gasherbrum I was for Alexei eighth eight-thousanders, plus he was first on Lhotse Middle. Bolotov was awarded by two Piolet d'Or (for Makalu and Jannu).

Site Alexei Bolotov, our friend and colleague: http://alexbolotov.ru

Picture of Don from the first attempt on G-I http://alexbolotov.ru

KATHMANDU: Everest Women Seven Summits Eco-Action, a group of women mountaineers from Nepal aiming to summit all seven of the highest peaks on each of the seven continents, will begin its international leg on June 29 in Asutralia. Marking the Golden Jubilee anniversary of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Australia, the mission kick starts its expeditions from Australia.

After winter climb of Mt Kosciuszko we are waiting for the women team in Russia. 7 Summits Club eill organize climb of Mt. Elbrus for them.

Prior to the departure, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav will hand over national flag to the team on June 27 at Shital Niwas.

“ We will be using the expedition to highlight the urgent issue of climatic changes,” said Shailee Basnet, coordinator of the team. The team members have successfully climbed Mt Everest in May 2008.

“During expedition, the issue of climate change struck the members deeply. Subsequently, while travelling across the country motivating students for protection of environment, we witnessed serious effects of climatic changes,” said Basnet.

The project will be made carbon neutral via carbon offsetting.

The team will focus on solar lanterns, bio-gas, and tree plantations in the Himalayan villages to offset the carbon emission resulting from this project.

Asha Kumari Singh, Chunu Shrestha, Maya Gurung, Ngabhang Phuti Sherpa, Nimdoma Sherpa, Pema Diki Sherpa, Pujan Acharya, Shailee Basnet and Usha Bist are the members of the expedition team.

The team has estimated a budget of $ 1.3 million for the entire project.

The peaks in the challenge include Mt Kosciuszko/Targangil (Australia), Mt Elbrus (Europe), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Vinson Massif (Antarctica), Aconcagua (South America), Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania) and Denali (North America).

The famous Russian collector of eight-thousanders, Honored Master of Sports, Sergey Bogomolov visited office 7 Summits Club. In outcome of the spring expedition on Annapurna he can say simply: he is happy. Finally, the mountain let him climbed with the fourth attempt. They just did everything correctly, just vast experience allows to calculate the forces right, patiently waiting, go by own speed, do not pay attention to others. Relations in the international expedition were normal, that is businesslike and with friendship. The formal leader was Peter Pustelnik, with Kinga Baranovska, Slovak Peter Hamor, Joao Garcia (Portugal), Horia Calibesanu (Romania). Direct partner of Sergey was famous Eugene Winogradsky from Yekaterinburg.

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Sergey gave us 25 photos with ascents of Pumori and Annapurna for posting on the site 14-8000.

See the gallery ....

To become the first Russian to have risen to all 14 eight-thouthanders, Bogomolov should climb yet one another mountain. But this mountain - it is the formidable K2, probably the most capricious and unpredictable mountain in the world.

In order to successfully go to K2, Sergey Bogomolov mind to make a big project and build a strong company of climbers. The main option at the moment - the ascent from the north, from the Chinese side. Arriving by jeeps from Alma-Ata and further with camels caravan. The route from the north to K2 is in general easier and (more importantly) safer than from the south. However, the difficulties of organizing caravan, supply of expedition, require much more effort than in the south. And groups of climbers do not appear here each year.

In a small team it will be very hard, so Sergei Bogomolov plans to build a strong and friendly international team, with Russian-speaking core. We are ready to help him in this, especially because Bogomolov has been a guide of groups of 7 Summits Club. And we hope that our cooperation will continue in the future...

With Miss Oh

With Juanito Oirazabal

The summit !

Today Annapurna relented and took a large group of climbers have long dreamed of meeting with this summit. First of all, it should be noted the ascent of Koreans Oh Eun Sun, who went in history as the first woman who ascended to all 14 eight-thousanders. Reporting on its landmark ascent was on Korean television.

Except Koreans and her team (5 Sherpas + 2 cameramen), the peaks reached by Romanians Horia Colibasanu, then a team of Peter Pustelnik, King Baranovskaya (Poland) and Peter Hamor (Slovakia). Thus, Peter Pustelnik also completed a program of 14 eight-thousanders. Later, our honored, great climber Sergey Bogomolov and Eugene Vinogradskii reached the top. Both, close friends of the club 7 Summits, traveled with us and worked as guides with our groups. We hope that the descent of the company's to base camp will take place without incident. Then we could raise a glass for them.

Summit attempt took place on April 1. Prior to this, March 30, it was snowing and so the whole day on March 31 team stayed at Camp 2, waiting "until the snow settles." The weather was normal: a strong wind and cold. In 6800 Peter Pustelnik, from the morning not feeling very well, decided to turn down. Slovak Peter Hamor went with him. The remaining climbers continued their ascent. However, only 100 meters from the summit, they were forced to retreat. The reason: lack of equipment, they required screws and snow stakes. It was decided not to risk, because the main purpose of ascent was not a summit, but getting acclimatization.

In the evening the entire team except for Russians was down to base camp. Sergey Bogomolov and Eugene Vinogradsky, again for reasons of acclimatization, they still remain for the night in Camp 2.

S. Bogomolov: "But we are satisfied. Acclimatization plan on the mountain run well".

According to Peter Pustelnik, it is possible that the Kinga and the Portuguese Joao Garcia will make another attempt to climb Pumori. But I think this is unlikely, because the Russian participants had already turned down the camp and lowered equipment.

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Women climbers in Nepal on world record chase

By Claire Cozens (AFP)

KATHMANDU — Two elite mountaineers will next month attempt to climb one of the deadliest Himalayan peaks, Annapurna, as they vie to become the first woman to scale the world's 14 highest mountains.

South Korea's Oh Eun-Sun and Edurne Pasaban from Spain are among a handful of female climbers competing to be the first female to reach the summit of every mountain over 8,000 metres (26,247 feet).

Italy's Reinhold Messner became the first person to climb all 14 peaks in 1986, but the record has never been equalled by a woman, and Oh and Pasaban are both hoping to make the history books this year.

Oh is the closest to achieving the record with 13 of the 14 peaks -- all of which are in the Himalaya and Karakorum mountain ranges -- already under her belt.

"If I manage to do this I will be incredibly proud, not just for myself but for my country and for Asia," the 43-year-old South Korean told AFP after arriving in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu for the expedition.

"I don't know why no female climber has managed it. I suppose it is down to women's position in the world, which is still not the same as men's."

Oh's chief rival, Pasaban, has two mountains left to climb -- Annapurna and Shisha Pangma in China's Tibet region -- and hopes to attempt both in the brief April-May pre-monsoon season, when weather conditions are favourable.

She had hoped to travel to Tibet first, allowing her to acclimatise before attempting the more difficult Annapurna later in the season.

The 8,091-metre mountain is particularly dangerous because it is both technically difficult and avalanche-prone, and it has a much higher death rate than Everest.

But the Chinese authorities refused her permission to travel there this month, leaving her with no choice but to attempt Annapurna next.

Other competitors for the record are Austria's Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner and Nives Meroi of Italy.

Kaltenbrunner failed in August in a bid to climb the 8,611-metre K2, the world's second highest peak, situated on the Pakistan-China border and regarded as the most difficult of all the eight-thousanders.

She remains at 12 summits, and must still scale Everest on the Nepal-China border, which at 8,848 metres is the world's highest peak. Meroi has conquered 11.

Like Oh, Pasaban has been defeated by Annapurna once before, in 2007 when she and her team turned back about 1,000 metres from the summit in bad weather.

"Annapurna is difficult and dangerous. Some people say it's the most dangerous of them all, and many of my friends have died there. So I go with a little fear," she said in an interview with AFP in Kathmandu.

"If I wasn't trying to do this, I probably wouldn't attempt it. But all my life has been about the eight-thousanders."

Both women will attempt the climb in early April, after spending a month at altitude to acclimatise and train for the task ahead.

Pasaban, 36, who never uses oxygen on her expeditions, admits she has given up much for her sport -- more, perhaps, than her male counterparts.

"The years between 30 and 40 are the best ones for a female climber, but they are also the years that our culture dictates that we should spend having a family," she said.

"A few years ago I faced a lot of family pressure to settle down, and I became quite depressed. But now I am very clear about my goals."

Pasaban admits it will now be hard to beat Oh to the record, although she hints that her South Korean rival's sponsorship deals may have given her an advantage.

Unlike Pasaban, Oh will travel by helicopter to base camp, and have all her ropes set up for her before she arrives.

"Many people speak about competition in the mountains. I think it would have been nice for us to arrive at the top together," said Pasaban.

"But we have decided to climb separately. The mountain will put us in our places."

AFP.

Feb 24. The expedition kicked off yesterday from Alaska's Talkeetna: Christine Feret and Artur Testov were dropped on Kahiltna Glacier at 6,800 feet. “We will slowly go up, pulling all our gear and food (250 pounds) with sleds, “Christine told ExplorersWeb before departure. “All going well, it should take a minimum of four weeks.”

Material of ExplorersWeb

No tents for McKinley’s wild season

 In winter, there is no BC or ranger service on the peak. The two climbers are not bringing tents. “Instead, we will go each day as long as we can and dig snow caves for the rest of the day,” Christine told ExWeb. “It takes about 4-5 hours to make a good one – days will be long!”

 “We are still taking a small tubular tent for safety, but intend to use it only in case of emergency,” Christine added.

 “We are bringing a couple of sharp heavy steel shovels for chopping harder ice,” Feret explained. “We did it last May at 17,500 and it worked fine. We are carrying a load of 270 pounds that we will split between our packs and sleds.”

 Ladder for crevasses

 “Artur is of course taking his ladder for crevasses as well! He will be first and in case he falls, the ladder should hold him before reaching too deep down in the crevasse – which is essential for a quick self-rescue and to prevent frostbite: At -40ºC, we don't have a couple of hours to get out of a crevasse like in summer time.”

 “We hope we will not have feet and feet of snow to push until Windy Corner. There can be so much snow until there in the winter. We will bring the sleds to 14,200 then will use a drag bag at the end of our rope for the Head Wall.”

 Ready to go

 Already familiar with the terrain since she climbed Denali twice last spring, Christine looks forward to get close up and personal with the peak off season: “This should be a fun wild adventure!!! I am the first woman to step foot on McKinley in the winter so it sure adds a little extra spice to the ordeal but either way, awesome mountain in extreme environment is exciting enough for me!!!”

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http://www.artur-testov-climbalaska.com/index.html

About Christine Feret

Christine was brought up in France and lives in Alaska with Artur along the Knik River, few miles from the Knik Glacier. An avid lover of Nature, Life and adventures, she has spent years traveling in remote parts of India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines living her dreams and pushing her limits. She has a wonderful daughter Manon whom she dedicates this attempt to... "Put fears aside, and live your dream..."

About Artur

He started specializing in winter climbing in 1988 and first set foot on the Alaskan Mt McKinley in 1994. He has since climbed it over 10 times, using different routes and at different times of the year.

Artur was born in the small city of Riazan in Russia on August 4th, 1965. He started training in mountaineering as a young teen in the then USSR and dedicated his youth to this discipline. When not climbing, he specialized in the construction of high buildings such as church towers.

 Artur is a true passionate and purist. He climbs for the love of the mountain and the beauty of his discipline and not for any glory. He lives in the wilderness in Alaska along the Knik River and enjoys a very particular and amazing relationship with Nature.

Artur says he feels alive when he is out there. When asked why he doesn't try his winter climbs in March (still winter in Alaska), his answer is always the same : What's the point? If I'm gonna climb in winter, I'm gonna do it when it's really winter, with the cold and the short days. The challenge is at least as much fun as the success!"

In January 1998, Artur and his partner Ananich made international news when they successfully summited McKinley. They are the only climbers to ever summit in the dead of winter, January being the darkest and coldest month in Alaska. They used the classic route, called the West Buttress.

The following winter, he and Alaskan climber Trigger attempted the ascent of the Wichersham Wall but had to turn around after 3 weeks of grueling cold and blizzard.

Few years before, Artur successfully crossed on foot the 900 kms KaraKum Desert in Turkmenistan in August without any life support. He and his partner are to this day the only ones to succeed crossing this desert in an unsupported expedition.

On December 21st 2007, Artur attempted to climb solo the never summitted in the winter Wickersham Wall on the North Face of Mt McKinley. Also known as the "Wall of Darkness", it is one of the biggest ice slope in the world with a vertical difference of almost 15,000 feet. It does not receive any direct sunlight, the temperatures are almost constantly in the 60s to 70s below (-50 to -60 Celsius). The very common blizzards bring the windchill factor to well over 100 below (-75 Celsius).

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Arthur Tests (second from the left) came to Alaska for the first time in 1994, within a team of Seven Summits, the first time collected by Alexander Abramov (first from the left).