Cho-Oyu 2016

There are people who like the comfort of their living room – and then there are people who just can't help but break world records, over and over again. Skydiving and BASE-jump legend Valery Rozov definitely falls into the second category.

A new world record for the Russian legend

On October 5, 2016, after a 21-day expedition on the sixth-highest peak in the world – Mount Cho Oyu on the Chinese/Nepalese border – Rozov stood on the edge of his chosen exit spot at 7,700m and leapt into thin air, breaking his own record from 2013 by 500m.

It was my dream and my goal for the last three years.

Valery Rozov

Climbing Cho Oyu is no small accomplishment on its own, let alone BASE jumping from the top of the south-west wall. The expedition itself wasn’t so easy for the group of climbers.

A recent dump of fresh snow and a few days of very bad weather meant the group were unable to reach the exit spot at the first attempt. They had to wait a full week before being able to make another attempt. But once they saw the weather clearing up and allowe a little time for the snow to melt a bit at the exit spot, it was go time.

 Valery Rozov climbing his way up Mount Cho Oyu in the Himalayas

After 90 seconds of pure freefall, Rozov opened his parachute and kept flying for another two minutes before landing safely on the glacier below, at 6,000 meters above sea level.

For the Russian legend, boundaries are made to be pushed and limits are made to be exceeded: nothing seems to be too much of a challenge for him.

The 51-year-old athlete is no stranger to breaking record with a combination of mountaineering and BASE-jumping. In early May of 2013, he set the previous world record for the highest BASE jump by leaping from an altitude of 7,220m from Changtse in the Everest Massif.

http://www.redbull.com/en/adventure/stories/1331825478086/new-record-highest-base-jump-rozov

Sergey Larin, head of the expedition: So, on September 30th at 9 am 5 participants of the 7 Summits Club expedition were on the top of Mount Cho Oyu. "Turquoise Goddess" has taken the above-mentioned part of the team and almost let go. The composition of the group: Vasily Kernitsky, Dmitry Kuznetsov, Igor Smirnov, Zygmunt Berdychowski (Poland), Sergey Larin. With the support of four sherpas: Nima, Pasang, Doji, Mutuk ...

 On the same day we went down to 6400, and the next - in the ABC camp. Now organizational problems began at an early depart of the team and changing tickets dates.

 The second part of the team starts to climb 3 October ...

Sherpas Team

Today the team of the Seven Summits Club - five Members and four Sherpas - at 9 am Nepal time stood on the top of Cho Oyu. Some of us are still standing. Now we begin the descent. Team: Sergey Larin, Dmitry Kuznetsov, Dmitry Smirnov, Zygmunt Berdychowski and Vasily Kernitsky. I hope I did not forget any one. And four Sherpas. Congratulations are accepted only in the ABC camp. In our expedition team there are two more participants, but they work on a different route. Today, they do not climb. Sergey Larin.

25 th and 26 th of September - rest days in the ABC camp. We showered, had classes on oxygen equipment. It turned out that we have selected a strong company in preference.

September 27th. Out up to the C1 camp.

22.09. We went to the camp C1 (6400). In the morning there was a puja, a ceremony was held at ABC, we opened the camp and climbing program according the Buddhist tradition. The first day without snow.

23.09. Natalia Smirnova went to Lhasa, she has such a program. We are in C1. Weather forecast unstable and often changing. Therefore, we will not acclimate as expected on the theory, but on the basis of weather windows.

24.09. We went up to 250 meters from the C1 (6400m) and descended to ABC. The weather deteriorated again, this time coincided with the forecast.

18.09. We went from the base camp for acclimatization, we scored 500 meters.

19.09.We collected our camp and prepared for moving loads in the Middle Camp and ABC camp. When weighed to give a total weight - 2.5 tons. Participants left by foot, the goods had to leave later on a truck. But the truck will not allow by the police. Now we are sitting in the intermediate camp, Middle Camp at 5400 and forward to their belongings., who slowly drive up on  motorcycles. Everything else is good.

Sergey Larin, leader of the expedition. 

Diary of the expedition on Cho Oyu. 15.09 we arrived in Shigatse (3800), the second largest city in Tibet. We walked around the city and who wanted could buy  pillows. While there was not a single day without rain.

 16.09. In the morning we went to the monastery, the second largest in Tibet. There we worshiped the world's largest Buddha statue. Then we went to Tingri (4300).

 17.09. After breakfast we drove to the base camp. In Tingri Chinese began to build housing estates and road towards Cho Oyu. Therefore, after 1.5 hours we were in base camp (4900). On Cho Oyu - it is rather an intermediate camp, than the base, as we plan to spend only two nights here. All the rest of the time camp ABC (5700)  will be our base. Everything goes according to plan, the members feel good.

Sergey Larin from Kathmandu:

Preparations for the expedition to Cho Oyu continues. Finally, all participants gathered in Kathmandu. All luggage was delivered on time! Sherpa Team of 7 people today early in the morning went to Tibet with loads through Gyirong. Since the road through Zhangmu is still closed after the earthquake. Monsoon is not over yet, every day in Kathmandu rains. Today we will have a gala dinner dedicated to the start of the expedition. Tomorrow our plan is to fly  to Lhasa at 11 a.m.