Everest - Lhotse 2021*

Artem Rostovtsev, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Nepal: Greetings from the Everest 2021 team from the slopes of Chomolungma! For the last few days, we've been completely out of touch with the outside world.  We found high-altitude acclimatization along the famous slopes of Mount Everest: the Khumbu Icefall, the Valley of Silence, the Lhotse Wall... We've been everywhere more than once. The team has fulfilled the acclimatization plan - we have a high-altitude overnight stay in the third camp (7100 m). Now we go down to rest.

This is Sergey Larin, the guide and doctor of the expedition of the 7 Summits Club "Everest-Lhotse 2021" from the Everest base camp. All our groups went to the final (hopefully) stage of acclimatization - the ascent to camp 3 (C3) 7300m. There is no Internet up the base camp, so Alex asked me to pass the news on. It is now noon 5.05. The first Everest group (guide Artem Rostovtsev) is in camp C2 6460m. The second Everest group (guide Alex Abramov) on the troute from C1 6060m to C2. The group Lhotse (guide Kotlyar) came to C1.

Now about the situation in Nepal. The government abruptly closed all domestic flights, including helicopter flights from 3.05. And they promise to close international flights from 6.05, that is, today at 24: 00. For us, it wasn't as sad as it could have been. Since helicopter transportation is still possible on special anti-COVID permits. For the supply of expeditions, it is possible to receive them. So we must not starve to death. Moreover, there is a stock of non-perishable products until mid-June.

Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Nepal: Aloha, friends! The group "Lhotse 8516" will go to bed early today, as we go out at night to acclimatization rotation to the upper camps. We contacted Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev, guides of the Everest group on the radio. They're doing fine. They send greetings from camps 6050 and 6500!

Artem Rostovtsev, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Nepal:  News of the Everest-2021 expedition. Huge greetings to all! Over the past three days, we made an important acclimatization rotation and consolidated our success with an overnight stay in the Camp-2 at 6500m. There is no way to bypass the Khumbu icefall on the way up and down, there is only one way. And this path changes every day, the glacier creeps about a meter a day, and sometimes the seraks fall... While we were climbing, everyone was a little worried, but everything went smoothly. Overnight stays at 6100 and 6500 are a credit to us, and now a well-deserved rest in the base camp.

 Artem Rostovtsev, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Nepal:  Last night we planned to go up to Camp 6000 and the next day to Camp 6400. That's just the plan with the rotation exit failed, as late in the evening the Khumbu icefall moved a little. The prepared route was partially destroyed and required repairs from a team of Icefall Doctors.

As a result, we did not go out at night, but already in the light and just with an introductory task. We only looked at the icefall, tried it a little, and then returned to the camp. At night, we go according to yesterday's plan, already knowing a little what awaits us.

 The group "Lhotse 8516" led by Lyudmila Korobeshko also goes up tomorrow. Today they held ice classes, and after lunch they rested and prepared for the upcoming exit.

 Expedition leader Alex Abramov from Everest base camp: Today the weather is great, the helicopters are flying. All participants are resting and everyone is in a very fighting mood. Tomorrow at 3 am, the team "Everest" has breakfast and 4 exit. 12 participants, 4 guides and 14 Sherpas will go to the first high-altitude camp. Camp 1 – 6000 meters. Then the next morning we go to spend the night in Camp 2 – 6400 meters. Today, the group "Lhotse 8516" also rested at the base camp. They were able to wash in the sauna and wash their clothes. Tomorrow they will have training on the ice, working out the technique of movement on fixed ropes.

Alex Abramov, expedition leader: Today we held a Puja at the Base Camp. The entire team has consecrated equipment and souls that must climb Mount Everest. After lunch, we had a very useful lesson on the glacier on walking on the fixed ropes and stairs. The day after tomorrow, we planned the team's first climb  to Camp 6400. We are waiting for 50 stairs and 5 km of fixed ropes.

We use helicopters to transport fresh food and equipment from Kathmandu. Today, for dinner, the cooks baked us trout in foil. In the evening, we had a bard concert at the bar. All participants are very happy with the camp. We don't even want to leave it for climb.

Alex Abramov, expedition leader from Nepal: It snowed for two days at the base camp. I with the Sherpa team heroically continued to set up the camp and equipped it. It turned out very nice. And so, the Everest - Lhotse 21 team began to come to the base camp. There is no end to the joy. Welcome to our Super-Camp! Tomorrow we have a Puja - the opening of the camp. And then – the first training session on the glacier.

Head of the Lhotse expedition Lyudmila Korobeshko:

Hello everyone from Gorak Shep (5200)! The weather has made adjustments to our team's plans. There was heavy snowfall for more than a day. Therefore, only a part of our group dared to take a risk and go to climb Lobuche under the leadership of Alexey Lonchinsky. Most of us went a little higher - to Gorak Shep (5200). Tomorrow we go to Kalapatar and hold our fists for our climbers on Lobuche.

Artem Rostovtsev, guide of the 7 Summits Club, Everest 2021 Expedition, from Nepal: Lobuche is a mountain, the Eastern peak of which is 6119 meters high. To climb it on the way to the Everest base camp, it was in our plans. But it turned out that the weather made its own plans without coordinating with ours. Yesterday we went up to the assault camp, where we were covered with snowfall, instead of the predicted strong wind. The snow continued early in the morning, and we had to postpone the ascent. Until better times. We went downstairs. And now it's winter all around. We have the main goal ahead - Everest.  In the meantime, we have a plan to arrive at Everest base camp tomorrow.

Alexander Abramov from the Everest Base Camp: Today and tomorrow we finish building our base camp. It turns out beautifully. Good job, Sherpas! They are constantly working with a pickaxe and crowbar, breaking the ice and covering it with stones. The camp turned out to have a view of the summit of Mount Everest. By the way, the top is visible only from our camp. Because it stands slightly below the others.

Artem Rostovtsev, guide of the 7 Summits Club: Greetings from the Everest-2021 group! We woke up today with a beautiful view of Ama Dablam and hit the road. It seemed that it would be cold, but the whole day was again cloudless and the sun was shining. Again, the beautiful majestic Himalayan peaks were shown from all sides. To be honest, I'm tired of answering the team's questions: "What mountain is this? And where is this mountain? "By the way, a few words about our team. So far, in general terms. The team consists of 15 people, three guides, 8 climbers and 4 climbers. Representatives of 4 countries: Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Israel and Uzbekistan.

Today we spend the night at an altitude of 4920 m, in Lobuch. Before dinner, we went to check out just above 5000 m, at the same time to look at the base camp of Everest, from afar.

Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club from Nepal:  According to the established tradition, we had exercises in the morning. After breakfast, we quickly packed up and left Namche Bazaar. With the weather and views at the route, we were wildly lucky. In less than five hours, we reached Tengboche, at a leisurely pace. Here in this village at an altitude of 3867 meters there is the famous Buddhist monastery. If I may say so, it is the sister of Rongbuk Monastery, since Lama Gulu, the founder of Tengboche Monastery, came from Rongbuk. After visiting the monastery, we settled in a loggia in the village of Diboche.

Alexander Abramov from Everest Base Camp.  Yesterday, from Namche Bazaar, in 20 minutes, I and Lena Abramova, the manager of the base camp, flew by helicopter and landed right next to our tents. The Sherpas were happy to see us. We managed to check the sites of our camp, standing on the glacier. And then, under my guidance, we put up a large tent dining room eight meters in diameter.

Today we put up a bar of two American tents, ten sleeping tents, and a fence around our camp. We slept well. Our tents are as tall as a man. That is, two meters high, with an insulated layer and beds. Therefore, on the bed in a sleeping bag, covered with a blanket, it was very comfortable to sleep.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, head of the Lhotse Group:

News from the Lhotse 8516 group. Hello again from Namche! We spend two nights here for better acclimatization. Today it was a wonderful day. After breakfast, the whole team went for a walk to the Everest View Hotel at an altitude of 3900. The views are really gorgeous. First, we were photographed against the background of the beautiful Tamserku. Everyone wanted to take a photo with Lesha Lonchinsky, who received the "Golden Ice Axe" just for climbing this peak.

  And after an hour of walking, we found an incredibly beautiful view of Ama Dablam, Lhotse and Everest. Half an hour later, we sat down for coffee at a famous hotel with a view of Mount Everest.

Then we went down to the village of Kumjung, where there is a Yeti scalp and a School built by Edmund Hillary. And a little tired, but happy, we returned to our Bigfoot Home in Namche.

Tomorrow we will have a long trek to Tiangboche.

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the expedition from Nepal: Greetings from the Everest-2021 group! We are climbing higher and higher, at the same time closer to Everest. Today we passed an endless number of panoramic points with views of many mountains, including Mount Everest. But Everest was usually hidden behind cloud cover. Opposite, views of Ama Dablam pleased us almost all walking day. The weather changes like usually in the mountains, suddenly and dramatically. But so far it is predictable:  it is good until lunch, then – precipitation start. Precipitation is still wet, not snowy, so we try to move in the first half of the day. Today, on the way, we looked into the Tengboche Monastery, someone to take a look, someone for the blessing of our expedition. Tomorrow we will continue our route "higher and closer".

Vladimir Kotlyar, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Nepal:

Hello, Friends! The group of the 7 Summits Club "Lhotse 8516" began its movement to the base camp. We arrived by helicopter in the village of Phakding (2600m. n. m.). Slowly, in two hours, we reached the village of Monjo (2860 m). We were lucky with the weather, we managed to accommodate in a comfortable loggia before the rain. Along the way, we saw Mount Tamserku, a beautiful mountain with a height of 6680 m. Our guide Alexey Lonchinsky received the "Golden Ice Axe", the most prestigious award in mountaineering, for climbing it.

In Nepal, a new large expedition organized by the 7 Summits Club started a trekking route to the Everets base camp . Its name is "Everest-Lhotse 2021". For the 17th time, the goal of our expeditions is the highest peak in the world, Mount Everest (Chomolungma, Sagarmatha), whose height is 8848 meters. For the president of the 7 Summits Club, Alexander Abramov, this will be the 18th Everest climbing leadership. In terms of the quantity and quality of it , this is an achievement of the world order.

For the second time in history, the ascent will be made from the Southern, Nepalese side, along the Hillary-Tenzing route. The expedition started on April 11, and the summit assault is scheduled for the twentieth of May. Before that, there will be a cycle of acclimatization rotations, with an ascent on Lobuche Peak (6119m). For the participants of expedition, a comfortable base camp is prepared, providing all the conditions for a full rest. The route will be processed by the combined efforts of the expeditions  up to the summit. During the ascent, all participants and guides will use additional oxygen. Each participant will be assigned two high-altitude guides-porters, experienced Nepalese climbers.

 This year, for the first time, the team of the 7 Summits Club will climb the fourth highest peak in the World, Mount Lhotse (8516m). Acclimatization before the ascent and most of route coincides with the route of the Everest team. The final part is a straight, steep couloir, in which the ropes must be fixed. The head of the group, consisting mainly of climbers on Mount Everest, will be Lyudmila Korobeshko.

Team Everest

Alexander Abramov - leader, 10 Everest summits;

Artem Rostovtsev - guide, 2 Everest summits;

Sergey Larin - guide, doctor of the expedition, 6 Everest summits.

Participants:

Danielle Wolfson, Israel;

Ekaterina Kalabukhova;

Albina Kopteva;

Dmitry Livanov;

Anna Permilovskaya;

Vladimir Grigoriev;

Mikhail Gordin;

Eduard Kubatov, Kyrgyzstan;

Sherzod Kuchkarov, Uzbekistan;

Mikhail Mikheev;

Vadim Frolov;

Gergy Shulepov.

Lhotse Team

Lyudmila Korobeshko – team leader;

Vladimir Kotlyar - guide;

Alexey Lonchinsky - guide.

Participants:

Irina Zisman;

Daniil Briman;

Vasily Kernitsky;

Dmitry Parpiev;

Alexey Safonov;

Igor Smirnov;

Alexander Sobolenko;

Vasily Shakhnovsky.

The team of Nepalese Sherpas - 38 persons, high-altitude guides-porters, base camp staff. Head of Sherpa team Mingma Gelu Sherpa.

Luda Korobeshko, the expedition leader, from Nepal:  All greetings from Kathmandu from the group "Lhotse 8516"! Today the whole group gathered in Kathmandu. Today we check our gear, pack our bags, and celebrate the Nepalese New Year 2078. We have to obtain  permits tomorrow. And the day after tomorrow, we fly by helicopter to Phakding.