Vinson(4892)

  Artem Rostovtsev: the next tourist season in Antarctica has ended. We went skiing with a group under the "Last Degree" program to the South Pole, climbed in full force on two consecutive expeditions to the top of the Vinson massif. And there was also one successful ascent of the 7 Summits Club group on the Sidley volcano under the leadership of Lyudmila Korobeshko.

Everything went great. We didn't lose anyone, we didn't forget, we didn't freeze them. The equipment was packed in storage on the glacier and in Punta Arenas until the next season. And we brought a lot of impressions and photos/videos with us.

 The second group on Vinson. Some photos.

According to the information received, today the group of the 7 Summits Club under the leadership of Artyom Rostovtsev reached the summit of Mount Vinson and descended safely. The ascent took place in a normal mode, all participants and two guides reached the highest point. Unfortunately, this year it was not possible to establish a stable connection with the groups that were in the Vinson area. But we will be waiting for full information, photos and videos upon the team's return to the Union Glacier base.

Photos from the first group of this year

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica:

 Hello Seven Summits! These are the far South, Antarctica. Vinson Massive, expedition on Mount Vinson with Artyom Rostovtsev. Yesterday we moved from Union Glacier to Base Camp and today we decided to go straight up to Low Camp. We're fine here, we're alone – no more commands, no one bothers us. The plan is to spend a couple more days here, but we will look at the weather. Everything is fine with everyone. The group feels fine, the participants are motivated. We will relax and then continue to storm the summit.

 Photos from Punto Arenas

 We are waiting for the return of the 7 Summits Club group from Antarctica, which climbed the summit of the highest mountain on the continent. Among the climbers who have visited the top of the Vinson Massif, there is one representative of Chinese Hong Kong, whom we call Bob. His full name is Tsang Long Kit. With our help, this brave young man became the record holder of his native Hong Kong and the whole of China – he became the youngest climber to climb all the highest peaks of all continents. "Seven Peaks" at the age of 20, great job! Good luck, many successes with your life and new heights!

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the guide and director of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica:

January 10th. Greetings from Antarctica, Camp Union Glacier, from the group "Empanadas or Chilean pies" expedition to Sidley!

We are still on Union Glacier at 79 degrees South latitude in Antarctica. Yesterday, January 9th, we had a busy day - both our groups and the whole camp celebrated the birthday of the guide of the 7 Summits Club Artem Rostovtsev. In the afternoon we organized a picnic with a walk to the Drake Icefall. Along the way, we were lucky to see the Il-76 take off with a team of our friends, Russian pilots. Then we wandered through the blue labyrinths of the icefall for about an hour, took pictures and at the end arranged a buffet in honor of Artyom. 

In the evening, dinner was already celebrated globally with toasts, cake and special Antarctic cocktails from Chilean chef Patricio, who has already worked with us twice on Everest. The evening ended with a music lovers club - everyone shared their favorite romantic song.

Today, January 10th, according to the plan, we were supposed to fly to Punta Arenas. But the weather turned bad. Moreover, it even snowed - an extremely rare phenomenon in Antarctica (after all, this is the largest desert on our planet).

We really hope to fly tomorrow…

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica:

Huge Antarctic greetings to all! The day before yesterday, having caught a sunny windless weather window, the whole team climbed to the top of the Mount Vinson, yesterday we already went down to the base camp and today, squeezing into the weather window again, we safely flew to the comfortable Union Glacier. And then we were reunited with the team of Luda Korobeshko, who returned from the summit of the Sidley volcano.

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica:

Hello, Seven Summits! This is Artem Rostovtsev. We are currently at Vinson Base Camp. We've already gone down. Everyone is alive, healthy and happy. Yesterday there was the summit. Now we are waiting here for someone else from the teams that are going up now, on the descent. When the plane will be completed we will to the Union Glacier. We hope to be at Union Glacier tomorrow afternoon and meet with our Sidley team there. Greetings from the snowy Antarctica!

 Photos from previous expeditions

Artem Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, sends from Antarctica:

Hello, Seven Summits! This is Artem Rostovtsev, climbing the Vinson Massive. We are now at High Camp, an assault camp. ... It so happened that we got here on time and then found the strength to climb to the top. We have already descended from the summit and we have a second night in the assault camp. And tomorrow we plan to get to the base camp, hoping to fly to Union Glacier. Greetings to all from snowy, cold Antarctica!

Photos from previous expeditions

Artem Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, sends from Antarctica:
Hello, Seven Summits! This is Artem Rostovtsev. You've already forgotten about us, but we're still in Antarctica. We're going to Vinson Massive. Yesterday… Was it yesterday? Yes, we finally moved under Vinson. Today we have already made a dash to the Low Camp. We settled here, and then we think about going further to the top…

Photos from previous expeditions

A ski trip to the South Pole has just ended and here are 2 new teams now in Antarctica. The Vinson Mountain team will climb the highest peak in Antarctica. This is the key to the Seven Summits project. The ascent will be led by guides Artyom Rostovtsev and Tomasz Kobelski from Poland. There are 6 participants and 2 guides in the group. And the team went to Sidley Volcano, the highest volcano in Antarctica . This is the key to the Seven Volcanoes project. The team consists of 8 participants led by Lyudmila Korobeshko and American guide Larry Holmgren. In total, 8 people have conquered the "Seven volcanoes" in Russia at the moment. 6 more people will be added in case of luck after the expedition to Sidley Volcano. Good luck!
Alex Abramov from Aconcagua Base Camp, where this year the 7 Summits Club has six groups from the beginning of December to the end of February. We are the best!

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica:
Greetings for all Seven Summits from the group going to the Vinson Massive. The guys waited for the flight to Antarctica for an extra two days in Punta Arenas. Today, the band finally reunited at the Union Glacier base. But again there is a hitch, Vinson's base camp is in the clouds and the flight there by small plane is delayed until morning. Hopefully no longer...

Lyudmila Korobeshko, guide and director of the 7 Summits Club from Chile:

Hello everyone from Punta Arenas Airport! Happy New Year to everyone! Yesterday, for us, the intrigue lasted until the last moment. In the morning we lived in a waiting mode for departure to Antarctica. At 6 p.m. Chile time (it's midnight in Moscow), we decided to relax a little and celebrate the New Year ... and then the flight was announced. More precisely, we were informed of the departure time - earlier on the morning of January 1. So we didn't celebrate for long - we had to prepare for departure. But according to the Chilean tradition, we put on yellow underpants for the New Year. And everything worked out.
We are already at the airport, preparing for departure. We hope to send you greetings from Antarctica from Union in 5-6 hours.
See you soon! Lyudmila Korobeshko.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, a guide and director of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Chile:
Greetings from the edge of the world — from Punta Arenas! Yesterday, December 29, we had a day of preparation for the flight to Antarctica. We handed over our things, weighed ourselves, and received boarding passes. In the evening, we went to the team of pilots who have been flying IL-76 here for many years. We brought their favorite dish from their now distant homeland - herring! We are currently waiting for departure. However, the weather is not very good at Union yet. Nevertheless, we hope and wait with our fingers crossed.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, a guide and director of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Chile:
Greetings from the edge of the world from Punta Arenas, Chile! Both our expeditions to the highest points of Antarctica, Sidley and Vinson, are assembled! Yesterday, the smartest members managed to drive to the legendary national park Torres del Paine Park and admire the famous peaks, lakes with icebergs and met wild exotic animals and birds. Those who arrived yesterday managed to run around the entire Punta Arenas and buy everything necessary for the flight to Antarctica. And we also attended the ALE briefing, got the tips and watched a cool movie about what awaits us in Antarctica. And most importantly, we performed an important rite for good luck - we kissed the native's foot at the monument to Magellan in the central square.
Today we are handing over our things and tomorrow, according to the plan, we will fly to Union Glacier, where Artem Rostovtsev, who successfully reached the South Pole with the group yesterday, should be waiting for us! See you soon!
The head of the expedition to Sidley is Lyudmila Korobeshko.

Greetings from the edge of the world - from Punta Arenas! Today, participants of two Antarctic expeditions - to Vinson and Sidley - finally began to gather here.
In the morning, the most active part arrived - those who are closing the Seven Volcanoes project. We went straight from the airport to watch the ships, then checked the equipment and then the guys rushed to Fort Bulnes (a historical place, the southernmost Chilean settlement once). They want to visit as many places as possible, because Patagonia is the dream of all boys. There are many interesting locations here. We are waiting for the rest members by this evening.
Lyudmila Korobeshko - a guide to Sidley and Elena Abramova - the manager of our Antarctic expeditions and a representative in Chile.

Artyom Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club reports from Antarctica, from the Union Glacier base:

 Hello everyone! The weather postponed the flight by only one day. Now we are already in Antarctica, and now the Antarctic season has really begun. So far, according to the forecast, the vicinity of the pole is not very suitable for flights, we will spend at least one day on the Union Glacier. There will be something to do, we will practice with the equipment before going on the route already in the environment for which it was created. Skis, sleds, stretches, systems.

And yes, there is Wi-Fi!

 For the first time in history, an Internet connection has been established with Antarctica this year. We are waiting for new reports and operational information from Artyom!

The Antarctic season of the 7 Summits Club has begun!!! Yesterday, our guide and the most experienced polar explorer Artem Rostovtsev arrived at the edge of the world and the starting point of expeditions to Antarctica, in the southernmost (mainland) city of the world - Punta Arenas.

In a few days, the participants of the first expedition will arrive - a ski trip to the South Pole. Then, according to the plan, we will have two more large groups of climbers to the highest point of Antarctica - the Vinson Massif. And also after Christmas, the highlight of our season in Antarctica starts - the largest Russian expedition to the highest volcano in Antarctica, Sidley. Several members of this team are planning to complete the 7 Volcanoes project!!! At the moment only 8 people in Russia have been able to complete this project. Now there are only 42 such lucky people in the world.

P.S. - Meetings with interesting people often happen in Antarctica. We wish Artyom and our teams the most unexpected and pleasant Antarctic meetings!

Super-guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexey Lonchinsky reports from the Elbrus region:

 Today, as planned, we moved "into the fields". We have reached our usual base, near the Elbrus Lake. The climb took place at a calm pace, everyone feels good, the mood is excellent. The bivouac is set up, dinner is cooked!

Your guides: Alexey Lonchinsky and Dmitry Semenov.

Greetings from Alex Abramov and Luda Korobeshko from the USA!

Simultaneously with active preparations for Everest, Makalu and K2, we are also preparing for a large-scale season in Antarctica 2023-2024. This week we met with our partners for Antarctica (ALE). We specially flew to this meeting in Salt Lake City. And we have just incredible news!

 A very large and unusual season in Antarctica is planned. In addition to our standard programs "Ascent to the highest peak of Antarctica Vinson" and expeditions to the South Pole "Last Degree", this time we will have two large groups to the highest volcano in Antarctica — Sidley.

The 7 Summits Club is the first and only company in Russia that started 20 years ago and annually organizes ascents in Antarctica on the Vinson Massif as part of the Seven Summits project and to Sidley as part of the Seven Volcanoes project.

Usually, only 8 people per year are allowed to climb Mount Sidley from all over the world.  But thanks to successful negotiations, we will have two big groups in the 2024 season!

Join us!

Artem Rostovtsev, guide of the 7 Summits Club:

The season in Antarctica has ended. It was not the longest for the 7 Summits Club, but as always productive. All the participants and guides managed to stand on the top of the Vinson massif. And the final group was lucky to be on the summit in quiet sunny windless weather, so the predicted -32 felt like -10. Now everyone has already gone home, the expedition equipment has been checked, repaired, preserved and is waiting for the next season. We invite everyone! Everyone who is ready.