Asia

On November 29, at the gala evening of the Russian Mountaineering Federation, the main national award of the year, the Golden Ice Axe of Russia, was presented. The winner was the team of climbers who completed the first ascent of the eight-thousander Manaslu via a new route. It should be noted that before the main ascent, they reached the summit via the standard route without supplemental oxygen. We congratulate team leader Andrey Vasiliev and participants Natalia Belyankina, Sergey Kondrashkin, Vitaly Shipilov, and Kirill Eiseman! We wish you success in your future projects and look forward to any collaboration in the high mountains!

Mountaineering School in Tuyuk-Su. Yesterday, our training department successfully climbed Amangeldy Peak along a 2A-category route. The instructor chose a longer route with more technical challenges than previous routes. There were challenging walls, a traverse, a rappel in the middle, and a ridge where you had to climb simultaneously. The students completed all the tasks and were back at camp by six in the evening.

Also, Nikolai Tokurenov, a participant in our program, celebrated his birthday at the summit that day! We gave him a small souvenir from our team. Today we have a closing ceremony, where we will present "Mountaineer of Russia" badges and "Mountaineer" books.
Guide/instructor: Ratmir Mukhametzyanov.

The 7 Summits Club guide Dmitry Semenov reports from Nepal:

 Greetings from Kathmandu! The last members of our Mera Peak expedition flew home today. Unfortunately, prolonged bad weather and record snowfall prevented us from completing the program with a successful ascent.

The 7 Summits Club Mountaineering School in Tuyuk-Su. Today, our group completed its second ascent, climbing Oktyabrenok Peak along a 2B difficulty route! This time, we faced truly harsh conditions: fog, cold, and precipitation. And all of this wasn't just on a trail, but on a technical route where we had to climb and set waypoints. The instructor is pleased with the result. Tomorrow, the group will descend to the city for training on the climbing wall.

Guide: Ratmir Mukhametzyanov.

The 7 Summits Club Guide Boris Egorov reports from Nepal:

 Hello everyone! We haven't had any news, we've been hanging around here in Nepal, trying to fit everything in. In the end, those who needed to return home traveled 15 hours by jeep to Kathmandu and made it on time! Two of us, including myself, stayed behind to wait for the weather to improve. And we finally got it! We masterfully swerved through the traffic and reached Camp 3 by lunchtime. Those who made it, the other teams, were there by 10 p.m.! We were the first to reach the summit in the morning, right before the sun set. And neither the wind nor the lack of a trail stopped us. We made it ourselves. Great job!

Sergey, Evgeny, and our guide Boris!

Message from group guide Boris Egorov:

Our team arrived at Camp 3 at 6,400m this morning. The weather is great! We'll be heading out tonight to summit Ama Dablam! Wish us luck!

Mountaineering School in Tuyuk-Su. Today, our training group practiced moving along fixed ropes using jumars. They learned and practiced three different techniques: one with a single jumar, one with a jumar and a sling, and one with two jumars. Naturally, after each ascent, the students rappelled down using a sling and then repeated the exercise.

After that, we practiced belaying through the terrain and setting up a station on the ledge. Then we prepared a route sheet for the next route – to Oktyabrenok via 2A. Tomorrow, we'll climb again.

Guide/instructor: Ratmir Mukhametzyanov.

The 7 Summits Club Guide Boris Egorov reports from Nepal:

 Prolonged bad weather in the Nepalese mountains prevented climbers from ascents, and our "Experienced Yaks" group opted to descend for a while. This morning, the team returned, flew by helicopter to Ama Dablam Base Camp. We had a quick lunch and immediately set out for Camp 1. There's a good weather window ahead! There's a lot of snow and a lot of people, but we'll keep trying! Wish us luck on our second attempt!

Mountaineering school in Tuyuk-Su. Today was our first ascent as part of the training program! Object: Khrishchaty Peak along the Eastern Ridge, 1B category.

We left at 5 a.m. and returned at 6 p.m. We did a great job, a wealth of impressions, emotions, and, most importantly, a wealth of experience. A wide variety of things. Navigating rocky scree, snow-covered trails without crampons, climbing a real route in a roped-up team, setting up gear where we really needed it, getting lost in the fog, overcoming our fears, and much more—all packed into one day.

And in the evening, we had a sauna. That's just what you need after a climb. Tomorrow we'll rest and descend to Almaty.

Guide: Ratmir Mukhametzyanov.

The 7 Summits Club guide Dmitry Semenov reports from Nepal:

 Greetings from the highlands of Nepal! More specifically, from the high-altitude, snow-covered Khare Lodge (4,500 m). Today we made a short acclimatization hike near the village and held training sessions, practicing ascents and descents on a rope. There's a lot of snow; the locals say they don't remember seeing so much snow this time of year. But we're hoping for better weather.

Mountaineering school in Tuyuk-Su. Today we trained on the rocks. This is the most important part of the training before the main ascent. So tomorrow we'll reinforce our newly acquired skills.

Today we practiced rappelling, moving simultaneously on easy terrain, and installing belay points (camalots, nuts, and friends).

Guide: Ratmir Mukhametzyanov.

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from India:

 We're reporting on the two days we were without communication. The day before yesterday, we drove up to the gorge in a jeep and headed toward Ut-Kangri Base Camp. This is the highest peak in the Ladakh region – 6,075 meters. There were no people around. There was snow. We set up Base Camp at 5,100 meters. We decided not to waste time acclimatizing and went straight to the mountain. The ascent began at 7:00 AM. The route was initially easy over snow and rocks. Then, along a steep rocky ridge covered in snow. We reached the summit at 2:30 PM. It was difficult without acclimatization.

We returned to camp at 6:00 PM. It's cold and windy. But we did it!

Our new teams will be coming here next year. A fantastic program. The Indian Himalayas. Little Tibet. Buddhism and stupas. The Potala Palace and a 6,000-meter peak. It's all here, near the city of Leh.

The 7 Summits Club guide Dmitry Semenov reports from Nepal:

 Greetings from the mountains of Nepal! Today, our super group "Badgers Gangsters" arrived at our high-altitude lodge, Khare, at an altitude of 4,950 meters. This is the last comfortable lodge; next comes the high camp, where we'll spend the night in tents. Tomorrow is a day of rest and snow training.

The 7 Summits Club super guide Dmitry Semenov reports from Nepal:

 Greetings from the mountains of Nepal, from the super group "Badgers Gangsters"! Today we moved to the next high-altitude lodge – in the village of Thangnak, at 4,270 meters. The weather tested us today. It rained for the first part of the journey, and then snowed in the second. Good gear and a cheerful mood helped us overcome these difficulties. Tomorrow we move to the next high-altitude lodge, in Khare (4,900 meters).

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from India:

Today is a happy day. We've finished our dispute with the Indian army and police. And today is Lyuda and I's wedding anniversary. 24 years. In fact, 25 years together!

We flew to the town of Leh in Ladakh. It's a wonderful place. Reminds me of Skardu in Pakistan. We visited the monasteries. This is Tibet. The faith is Buddhist and Muslim, just like in Pakistan.

The language is similar to Sherpa and Gilgit. Tomorrow we're leaving to climb Mount Ut Kangri, 6,045 meters high. We're developing a new program. We'll be leading groups in the Indian Himalayas.

Get ready, comrades!

The 7 Summits Club  Guide Boris Egorov reports from Nepal:

Hello everyone! We're going through tough times on Ama Dablam. Bad weather has arrived globally, but there's a window for climbing, and we're preparing to set out for Camp 1 tomorrow. We'll make a final decision tomorrow morning, though. Today, we decided to get our blood pumping and ran to the nearby village of Pangboche. We have good cappuccino at base camp, but it was just a change of scenery.

Mountaineering School in Tuyuk-Su. Today, our study group in Tuyuk-Su had a day of arrival at the Alpine Camp. All participants arrived, made their way there, got acquainted with the alpine camp, and learned the schedule. In the evening, we held a gala dinner, where participants received gifts from the 7 Summits Club.

Tomorrow, the acclimatization program begins. We plan to reach the high-altitude zone, as well as a lesson on the basic knots of mountaineering.

Guide: Ratmir Mukhametzyanov.

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club from India:

  End of the criminal case: The judge found my actions to be illegal. But after learning that today is our 24th wedding anniversary, and that Lyuda and I have climbed Everest together 15 times, he decided to pardon me for the first time. Thanks to our Indian partners, who helped mitigate the sentence! However, fingerprints and palm prints, as well as profile and full-face photos, will forever remain in the Indian police archives.

  The judge asked that all travelers not bring GPS devices or satellite phones to India. Doing so will result in a hefty fine or three years in prison.

Lyuda and I are already flying to Leh to climb Ut Kangri (6045m), considered the easiest six-thousander. However, they say there's been an extreme amount of snowfall recently.

The 7 Summits Club super guide Olya Rumyantseva sends from Nepal:

Greetings from Nepal from the "Anahata" group! Today we saw the sunrise with a view of Everest.

To achieve this, we had to wake up in the middle of the night and set out for Kala Pathar, the best viewpoint on our route. It was challenging, cold, and the altitude was taking its toll. Kala Pathar, although a small hill against the backdrop of the snowy giants, is actually 5,645 meters high. But our efforts were fully rewarded with marvelous views of Everest and its neighbors.

We watched the sun color the mountain peaks and bathe the beautiful Pumori in golden sunlight. It was a wonderful morning. After descending, we almost immediately flew by helicopter first to Lukla and then to Kathmandu.

By lunchtime, our entire team had gathered at the Yak and Yeti Hotel, where we enjoyed the blessings of civilization that we often overlook in everyday life.

In the evening, we will have a celebratory dinner. Everyone will receive commemorative awards—medals and diplomas. And then we will begin making plans for next year.

The 7 Summits Club Super Guide Boris Egorov reports from Nepal:

 Greetings to everyone from Ama Dablam Base Camp! We, the experienced Yaks, are sitting here waiting for the weather. We were one day short of summiting. Right now, it's sunny, but the weather forecast says it's going to change dramatically soon. It's already gotten very cold, and the wind has picked up.

For now, we're resting and eating well. Today, we also went for an extra workout on a rock near the camp. We practiced different ascent and descent techniques.