Asia - Page 61

The first Everest team under the leadership of Alex Abramov today safely passed through the Khumbu icefall and reached the first camp at an altitude of 6100m. Everyone feels well. Tomorrow they go to Camp 2.

Pictures from acclimatization rotation

Alex Abramov the expedition leader:

The first team of the Everest 2021 of the 7 Summits Club leaves tonight for climb of Mount Everest. We were able to save resources and sherpas. Seven participants under the leadership of Alex Abramov and 14 Sherpas will start now. Tomorrow, probably, the Lhotse team of 6 people also will go on the ascent. The second Everest team will wait for the next weather window, which may be around May 25.

Today we had training sessions with oxygen equipment. We also celebrated Ira Zisman's birthday. The main team is ready to storm the summit of Mount Everest on May 20

Climbing plan:

May 16 - Camp 1,

May 17 - Camp 2,

May 18 - Camp 3,

May 19 - Camp 4,

May 20-Summit of Mount Everest.

As I promised, this time I will try to make my 11th ascent of Mount Everest without additional oxygen. I can't promise that it will successful attempt. But I will try.

If I succeed, I will become the oldest oxygen-free climber on Everest. Now the record is 55 years old, and I'm 57. But I'm not going to make a record for the sake of a record. I'm going for myself. I want to expand the scope of my perception of the world. I'm not going to die!

I hope that my experience of 22 expeditions on 8,000 m will be enough to understand the moment when it is possible to safely abandon this complex and dangerous idea.

Alex Abramov, the expedition leader: The team of the 7 Summits Club expedition "Everest-Lhotse 2021" returned to the Everest Base Camp full of strength and health. Everyone is ready to go to climb summits even tomorrow! There is cold and lonely in the camp, with a strong wind. But the tents are chic, wind-water proof, in full height, with an insulated inner layer. Blankets are large, thick, pillows and beds with 6 legs. We also sleep with heater. Everyone is very happy to return to such tents after the cold mountain loggias.

Alex Abramov, leader of the expedition: After celebrating Victory Day May 9 and congratulating Igor Smirnov on his birthday, we have finished our acclimatization process. The whole team went down to rest: in Periche, in Diboche, in Namche Bazaar. The group's summit climb is scheduled for May 15-17.

Daria Sivova, guide of the 7 Summits Club: Hello everyone from Dengboche! We haven't been in touch for the last three days, but we're doing great! The day before yesterday, we finally reached Everest Base Camp through the small villages of Lobuche and Goraksherp. The scale of the Base Camp impressed the participants: the altitude was 5365m, the mood was great, the weather was great!

At the Everest Base Camp, we split into two groups: those who stayed overnight at the Base Camp, and those who went down to Goraksherp to climb Kalapatar in the morning. Those who remained at the Base Camp met with a team of climbers on Mount Everest and Lhotse, they celebrated the Victory Day May 9. The evening ended with a festive dinner.

Yesterday we spent a night in Dengboche, today a trekking group descends to Namche Bazaar, and a group of climbers on Island Peak stays, waiting for the weather to climb it.

Guides: Sergey Avtomonov and Darya Sivova.

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.

Maxim Shakirov, guide of the 7 Summits Club: Today our group went up from Deboche to Dingboche. It seems that we have already begun to get used to moving in the clouds. The obvious plus is that it's not hot! But minus: limited visibility and dampness. But... For the second evening in a row, we have spectacular sunsets!!!

Daria Sivova, the 7 Summits Club guide: Today we went from Namche Bazar to Deboche from 3400m to 3800m. On the way, we visited the Tengboche Monastery at an altitude of 3867 meters above sea level. We were very lucky: we got into the service. In the evening, the main event of the day happened. We saw Everest and Lhotse for the first time! All these days there were very foggy, and we did not see the Himalayas. But this evening, while the whole group was waiting for dinner, one of our local guides came running to us and called us outside. To say that everyone was incredibly happy is to say nothing!

Tomorrow the whole group will go to Pheriche. Wish us good weather and good luck!

Maxim Shakirov, guide of the 7 Summits club: Namaste! On May 5, the group "Milk of the Yak's Wife" had a very tense and emotional day. From Namche Bazar we had to walk to Tengboche and a little lower to Deboche. We walked in the fog, under dense clouds, admiring only the still-blooming rhododendrons.  We reached the Tengboche Monastery just in time for the evening service.

Apparently, the desire of all participants to finally see the mountains, and the prayers of the monks did their job. In the rays of the setting sun, in all its glory, the beautiful Ama-Dablam was opened to our eyes!!!

The second large group of the 7 Summits Club spent this day in the Namche Bazaar area.

Dasha Sivova, guide of the 7 Summits Club:

We walked to Everest View Point 3800m. On the way, we met the incredible beauty of local birds. Acclimatization is going well: the participants also feel good. The mood is still fighting! In the evening, we walked around the city. We found a lot of interesting cafes, but one thing won everyone over: Sherpa Barista.

Tomorrow, according to the plan, we will go to Tengboche.

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.

During this turbulent time in Nepal, we received wonderful news from our climbers. Yesterday, Orhan Kazimov and Gennady Melnikov, under the guidance of Nepalese guide Pemba Sherpa, successfully climbed Mera Peak (6483m). They returned to the lodge this morning and plan to fly by helicopter to Kathmandu tomorrow.  We are very happy for the guys and congratulate them on their victory, especially since the ascent this year is not easy - a lot of snow and crevasses!

We pray for good weather in Nepal tomorrow morning and a window for helicopters!  For many, this is very important.

Greetings to all from Namche Bazaar from the participants and guides of the 7 Summits Club! Today, two of our groups spend the night in the Sherpa capital. A group with guides Sergey Avtomonov and Daria Sivova climbed from the bottom today.

Everyone is in a fighting mood. The journey from Phagding to Namche Bazaar took us about 6-7 hours. It was a very scenic route, especially the Hillary Bridge hung with Nepalese flags. Tomorrow we will spend the whole day in the Sherpa capital. We are waiting for good weather. To see Mount Everest!

Another group with guides Maxim Shakirov and Alexander Spirin will spend the second night in Namche Bazaar today.

Today we made a small climb for acclimatization. The weather changed as we climbed the mountains, from a clear sky to a fog and clouds . We went up to Sagarmatha National Park Visitor Center… The day turned out to be quite active, all the members of the group feel great, we are preparing for further climbing and trekking.

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!

Hello everyone from Phakding from a group of trekkers, led by Sergey Avtomonov and Daria Sivova!  Today we successfully reached Lukla. We landed at the most picturesque and at the same time the most dangerous Airport in Tenzing-Hillary. It was an unforgettable adventure!

Then we went up to Phakding. We completed the route faster than usual. The whole team is in a great mood and looking forward to tomorrow. Tomorrow, according to the plan, there will be Hillary Bridge, Namche Bazaar and then - two days of rest. We are incredibly lucky with the weather!

In total, the 7 Summits Club now has seven groups going trekking routes in Nepal.

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.

Maxim Shakirov, guide of the 7 Summits Club from Nepal:

Hi, this is Maxim Shakirov! Members of numerous groups of our club come to Kathmandu! The city, of course, is unrecognizable... From the airport to the Yak and Yeti hotel, we drove only 10 minutes, which is not typical, of course, for pre-war, pre-COVID times...

We hope that after the descent from the trek, we will see Kathmandu with the usual traffic jams and bustle! All participants of the programs feel normal after tiring flights. And everyone wishes the readers of this page peace and tranquility in their hearts!

On May 1, the route to the Everest base camp begins for two groups of the 7 Summits Club. The first of them is led by guides Ivan Dusharin and Lena Trishankova. In the second, the leaders are Maxim Shakirov and Alexander Spirin.

 On May 2, the group will start under the leadership of Sergey Avtomonov and Daria Sivova. Some of members and Sergey are planning to climb Island Peak, and some of them will return home with Dasha after visiting Everest base camp.

Participants of the individual program of ascent on Mera Peak" of the 7 Summits Club  Orkhan Kazimov and Gennady Melnikov came to the foot of the mountain. Today they reached the village of Khare (4,950 m), the last settlement in the valley. Tomorrow, according to the plan, there will be a day of acclimatization and preparation, then an exit to the assault camp, and the actual ascent.

A group of climbers on Lobuche of the 7 Summits Club arrived in Lukla yesterday and began their program with a walk to the village of Monjo. Today they are already in Namche Bazaar, where they will acclimatize for 2 days. Namche met the guys with a little rain, but now everyone is in the lodge, where it is dry and almost warm.

The second new group of the 7 Summits Club arrived in Lukla today. In the plans: trekking to the base camp of Mount Everest, followed by an ascent on Island Peak. Today, the team started moving along the route. Today, according to the plan, we will spend the night in Monjo, tomorrow they walk to Namche Bazaar.

 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.