Antarctica

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.

Artem Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica:
Hello everyone This is Antarctica. Yesterday we finished our ski run to the South Pole. As a result, there are only 1.5 days of bad weather and 4 days of average weather for 8 running days. We went around the Earth's axis at the pole several times along all the meridians. Now we warm up and eat off. And of course I'm waiting for the next group on Vinson Massive.

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.

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica:
Hello, Seven Summits! This is Artem Rostovtsev. We have reached the South Pole. Our expedition ended at the South Pole, everything is fine. As planned, we came to lunch time. And we visited the "ceremonial" South Pole. Then we went to the true South Pole. Although it was cool, the sun was shining. In general, we are not frozen. The day went great. I believe that our expedition has achieved its goal and was successful. Big greetings from the South Pole from Artem Rostovtsev.

Photos from previous expeditions

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.

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

Greetings from the edge of the world from the southernmost mainland city of the world - Punta Arenas!
On December 24, Lena Abramova and I flew to Punta Arenas from different parts of the world and immediately rushed to buy everything necessary for Antarctica, since Christmas was coming. And on Christmas Day, absolutely everything is closed here.
By the evening, we exhaled and even managed to celebrate the upcoming holiday with seafood delicacies, of which there are many. We took crab porridge.
On December 25, we reviewed and repacked the purchased items, and in the evening we went to visit our old friends, the IL76 pilots. For many years, it was the only aircraft that brought both equipment and people to Antarctica. It was very spectacular and romantic - flying to Il76 and landing it on the ice!
Now it imported by Boeing, and IL is used only for cargo transportation.
The participants of our Sidley and Vinson programs are already starting to arrive tomorrow.

Artem Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Antarctica, from the vicinity of the South Pole:

Hello, Seven Summits! This is Artem Rostovtsev. We are currently in Antarctica, the expedition "The last degree to the South Pole". We are already less than a degree from the pole. Four days have passed. We are very lucky with the weather. Well, everything, of course, is monotonous around — a white desert. But so far we haven't tired to death. We are moving towards our goal, the South Pole, where we hope to be soon. We will definitely please you with news from there, with a call. Another hello to everyone from far, far away. We are 40 kilometers away from the lower exit of the axis from the globe — to the South Pole.

Photos from previous expeditions

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!

Artem Rostovtsev, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Punta Arenas (Chile):

Punta Arenas, the southernmost mainland town in the world, broadcasts. From here, all expeditions to the Vinson Massif, to the Sidley volcano and the "Last Degree" to the South Pole on skis will start. First, a flight to Union Glacier, which is only 3,000 km away. This season the 7 Summits Club has 4 expeditions: The "Last degree" once, twice the highest point of Antarctica the Vinson Massif, and once the highest volcano in Antarctica Mount Sidley.

According to the plan, the first group for the "Last degree" was already supposed to take off today, but the weather is making adjustments. We've packed and prepared, but we're still waiting. Today, the expectation was diluted with a visit to the museum with 1:1 replicas of famous ships on which Magellan made his exploratory voyages at the beginning of the XVI century and almost 300 years later Fitzroy. Charles Darwin was on the latter's team. Desperate and brave people were, to go into the unknown on such ships.

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!

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!

The next ascent to the highest volcano in Antarctica, Mount Sidley, has been successfully completed. As part of the international group, the summit was reached by representatives of the 7 Summits Club, 28-year-old Romanian Adrian Ahriţculesei and 68-year-old Estonian Vambola Sipelglas. With this ascent, they completed the "Seven Volcanoes" program, reaching the summits of the highest volcanoes on all continents. The heroes received commemorative ordens from the 7 Summits  Club. And now we send them our congratulations!

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.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Evgeny Fedyunin reports from Tanzania:

Today, the Akukaracha Group of the 7 Summits Club moved above the main assault camp Barafu 4600m to the Kosovo camp 4800m.  We climbed a little higher for acclimatization, had lunch, now relax. On the night of the assault! The Akukaracha group of the 7 Summits Club, under the guidance of guides Sergey Avtomonov and Evgeny Fedyunin, is ready to climb Uhuru peak 5895m in the Kilimanjaro massif!

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

January 5th. We safely descended to the base camp. It remains to wait for the weather and fly to the Union Glacier base. No one was injured during the walk down from the assault camp. We went down and celebrated our success qualitatively. We hope that tomorrow we will be at the base and will have the opportunity to learn a little more about Antarctica before flying back. Sunny snowy greetings to all!  On January 6, it looks like there will be no charter, we will arrive according to the original plan. That is, on January 9th.

January 6th. The expedition on the Vinson Massif returns step by step to civilization. Today we managed to fly from the base camp to the Union Glacier, they not only feed here, but also entertain. On a late sunny evening we went on an excursion to Elephant Head Mountain. And after that, medals were awarded to all climbers on the Vinson Massif in our team. And there are 100% of them!  If there is weather, maybe we will get to the South Pole.

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

Greetings from the Vinson Massif Assault Camp.  We came down here after conquering the peak. We climbed to the top, as planned, slowly, admiring the beauty. The weather allowed it to be done. All team members have reached the highest point of Antarctica. We stayed there for more than an hour, took pictures, even took a photo topless. Tomorrow we are all going down to the base camp and we will wait for the weather to fly back to the Union Glacier. Huge greetings from the freshly baked climbers on the Vinson Massif!

 Photos from previous expeditions

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

Greetings from sunny Antarctica! The team of the 7 Summits Club had a good rest today before the upcoming climb to the assault camp. We are promised several days of good weather, so we are not in a hurry, we are calmly going to the goal. Tomorrow we go up to the High camp, and the day after tomorrow we plan to go to the top of the Vinson Massif. Everyone feels good, they are ready to hard work on the mountainside.

Photos from previous expeditions

The 7 Summits Club Guide Artem Rostovtsev from Antarctica:

To everyone who hears us, we warmly congratulate you on the New Year from the coldest continent! Happiness to you! We have everything according to plan. We walked halfway to the High camp. We worked up acclimatization and confidence moving along the fixed ropes. And then there was the New Year. From the Urals to New York. We didn't miss a single time zone, we remember everyone. Tomorrow is a well-deserved rest. And then we will go up to our goal – the summit of the Vinson Massif. Happy New Year! Artem Rostovtsev and the team.

 Photos from previous expeditions

The 7 Summits Club Guide Artem Rostovtsev from Antarctica: Today, as planned, we moved to Low Camp.  At a good pace. The weather is amazing. Tomorrow we will go out on the Ropes, work up acclimatization and refresh the ability to move on fixed ropes. And then the New Year, with which congratulations to everyone! We will note that we will rest on January 1 (you can't work on a day off) and go to the assault camp. Happy New Year to everyone!

The 7 Summits Club Guide Artem Rostovtsev from Antarctica:

We flew to Antarctica.  It's windy and cold at the Union Glacier base. The wind means there are no clouds and you can fly to Vinson's base camp. Which is what happened. Now there is a record number of participants going up the mountain, it took 9 flight flights to transfer everyone.

To the base camp for 8 people in the plane, count for yourself. We promptly set up camp and had dinner, the rest of the expedition envied. Now we are already sleeping, resting. Tomorrow we want to move to Low camp.

 Photos from past expeditions: