Antarctica

Artem Rostovtsev, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, transmits from the plane:

We are taking off! Everyone is on board the plane and we are already starting to take off. We will be in Antarctica in 4 hours. And it looks like there will be an opportunity to fly to Vinson's base camp right away.

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

An expedition on Mount Vinson. We are in standby mode and hope for tomorrow morning's departure to the Union Glacier. The luggage has been handed over and is already loaded on the plane. Literally, we have just been informed that the captain of the aircraft has made the final decision about the flight. We're flying early in the morning. And if the weather in Antarctica allows, we will be immediately transferred to the Vinson Massif base camp. In the meantime, we are enjoying the last evening in civilization before tomorrow's flight to Antarctica.  Almost everyone is exciting.

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

Chile says hello! We have started another expedition to the Vinson massif in Antarctica. Today, all the participants finally gathered at our starting point of the route - the city of Punta Arenas. From here, the plane will take us to Antarctica. The main equipment is already on the white continent. We are preparing for departure, we hope everything will happen without delay. We start the day after tomorrow. In the meantime, the last preparations: purchases, packing of cargo and excursions in free time. Those who arrived a little earlier were able to admire the beauty of the Torres del Paine National Park. Today we have plunged into the history of the discovery of the Strait of Magellan and the first explorers of Patagonia. We are waiting for the departure, and we keep our fingers crossed for good weather. Antarctica is waiting. And in parallel with us, Alex Honold will go to Vinson, did everyone watch Jimmy Chin's movie "FreeSolo"?

Antarctica is a place to meet interesting people. You never know who you might meet on our super trips. And here is a new and completely unexpected surprise. At the Union Glacier base, we were met and greeted by the famous Will Smith. Pleasant acquaintance!

Will was in Antarctica in preparation for the show “Pole to Pole" of Walt Disney National Geographic.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Punta Arenas (Chile):

Our expedition to Antarctica on the Vinson Massif has ended. Of the 12 days, 8 had terrible weather. We fought with the wind, held flying tents, carried loads and took photos with frozen fingers. But the result is excellent, the whole team was standing on top of the highest mountain in Antarctica - Vinson Massif! The whole team rallied like one powerful fist. The team had participants from different countries: India, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Russia. This is a true friendship of peoples. Everyone helped everyone, worried, rejoiced together.  Great team!

As a result, the first Kyrgyz, Kadyr Nurmamatov, stood at the top of the Vinson Massif. And also the oldest Indian who completed the project "Seven Summits" - Sharad Kulkarni. And the second Indian woman who ascended the Vinson Massif is Anvita Padamati. The rest of the participants also climbed to the top, together with two guides Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

We arrived at the Base Camp at 6 am. We walked in the shadows. The temperature was around -30C. We walked all night. It was light, but cold.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

The weather is fine, visibility for a thousand kilometers, a light breeze. The whole team of the 7 Summits Club (at midnight Moscow time) it stands at the top of the Vinson Massif: 2 guides and 8 participants.

Now the team has gone down to the High Camp. And we continue the descent to the base camp. The weather is deteriorating.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

Hello everybody! Our team is at the High camp. We climbed here in 6 hours, having overcome 700 meters of fixed ropes. There is almost no wind here now. Beautiful weather. We set up tents and found all the equipment that we left last year. Now we have had dinner and are getting ready for bed. Tomorrow at 11 am we plan to start for the summit. For me, this should be the 19th summit of the Vinson Massif in my life. And for our main guide in Antarctica Artem Rostovtsev – the 11th. On December 17th we plan to return to the Base Camp.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

Yesterday our group had a rest day on Vinson Massif. The wind was blowing hard. Now we are going to the Assault camp (High Camp) with all the things. Tomorrow, according to the plan,  we will go to the summit of the Vinson Massif. Wish us good luck!

 President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

News from Antarctica from the Vinson-2 group. Today we made an acclimatization rotation  to an altitude of 3500 m.  The shadow comes to the Lower Camp (Low Camp) only at 3 a.m. and the cold period lasts until 10:30, so we had breakfast at 12:00. Then Artem Rostovtsev and Kadyr Nurmamatov started a high-speed ascent to the High Camp at 3800 m to check everything we have there. All the other seven participants and Alex Abramov climbed at their own pace a thousand meters along the railing rope. We took with us to the end of the ropes some equipment and food for the High Camp. Tomorrow we have a day of rest and preparation for the decisive days.

And on December 15th, our plan is to climb to the High Camp already to storm the summit. On the 16th - the summit, the 17th descent and, ideally, a flight to the Union Glacier base. On December 18, we have scheduled a flight to the Mainland.

 President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Antarctica:

Today our team moved from the Base Camp to the Low Camp in seven hours. The weather has finally improved. We set up tents, had lunch and are now getting ready for bed. Tomorrow, according to the plan, we climb to the end of the fixed ropes for acclimatization. And after that we will be ready to storm the summit.

 Photos from previous expeditions

A message from Antarctica dated December 10. Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Summits Club, reports:

Today our team observed bad weather at the Vinson Massif base camp. Some of the groups went to the upper camps. But we stayed because the forecast is bad. In the afternoon, Artem and Kadyr ran to the Low Camp camp, checked the depot. The rest of the participants were resting from yesterday's hike. We were playing chess when we suddenly heard a cry that the tent was flying away, one tent was blown away by the wind. We started fighting the squall. Hell. We rushed to sprinkle all the tents with snow for 50-60 cm around with a snow shaft. The wind was getting stronger.  An hour later, all the tents, including the dining room, presented the appearance of snow caves. The strongest hurricane is expected tonight. Then the wind will weaken. And we're going to Low Camp.

The guides of the 7 Summits Club are Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from the Union Glacier camp in Antarctica:

A message from Antarctica, from the Union Glacier camp. The Vinson-22 team.  Today we got up at 6 am.  At 7 o'clock the team went to the airport, where we were met by a comfortable Boeing. Each passenger here is entitled to 3 seats, a whole row. Therefore, our flight to Antarctica was successful, without any adventures. We flew over the Drake Strait for a long time and then saw through the portholes a snow-white continent surrounded by ice shelves and icebergs. On the edge were the mountains of Alexander Island.

The weather is really clear. Only a strong wind at high altitude. We landed gently, if you can say that about landing on bare ice. The Union Glacier camp was met with comfort and delicious food. Everyone happily began photographing Antarctica. Today they started sending groups to the Vinson Base Camp. We were supposed to take the second flight. We had lunch. The first two groups flew away.  And then they announce to us that today there is a strong wind at Vinson Base Camp and our flight is canceled. So we also had a delicious dinner. We put up our tents. And now we are getting ready for bed. We hope to fly to the mountains tomorrow morning. Guides Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from the plane:

A new style. Now we fly on a Boeing. That it is comfortable to sit. And even sleep. There were also no windows in Ilyushin. And now we will be able to photograph Antarctica and the Vinson Massif from an altitude of 10,000 m.

There are even flight attendants on the plane. They give nuts and show a movie. Amundsen and Scott's time is going away forever.

There will be no Internet for the next 2 weeks. And thank God! But we will send the news. Since the guides have 2 satellite communicators.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Chile:

So three days of the restaurant-excursion and packaging-gathering life of our team in the glorious and beloved city of Punta Arenas are coming to an end.  It is the southernmost city in South America. Everything is collected, PCR tests are passed, boarding passes are received.

Our team of 8 participants from 5 countries (India, Bulgaria, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Russia) is ready to fly to Antarctica on the Vinson Massif. Also, two participants are flying with us, whose goal is the South Pole. Tomorrow the flight is scheduled for 8 am. According to the forecast, the weather is windy. The guides of the 7 Summits Club are Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev.

President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Chile:

The season of expeditions of the 7 Summits Club in Antarctica begins. Guides Alexander Abramov and Artem Rostovtsev flew to the best city in South America, Punta Arenas. Lena Abramova was already waiting for us here. On the plane, quite by chance, we were sitting next to the owner of Adventure Consultants Guy Cotter. We have already met him many times in Antarctica and on Everest.

Now work is underway: to check and pack equipment, purchase products. Everything needs to be scrupulously checked and packed. After all, there are no shops in Antarctica, and if we forget something, no one will help us.

The day after tomorrow, December 4th, the first our team flies in. In it we have 8 participants on the Mount Vinson and 2 participants for ski trip to the South Pole. The season of Antarctica begins!  In the season there will be a second group to the highest peak of Antarctica - Vinson Massif, also 8 people, and two more participants will go to the highest volcano of Antarctica – Mount Sidley.

Guides Abramov Alexander and Artem Rostovtsev. And our permanent manager of Antarctica Lena Abramova.

Vladimir Kotlyar, guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Punta Arenas (Chile):  Aloha, everyone! The war ends by mutual consent, and the expedition ends when the guides board the last plane. That's why we're not done with Antarctic history yet. Sanya, Lena and I sort out the equipment, repair, dry the tents and, of course, drink a little wine at the same time.

All the participants of the expeditions went home safely.  They received diplomas and medals for their Antarctic achievements. 

In general, greetings to everyone from our already thinned, but still cool Antarctic expedition of the 7 Summits Club!

Alexander Brychkin, participant of the Vinson Massif ascent: The impossible is possible! At the edge of the earth, on the base of Union Glacier Antartica, I met our author - a great mountaineer and a wonderful person, Nirmal Purja, or simply Nims. He led a group with an Arab princess on the Vinson Massif and the South Pole.  We were also at the summit, but we missed each other by just a few days. It was easier for us because we had better weather.

Nims climbed all 14 eight-thousandths in 6 months, which was previously considered categorically impossible.

  From the notes of one of the participants of the Antarctic program of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Brychkin.  Alexander is one of the leading publishers and distributors of books in Russia.  It was only thanks to him that the translation of the book of Nims came out very quickly in our country.

Vladimir Kotlyar, a guide of the 7 Summits Club, from Antarctica:

Aloha, the 7 Summits Club! This is Vladimir Kotlyar and a group of climbers on the highest point of Antarctica, the Vinson Massif. As you already know, we reached to the top yesterday. All the participants have ascended, which they are very happy about. Today we went down to the base camp. We pitched tents, had a delicious meal, drank a little. We did another PCR test, well, this is already the reality of our trips and travels. And, in general, we had a good time.  We are preparing to fly to Union. I hope he will be here soon. But! Having learned from the experience of past expeditions, I did not allow us to drink all the available liquids in stock today. And we decided to divide them into four days. So as not to sit and not get bored waiting for the plane. But who knows, maybe the plane will be quite soon.  In general, everything is cool ... We send you warm hugs, strong handshakes from here, from Antarctica! The season can be considered over.

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

Hello! This is Vladimir Kotlyar. We climbed on the top of Mount Vinson and we have already descended. It is cool!  All members of our group, on January 13 at 7 pm Chilean time, we stood at the top. Everything is fine. Now we have already gone down to the Low Camp, have set up a camp. We fry burgers, drink pisco, in short, celebrate, normally. In three days we were able to reach the summit - it's cool! Greetings from us, big, big, and the warmest Antarctic hugs!