South America - Page 14

The President of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Abramov reports from Colombia:

Greetings to all from Colombia!  The mountain part of our program started today. In the morning, we loaded into jeeps and drove up to the beginning of the route. Today we had to walk 11 km to the first location, La Argentina farm. We coped with the task and completed the route in a little more than 6 hours. The surrounding views are beautiful! Today we saw wax palms - the tallest in the world. We have already settled in, now we will have dinner and discuss plans for tomorrow. The mood is great, the team has become very friendly over these two days. Tomorrow we go higher, at 3800. We embrace everyone! The guides of the 7 Summits Club are Alex Abramov, Boris Egorov and Svetlana Kotlyar.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Svetlana Kotlyar reports from Colombia:

Hello to the 7 Summits Club from Colombia! Today we left the capital of Colombia and moved to Salento, a small provincial town in the Colombian Andes. After arriving by jeep, we moved to the Finka del Ocaso coffee farm, where we learned a lot about the traditions of coffee cultivation. We collected coffee beans and tried to brew Colombian coffee on their own.

After checking into the hotel, we were preparing for the upcoming expedition — we bought rubber boots.  Tomorrow we will start in the mountains! Follow the news!

Group guides: Alex Abramov, Boris Egorov and Svetlana Kotlyar.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Dmitry Semenov reports from Argentina:

Greetings from Argentina, from the group "Tango and Cash"! Today our group reached a height of 4000m.   We took a walk towards Plaza Francia, which is located under the Southern Face of Aconcagua. After staying there for about an hour, we started the descent. The weather today was "for us", without wind and sunny. Everyone is resting now. Tomorrow we will have a difficult trek to our base camp Plaza de Mulas 4300m.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Svetlana Kotlyar reports from Colombia:

Hola amigos! Hello everyone from sunny Bogota! Today our group gathered in full 16 people in the capital of Colombia!

In the morning we walked around the historical center of Bogota. We walked around the central square of the city — Plaza de Bolivar, built in the early 19th century. Life is in full swing here at any time of the day: street performers, numerous fruit stalls, ice cream shops, souvenir shops, coffee shops with delicious coffee, vendors of handicrafts from banknotes and sellers of fried ants — a local delicacy.

After lunch we visited one of the best places in Bogota — Mount Montserrat. Here, at an altitude of 3100, there is an observation deck with a view of the whole city. We visited the temple dedicated to the Black Madonna of Montserrat, watched hummingbirds, and then tasted coca leaf tea in one of the cafes. They say that it helps the body to adapt better to altitude. Well, we'll check it out in a couple of days!

In the evening, we celebrated the arrival of all the team members for a festive dinner, and at the same time congratulated our guide — Boris Egorov on his birthday!

Tomorrow we change the location, leave the already beloved Bogota and fly to Salento for an excursion to one of the coffee farms. And from there the mountain part of our program will begin.

The guides of the 7 Summits Club were with you: Alex Abramov, Boris Egorov and Svetlana Kotlyar.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Dorojukov reports from Argentina:

Hello from sunny Argentina, from the group "Tango and Cash"! Our team entered Aconcagua National Park today. The weather is hot, beautiful views, a dusty road - everything is as we like. In general, we started our climbing program.

Guides Alexander Dorojukov and Dmitry Semenov.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Svetlana Kotlyar reports from Colombia:

Greetings to all from Colombia from Alex Abramov, Borya Egorov and Sveta Kotlyar!  Our adventures in Colombia have begun! Today we arrived in Bogota and met the first participants. We checked into a very nice authentic hotel “Hotel de la Opera". We solved all the organizational issues and in the evening celebrated the arrival in the capital of Colombia at a local restaurant.

The main part of the team arrives tomorrow, we have 16 participants in total. The program is as rich as possible: over the next two weeks we will plunge into the metropolitan atmosphere of Bogota, climb the most beautiful volcano Nevado Del Tolima, visit an Indian city lost in the jungle, visit coffee plantations and relax on the Caribbean coast.

Follow the news!

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Dmitry Semenov reports from Argentina:

Hello, from sunny Argentina, from the group "Tango and Cash"! Today we left the hospitable, but very hot Mendoza, and moved to our first camp - in Puente del Inca.  It is located in front of the entrance to the Aconcagua National Park. Today we visited a local landmark, the Inca Bridge. In the evening we are preparing for tomorrow's start of walking. Good luck to everyone in the mountains! Guides Alexander Dorojukov and Dmitry Semenov.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias to everyone!  On February 6, the Campeones group in full force ascended on the highest point of the Americas - Aconcagua.  Now the whole group is already at the Plaza de Mulas base camp and tomorrow we are going to Mendoza, where all the participants of the ascent will be awarded. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin, Viktor Volodin and Valery Myasoedov.

The climbing season in Chile for Ojos del Salado 2023 has ended.  This is the highest volcano in South America with a height of 6893 meters, which is part of the project "Seven Volcanoes", ascents of the 7 highest volcanoes of each continent.  Thanks to this project, the mountain is popular and this year about 50 people from Russia rushed to it.

I want to sum up the results of the season of the 7 Summits Club.  In total, 32 participants entrusted their fate to us, of which 30 people reached the top of Ojos del Salado. These are 4 groups with 6 guides.  I want to clarify, they have reached the real top of the mountain. The highest point: 6893m.

Why I am writing about this: recently there has been a fashion not to reach the top of volcanic mountains and, having reached the lowest point of the crater, announce that the group has reached the summit. Like, geographers consider the entire edge of the crater to be the top. This is what has been practiced by many on Ojos del Salado in recent years. After reaching the edge of the crater, which is 150m below the summit, the guides tell the clients that they have climbed  the summit. And the real summit is still the hardest and most dangerous 2 hours of work.

I want to state responsibly: mountain climbers have always called the highest point the summit of the mountain, and before reaching the highest point, you can not say that you have climbed to the summit. This is a deception of yourself and others. I myself climbed the summit of Ojos del Salado only in my 3rd expedition to this mountain. In total, I have more than 10 ascents to Ojos and each ascent is a very tough struggle with myself and nature. And most importantly, with the desire, having reached the edge of the crater and to turn down.

The mountain is deceptively simple due to the fact that the height of 5900 can be reached by car. A very treacherous mountain, on which two weeks of active acclimatization are required. The mistake of many teams and novice guides is underestimating the complexity of this mountain.

Every climber is free to interrupt his ascent at any height.  You can even talk about "conquering" the mountain without reaching the highest point. But from the point of view of the implementation of the project "Seven Volcanoes", there can be no two opinions. Did not reach the highest point – "no credit"! So all those who have not climbed to the real summit of Ojos del Salado this year, we invite you to finish what you started next year.  What do you think? Is it possible, without reaching the highest point of the mountain, to claim that he has ascended to the summit?

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

The Quatro Mosqueteros team successfully climbed the Ojos del Salado volcano. Both goals of the expedition were achieved - the first was Aconcagua.  It started snowing at the top  part of the route, but we were able to get to the main peak. Thank you all!

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias from the slopes of Aconcagua! The Campeones group spent the night on Nido de Condores, at 5600 meters. And to consolidate acclimatization, we went to the Colera camping place, to see the assault camp, from where all the groups go out to summit climb. After that we returned to the Plaza de Mulas.  Next, according to the plan, there will be a day of rest and recuperation.  The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club, Alexander Dorojukov, reports from Argentina:

Greetings from Argentina, from the group "7000 above the ground"!  Our group completed the program and safely descended to Mendoza.  Here the guides handed over certificates of ascent to the participants. Now we are warming up in a hot city and waiting for the next participants.  Guides Dmitry Semenov and Alexander Dorojukov.

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

Greetings to all from the group "Four Musketeers"! Already from Chile. Yesterday we descended from the Aconcagua base camp and moved quickly and comfortably to the north of Chile at night. To the Atacama Desert, where we were warmly welcomed by the hot city of Copiapo. Only  for a while, because it's time for us to go to the heart of the desert, where the next goal of the expedition is waiting - the Ojos del Salado volcano.

Guide of the 7 Summits Club Valery Myasoedov from Argentina:

What is better:  a morning cup of coffee or an evening glass of wine?  At the Base Camp of the 7 Summits Club on Aconcagua, at an altitude of 4,300 m, our participants do not have such a dilemma, because there is an opportunity to enjoy both. Malbec and Chardonnay are traditionally served for dinner, but we took care of the morning coffee ourselves. The organization of the process took some time. We have purchased a capsule Nespresso coffee machine, with a choice of 10 varieties of natural coffee for every taste.  Not every Mendoza coffee shop has such an assortment!   At the same time, we have a separate solar panel that feeds only our coffee machine. Do you think it was worth doing such a laborious process for a cup of coffee in the morning?  We didn't even have such a question. We always think about how to make the stay of our participants in the expedition as comfortable as possible. And again, no company on the Plaza de Mulas has such a service. So our friends, neighbors and the staff of the Aconcagua Vision kitchen come to us to enjoy a fragrant drink. And maybe you will have time this season? Well, if it doesn't work out in this, then welcome to the next one!... Bienvenidos a Argentina! From Aconcagua Base Camp Valery Myasoedov.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias! The Campeones group continues to acclimatize and prepare for the ascent on Aconcagua. Yesterday we went 5000 meters to the Plaza Canada.  Everyone is in a fighting mood. The weather is beautiful.  Along the way, we radioed with the groups of the 7 Summits Club, who climbed to the top that day.  Today we are resting. And tomorrow we go to Nido de Condores with an overnight stay. We will master a new height - 5600 meters. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Alexander Dorojukov sends from Argentina:

Greetings from Argentina from the group "7000 above ground"!  We have successfully climbed our peak, which is the highest for the two Americas and is included in the list of "Seven Summits". We immediately escaped from the mountain to the base camp. Guides Dmitry Semenov and Alexander Dorojukov.

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

Hello to all from the Quatro Mosqueteros group! Yesterday we had the summit. Despite the so-so forecast with strong winds along the top, the weather yesterday was almost exceptionally perfect and, for our part, did not prevent us from going to the mountain in any way. Moreover, in full force. The Musketeers did not think it was enough to walk to the top and they decided not to stay in the assault camp on the descent, but to go straight down to the base camp - Plaza de Mulas. Today we come to our senses, blow off the dust from the equipment.

Tomorrow he goes down and we move to Chile to Atacama, to our next goal - the volcano Ojos del Salado. Active assistance in the ascent was provided by another guide of the 7 Summits Club, Valera Myasoedov, who played the role of de Treville.

Nikita Slotin, the guide of the 7 Summits Club, reports from Chile:

Greetings from Chile from the group "Malaquitas"!  On January 29, the group (2 participants and 2 guides) reached the summit of the world's highest volcano Ojos del Salado at 15:40 local time! At 4 a.m. we left the shelter Tejos. We were the only ones on the mountain. According to the forecast, a wind of 45 km/ h was promised, but it was almost calm, and when the sun came out, it became quite warm! We admired the starry sky, met the dawn and slowly climbed the crater. Well, then the girls were waiting for a surprise in the form of a rocky summit tower, which they will not soon forget! Using the technique of a short rope, we quickly climbed up, took some photos, enjoyed the views and ran down as soon as it was light! At 19:30 we were already sitting in the car and driving down! Today we go down to the ocean shore, there are scallops...

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias! The Campeones group took a walk on the day of rest to the Casper House - that's what we called the abandoned hotel.  It took half an hour to walk from the base camp. We took pictures, looked at Aconcagua, and returned to the camp. Tomorrow we go to Plaza Canada, it's 5000 meters. We begin high-altitude acclimatization. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.

The guide of the 7 Summits Club Andrey Berezin reports from Argentina:

Buenos Dias! The Campeones group made a long march from the Confluencia camp to the Plaza de Mulas camp. There, as always, we were hospitably welcomed. The next day, according to the plan, we have a rest and a short walk to the abandoned hotel. The guides of the group are Andrey Berezin and Viktor Volodin.