If we had stayed on the slopes for another couple of hours, we would have been hit by a squall wind that tore us off our feet. After the descent, the wind continued all night. Tents were torn. There was enlightenment in the morning, but the strong wind continued.

On August 23, there was a long and dangerous descent down through the so-called "bottleneck". The clouds did not allow us to see those terrible snow eaves that hung over us. A couple of hours and we exhaled, went down to a flat glacier. And then we walked 10 km along the glacier to the base camp on South. And there, finally, delicious food, a warm bed and a view of the beautiful Peak Pobeda (Victory)!!!

On August 24, departure to Karkara and transfer to Bishkek.

Guides: Viktor Volodin and Nikita Slotin.

Guides: Viktor Volodin and Nikita Slotin.

"Yesterday we moved from Bishkek to Karkara. Our road ran along the Chui Valley past the beautiful Issyk-Kul Lake (translated as "hot lake"). Today, our team flew by helicopter to the Khan Tengri base camp. We settled into our comfortable camp, had lunch and dismantled the equipment. Today we are resting, and tomorrow, as an acclimatization, we plan to walk higher to the Camp 1. Congratulations to everyone on the International Mountaineering Day! Group guides: Viktor Volodin and Nikita Slotin".

This year, the Central Tien Shan was extremely demanding of climbers, no one managed to climb Pobeda Peak at all. The ascents of Khan Tengri were difficult, they became a serious test for the climbers. The more valuable is the victory!

 Yesterday our "mega group" in number of 17 people arrived in Bishkek.  Our Plan is to go trekking to the base camp of the legendary peaks Khan-Tengri and Pobeda. But the plan is still far. While we drove all day, ate, slept, bathed in Issyk-Kul...

 A group of the 7 Summits Club continues to acclimatize, everything goes according to plan, it's okay. However, Andrey Podolyan is on his way home, as he went already to the summit and came down. This is normal, since Andrey arrived at the Tien Shan from Lenin Peak, that is, with a good acclimatization. 7 Summits Club congratulates him with the SUMMIT!

Today a group of the 7 Summits Club led by our guide Dmitry (Dima) Ermakov went down from the Saddle camp to the base camp South Inylchek. Unfortunately, without reaching the summit of Khan-Tengri. Four days of heavy snowfalls made a route very dangerous. But our climbers managed to went down safe. Now they rest and waiting for the home flight.

V.Shataev (EAMA), V.Yatsko (Ukraine), A.Horoshih (Russia), D.Grekov (Kyrgyzstan), K.Valiev, D.Muravev, B.Studenin, A.Timofeev (Kazakhstan), A.Skopin (Kazakhstan- Chief Secretary).

Competition is open to everyone, from all over the world. World title is quite official, but not all-world recognized yet.

Eurasian Association of Mountaineering and Climbing was founded in 1992 as the successor to the Mountaineering Federation of theUSSR. However, its work has long been modest. In recent years, an activity of EAMA significantly increased. Finally, they managed to normalize relations with the FAR and start a new life.

High-altitude mountaineering class World Championship 2012

1st place (7.00 points) - The team of Kazakhstan Mountaineering Federation: leader and head coach Vassily Pivtsov. Partners: Ildar Gabbasov, Alexander Sofrygin. For the ascent to the summit of Khan Tengri (6995 m). via the center of the North Face, 12-20 August. 6B grade.

“Without exaggerating, winter conditions in Northern Tien Shan are usually harder than in winter Karakoram,” said ExWeb's correspondent in Kazakhstan Andrey Verkhovod, who provided the news.

Members of CSKA (Kazakhstan Army Sports Club) Vaso, Alex and Ildar summited Khan Tengri (7010m) yesterday at 2:30pm local time, and made it safely back to C3 (at 5,900m on the col between Kang Tengri and Peak Chapaev) for the night.

Fast push up the northern route

The entire climb was done in full winter time and rather fast: the team was airlifted to Khan’s north side BC on Jan 8th, and set up the two lower camps during their acclimatization process up the normal northern route which, in spite of the “normal” tag, is rather hard: 5b in Soviet scale, and with the most difficult section (mixed terrain, a steep couloir and a wind-exposed ridge) from 6,700m to the top.

Expedition leader Maxut Zhumayev had to be airlifted back to Almaty due to acute pulmonary problems.

Vaso, Alex, Ildar and Dmitry Khonin launched the final summit push on January 16. They set up C3 on Jan 18 and spent the following day waiting out a wind storm. Three of the climbers topped out yesterday in very hard weather that forced back Dmitry. The climbers were expected back in BC today.

First time in the coldest month

After Pobeda, Khan Tengri is the second northernmost 7000er in the world. The only two previous winter summits on Khan Tengri (in 1993 and 2002) were achieved in February, when conditions are not as tough as January’s.

The expedition was mainly supported by Kazakhstani Ecological Union Tabigat, led by Mels Eliusizov, and hoped to raise attention towards the Winter Asian Games that are due to start on January 30, in Kazakhstan.

Photos from the party – full gallery is here >>>>>>>

Two participants of our expedition, Sergej Shekoldin and Andrej Ulin, deserve to be respected especially. They have reached the summit in spite of big difficulties like bad weather conditions and loss of experience.

I’d like also to thank our guides, Ura Lyabin and Dima Ermakov.

In the middle of expedition we were left by Sasha Victorov. He had decided that he didn’t have enough experience for such difficult ascent. In my opinion, his decision was reasonable. However, he managed to reach the Camp 2, and anyway that's something.

As for me, I haven’t reached the summit this time. When we left the assault camp at 4 o’clock in the morning after long waiting, I understood that I really felt terrible and couldn’t walk fast enough. That was the mountain sickness probably. It was pity and difficult to walk down. I felt disappointment… I hope I’ll have another chance to climb this mountain.

Yesterday they stayed in the base camp, and today they are going to fly away by helicopter. Then they will rest near Issyk Kul Lake for a few days.

Congratulations to all participants of the expedition! Their ascent has been successful.

Her group had been waiting in the assault camp since August, 6^th at a height of 5800 meters. They had been waiting for good weather for 3 nights. The weather improved at last and they started the ascent at 3 o’clock. Ludmila stayed in the camp, but she had communication with the group.

At 3 o’clock p.m. the group of 7 Summits Club reached the summit of Khan-Tengri. Four people took part in that ascent: Andrej Ulin, Sergej Shekoldin and guides Ura Liabin and Dmitrij Ermakov.

At the moment they are walking down to the camp. They are going to rest a little and then to continue descending to the side of South Inilchek.

We wish them safe descend!

On the other side of Asia, the group under direction of Ludmila Korobeshko started a trip to Khan-Tengri. Three our adventurers will have to pass two nights in intermediate camps before trying to reach the main summit. Weather forecast is far from ideal, but it is necessary to go and try to overcome…

Ludmila Korobeshko - guide of the group.

We had breakfast on Monday already in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. A dinner was on the shore of beautiful lake Issyk-Kul. In the evening we hope to be in Karkara, the starting point from which shall be airlifted to the base camp on the glacier Northern Inylchek.

Maps: click to enlarge

Members of the 7 Summits Club are also on the way to other seventhousanders of the Central Asia. Also at the beginning of the route. Victor Sedov, arrived at the foot of Lenin Peak, successfully overcoming an obstacle, called the town of Osh. In his post, he inform hat now the situation is calm. Valery Miasoedov went to Tajikistan, to climb Korjenevskaya Peak. He is in Jirgital Village now, already the fourth day, in anticipation of a helicopter into a base camp at The Glade of Moskvina. Approximately 100 people from different countries are also waiting for a helicopter. The bad news is that all are in complete ignorance, and when that happens.