Alexander Abramov climbing Everest. Real adventure

Everest tested his strength for a long time, conquering only on the fifth attempt. He never stops at what he has achieved, and has dozens of other conquered peaks behind him. He is the only one, he is Alexander Abramov.

Of his 53 years, Alexander Abramov has been professional mountaineering for 36 years. By his own admission, he spent a total of more than 10 years of his life directly in the mountains. Catching him on the plain, and especially in Moscow, is a huge success. We recorded this interview over several days, when Alexander had free minutes between training sessions for the next group, which he was preparing to climb Everest.

PERFECT: Alexander, the list of your sporting achievements is truly impressive: multiple medalist of the championships of the USSR, Russia, Moscow and even Ukraine, master of sports, multiple conqueror of Everest... But your relationship with the highest point on the planet was, to put it mildly, not easy. Do you remember how hard he tried to submit to you?
A.A.: Everest and I really had our eye on each other for quite some time. In 1991, I became the champion of the USSR and received the title of master of sports. In 1992, I was first invited to join the Russian team that was preparing to climb Everest. They don’t think about such proposals for a long time, because Everest is the peak of any climber’s career. The selection was tough: out of 19 candidates, only 5 people ended up making it to the team. However, that year I never climbed Everest, mainly due to insufficiently deep acquaintance with the specifics of the Himalayas.
My next expedition to the Himalayas was already in 1997, and in it I acted as a cameraman. I was 100% convinced that after 5 years, when I had become fairly mature and gained experience, Chomolungma would definitely submit to me, but I was frankly unlucky with the weather, and besides, a tragic incident occurred with the leader of the expedition.
I made my next attempt to conquer Everest in 1999, organizing an expedition in which I myself acted as a guide. Our goal then was not Chomolungma, but the sixth highest mountain peak in the world - Cho Oyu (8188 meters above sea level). We went very successfully (the whole team came), and this gave us strength and confidence that Everest would definitely be conquered next year.
In 2000, we quickly found sponsorship money, organized an expedition, but made a mistake with the weather, and we also had absolutely useless Sherpas. As a result, out of three attempts to climb, only one was successful, when one of the members of our expedition finally conquered Everest, but again it was not me.
The next attempt to climb took place in 2003, when I led the first commercial expedition in our country, which went to Everest with my own money. To say that it was hard is to say nothing. We had to save on almost everything except safety. We set up all the intermediate camps ourselves, carried things ourselves (again, no luck with the Sherpas). That year, 3 out of 12 people reached the summit, and again I was not among them.
And in 2004, Everest finally decided to give up. On the fifth try. Over the next 13 years, I climbed the highest peak of the world 7 more times and conquered the highest mountain peaks of all continents, including Antarctica - as they say in our circles, I entered the club of conquerors of the seven peaks.

PERFECT: To be honest, it’s just a fantastic story for an engineer by training who has been destined to solder boards all his life.
A.A.: Yes, according to my diploma, I am no less than an engineer-electrophysicist, I graduated from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute, but I worked in my specialty for 2 years and 2 months, after which I went to the mountains with a scandal and never returned.

PERFECT: If we leave professional athletes out of the equation, who is most drawn to the mountains?
A.A.: As a rule, these are men who have already achieved a certain position in society, aged 40 or so.
The issue of financial support for their family has long been resolved. Almost everyone has a stable business. The children are almost grown up. An apartment has been purchased, a dacha has been built, traveling abroad is not a problem. The problem is to find a point on the map where you have not been before. So what should such a person do?
Build another country house, buy a fifth car, have another child? All this, of course, is not bad, but it has already happened. And at some point the thought comes that it’s worth trying something completely new. That is why successful and respectable people suddenly begin to get involved in parachuting, participate in rallies and go to the mountains.

PERFECT: If we talk about climbing Everest not as a sporting achievement, but as a commercial service, how much could such an extreme experience cost?
A.A.: The price range is very wide. You can find an offer for 15 thousand dollars, and for 50, and for 100. The only difference is that the first product is addressed to professional athletes who are ready to pay for a minimum set of services, doing most of the work themselves, the second - to experienced climbers who they are no less willing to pay extra for comfort, and the third is addressed to climbers with 2-3 years of experience, who, however, wanted to safely conquer the highest point on the planet.

PERFECT: Probably the most inconvenient question of all is that in the mountains, by and large, it’s every man for himself. The slopes of Everest, the further you go, the more they resemble a cemetery. Why do climbers often pass by people who are dying or in difficult situations? Is it an inability to help or an unwillingness to expose oneself to additional risk?
A.A.: I will speak exclusively for myself. Let's simulate the situation. I am leading a group of 10 people to the summit, each of whom has been preparing for this ascent for 3 years. We are perfectly equipped, we have oxygen, trusted Sherpas, and suddenly on the route we meet a poor fellow, with practically nothing, who decided to conquer Everest alone, relatively speaking, in slippers, and is now resting on a rock, realizing that he has no There was no strength or opportunity left to either reach the top or go down. I understand the situation he is in, but can I tell the people I am leading that, guys, now we are all carrying this poor fellow down together, because he had neither the mind nor the money to properly prepare for the ascent, Shall we get up ourselves sometime later? Of course no. The only thing I can do and will definitely do is try to help a climber in a difficult situation on the way back.

PERFECT: Who does Everest love more, men or women? And how do you feel about the fact that women, just like men, risk their lives and conquer eight-thousanders?
A.A.: It’s better to ask Lyudmila Korobeshko, who during her mountaineering life has conquered more than 70 of the world’s highest peaks, including Everest. Grief, by and large, does not care who climbs it. The main thing is: a strong person or a weak person, hardy or not, stress-resistant or prone to panic attacks. From my own experience I can say that sometimes women are stronger than men. Not girls, but women. It would seem that it’s incredibly difficult, the men are already full, they’re out of breath, they’re walking with all their strength, but she’s still holding on just fine. I ask how it is, it’s hard... And she answers: “It was hard to give birth, but now it’s bearable”...

All the media in the world went around the selfie taken on the top of Everest itself! Canadian climber Dean Carrere captured himself on the “roof of the world” - against the backdrop of rocks, clouds and piles of garbage brought by his predecessors...

But the slopes of the majestic Everest (or Chomolungma) are strewn not only with waste, but also with the bodies of those for whom the ascent turned out to be their last. The extreme conditions at the top of the world's tallest mountain make it a literal mountain of death. And everyone who goes on an assault remembers that they may not come back.

Night temperatures here drop to minus 60 degrees! Closer to the top, hurricane winds blow at speeds of up to 50 m/s: at such moments the frost is felt by the human body as minus 100! Plus, the extremely rarefied atmosphere at such an altitude contains extremely little oxygen, literally on the border of deadly limits. Under such loads, even the most resilient people’s hearts suddenly stop, and equipment often fails—for example, the valve of an oxygen cylinder may freeze. The slightest mistake is enough to lose consciousness and, having fallen, never rise again...

At the same time, you can hardly expect that someone will come to your rescue. The climb to the legendary peak is fantastically difficult, and only true fanatics meet here. As one of the participants in the Russian Himalayan expedition, Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering Alexander Abramov, put it, “The corpses on the route are a good example and a reminder that we need to be more careful on the mountain. But every year there are more and more climbers, and according to statistics, the number of corpses will increase every year. What is unacceptable in normal life is considered normal at high altitudes.”

Local residents - Sherpas, naturally adapted to life in these harsh conditions, are hired as guides and porters for climbers. Their services are simply irreplaceable - they provide fixed ropes, delivery of equipment, and, of course, rescue. But in order for them to come to the rescue, money is needed. If the Sherpas work for those who cannot pay, they themselves will find themselves in dire straits.

Sherpas at work.

These people risk themselves every day so that even moneybags unprepared for difficulties can get their share of the experiences they want to get for their money.

Climbing Everest is a very expensive pleasure, costing from $25,000 to $60,000. Those who are trying to save money sometimes have to pay extra on this bill with their very lives... There are no official statistics, but according to those who returned, on the slopes of Everest forever At least 150 people are laid to rest, and perhaps all 200...

Groups of climbers pass by the frozen bodies of their predecessors: at least eight unburied corpses lie near the common trails on the northern route, ten more on the southern route, recalling the serious danger that befalls a person in these places. Some of the unfortunate people were just as eager to reach the top, but fell and crashed, someone froze to death, someone lost consciousness from lack of oxygen... And it is highly not recommended to deviate from the trodden routes - you will stumble, and no one will follow you to the rescue, risking his own life. Death Mountain does not forgive mistakes, and people here are as indifferent to misfortune as rocks.

Below is the supposed corpse of the very first climber to conquer Everest, George Mallory, who died on the descent. “Why are you going to Everest?” - they asked Mallory. - “Because he exists!”

In 1924, the Mallory-Irving team began an assault on the great mountain. The last time they were seen was only 150 meters from the top, seen through binoculars in a break in the clouds... They did not return back, and the fate of the first Europeans who climbed so high remained a mystery for many decades.

One of the climbers in 1975 claimed that he saw someone's frozen body to the side, but did not have the strength to reach it. And only in 1999, one of the expeditions came across a cluster of bodies of dead climbers on a slope to the west of the main route. There they found Mallory lying on his stomach, as if hugging a mountain, his head and arms frozen into the slope.

His partner Irving was never found, although the bandage on Mallory's body suggests that the pair were with each other until the very end. The rope was cut with a knife. Probably, Irving could move longer and, leaving his comrade, died somewhere lower down the slope.

The bodies of the dead climbers remain here forever; no one is going to evacuate them. Helicopters cannot reach such a height, and few people are capable of carrying the considerable weight of a dead body...

The unfortunate are left lying without burial on the slopes. The icy wind gnaws bodies down to the bones, leaving an absolutely terrible sight... As the history of recent decades has shown, extreme sports enthusiasts obsessed with records will calmly pass by not only corpses, but on the icy slope there is a real “law of the jungle”: those who are still alive are left without help .

So in 1996, a group of climbers from a Japanese university did not interrupt their climb to Everest because their Indian colleagues were injured in a snow storm. No matter how they begged for help, the Japanese passed by. On the descent they found those Indians already frozen to death...

In May 2006, another amazing incident occurred: 42 climbers passed by the freezing Briton one after another, including a Discovery Channel film crew... and no one helped him, everyone was in a hurry to accomplish their own “feat” of conquering Everest!

Briton David Sharp, who climbed the mountain on his own, died due to the fact that his oxygen tank failed at an altitude of 8500 meters. Sharpe was no stranger to the mountains, but suddenly left without oxygen, he felt ill and fell on the rocks in the middle of the northern ridge. Some of those who passed by claim that it seemed to them that he was simply resting.

But the media around the world glorified New Zealander Mark Inglis, who that day climbed to the roof of the world on prosthetics made of hydrocarbon fiber. He was one of the few to admit that Sharpe had indeed been left to die on the slope: “At least our expedition was the only one that did something for him: our Sherpas gave him oxygen. About 40 climbers passed by him that day, and no one did anything.”

David Sharp didn't have much money, so he went to the summit without the help of Sherpas, and he had no one to call for help. Probably, if he were richer, this story would have had a happier ending.

Climbing Everest.

David Sharp shouldn't have died. It would be enough if the commercial and non-commercial expeditions that went to the summit agreed to save the Englishman. If this did not happen, it was only because there was no money or equipment. If he had someone left at the base camp who could order and pay for evacuation, the Briton would have survived. But his funds were only enough to hire a cook and a tent at the base camp.

At the same time, commercial expeditions are regularly organized to Everest, allowing completely unprepared “tourists”, very old people, the blind, people with severe disabilities and other owners of deep wallets to reach the summit.

Still alive, David Sharp spent a terrible night at an altitude of 8500 meters in the company of "Mr. Yellow Boots"... This is the corpse of an Indian climber in bright boots, lying for many years on a ridge in the middle of the road to the summit.

A little later, guide Harry Kikstra was assigned to lead a group that included Thomas Weber, who had vision problems, a second client, Lincoln Hall, and five Sherpas. They left the third camp at night under good climatic conditions. Gulping oxygen, two hours later they came across the body of David Sharp, walked around him with disgust and continued on their way to the top.

Everything went according to plan, Weber climbed on his own using the railing, Lincoln Hall moved forward with two Sherpas. Suddenly, Weber's vision dropped sharply, and just 50 meters from the top, the guide decided to end the climb and headed back with his Sherpa and Weber. They slowly descended... and suddenly Weber became weak, lost coordination, and died, falling into the hands of the guide in the middle of the ridge.

Hall, who was returning from the summit, also radioed to Kikstra that he was not feeling well, and Sherpas were sent to help him. However, Hall collapsed at a height and could not be revived for nine hours. It was beginning to get dark, and the Sherpas were ordered to take care of their own salvation and descend.

Rescue operation.

Seven hours later, another guide, Dan Mazur, who was traveling with clients to the summit, came across Hall, who, to his surprise, was alive. After he was given tea, oxygen and medicine, the climber found enough strength to talk on the radio to his group at the base.

Rescue work on Everest.

Since Lincoln Hall is one of the most famous "Himalayans" of Australia, a member of the expedition that opened one of the paths on the northern side of Everest in 1984, he was not left without help. All the expeditions located on the northern side agreed among themselves and sent ten Sherpas after him. He escaped with frostbitten hands - a minimal loss in such a situation. But David Sharp, abandoned on the trail, had neither a big name nor a support group.

Transportation.

But the Dutch expedition left a climber from India to die - just five meters from their tent, leaving him while he was still whispering something and waving his hand...

But often many of those who died are themselves to blame. A well-known tragedy that shocked many occurred in 1998. Then a married couple died - Russian Sergei Arsentiev and American Frances Distefano.

They reached the summit on May 22, using absolutely no oxygen. Thus, Frances became the first American woman and only the second woman in history to conquer Everest without oxygen. During the descent, the couple lost each other. For the sake of this record, Francis already lay exhausted for two days on the descent on the southern slope of Everest. Climbers from different countries passed by the frozen but still alive woman. Some offered her oxygen, which she refused at first, not wanting to spoil her record, others poured several sips of hot tea.

Sergei Arsentyev, without waiting for Francis in the camp, went in search. The next day, five Uzbek climbers walked to the top past Frances - she was still alive. The Uzbeks could help, but to do this they would have to give up the climb. Although one of their comrades has already climbed the peak, and in this case the expedition is already considered successful.

On the descent we met Sergei. They said they saw Frances. He took oxygen cylinders - and did not return; most likely, he was blown away by a strong wind into a two-kilometer abyss.

The next day there are three other Uzbeks, three Sherpas and two from South Africa, a total of 8 people! They approach her lying down - she has already spent the second cold night, but is still alive! And again everyone passes by, to the top.

British climber Ian Woodhall recalls: “My heart sank when I realized that this man in the red and black suit was alive, but completely alone at an altitude of 8.5 km, just 350 meters from the summit. Katie and I, without thinking, turned off the route and tried to do everything possible to save the dying woman. Thus ended our expedition, which we had been preparing for years, begging money from sponsors... We did not immediately manage to get to it, although it was close. Moving at such a height is the same as running under water...

Having discovered her, we tried to dress the woman, but her muscles atrophied, she looked like a rag doll and kept muttering: “I am an American. Please don’t leave me”... We dressed her for two hours,” Woodhall continues his story. “I realized: Katie is about to freeze to death herself.” We had to get out of there as quickly as possible. I tried to pick Frances up and carry her, but it was no use. My futile attempts to save her put Katie at risk. There was nothing we could do.

Not a day went by that I didn't think about Frances. A year later, in 1999, Katie and I decided to try again to reach the top. We succeeded, but on the way back we were horrified to notice Frances' body, lying exactly as we had left her, perfectly preserved by the cold temperatures.

No one deserves such an end. Katie and I promised each other that we would return to Everest again to bury Frances. It took 8 years to prepare the new expedition. I wrapped Frances in an American flag and included a note from my son. We pushed her body into the cliff, away from the eyes of other climbers. Now she rests in peace. Finally I was able to do something for her."

A year later, the body of Sergei Arsenyev was found: “We definitely saw him - I remember a purple down suit. He was in a sort of bowing position, lying...in the Mallory area at approximately 27,150 feet (8,254 m). I think this is him,” writes Jake Norton, a member of the 1999 expedition.

But in the same 1999 there was a case when people remained people. A member of the Ukrainian expedition spent a cold night almost in the same place as the American. His team brought him down to the base camp, and then more than 40 people from other expeditions helped. As a result, he got off lightly with the loss of four fingers.

Japanese Miko Imai, veteran of Himalayan expeditions:
“In such extreme situations, everyone has the right to decide: to save or not to save a partner... Above 8000 meters you are completely occupied with yourself and it is quite natural that you do not help another, since you have no extra strength.”

Alexander Abramov, Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering:
“You can’t continue climbing, maneuvering between corpses, and pretend that this is in the order of things!”

Alexander Abramov, climber who conquered Everest 5 times.

Adventure tourism is generally a very complex thing. Here they sell you not services, but an adventure. Because if they say that you have a 4-star hotel and a double room, then at least it will have 4 stars written on it and it will be a double room. And when they tell you “Climbing a mountain while staying in tents”... Yes, there will be tents, but how will they stand - covered with snow or on a rocky ledge... If the ceiling collapses in your hotel room, it will probably be a big scandal. And if your tent is torn apart by a strong wind, it will be a real adventure. And you will sit and sew it up with frozen hands and will not be able to say, “I didn’t pay twenty thousand for this.” On the other hand, tomorrow you will have to get up and walk uphill through the snowstorm, whether you like it or not, because this particular transition on this very day has already been paid for. And tomorrow there will be another one.

I have been participating in the “7 Summits” project for almost 10 years. First, the task was for us, a group of climbers, to climb the highest peak of each continent. Now we go as guides.

I once came up with this formula for myself, although now I began to doubt it a little: “We go to the mountains so as not to think about the meaning of life.” When you’re getting ready for the mountains, you think: “My, how difficult it is, you need to get ready, so many things haven’t been done yet,” you board the plane, remember some other things... But then you wake up in the morning, look out the window, see the mountains and you think: how good it is that I’m here, and everything that happened before was an ant scamper - I didn’t call someone, I didn’t warn someone, I owe someone some money... Well, it’s okay, it’ll wait. And the mountains are exactly the place where you were supposed to go. Two weeks ago I returned from Antarctica, where I climbed the Vinson Massif three times with different groups. And only now I have gradually begun to return to normal life.

What I liked about Antarctica is that there is amazing silence there - no sounds, no one around. You are alone, as if in space. Nobody will come to you. Nobody will help. Vast open spaces, pure snow. This unique continent is a world heritage. You understand this and carefully clean up your trash. Because the candy wrapper, abandoned and frozen, will lie here for centuries. There are no germs here and the garbage does not decompose. There is practically no snow in Antarctica - there is no humidity there, moisture does not evaporate. And the snow that is already there is driven by the wind across the continent.

There is also pure ice - blue ice. A huge plane, IL 76, arrives, lands on the ice and cannot stop - it carries for several kilometers, it can turn 360 degrees, the brakes do nothing. Our crew is Russian. And when the plane takes off, it passes over the climbers’ camp at the lowest possible altitude, the pilots turn on the afterburners, and fly over us with a terrible roar - they speak out. And when the plane flies away, we all stand and think: “Yes, if it doesn’t fly back, then everyone who remains here is screwed.” Because we are located in the center of the mainland, the nearest coast is 1000 km away, and everyone has a supply of food for a maximum of a month. In winter it gets cold up to 80 degrees. In the summer, the sun never sets there, but in the morning it’s -20 in the tent. And it’s better not to wake up at all before noon. It's cold all the time. To cope with the cold, you need to eat a very heavy lunch every two hours. It’s such a dog’s life when they kick you out of the house and don’t even let you into the entrance to warm up. People who go there know about it. And they pay 25 thousand dollars for two weeks in Antarctica.

Yes, it costs clients a lot. But at the same time, guides work almost for free. What is it - commerce or charity? It seems to me that only oil can be sold commercially. And when you organize trips, you spend so much effort and time on it that if you were engaged, for example, in trading, you would earn much more during this time. But I do this from the heart, because I like it, it’s a way of life, it’s interesting. True, when you travel as a tourist, this is one thing, but when you work... You work everywhere - in Russia, in America, in Africa, in Antarctica... You take Russians, foreigners. And you begin to understand that it doesn’t matter where you are at the moment. Let's say I fly to Punta Arenas, go to an Internet cafe and continue communicating with my clients who are preparing for Everest. And I realized with horror that I no longer cared which country I lived in.Just a few years ago I was a patriot, and when they asked me why I didn’t go to another country, I answered: “Who needs me there? There are plenty of their own people there, but here is my homeland, here everything is mine. And the rest of the world is foreign to me.” And now I am beginning to understand that any country is both foreign and native, that the whole world is structured the same - everywhere people are trying to survive, earn money, have fun, try to do good to someone or deceive someone... Borders are gradually erased mentality. No, I will not become one of the Americans or Argentines. I will be a stranger everywhere. And in Russia too.

Prepared by Natalya Zyryanova

He climbed in the mountains of Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, France, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, USA, Argentina, Indonesia, Tanzania, Nepal, Tibet, Crimea (Ukraine), Guinea, Alaska.

Bidzina Gudzhabidze
Born in 1960, mining engineer-geologist, mountain guide, rescuer, trainer, snow leopard. Married, four children. In the mountains since 1979. He made ascents in the Caucasus, the Pamirs, the Tien Shan, the Alps, the Himalayas, Alaska, etc. He was the captain of the ZAKVO (Transcaucasian Military District) team, coach of the same team, multiple champion and prize-winner of the Allied Armed Forces Championships. He took part in rescue operations in the mountains, worked in areas of natural disasters and ethnic conflicts (Earthquake in Armenia, in Georgia, Ethnic conflicts in Georgia - in the rescue service of the Red Cross). He is the author of several films (cinematographer), which were awarded high awards and prizes at the Moscow International Mountain Film Festival. Hobby - photography.
Altitude climbs:
P. K. Marx, 1984
Lenin Peak, 1987
Peak of the Revolution, 1988
Korzhenevskaya Peak, 1990 1991 (twice)
Peak of Communism, 1990 (twice)
Engels Peak, 1991
Khan Tengri, 1993 (three times, race 15 hours), 1997 (twice), 2002 (twice)
Mustag-ata 1994 (twice)
Dhaulagiri, 1995
McKinley, 1996
Manaslu, Himalaya. (Unsuccessful expedition), 1998
Everest, from the south, 1999
Lhotse Ch. 2000
Pobeda Peak, 1997, 2002 (twice)
(16 seven-thousanders, 3 eight-thousanders)
He has made numerous technical ascents of the 5th and 6th categories in different areas of the world.

Pushkarev Vladimir Alexandrovich
Noyabrsk
Email [email protected]
Year of birth: 02/22/1973 Married, two children.
Climbing:
1999 Lenin Peak (head of Dokukin, Tashkent)
2000 Lenin Peak
2001 McKinley (team members Viktor Bobok, Oleg Solovey, Valera Moiseenko, Irina Vyalenkova)
2002 Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Island peak (6189)
Goal Climbing Everest (8848) (total goal seven peaks). Interests and hobbies Video shooting, photography. Participant of the mountain film festival "Vertical" in the amateur category: 1. "7134" (2001) 2. Climbing Denali (2002). Awarded for best direction and musical design. Directed by E. Kuzin.

Moskalev Dmitry
1st sports category in mountaineering, 40 years old. A student of the MAI Alpclub. Mountaineering instructor. Made more than 100 ascents of varying difficulty.
Significant ascents in recent years:
1998 - Climbing Mount McKinley (6194m), USA, Alaska, to an altitude of 6000m.
1999 - Climbing Mount McKinley (6194m), USA, Alaska.
2000 - participant in the expedition to Mount Lhotse (8516m), Nepal, up to an altitude of 7200m.
2001 - Climbing Khan Tengri peak (6995m).
2002 - Climbing Shisha-pangma (8013m), China, Tibet
He climbed in the mountains of France, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, USA, Nepal, Tibet, Crimea (Ukraine), Alaska. Job: General Director of "MONT-Distribution" Hobbies: family, guitar, skiing.

Sergey Larin
39 years old, engineer, businessman. Candidate Master of Sports, mountaineering instructor.
Best climbs:
- Lenin Peak, 7135m, Pamir;
- V. McKinley, 6194m, Alaska, 1994;
- Korzhenevskaya peak, 7105m, Pamir, 1996;
- V. Aconcagua, 6960m, from the east, Cordillera, 1996;
- Khan Tengri peak, 6995m, Tien Shan, 1998;

Parachuting: master of sports, instructor; 1000 jumps.

Vasily Elagin
50 years old, engineer, businessman. Honored Master of Sports, mountaineering instructor.
Best climbs:
Large walls:
- Ushba S peak, 4710m, along the NE wall, VI, 5.10, A3, Caucasus;
- Cold Wall peak, 5979m, along the bastions of the left part of the C wall, VI, 5.10, A4, Pamir;
- Sabah peak, 5300m, along the right buttress of Wall VI, 5.10, A4, Pamir;
- Aksu S peak, 5217m, along the SE ridge, VI,5.9,A3, Pamir;
- Korzhenevskaya peak, 7105m along the South wall, VI,5.8,A3, Pamir;
- Peak Communism, 7495m along the South wall, VI,5.9,A2, Pamir;
- Khan Tengri peak, 6995m along the C wall, VI, 5.8 A1, Tien Shan;
- V. Petit Dru, 3733m, VI, Alpes, 1996;
Altitude climbs:
- Lenin Peak, 7135m, Pamir;
- V. Kanchenjunga Ch., 8586, first ascent from the south, VI, Sikkim, 1989;
- V. Kanchenjunga, 8586m, traverse of peaks from S to W, first ascent, VI, Sikkim, 1989;
- V. Annapurna Gla., 8091m, (first ascent of the South wall up to 7200m, VI,5.8,A2), Nepal, 1991;
- V. Cho Oyu, 8201m, Tibet, 1999

Yuri Soifer
CMS in mountaineering, 44 years old, MAI alpclub, Moscow
Significant altitude climbs:
· Korzhenevskaya peak, 7105 m
· Lenin Peak, 7134 m
· Peak Communism, 7495 m
· Khan Tengri peak, 6995 m
· McKinley, 6194 m (1999)
· Lhotse, 8516 m (2000, up to 6800 m)
· Shisha-Pangma, 8013 m (2002)
Job: Technical Director at Aerosoft Hobby: Climbing Everest Dream: To make children, parents (and generally everyone I can reach) happy.

We begin our journey in Tibet: we fly to Lhasa - the Ancient capital of Tibet. We explore the city and after 2 days we move to Shigatse (3900m). The next day we are in the city of Shegar (Xegar, 4200m). We have a rest day in Shegara for acclimatization, and the next day we move to Everest Base Camp (bc, 5200m). After 2-3 days of rest in bc, we begin, with the help of yaks, lifting equipment to the Advanced Base Camp (hereinafter referred to as Abc, 6400 m). After its opening, the next day the expedition members set out. A fairly comfortable camp, similar to our bc, is being set up here.

A little later, after our Sherpas establish Camp 1 on the North Col (7000m), we will climb there and spend one night there for acclimatization. After that we go down to bc and rest for 3-4 days.

At this time the Sherpas will establish Camp 3 (8300m). After May 15-17, climbers, as a rule, are in the ABC camp and begin to wait for a favorable period of weather to make a decisive assault. Having practically ascended to camp 3, you can make only one attempt; it will not be possible to restore it quickly and the supply of oxygen will be used up.
The advantage of our expedition is that it does not start too early and that it ends before June 1st. Late May is usually the best time to go weather-wise.

We are returning to Lhasa. From here the team goes home, taking with them a piece of Everest in their own hearts.

Route:
Lhasa 3800 - Shegar 4200 - base camp 5200 - ascent 8848 - base camp 5200 - Shegar 4200 - Lhasa 3800

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