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(21.04.2005)
Red Bull X-Alps 2005. Reminder for Athletes Registration

To all athletes! Registration for Red Bull X-Alps open until April 30th, 2005!

The deadline for the athletes registration on www.redbullxalps.com for one of the world¹s toughest paraglide and hike races will be the 30th of April 2005 at midnight, CET.

If you meet the demands and feel strong enough to compete in this unique adventure race register now and try to get one of the rare spots in this race. Based on the capability to reach a top rank within the event, a jury will the 20 best overall athletes.

This is not an event for wannabe athletes! The Red Bull X-Alps is only for the fittest, most focused extrem sportsmen in the world.

The race requires the participants to cross the Alps from east to west by flying their paragliders or by hiking without the help of any other means of transportation. Moving forward 24 hours and 7 days a week, Monaco, the destination, is about 850 kilometers from Dachstein and must be reached via Zugspitze and Mont Blanc in three weeks or less.

During the race it will be possible to follow the athletes live on www.redbullxalps.com with the help of a cutting edge Brauniger GPS Tracking System.

Thanks to the sponsors, Red Bull, Nike ACG, Sony, Sony Ericsson, Brauniger and Ramsau am Dachstein, this event will challenge the great X-Alps results from last time, making it an even better and more exciting race.

Final list of participants will be released on www.redbullxalps.com May 3rd, 2005.

(20.04.2005)
Alpindustria Andventure Team. Everest

April 18

I have just arrived in BC and was met very friendly and warmly. Everything is practically ready here: tents, shower, mahogany toilet.
The expedition members are working according to our plan, they have been here for 4 days already. Tomorrow yaks are leaving for ABC, 40 yaks have left already and 40 more are leaving tomorrow. So, 80 all in all, and 20 yaks have been to Middle Camp already bringing our loads. Two Slovenians Victor and Marko are in IBC now. They are going to spend 2 days there on the altitude of 5800m and then they will move to ABC.

Tomorrow 7 people with Nikolay Cherny as a leader: Iakovenko, Dusharin, Semenov, James Wilde, are leaving for acclimatization first in IBC and the day after tomorrow in ABC. Plans for the North Col ascent will depend upon the weather. Other teams are also planning to start for IBC and the day after tomorrow for ABC.

The weather is rather good, though the wind is pretty strong - but our camp is in a pocket, so we are well protected from the wind. We bought hoses in Katmandu and found a small lake with pure water on a glacier just 150m above us. So our expedition is well provided with the pure water.

(19.04.2005)
Date update: 17.05.2005
Chomo-Lonzo 2005 FFME Expedition

Saturday, April, 16. "Glacier W" on communication:
At 20 o'clock local time (4 pm Moscow time) the group led by Christian Trommsdorf stopped to set a bivy on the western glacier. Weather he weather keeps fine for some days and does not spoil even after the midday: there is not any fogs that really happens extremely rare if to take into account the experience of last year's Makalu expedition via the East Ridge. It would be silly to miss such chance - we have to be in time to acclimatize better and to see as much as possible.

All of us are in a good mood and excellent shape. All three of us are involved in getting an eyeful of beauty of Everest East Face and Northern Face of Lhotse. It's a rare, an unusual case of full loneliness in the Himalayas (there are not any trekking tourists, neighboring expeditions etc.).

In comparison with snow-covered northeast slopes, the slopes from the west, northwest face seem chillier.
The granite wall of the central top looks very abrupt.
The gap at the altitude of 7000 meters between the central and northwest summits seems achievable, as well as Jean Christophe Lafaille suggested, on a long ice couloir of the steepness seemingly not more than 50 degrees. The rocks seem very abrupt.

The program for April, 17-18: ascent up to the pass between Tibet and Nepal at 6500m, then returning to BC for relaxation and desert rest.

Source: Christophe Moulin informs through Jean - Claude Marmier

(19.04.2005)
Sergey Bogomolov: 14 World "8-thousand" Mountains Project

Kathmandu. 15.04.2005

Dear friends!
We are in Kathmandu now. Yesterday we met Kazakh climbers Zhumaev and Pivtsov here. And again a problem arose on an equal place. At their change in Delhi their luggage was lost. By the way, I was pleased the flight Moscow - Karachi-Kathmandu performed by Pakistan International Airlines. Their prices for the ticket and overweight luggage pleasantly surprised me in comparison with my last year expedition: that time I was sitting and waiting in Delhi for 16 hours due to Aeroflot and overweight luggage was 22 $ for 1 kg.
The echo of Maoism reached us from the unexpected side. As it appeared the King closed offices of mobile satellite communications in Nepal (including "Thuraya" mobile) and all local mobiles phone are disconnected. Now we have to sort out this question. In Tamel, a tourist area in Katmandu, there is not enough tourists in comparison with last seasons.
But the amount of expeditions impresses all the same: 30 ones on Everest, North Face and 10 ones Everest from the south. Though, as Ms. Elizabeth Hawley told us at our meeting 40 from the North and 40 from the South Everest expeditions had been declared. Do justice to Ms. Hawley she personally came for the second day to meet us that she has done rarely for some time past.
And if Spaniards basically have brought all the food with themselves we are doing all needed purchases here. Though, certainly, such things as uncooked smoked sausage we packed in Moscow to take along with us. Besides that we have a lot of a sports feed from Neways and Valetek-CP companies. But that as such means nothing. The mountain will set everything in its place.

Yesterday we saw off Jury Koshelenko and Nikolay Totmyanin (Russia) and Carlos Buller (USA) on their way to the foot of Melungtse and wished them success. We will start tomorrow in the morning. The approaches to the mountain will take 7-8 days. We have already sorted out with cooks, with luggage. All the things we have packed. Gia has been there already and he speaks that there is an indescribable beauty there. We will get Manaslu base camp from the West through the pass. And finally we got the mobile Thuraya satellite phone: +8821621152368. Obviously, we will be on communication always from 16.00 till 17.00 (Moscow time). Zhumaev and Pivtsov, not hoping for the best and the air carrier any more decided that many a little makes a mickle and began to ask friends and collect needed gear.

I got in such situation during my previous Makalu expedition when a trunk was gone right before the mountain. It just did not reach us from Kathmandu. But the guys helped me with the gear and I finally summited the mountain.

Keep in touch!

(18.04.2005)
Maxim Onipchenko calls and informs:
On last Saturday I and Sergey Kaimachnikov returned to Moscow. Changing the planes in Doha and flight to Moscow passed safely but not without mostly not so good incident. But finally everything ended safely.

At the last moment V.Legoshin practically denied his assistance on the organization of Sergey's reception in Moscow, and Alexey Kolganov shouldered all the problems and came off with honour with that. An intensive cure unit met us and all the necessary actions were done on the instant (x-ray examination, management of wound) and a board of doctors was collected.

Practically all preliminary preparation in Katmandu was excellent carried out by Alexander Abramov despite of his contusion and legs barded by fine iron. Meeting in Moscow was ideally organized by Alexey Kolganov.

We would like to say a lot of thanks to the guys from Victor Volodin's team that we flied together. They helped us at all changes, travel dawks. And our personal thanks to Lyubov Boldyreva.
We thank also all the friends - climbers of MAI Mountaineering Club that took hot participation in this occurrence.

At the present time Sergey is in a stable condition with visible positive progress. In the near future he has some serious operations to go through, but the general prognosis is good.

(18.04.2005)
Date update: 17.05.2005
Chomo-Lonzo 2005 FFME Expedition

We spent the night at base camp that we had set a little away from the last year's Jean Christophe Lafaille's camp site (because of an abundance of snow and almost impassable for yaks moraines). Due to this reason, it seems our approach to the wall will outlast for three hours longer than we planned.

Tomorrow we will start to make the area reco and acclimatization ascent (the art of feeling your excellent form at altitudes higher than 7000 meters). The team of Niceans and joined to them Christophe Moulin and both "benjamins" chose their first aim: a small peak of about 5700m. This "health promenade" will allow to scrutinize the wall, its objective dangers and possible routes of ascent. After that they will return to BC for the night.

The others guys (Christian Trommsdorf , Yannick Graziani and Patrick Wagnon) will make the reco of Chomo-Lonzo western glacier, where Jean Christophe Lafaille began to climb the northeast buttress of Kangshungtse (alias Makalu II) last year. It is not expected to be easy, but will allow them to survey possible routes from the West (and if everything goes well a nice line for descent...)

All of the guys are safe and sound, the crew is messed excellently, the Tibet-Nepalese service personnel is at the highest pitch, the mood and desire to climb upper and upper are rising... Only one small problem - at the sight of piece of meat that is needed to be swallowed.

Source: Christophe Moulin informs through Jean - Claude Marmier

(14.04.2005)
Two Russian climbers get hurt on their way to Everest Base Camp after Maoists bomb attack. News from AlpIndustria Adventure team

10.04.2005
Alexander Abramov reports from Katmandu:
Hi, friends
Our expedition reached to Tibet and today, on April, 10, we moved from Zangmu to Nialam. On the whole everything is OK.
An accident took place on the road between Katmandu and Kodari on the way to Tibet border. As in Nepal the strike is declared till April, 12, the Maoists are blocking the roads prevent from moving traffic. Therefore a special military escort was organized to convoy and provide safety of our expedition that headed to the Tibet border. The expedition main group had left for earlier and the two climbers, Sergey Kaimanchikov and Alexander Abramov were trying to catch up with their group when a group of unknown people threw self-made explosives at their vehicle. As result of the terrorist act both of Russians were contused, and Kaimanchikov received a severe leg injury.
The military troops helped to organize immediate evacuation by helicopter to Katmandu. Sergey was brought to the hospital and operated. Now he is in normality. Alexander stayed in Katmandu to help Sergey. In a week Sergey is going to be sent to Moscow, and after that Alexander will join the expedition. Nikolay Cherny is acting as the expedition leader at present.
We would like to express profound gratitude to Russian Embassy in Katmandu and personally Russian Consul Vladimir Popov, Royal Mount Travel company and personally Katya and Igor, who gave us helping hand in need, and Asian Trekking and Dawa Sherpa.

Alexander Abramov, Everest Expedition Leader.

Added details: Sergey Kaimanchikov, expedition member, and Alexander Abramov, expedition leader got involved in the incident: Kaimanchikov got a serious leg hurt and Alexander Abramov escaped contused wound.
As it turned out they hired a private vehicle to catch up the basic group of the Russian climbers which had left capital of Nepal under military convoy earlier. Political situation in Nepal became aggravated after on February 1 of this year, the chaos in the country forced Nepal King Gyanendra to dismiss the government and to announce the state of emergency throughout the country. In these circumstances Maoist rebels from the forbidden Communist Party of Nepal became more active.
Also on Saturday, April 9, in the south of the Kingdom a bus was blasted: two nepaleses died, 13 - received wounds. The bus was completely destroyed, and the received wounds passengers were coppered in hospital of Katmandu, the capital of the country.
The armed conflict between Nepal authorities and Maoist rebels- members of Communist party - has been going on since 1996. During this time more than 11 thousand people have died and several thousands have been missing. Among the war casualties are civilians. By estimations of human rights activists during last year alone more than seven people died each day.


Victor Volodin
(13.04.2005)
Island Peak. Summit!

Today the team led by Victor Volodin returned to Katmandu after successful summit of the two team's members Victor Volodin and Vladimir Kuz Island Peak, 6160 m.
The guys plan to fly off Katmandu April 16.

Source: Royal Mount Travel

(13.04.2005)
Melungtse Expedition. The team is complete

12.04.05 Carlos Buller, the third team's member, arrived in Katmandu. The team is complete now and is going to leave to Kodari-Zangmu border on April 16.

Source: Royal Mount Travel

(13.04.2005)
Date update: 17.05.2005
Expedition Chomo-Lonzo 2005

Tuesday, April, 12.

It has been snowing alternating with raining nonstop for three days. But in the morning we got a surprise - the sun shines over all the sky. Chomolonzo (7790 m) is beautiful! We have got a favorable weather forecast for the nearest three days and are going to be in the base camp in a day. And then we'll see what's the next step.

Jean-Claude Marmier and Christophe Moulin

Source: www.ffme.fr

(11.04.2005)
Melungtse. Jury Koshelenko and Nikolay Totmyanin inform:

Today we arrived in Katmandu. The environment is as usual. There are a lot of tourists in the streets.
We start to be engaged in expedition's organization. We have already got the Permit to climb Melungtse. Katar Airlines as they had promised delivered our entire luggage at 7 am on local time.
Tomorrow we are going to meet Carlos. He will arrive from Abu-Dhabi.

All photos (number: 2)

Source: Royal Mount Travel

(11.04.2005)
Alexander Klenov. Àngel's Wall is climbed. FREE!

Alexander Klenov: Our greetings to everybody! I would like to make an apology for delay in news. The phone ceased to work at the middle of the Wall :-(. One of the main dreams of climbers and rock-climbers from the whole world has come true! Àngel's Wall is free climbed! And a new route is laid on it.
The Wall is grandiose! All of us find it hard to believe that we really could do that. Today we arrived in Bolivar and tomorrow we plan to be in Caracas. Wait the details and photos from there.
All of us are safe and sound. Russia is ahead of the whole planet again.

P.S. We're FUCKING LUCKY!

(6.04.2005)
New Melungtse Expedition On April, 10 the Melungtse expedition will start. Nikolay Totmyanin, Jury Koshelenko and Carlos Buller take off for Nepal and further to Tibet with the object to conquer Mt. Melungtse (7181m) climbing in alpine style.

Summary:
Melungtse (7181 m) - the highest mountain of the Rolwaling Himal, Himalaya range.
Alternative names: Jobo Garu and Qiao Ge Ru.
Location: Nepal-Tibet
Melungtse II (7023 m) was first climbed in 1988 by a British expedition.

(5.04.2005)
News from Alpindustria Andventure Team and 7 Summits Club Everest Expedition. Tibet side. Spring 2005.

05.04.2005 Andrey Selivanov (expedition doctor) reports from Kathmandu:
The departure of the advanved group, planned for today (Nikolay Cherny, Andrey Selivanov and 11 sherpas), was postponed because of the maoists' strike. Traffic in Katmandu streets is blocked.
Two expedition members from Slovenia - Lihteneker Marko and Mlinar Viktor who left for trekking to Laktang - couldn't take a car to Katmandu. They called and said they would be walking all night - which is 140km!
Everything was ready for the start to Tibet: 4 trucks, 15 tons of expedition loads and the first in the history of Everest expeditions mahogany toilet.

Alexander Abramov adds:
Today Lihteneker Marko and Mlinar joined us in the hotel. They got stuck in Laktang because of the strike. It is 140km from Katmandu. They were walking the whole night and day and today reached the hotel. Tomorrow we are making Tibet visas and possibly are leaving Katmandu the day after tomorrow.
Today the last group is leaving Moscow for Katmandu - Moskalev Dmitry, Iakovenko Alexander, Kaimachnikov Sergey.
A couple of weeks ago Moskalev broke his arm. He is supposed to remove the plaster in a week. But his friend Iakovenko Alexander promised to help him do it earlier - during the flight to Katmandu.

(4.04.2005)
Alexander Abramov (expedition leader) reports from Kathmandu.

Hi, everyone. Almost all the expedition members have arrived in Kathmandu. Yesterday, April 3, 7 members from Russia have arrived:
Skaller Grigory
Ovasapyan Karo
Lande Vladimir
Semenov Sergey
Taidakov Yury
Dusharin Ivan
Tsokur Dmitry
Dmitry brought a snowboard with him, Sergey took skis - the guys are planning to make a descent from the North Col.
April, 5 the first group: Nikolay Cherny, Andrey Selivanov and 11 sherpas are leaving for Tibet to put up BC before the arrival of the big group. The rest of the team with Alexander Abramov are leaving Katmandu April 7. Though there are some rumors about the possible maoists' strikes - so the departure can be postponed.

(31.03.2005)
Date update: 1.04.2005
Black Diamond Wasatch Powder Keg, the only Ski Mountaineering World Cup on U.S.

Results

Women's World Cup Division
1. Gloriana Pellissier (ITA)
2. Nathalie Bourillon (FRA)
3. Gabrielle Magnenat (SWI)
4. Jeannie Wall (USA)

Men's World Cup Division
1. Florent Perrier (FRA)
2. Stephane Brosse (FRA)
3. Manfred Reichegger (ITA)

Women's Race Telemark Division
1. Liz McCoy
2. Alayne Griffith
3. Polly Samuels McLean

Men's Race Telemark Division
1. Penn Newhard
2. Bruce Tremper
3. Rob Westermann

Women's Race AT/Snowboard Division
1. Karen Kingsley
2. Monique Merrell
3. Anna Keeling

Men's Race AT/Snowboard Division
1. Brendan O'Neill
2. Chris Kroger
3. Steve Romeo

(31.03.2005)
News from Alpindustria Andventure Team and 7 Summits Club Everest Expedition. Tibet side. Spring 2005

Three members of Alpindustria Andventure Team and 7 Summits Club Everest Expedition – Abramov Alexander (leader), Cherny Nikolay (guide), Selivanov Andrey (expedition doctor) started March 27 for Katmandu. They will arrive in Nepal several days ahead of the rest of the team to do all the necessary preparations for the expedition. The other expedition members will gather in Katmandu between March 31 and April 7. After that the expedition will start for Tibet.

(25.03.2005)
New route on Grandes Jorasses

French team (Patrick Gabarrou, Christophe Dumarest and Philippe Batoux) just return to Chamonix after sending new line (VI, 4R, M6, A3, 5c) on impressive North Face of pointe Marguarita, the Grandes Jorasses's eastern summit.

All photos (number: 4)

Source: www.kairn.com

(22.03.2005)
Inaki Ochoa. Shisha Pangma Winter Solo. Expedition is closed up

Inaki Ochoa have to refuse Shisha Pangma summit bid (8027m) after he got in an avalanche on March 17. He was lucky to be alive after that: he only injured a shoulder. Shisha Pangma Winter Solo Expedition is closed up.

(22.03.2005)
Everest. New gauging of the altitude

The Chinese researchers organize a new expedition to check up the theory in which Everest "grows" 1cm a year.

(22.03.2005)
Having finished one of the most difficult "adventure race" Patagonia Expedition Race in Chile the multisports team Salomon-Russia (M.Pershin, A.Kontorina, A.Rostovtsev, A.Ivanov) returned yesterday from the solar southern countries.

At a race water stage, in a whole gale a kayak navigated by Mike Pershin and Alexandra Kontorina was flipped over. And they had to row shoreward as they could during five hours heading to the far coast through the night darkness, strong wind and huge waves. Finally they reached the coast, being unsteady ped out the kayak and wanted to make a fire, but right that moment - filmmakers do not tell us lies! - rescuers with flashlights appeared and began to rescue them. In the result, with the formulation "for the break more than 100 meters between kayaks" the team was eliminated but allowed to continue the race out of classification. And they went to go and do that, having draw ahead of the official race winners - French team La Clusaz Raid Adventure with one day in advance.

Details and photos will be later.

(21.03.2005)
Bouldering World Cup First stage, First surprise. Birmingham It is +17Ñ in Birmingham, the sun is shining, a green grass and flowers are appealing to the eye (by contrast to Moscow - now snow-covered capital of our immense native land).

At women everything as it stands: Sandrine Levet won the first bouldering World Cup of the year, Olga Bibik is the second, Julia Abramchuk - the third (they have got the places right out accurately according to the last year's Big Cup rating).

But at Men we have got a surprise: an Englishman Mark Croxall is the first, a young Frenchman Remi Samyn - the second and Meyer Jerome is the third.

All rezults: men, women

Source: http://www.thebmc.co.uk

(17.03.2005)
Climbing. Provisional Competitioncalendar, 2005

Source: http://www.icc-info.org

(11.03.2005)
Date update: 14.03.2005
Alexander Klenov and Co presents:
Expedition into the Lost World. Venezuela.

In early morning on March, 11 Alexander Klenov took off for Caracas, Venezuela. The aim of the expedition is to free climb up the world's tallest waterfall, Angel Falls in Venezuela.

The team consists of seven climbers: two Venezuelans, four Brits and a Russian. Four of them will try to summit this challengeing Angel Wall. The team is going to come back at the end of April.

(9.03.2005)
The Red Bull X-Alps -850 km along the Alps, day and night, by foot or with a paraglider, crueling hours and tremendous pains.

Pressrelease No. 1

(5.03.2005)
Rock Climbing Russian Cup Event to Anatoly Bychkov memory
Qualification. Olga Bibik, Krasnoyarsk
I was surprised that all the sportswomen were ready for this start :) 8 or 9 person sent all the problems first go. And it's not clear, whether we were underestimated or the skill level of bouldering climbers in Russia increased noteworthily...

Details

(5.03.2005)
Heli-Skiing Expedition and BASE-jumps in Antarctica

Greetings to everybody!
On March, 2 we arrived in Ushuaya (Argentina) - the most southern city of the Earth. At first view of the city we realized that its name quite answers its location. At once it is visible that there is no further way. In connection with that the ship and all its team that we were going on board were Chilean we had to fly on in Punta Arenas (Chile) on March, 3 to avoid the problems with customs house. That day in the evening we left the port into the heavy sea in a direction of Magellan and then heading to Drake Strait which shares the continent and Antarctica. Weather is rainy and windy. We try to get used to the rolling of the ship and its small space of state cabins. Under the forecast, in Drake Strait is storm weather. We will be tomorrow there and we let you know what that is similar to. We are in brave mood and feel all right.

(3.03.2005)
Jury Kruglov informs: The team of Mountaineering Federation of Republic Tatarstan has successfully finished its sport winter training in Ala-Archa gorge, Tien Shan. The climbers E.Rozhnov, J.Kruglov led by A.Akhmadiev climbed a new route on Svobodnaya Korea (Free Korea) peak on February 17- 21. The new line goes on North face center between Ruchkin's and Myshluaev's routes at the left and Bagaev's route from the right. We will inform you the ascent details later.
Separate thanks Mountain.RU for kindly given portaledge.
We met a team of Moscow State Technical University named after N.E. Bauman there. They climbed Barber's route. Everything is OK.

The route on Menlungtse North Face
that Carlos Buhler aimed to climb.
Photo www.geocities.com
(2.03.2005)
Date update: 10.03.2005
New project of Jury Koshelenko and Ilias Tukhvatullin: - Gauri Shankar and Menlungtse North Faces New Routes

New project of Jury Koshelenko and Ilias Tukhvatullin aim is to lead a new route on Gauri Shankar (7134m) or Menlungtse (7181m) North Faces, Tibet.

The climbers plan to try summit Mt. Gauri Shankar or Mt. Menlungtse North Faces in the Alpine style.
Rough terms of the expedition: from the beginning of April till the end of May, 2005.

Nowadays, when we seem to know everything about everything, the mountains which have retained their mystique still exist in the world. And ascents on such very difficult to climb mountains of great stature and reputation as Gauri Shankar (7134m), Menlungtse (7181m) that stand on equal terms with Nuptse (7861m), Jannu (7710m), Chomo Lonzo (7800m, a subsidiary peak of Makalu) in Nepal and Masherbrum (7821m), The Ogre (7285m), in Pakistan always become a high point in world mountaineering. Climbers achieve the headway in their ascents extremely rare and all the ascents are very difficult and significant.

This mountain area presents a strongly closed territory without appreciable signs of presence of modern influences of civilization against the neighbors area Solo - Khumbu and stand just North of the Nepal-Tibet border and divides the headwalls of the Rolwaling himal (Nepalese name) from the South and the Rongxar (Tibetan name) from the North.

"Chris Bonington, the famous British veteran of mountaineering, described the Northern, Tibetan faces of both massifs as delicate problems of the Himalayas. It means that the walls have not been climbed till now, and any attempt to do that is the most complicated complex problem that combines with a lot of unknown factors. Especially serious defiance to the mountains is an attempt of ascent in Alpine style, that I consider as the present-day quality standard in mountaineering", - Jury Koshelenko, the ideological inspirer of the project, explained.

Mt. Gauri Shankar, well seen from Nepal, was considered as the highest mountain in the world before topographical discovering of Everest. The higher bodies of state authority of Nepal prohibited any ascent on this sacred for Buddhists and Hindus mountain for a long time. Only in 1979 the American John Roskelli and Nepalese Dordzhe Sherpa first ascended Gauri Shankar via South-West face.

Despite several attempts by very strong teams, including two Bonington led expeditions the first ascent on Menlungtse Main was made only more recently, in 1992 by two of the best Slovenian climbers Marco Prezelj and Andrej Stremfelj. They led their line in alpine-style on the South-East face. Nobody has tried to repeat that since then.

The unique attempt to climb Menlungtse North Face was undertaken in 1999 by a three-man team led by Carlos Buhler: they reached 5800m but had to bail because of significant danger and technical and tactical difficulties. The aim of this new Koshelenko-Tukhvatullin project is organization the expedition to the area of Gauri Shankar and Menlungtse (from Tibet side, Rongxar and Menlung gorges), observation of the area and features of unclimbed Northern faces of both mountain massifs, development of the detailed plan of following ascent and attempt to climb one the walls in Alpine style with a small team. Extents of both maximum graded walls are 2500m and 3000m.

Ilias Tukhvatullin: The intrigue is we are going to climb the North face of the mountain that we have never set eyes on.
There is something about that.

The area is wild, open to Nepal: only Yeti wander there urgently we are looking for a phrase book to come into contact with them :-)

Jury Koshelenko: This idea came into my mind first in June of the last year. In one of book-stores in Katmandu I saw a postcard with a view of Gauri Shankar South Face (contrary to statistics of Elizabeth Houli it was climbed in 1984 by a team of Slovenes in Himalayan siege style). The North Face of the mountain nobody has seen yet. There are only so many mountains left unclimbed in the world and someone should do that. It would be great if the Russians have their say in that.

Project General Sponsor: Industrial Union "New Commonwealth"
Gear: BASK Company.

(2.03.2005)
The first in world history Heli-Skiing Expedition and BASE-jumps in Antarctica
Helicopter skiing and heli snowboarding in the Antarctic zone (Antarctic peninsula).

Nobody in the world has done that for today! The most professional heli-skiing join guide team from Russia, New Zealand and Argentina takes part in this expedition.

And breath-taking parachute jumps and wingsuit flights along Antarctica at midget altitudes.

Organizers:
-Patagonia South Adventure, Argentina
-Russian Heli Project, Russia.

With assistance:
-Russian Extreme Project, Russia
-DAP AIRVIAS Airlines, Chile.

Technical Sponsors: "Salomon", "Bonfire", "Canon", "Electric".

All photos (number: 2)

(25.02.2005)
Today, on 25 February Piolet d'Or (Golden Ice Axe) yearly award will be presented in Grenoble, France.

All nominees are assembled. In some minutes the hanging committee opens representation of the projects - the most important alpine achievements over the past year.

In the evening just past midnight (Moscow time) the Winners will be announced.

Check out on the Mountain.RU: NOMINEES PIOLET D'OR 2004

(17.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
16.02.2005
Hi, everybody!
Now it's 5 am on local time. We had to cease efforts to ascend Fitz Roy because of an objective danger of the route: a huge ice-fall hangs over the couloir and it's constantly under ice bombardment. We decided to change our plans and to climb Saint Exupery peak (2558m). We are going to start, summit and descend this day. The weather forecast is good for the first half of the day, but for the second is bad. We will try to work faster. Wish us good luck.
Cheerie-bye!

(16.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
Hi, everybody.
Yesterday we descended in Chalten and in the very nick of time - got right into a global climbing party. The party was terrific and we had a great time. As always, Russian songs headed the bill. Alexander's singing already became a legend in Chalten. People recognize him in the street and almost nearly ask for an autograph.

Our climb was rather uneasy - the route appeared very long and difficult. We had to haul a lot of gear as the route includes practically all elements: difficult rock-climbing, AID-climbing, ice and snow climbing. We did our best and showed a good result - for the first day we climbed the ice-fall, made 11 pitches up to the Col and 18 pitches after it and stop to spend the night sitting on a small ledge under the traverse. It was cold but according to the Patagonian measures rather tolerable as it could be much worse. Since the morning we quickly traversed and met a great company of British climbers descending to base camp after four day-climbing the route. They were impressed very much at our technique and speed of climb, and later, on the party they invited us to arrive in UÊ on annual international forum. In the same place we met Slovenian familiar girls Tanya and Monica that had luck this time: they found courage to return after a week-old failure and summited after a three-day climb.

After the traverse we made four pitches more. The sun was already shining with all his might. It was the 4-th day of ideal sun weather. We prayed on good weather and we had it. However it brought us the main problem. Under the sun's rays the summit ice mushroom, hanging above a vertical headwall, began to thaw and crumble. When we got under it, the collapse of ice-blocks drew to a head. Every pitch more and more ice fell from above. Making the 4-th pitch we had to shelter from the ice bombardment with our backpacks for some minutes and to take advantage of a 30-second break to climb some meters more. It became too dangerous. And we decided that living is high and bailed being overpowered by nature. And it was not for nothing. Traversing back and being already in safe place we saw a great ice collapse falling on our route and sweeping away everything on the way. Really, we realized that the danger was over.

Slovene girls descended this dangerous dihedral before us, but they were not such lucky - Monica was rather seriously injured and fractured rib. But all the same, they were very pleased indeed.

For the same reason this day Dean Potter did not manage to summit Torre Egger, Thomas Huber bailed too, the Austrians Toni and Marcus stop climbing Cerro Torre via Maestri -Egger route. Too good weather appeared good-for-nothing for climb in Patagonia.

Now we are reviving in Chalten and plan to leave on Fitz Roy to climb the American route. This time the weather is bad, but according weather forecast we will have a weather window on Monday. And on Monday we will leave Polish camp site at the foot of Fitz Roy. We have no enough time, in a week we have to leave back. So if they do not prove the weather window, we will not climb at all. It will not be easy to get under the route: we have to go through rather dangerous place - a couloir between Fitz Roy and Poincenot with hanging above huge ice seracs. We will try to work quickly.

Wish us of good luck.
Leonid, Alexander, Olga.

(11.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
10.02.2005
Hi! Having climbed the Mountain for two days we had to descend yesterday. We were too close to summit but got into a violent icefall right under the summit mushroom. Thank Heaven we are safe and sound but it was too dangerous there and decided to stop climbing and descend. Now we have a rest. We'll inform you about our further plans.
That's all on for today. Take care.

(7.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
08.02.2005
Hi everybody!
Yesterday we descended to El Chalten. Three days ago we hired horses and moved our base camp (150 kg!) in Camp-Bridwell. Campamento Bridwell at Lago Torre is a very cosy camping area embowered in trees. A stunning view at Cerro Torre massif opens from there. There are a lot of aspiring Cerro Torre climbers and trekkers living there now. Weather was wonderful. However toward evening surprisingly beautiful clouds of fantastic colors and shapes reminding UFOs appeared in the sky. It's the typical sign of an impending storm.

At night there was a nasty turn in the weather indeed, however the next day it improved again and we moved forward to Norwegian-camp at the foot of Cerro Torre. Having humped our heavy backpacks (about 40kg each) we made good time crossing 10 km onto a huge glacier, moraines and loose talus for 11 hours. Well, later we were requited for our uneasy trek.

Dean PotterA good company consisting of Dean Potter and his wife, Thomas Huber, climbers from Austria and Slovenia met us at Norwegos (Norwegian camp). Dean, his wife Stephanie and Thomas told that the Austrians first and they after them were going to start at midnight. And Dean really wanted to b.a.s.e.-jump from Cerro Torre summit.

Tomas HuberTowards evening a Slovene two-woman team returned from ascent to the base camp. Monica and Tanya on hearsay were the first female team summited Fitzroy. They were very pleased and cheerful as they returned safe and sound. The day before (right when we were admiring clouds in Bridwell) they got into a violent storm. They did not have even waterproof gloves and their descent was rather difficult. In spite of the fact that they did not climb the last 4 pitches up to the top and bailed their mood was wonderful. Really everybody here are enamoured of climbing in itself. It does not matter if you manage to summit or not.

Having spent the white night under stones at Norwegos we moved further. Under the plan we had to climb towards the Col where to spend the night. But on our way we were informed on a satellite phone about bad weather forecast for the nearest 3 days. It seemed to be the truth because since the morning the summit was tightened with dark clouds with lightning flashed in. Thus everywhere except for Cerro Torre the weather was good. Fitzroy (just in 3 km) was absolutely clear of cloud. We dropped the backpacks and went further with light baggage - to get limbered up and look at the route condition. On our way we met the Slovenes who bailed their climb due to the bad weather and then Dean Potter and Thomas Huber. They did not want to ask for trouble too climbing through bad weather. Thomas appeared a very pleasant guy, smiling and thanking a lot when we suggested them to throw off the rope for rappelling.

Austrians & SashaThe ice-fall leading to the rocks under the Col was strongly softened under the bright sun. Getting over a bergschrund, we had to climb a hanging wall covered with softened granulated snows. Tools did not hold in general, even when having been hammered on the shaft, they went further deep under pressing. We moved trying to find slices of firm ice, in size of a coin. Probably, the summit ice mush-room is in the same condition. But, as people speak "it's possible".

As the result we climbed halfway up to the col. Rocks were wet with ice sites in places and we climbed in crampons. When small avalanches began to collapse we gave up and descended right up to Bridwell-camp.

Cerro Torre at dawnNow we are in Chalten attached ourselves to an excellent company: Leo Houlding and Kevin Thaw, Thomas Huber singing his songs to a guitar, Dean, cheerful guys from Slovenia and a lot of others. Yesterday we had a good party in our camping singing Russian songs on happy three voices to a guitar too.

Leo and Kevin just summited Fitzroy, Cazarotto route (North ridge). They had expected to climb the route for one day (under the description it's difficultly no more than 6b, and the guys are the real experienced climbers of 8-graded lines). However the route appeared very complex. They had to spend 2 cold nights on the wall without sleeping bags and a stove, meal and water. They were heated putting on backpacks on a head. After they descended Leo was sleeping for two days and then was drinking nonstop one day more. Now he is as sober as a judge, and they'll leave tomorrow for the next climb: this time it is El Mocho turn.

Dean and Stephanie yesterday descended to Bridwell and tomorrow are going to Norwegos. They want to try to summit Cerro Torre all the same. We'll leave tomorrow too. We decided to try to start directly from Norwegos in alpine style not to bivy at the Col. It would be hard. All the route includes about 40 pitches. We'll start at night on Monday. We have a good forecast on Monday - Tuesday, but on Wednesday the weather will start to spoil.

We'd like to hug tight all of you,
Alexander, Leonid, Olga.

(7.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
03.02.2005
Hi, everybody. Today we finally climbed up to Norwegian camp site. It took us rather much time.
People say that there is a bad weather forecast for the day after tomorrow and we do not know really what to do. We need two days to try for the summit.

Tomorrow we will climb hardly upper and spend the night on a shoulder's bergschrund there. Thomas Huber and Dean Potter plan to start climbing in 2 hours and ascend all the night, i.e. tomorrow to reach the top and then Dean Potter wants to make a b.a.s.e.-jump right from the summit.

(3.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
Leonid Kozlov and Alexander Lastochkin reports:
01.02.2005
Our greetings to everybody! Yesterday we reached Base Camp and homed in it. We found a lot of people there. Thomas Huber told us about his brother Alex Huber that had to left home because had wounded his eye (at least the story runs that). Weather has been standing magnificent for three days, and it hurts us that we arrived so late. We are afraid, that good weather will not hold for some days more and we will not have time to ascend. Tomorrow we are going to climb up to Norwegian camp site and , the day after tomorrow we plan to get the Col and if the weather is good we will make a summit push the next day.

That is all there is to it for today.

(1.02.2005)
Expedition of Russian Adventure Team Alpindustria - Cerro Torre (Patagonia)-2005
29.01.
We flied almost lost-free. Only two backpacks with our belongings, sleeping bags, etc. and a tent were lost en route. But as people say money makes the mare go and we are going to buy needed gear in El Calafate where we will take off tomorrow.

And in Buenos Aires the real summer holds. They are dancing tango in the streets, beggars and paperboys are passing to and fro. The day is sweaty. Tomorrow we take off for El Calafate.

We'd like to hold you in our arms.
Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

30.01.
Things are shaking down rapidly. They found Olga's backpack and delivered it. In an hour our plane departs to El Calafate. Our greetings to everybody.

Today we arrived from Buenos Aires in El Calafate. Cerro Torre and Fitzroy were visible from the plane. The sky is grotesque here. Low torn clouds, absolutely flat, bear heavily on your mind.

As expected we bought all needed things in El Calafate. You can't pick and choose here because practically all the things sold there are made by one local company...

There was only one terrible tent and we had to buy it unconscious of how to use it. But there was no other alternative. And we bought a cool newest down sleeping bag in weight of 700g.

Tomorrow at 7 a.m. we leave in Chalten by bus. This journey will take us for 5 hours.

Alxander, Leonid, Olga.

 

 Ines PapertHarald Berger

(31.01.2005)
Harald Berger and Ines Papert are the World and European Ice Boulder Champions

In the Super Final in Valle di Daone the Austrian and German beat Herbert Klammer from Italy and Natalia Koulikova from Russia.

Simon Wandeler from Switzerland and Jenny Lavarda from Italy placed third.

For full news reports and a great photo gallery by Giulio Malfer, please visit: http://www.daoneicemaster.it/

 

 

www.planetmountain.com

(31.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
30.01.05.

The team successfully summited on January 29!
On January 29 the guys woke up early in the morning (4 a.m.) and started their summit bid. After they climbed the summit bastion and narrow rocky ridge, all the team reached the Kodar's summit at 9.00. Temperature was negative 43, but weather was breathless. That day all of them safe and sound descended to the base camp toward evening.

Such fast ascent's ending appeared unexpected for a lot of fans. We were adjusted for waiting for good news for some days. As it turned out during communication Kodar-Krasnoyarsk Nikolay omitted mention of the bottom 4-5 pitches of an abrupt snow-ice couloir they had climbed. Thus, all the route is really of 22 pitches, extent of its wall part - 17 pitches.

All the plans have been completely accomplished. The team prepares for returning. Term of return depends on helicopter's availability in Taksimo and good weather.

We congratulate and wait for the winners!

(26.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
26.01.05.
We have already climbed a half of the route. We abide by the schedule. On January 24 we made 3 pitches, it's a record for the present time. Yesterday we made only one pitch. Today two-man team of Dmitrienko and Tsyganov is next in turn to fix the rope on the route. In total, since 19 of January we made 13 pitches - it's approximately a half of the route. Yesterday the team in its full complement took off and now is making themselves at home in a tent settled in a small rocky niche that was found in the area of 12-th pitch.

We decided not to take off the fixed rope for extreme descent in case of bad weather. Today is negative 34, but a thermometer has already registered -38 and-40 degrees centigrade. The wall is very cold and all ice-covered due to its exposition: within all the day any stream of sun does not reach its slopes. Large monolithic blocks, corners, chimneys are characteristic parameters of wall's terrain structure. It's hard to organize a safe belay. We use sky-hooks to climb very firm granite plates, but it's really difficult. Steepness is up to 80 degrees in places, but the top part of the route seems more abrupt on the average.

Everything is lovely in the base camp. The warmed tent Rock Pillars is worth its keep. When it's made up the fire in it we have about +20 inside. Under the wall we dug a good cave for 6 people. The area is very interesting, wild: there is not any local habitation, hunting shelters or man's traces. Loginov and Sikilinda climbed a beautiful winter 5B-graded route on the next (left) mountain spending 2 days for fixing the rope and one day for the summit push. The other free members of our expedition climbed less complex routes 1B- and 2A-graded.

We keep shootings a film about our expedition. In spite of the fact that the camera is frequently freezing, we have already shot an hour and a half. Misha Vershinin actively works. Now it's full of the moon, and Mike is shooting even in the moonlight. Unfortunately, there is no opportunity to send photos. And we can only receive SMS-messages but not send them.

Keep in touch with us!

24.01.05.
For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. For two days the guys made two complex pitches more. In total 9 pitches are climbed. Firm granite, cold, ice-covered rocks. Today Prokof'ev and Belyanin are working. They have to find a convenient site for the first hanging camp. Temperature is negative 30.

(26.01.2005)
New world champions in ice-climbing. January, 21-22, The 2nd World Championships for Difficulty- and Speed Ice Climbing and the 1st Swiss Ice Climbing Masters in Difficulty and Speed, Saas-Fee, Switzerland.

In ice-climbing organizers do not want to peddle cups: if they carry out something it will be a championship. The results of World Championship-2005 were summed up: Austrian Hari Berger and Petra Muller from Switzerland won Difficulty and Evgeny Kryvosheytsev from Ukraine and Natalia Kulikova from Russia were the first in speed.

Results

Difficulty. Men

1 BERGER Hari (Austria)
2 ANTHAMATTEN Simon (Switzerland)
3 LEICHTFRIED Albert (Austria)

4 BENDLER Markus (Austria)
5 ANTHAMATTEN Samuel (Switzerland)
6 WANDELER Simon (Switzerland)
7 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
8 ODERMATT Urs (Switzerland)

Difficulty. Women

1 MULLER Petra (Switzerland)
2 PAPERT Ines (Germany)
3 MAUREAU Stephanie (France)

4 BUCHMANN Kirsten (Germany)
5 TORRETTA Anna (Italy)
6 EYER Alexandra (Switzerland)
7 FILIPPOVA Maryam (Russia)
8 SHABALINA Maria (Russia)

Speed. Men

1 KRYVOSHEYTSEV Evgeny (Ukraine)
2 FAYZULLIN Igor (Russia)
3 CHVED Nikolai (Russia)

4 HOFER Lars (Switzerland)

Speed. Women

1 KOULIKOVA Natalia Russia
2 OLEINIKOVA Joulia Russia
3 TORRETTA Anna Italy

Photo: Hari Berger. Author: Giulio Malfer,
www.planetmountain.com

(24.01.2005)
On Saturday January, 22, Sergey Borisov was killed in an automobile accident in Ekaterinburg. I do not know, what I can add any more. Suddenly I realized that I have nothing to say if it happens to my friends... because it is not right..

Sergey Borisov

Master of Sport of International Grade
For a long time he was the captain of Sport Club of Army of Ural military region.
He became four times champion of USSR, twice champion of Russia, numerous prize-winner of different national championships.

The last climber who was called as "The best climber of the USSR" (1990 and 1991) just before USSR's disintegration.

1990 - won the USSR championship in a technical class (Fanskie mountain) having ascended 8 summits for 13 days (six 5B-graded routes and two 6À).

1991 - the USSR championship, a rocky class, Karavshin gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Alexander Klenov, Sergey Borisov, Michael Bruk, Igor Bugachevsky, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Solodovnikov summited peaks "Slesova", "Asan" and won "the gold".

1991 - the USSR championship, a technical class, Aksu gorge of the Turkestansky ridge. The team of Sergey Borisov, Alexander Klenov, Michael Brook, Michael Donskikh, Alexander Kolesov, Alexander Limarenko summited Admiralteets, Iskander, A.Blok and won "the gold".

2002 - Everest via Northern col.

2004 - Jannu North Face, summiter

(24.01.2005)
Kodar-2005

22.01.05
Everything is turning out well. We dug a cave and sorted out the problem of fire wood. Three two-man teams (Prokofiev-Belyaev, Dmitrienko-Tsyganov, Tsygankov - Cherezov) worked alternating on the route for 3 days and made 7 pitches. It became warmer a little, -20, snowfalls. The Wall is ice- and snow-covered.

21.01.05
It's snowing, temperature is -20. 5 pitches are made.

19.01.05
Kodar-2005. Nikolay Zakharov called: We continue to make our base camp more comfortable. There is a lot of snow. We clear away the beaten track to the wall. It's -35. Our greetings to everybody!

(24.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
20.01
Till the end this expedition was very hard…
After the summit and the attempt form Jacek and Darek, they braked for the horrible wind and temperature (more than - 40 degree) it begins to snow and it bad weather continue. We decided to try to go to Nyalam, the first village, where we did start our trek one month ago. There we will take the jeeps to Kathmandu.

The day before we start our descent adventure we lost our Kitchenboy Chiring, who went to ABC to take down the last things….. In the evening he didn’t come back to BC and we was very worry…. All together we went out in the darkness and the storm, looking for him. We thought about the worst, because the temperature was very low and it had snow a lot. Luckily Chiring organised by himself one bivac 2 ours far from BC, when he understood the difficulty of the situation. But we pasted a very bad night….

The they after we Chiring arrived in BC and we all were very happy to see him. But one other dramatic adventure was starting. At 12:30 we started from BC at 5200 meters to Nyalam at 3750 and 25 km far. Nobody from us thought, that only after some ours we would find storm, - 30 degree, fog and snow sometimes till our waist!!! We needed 14 ours without stop, fighting with the elements and in the darkness, before we arrived with totally cold in Nyalam. My small finger is black and all the other fingers I have only partially sensibility. The others are only tired from the exhausting work and some small frostbite in the face (also I have….). More than one time we finished in the icy water from the river, because he was covert by thin ice and snow, that broken when we passed over. Other times the snow was so deep and powdery near to impossible to go on. At 3:30 Peking time Piotr and I reached the place where we slept when we did go up. The others came a little later and at last Jan after some ours. I think our looks were not so nice, because the people observed us long…..

The day after we droved by the jeep to Zangmu, the boarder to Nepal. There we take showers and sauna for 3 ours non-stop!!!

Today we arrived at Kathmandu. On more shower and now we are preparing to go out from our Hotel and I want to eat a big beef and make party for be back to the normality.

P.S. Today, the 20th of January the CTMA certificated our summit with the sentence “first winter Summit” as the first winter summit from Shisha Pangma, maked by Simone Moro ITA and Piotr Morawski POL at the 14th of Januray

 

Svetlana Boldykova(24.01.2005)
From January 15-23, 2005 the 2005 Snowboard World Championships took place in Whistler, Canada.
On January 18 Russians sportsmen showed good results: at Women's Parallel Giant Slalom (PGS - Olympic discipline) Svetlana Boldykova became the second, Ekaterina Tudigescheva - the forth and at Men's Parallel Giant Slalom Denis Salagaev was the ninth.

On January 19 at Parallel Slalom Denis became only 13th and Svetlana - 12th. The world championship is carried out twice a year.

And against rather sad results of Russian skiers in technical sports (slalom, giant slalom) success of our snowboarding team is impressing.

 

 

(24.01.2005)
Ines Papert breaks record in Ouary Ice Park, USA
Igor Ivashura, CYKHAX ENT, Munich, informs:
This girl just went and did that left behind all the monsters of ice-climbing and showed the best result among men and women on the tenth annual "Ouary Ice Festival" (USA)!!!

Ines Papert won Difficulty event with the best time 19:53 and thousand spectators could enjoy her sending the most complicated mixed line in the artificial ice canyon. She was the unique women made TOP - really that was not a sensation, but that fact that her time was the best by the end of the competitions went through like a packet of salts! A cool Canadian athlete Will Gadd yielded this fragile German girl almost for two minutes, and Harry Berger from Austria - much more than that. It is fair to say that Will Gadd sent a final line without "Heelhooks" manner and that took much more time to send. Well, this result and sending the route of "Vertical Limit" are confirmed Ines's high class and unconditional leadership among all the masters of frozen water.

The tenth annual festival "Events in Ouary" (Salt Lake City, Utha) became unqualified success of its Organizers, some thousand spectators were obvious confirmation to that. The conditions for ice-climbing in Ouary canyon were simply phenomenally good. And slide shows and a fashion parade of exclusive sports mark "Arc'teryx" completed even without that interesting evening programs.

Ines's result is really unique.

The Chief of Black Diamond European branch said: "Ines is very cool. I do not know any woman in athletic sports in which a girl could become better, than the best man!"

Total report

Men
1 22:47 WILL GADD
2 23:10 HARRY BERGER
3 14:10 SEAN ISAAC
4 21:20 ROB OWENS
5 20:20 ALJAZ ANDERJLE
6 14:13 JARED OGDEN
7 18:52 SEAN HUISMAN
8 15:45 RICH PURNELL
9 10:40 DALE REMSBERG
10 17:59 SONNIE TROTTER
11 13:28 VINCE ANDERSON
12 12:19 LOUIS JULIENNE ROY
13 16:42 ADAM STACK
14 6:50 RYAN NELSON
Women
1 19:53 INES PAPERT ALL ALL
2 14:05 KIRSTEN BUCHMANN
3 20:10 AUDREY GARIEPY
4 16:14 ANNA TORRETTA
5 13:53 SUE NOTT
6 14:54 KRISTIE AREND
7 10:15 ISABELLE SANTOIRE
8 11:35 SHELLY HUISMAN
9 8:50 ABBY WATKINS

Photo - www.bergsteigen.at

(21.01.2005)
Georgian Mountain, Adventure and Extreme Film Festival N I A M O R I
In January-March 2005, in Georgia (former Soviet Union) Tbilisi will host the second annual Mountain Film Festival “Niamori”
Details

 

(19.01.2005)
Kodar-2005
18.01.05 Zakharov called from base camp:
16.01 The bad weather was.
17.01 We finally got to the area of ascent. The gorge is so narrow that the helicopter could not find any convenient site to land and we were dropped in deep snow from a hovering helicopter.

The Wall justifies our expectations: impressive, severe, tempting. It's very abrupt and has altitude difference not less than 1000m. We set a camp in 3 kilometers from the Wall. Woodland is insignificant there.

Today the part of our team went downwards the gorge for preparation of fire wood for the stove, and the others went to break trail to Wall's foot. Yesterday the temperature in Taksimo was negative 40, but in the gorge it is a little bit warmer.

Our greetings to everyone who is a fan of us!

14.01.2005 Our Expedition started.

Check out on the Mountain.RU: Kodar range, Czarsky Tron (Czar's Throne, 2500) New Route, 6B, 1000 meters SW wall

(18.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma. First wimter ascent
18.01
Bad weather. Since 3 days is snowing and obviously the yak can not start from Nyalam and come to base camp to take all our equipment and transport to the village that is 25 km from here. In the meantime we celebrate the success play cart, or chess, reading books and also waiting boring for the sun....

Portfolio

 

(17.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
15.01
Vladimir Belousov informs:
Yesterday, 14.01, we left C2 at 6100 heading to C3 at 6500 and somewhere at 6300 were rested against a crevasse of about one kilometer long and failed to get over it. Usually it is tight, but now looks freshly open. And as we were going in Alpine style... Plus other problems: Pavel was ill, all of us were tired a bit. Therefore we decided to descend.

One of these days the guys come back, but I want to be late a little and stay here to take a walk. Our greetings to all of you.

(14.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
14.01
Summit!
Simone Moro and Piotr Morawski summited today at 13.15. We followed the Yugoslavian route on the south face of Shisha Pangma.
Yesterday we fixed ropes to the col, set up the Camp II, and today we decided for a summit push. The wind was strong, reaching 30-35 m/s. After 5 hours of fast climbing we summited.

This is first winter ascent on Shisha Pangma in history (callendar winter started 21st December) and we can truly say that in typical winter conditions (strong wind, no snow, a lot of ice). Now only six 8000 meters peaks are waiting for its first winter ascents...


13.01
Simone and Piotr reached the col and put up Camp 2 on 7400!
Today morning we took the tent (heavy but we wanted C2 to be comfortable), sleeping bags and food. We climbed very fast because we wanted to reach the col. On 7300 we started also to fix. Most of today climbing was on the rocky part, not difficult, but dangerous (moving stones and not solid rock). When we reached the col it was already in shadow, and it was extremely cold. During setting up the tent we observed that a part of the ridge is little protected from this terrible, strong and freezing wind. A big part of the ridge is of course not protected, but... So we decided to try summit tomorrow! Cross fingers!...

Simone and Piotr

(14.01.2005)
Petites Jorasses. First free climbing "Omega" route Britons Nick Bullock and Stuart MacAleese became the third team climbed historical Patrick "Gab" Gabarrou's and Ferran Latorre's route "Omega" on Petites Jorasses (Mt. Blanc), (700m, VI/5+,A3).

It is worthwhile to say that Nick and Stuart sent the route clean, i.e. free climbed. Nick already tried the route last year but fell and broke his anklebone, and this year he returned there with MacAleese to have luck again on 13-pitch mixed route. All the route took them four days, from which two full days they were climbing.

http://desnivel.com/

 

(14.01.2005)
Ice-climbing. Jenny Lavarda and Hannes Pfeifhofer are the champions of Italy
The second stage of the Italian Ice-climbing championship "ITALIAN ALPINE CUP" finished at the last weekend in Val Passiria .
At men having got over all the grandees and merited runners as Bubu Mauro Bole and Herbert Klammer Hannes Pfeifhofer, a 18-year climber, unexpectedly won the gold.
Jenny Lavarda, having switched off from rock-climbing on ice in this winter season, took part at such events for the first time and won by a head. Silvia Cian is the second and Monica Gemelli- the third.

http://www.planetmountain.com/

 

 

(14.01.2005)
GRANDES JORASSES. Linceul (4208m). Winter solo
Ferran Martínez is the Spanish climber soloed the "great classics" of GRANDES JORASSES: Linceul. Some days later his climb was repeated by other Spanish climber Eloi Callado.

http://desnivel.com/

 

 

(14.01.2005)
The fifth summit under the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter" has been climbed
Sergey Shchepachkov informs:

On January, 9, 2005 a team of climbers (Ivan Artemov, Ivan Alentsev, Victor Afanasyev, Andrey Bukin, and Oleg Bibin) summited Mt. Kazbek (5033m) within the framework of the project "Caucasus Five thousand-Mountains in Winter".
Weather during the ascent held ideal. I got cold and had to stop climbing and left the team during the summit push. Proshchenko Maxim and Grishnjachy Leonid had to abandon the team too. The route line went from Northern Ossetia side, through Genaldonskoe gorge via Pastukhova route.

(14.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
12.01
Vladimir Belousov reports:
12.01 we climbed up to 6100, fixed the rest ropes and today we have a rest after very exhausting working day. The weather is excellent, it's rather warm and seems tremendously improved then last year.

 

 

(13.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
12.01
All the night the wind shook the tents and it was difficult to sleep. Also the mountain was very loud, showing what the hell is going up. In the morning we wait for the sun and then we crowed from our sleepingbags.
Today the sky was with no clouds, but cold wind was stopping us, especially on plateau. Now we are sitting in the tent of Camp 1 and prepare for tomorrow: very important and also exhausting day. We wish the wind let us through the col...

Simone and Piotr

(12.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
11.01
Going up! The next attack to the mountain has just begun. We're sitting (Simone and Piotr) already in ABC (5600). After a few days rest Darek and Jacek are also going up.

The wind is still blowing with terrible force. But we'd like to reach the col (about 7300) and hope to set up Camp 2 behind the col. Today, during the way to the ABC we were watching a wind smoke on the summit ridge, and we didn't want even to think what was up there...

Also the south wall of Shisha has totally changed character comparing to that 2 weeks ago: instead of snow we could see big fields of pure ice!

(11.01.2005)
"Russian Pumori Team" Expedition
10.01
Vladimir Belousov reports:
Three days ago we had started to climb aiming to settle the Camp I at 6100 but managed to fix the rope only somewhere up to 6000. We saw that we would not have any difficulties on the route further but with night coming on we had to descend and rest. Tomorrow we plan to start climbing again: to reach 6100m the day after tomorrow and to make the summit push at 14.01. The normal weather holds.

 

(11.01.2005)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
10.01
First day of the week and, as the weather forecast said, will be the same all the rest of the week: windy!!. The wind continue to be strong and for the next weekend Karl Gabl from Innsbruck said that the speed could arrive also to 180 km/h!!!! "be patient" said Karl, but for us is difficult to be...

We are in a good physical condition and motivation is high... In any case we will follow his advise and Piotr and I will go tomorrow "only" to try to finish to fix all the route till the ridge at 7300 and fix C2. Than we will be back in base camp waiting for good news from Karl and his perfect forecast.

09.01
Wind, wind, strong wind. Today the force of the wind is extremely high. We decided to reinforce with ropes and big stones the kitchen tend and dining tend. The store tend brake this morning for the strong wind. The birds already brake many tends (also in C1) looking for food so we don't want to have other damages to our equipment. At 10 am we get contact with Darek and Jacek that still were in C1.

Yesterday they get a really hard job and difficult conditions and this morning was difficult to take decision to left the sleeping bags and start for the descent to ABC and BC. Jan also started to come down from ABC to BC and this evening we will be all together here at 5200 meter of Base Camp. Tomorrow we will take decision and strategies for the next important week....

08.01
Another day of extreme cold and strong wind, but Darek and Jacek did a great job. They carried 400 meters of rope till 7200 and fix 100 of those. It had been not enough to reach the ridge but it is closer and closer.... Now Darek and Jacek "sleep" in C1 and tomorrow they probably came down to ABC or BC to take a good rest. I and Piotr continue to eat and get rest to be ready after a few days to set C2 and maybe make already a first summit attempt....

Yesterday we finished to repair one of the 3 tends we get in ABC that had been seriously broken from the big hungry birds. The birds were looking for food and brake all the tends, without find any food (we left especially in a plastic drum). Maybe the damage is a revenge....?

07.01
Yesterday we get a terrible cold and difficult day but at the end we reached 7200 m. Piotr and I dreamed to stand up of the ridge but we finished the fix rope at 50/100 m of altitude to the ridge. We have to set 200/300 m rope still. We would like to observe the last 700 meters of difference between the col and the summit. In our plan after rest, we want to fix a tend on the col at 7350 meter and spend night to acclimatise well and also using that point as the starting point for the summit. Today Piotr and I came back to Base camp and we will remain 3 days to get a full rest. Yesterday we get -40° degree and strong wind and we need time to find again the energies to work. Darek and Jacek today carried up 400 meters rope till C1.

Tomorrow they will try to carry higher.... Cross the finger for us.... The next 1/2 weeks will be extremely important for the climb.
FOTO: Cold in the tend

05.01
The winter now is here completely...
Wind was attacking us all the day. On the morning temperature was about -30 degree Celsius in the ABC at 5600 m.

Darek and Jacek were working all the day above the C1 (6550 m). They probably reached 6800 m, foot of the last few hundreds meters of couloir.
Today Simone and Piotr carried equipment to C1, also the tent for Camp 2, which should stand on the col.

Our route occured longer than we expected and with ropes we already have up, it will be difficult to reach the col. But we will do our best.

04.01
The good weather returned. After 4 days of storm and cold, today we saw again the sun. It had been a cold night but the morning sun get us the possibility to continue to work on the mountain. Unfortunately with the sun is arrived also the strong wind in high altitude and in the next weekend the speed will be over 40 m/sec (160 km/h). Today Darek and Jacek went to ABC and tomorrow they will reach the tend we set at 6600 m. They will spend night and the day after will try to climb higher. Piotr and I will follow them tomorrow and for the week end we dream to reach the end of the face ad set the tend on the ridge at 7200 m. The problem will be the wind... but we will try to do our best to resist. Yesterday we get the first technical problem.

Our generator stopped to work and "get frostbite". Piotr and Jan today made a surgery operation and they obtain to get 12 volt power from it. Together my solar pannel we should continue to give enough energy to our camp...

01.01.2005
Is arrived also here at base camp the midnight but nobody was in the dining tend waiting for it. We was too tired and was to cold and we decided to go in our warm sleeping bags and sleep deeply. Also today the weather is bad with wind and snow and it should be the same also for the next 2 days.

Karl Gabl (our Austrian Guru for the weahter forecast) said to be patient and to call him Monday in Innsbruck. We will have our next weather forecast and we hope to have good news...

We wish again a nice 2005 full of smiling moments...

31.12
After 4 days climbing along the Jugoslavian route on Shisha Pangma, we came back to Base Camp. Storm and bad weather obliged us to turn back. I and Piotr spent nigh at 6550 and today we planned to go near 7000 meters but this was impossible. So from 6550 we came directly back to 5200 meters of base camp (log way....)

Last night the wind and the cold had been a good test for our capacities. The bad weather should persist for the next 3/4 days and we will take a good rest and "charge our motivations and determination". Tonight we will celebrate the new year and we wish to all of you a 2005 in health and without any polemic...

Have a nice 2005!! and I hope you will continue to follow the adventures from me and my friends also in 2005.

On the way to C1(31.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
30.12
We (Simone and Piotr) started today early. In our rucksacks we had ropes, climbing equipment, tent, sleeping bags, food and all what is necessary for setting a camp. The wind came and the weather is changing. After a few hours we reached the point which Darek and Jacek left depot in. We took also those things and heavy loaded we came under the big serac, below huge crevasse where we found a good place for our Camp I. The altitude is about 6550.

Tomorrow we'd like to work higher. Now the weather is quite good, a lot of clouds, sometimes sun and the wind is shaking our tent, but not blowing us out from the wall.

Ciao, Simone

(27.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
24.12
Finally we reached base camp of the south face of Shisha pangma. We trek 2 days together with our carovan of 32 yaks and yesterday afternoon we arrived here at 5250 meters.

Today we worked to fix all the tends of base camp and fix them with ropes and big stones to avoid that wind brake them during next storms. Tonight we will celebrate our Christmas and Jan prepared a nice Christmas tree in the dining tend. Tomorrow we probably go to ABC and back to BC, to carry some equipment.

We wish all of you our greetings and Marry Christmas!!!

base camp

Simone, Jan, Darek, Piotr, Jacek

(22.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma
22.12
Today we finaly start from Nyalam. Yesterday we hardly discuss with the yak drivers and Laison officier about the weight that each yak can carry and price of the extra yak we have to take. The yak drivers said that each yak can carry 40 kg. but the truth is that 60 kg is the normal weight agreed since ever with them and TMA. In this way we discussed for some hours and at the end we agreed that we will take and pay 10 extra yaks and other 5 extra will be paid from TMA. Totally we started this morning wiht 32 yaks to transport our 1606 kg of equipment, gas, kerosene, food and all necessary to remain for 2 month at B.C and on high camps. The weather is still good even the temperature went down in compare of one week before.
Ciao Simone and all team

21.12
I left my computer and modem behind in the bin. Instead, I'm writing with Piotr's PC because he's come up on the roof of the hostel where we're staying in order to send messages. We're sentries up here…

We arrived in Nyalam today. We left yesterday because today there was supposed to be a strike with numerous blockades on the street from Kathmandu to the border. Unfortunately, although we left yesterday we still had problems half an hour before Kodhari (on the border of Nepal and China). A military street blockade with a barbed wire and machine gunners lined up forced us to wait until the next day to continue. We were able to sleep in a small private house and eat in a hut for the Nepalese.
The block was due to an armed clash with Maoists a few hours prior to our arrival, which had killed 11 people! This morning we left and passed the "Friendship Bridge," crossing into Tibet. We met Dawa, the liason officer and Nawang, who was the liason officer for JC Lafaille. He told us that the French alpinist had arrived in Tibet on the 11th of November.

A few days ago, before returning to Nepal, he gave Lafaille the certificate which proves his climb to the peak at 14:00 on December 11th, but he did not write "WINTER EXPEDITION" even though the Frenchman insisted he write it because he didn't consider it a winter climb. Nawang says that he has 10 years of expedition experience in all 4 seasons and Lafaille's climb was not to be registered with the TMA as a "WINTER EXPEDITION" but as "LATE AUTUMN." Anyone can contact Nawang at the TMA in order to confirm this.

The French alpinist got his Chinese Visa extended because he only intended to stay 30 days and as he entered Tibet and started the expedition before December 1st, he acted with the normal autumn permission. With all this news and clarification, added to the scientific one of the world season calendar which says that winter starts the 21st of December, we must consider that Shisha Pangma has never been conquered in winter. Now it's up to us to see if this climb is possible…
Bye, Simone

Translation by Jonathan Etes

(17.12.2004)
German TOP-climbers Robert Jasper and Stefan Glowacz did not sustained the most severe gale-force wind and bailed their first ascent Murallon, North face, (Patagonia).

Having stayed for some days in only 150 meters up to the summit waiting for the weather window, the guys began their sad descent.

www.robert-jasper.de

(15.12.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Pangma.
Our trekking to go back to Kathmandu began today. Now we are in Deboche at 3700 meters and tomorrow some of us will go to Lukla and 1 or 2 members will spend other 2 days going down. Tomorrow we will meet Jan Szulc that should be in Namche as he arrived 1 week later than us in Nepal.

Today we navigated in internet to see how is going with the news about the JC Lafaille climb on Shisha. With huge surprise we saw the photo of the "new line" of JC, because we discovered that 50% of that route is our route of last winter (green line)!!!!! We have photos and film of that line we made last December and January (till the point where the route cross the number 5 and 6). We didn't considered that part as new because the aim of the Spanish route we climbed was to follow the big coloir from the base of the wall to the summit, and our line had been only the physiological variant in order to the ice and weather conditions. In any case we sent many photos already one years ago to my web site and the most important world web site and our line and story should be well known.

In any case we would like to congratulate JC Lafaille for the good climb and the success. Really! We also would like to congratulate him for the tactics.....
We really don't want to make any discussion and polemics. The world is already full of wars and problems and we believe that should be stupid to increase the "bordel" with extra stupid discussion.

Simone, Darek, Piotr

(14.12.2004)
On 12 December Jean-Christophe Lafaille returned to the base camp after his challenge summit (on December 11) Shishapangma.

It is the first successful ascent on Shishapangma (8047m) done solo and without supplementary oxygen.

The information is provided by Katia Lafaille, France, www.jclafaille.com

 

 

 

(7.12.2004)
International calendar for ice-climbing competitions, 2005 season

 

 

 

 

MRAZEK Tomas
CHABOT Alexandre
PETRENKO Maxim
 EITER Angela
SARKANY Muriel
SHALAHINA Olha

(24.11.2004)
World Cup 2004 Top-10

Men
1. MRAZEK Tomas CZE 560.00
2. CHABOT Alexandre FRA 516.00
3. CRESPI Flavio ITA 333.00
4. PETRENKO Maxim UKR 322.00

5. USOBIAGA Patxi ESP 317.00
6. POUVREAU Gérome FRA 291.00
7. MILLET Sylvain FRA 268.00
8. FUSELIER Mickael FRA 249.00
9. VERHOEVEN Jorg NED 248.00
10. PUIGBLANQUE Ramón Julián ESP 240.00

Women
1. EITER Angela AUT 535.00
2. SARKANY Muriel BEL 525.00
3. EYER Alexandra SUI 364.00

4. GROS Natalija SLO 364.00
5. CIAVALDINI Caroline FRA 356.00
6. SCHÖPF Bettina AUT 345.00
7. LAVARDA Jenny ITA 299.00
8. VIDMAR Maja SLO 287.00
9. CUFAR Martina SLO 286.00
10. SHALAHINA Olha UKR 245.00

(22.11.2004)
World Cup. Latest Stage. Kranj, SLO

Men
1. Tomas Mrazek (CZE)
2. Evgueni Ovtchinnikov (RUS)
3. Jorg Verhoeven (NED)

Women
1. Angela Eiter (AUT)
2. Natalija Gros (SLO)
3-4. Maja Vidmar (SLO)
3-4. Sandrine Levet (FRA)

(16.11.2004)
Simone Moro. Shisha Winter
Everything is working well here in preparing the expedition. Monday will flight to Kathmandu our cargo with equipment and food we will use during the 2month expedition. I and my friends planned to go in Khumbu valley for a trekking to Everest base camp and easy climbs for acclimatisation in the areas.

After that we will start by road to Kodhari- Zangmu and Nyalam and from that village we will trek till the Shisha Pangma south face base camp.

Only at base camp we will decide the route we will attempt. We want to see directly the snow condition of the face and the weather forecast we will have from Innsbruck from my personal friend Karl Gabl.

Herewith I'm sending you the postcard I prepared for our expedition. I dind't received yet the cable but I took free all next week to realize all the procedure and training with iPAQ and Contact 3.0. Keep in touch

About expedition

(15.11.2004)
UIAA Worldcup Difficulty Event Brno (CZE) 2004. Results.
The Winners - Flavio CRESPI, Italy, and Alexandra EYER, Switzerland. At men Tomas MRAZEK, CZE, and Alexandre CHABOT, France, are the second and the third accordingly. And at women the Russian Olga SHALAGINA (!!!) is the second and Maja VIDMAR, Slovenia is the third.

See all the results http://www.digitalrock.de

 

(11.11.2004)
Fred Rouhling opens his new line Mandallaz drive, 9à
Fred Rouhling has just declared about his successful redpoint of the new project in d'Allonzier la Caille - Mandallaz drive, 9à.
In 1993 only lazy did not mock Fred when he declared the first French 9à, Hugh line. However in 2001, 8 (!) years later, the category was confirmed by Italian climber Alessandro Lamberti.
1995 "Practically everyone in this world had to doubt of his judiciousness" - It is about Fred Rouhling and his challenging Akira, 9b. Do you really think the world delightfully looked into his eyes?
1997 l'Autre Cote du Ciel (The other side of the sky), the second 9à, sent by Fred. Then everything went without any autographs....
3d "9a" of Fred was Fred Nicole's "bain de sang"
2004 Mandallaz drive, 9à. Who would doubt... Go, Fred! :)

http://kairn.com

(11.11.2004)
INTERNATIONAL CALENDAR FOR SKI MOUNTAINEERING COMPETITIONS 2004- 2005 SEASON

(9.11.2004)
Stephen Koch and Mark Newcomb braved thin ice and a midday storm to snag a new ice line on the North Face of the Grand Teton
On October 5, the two climbed six new pitches, totaling about 1,000 feet of thin ice and mixed climbing. The new route, which is unnamed, started just left of the classic North Face route and ended at the Hossack-McGowan Couloir, which they followed to the East Ridge and eventually reached the summit.
The crux was found on the second pitch, where unprotectable ice forced Koch into a soaking-wet, “womb-like feature” behind the ice until he could bust through and pull a roof to easier ground. He spent the next belay wringing out his clothes and pouring water out of his boots. A sudden storm then dumped buckets of graupel, which cascaded down the face in “one of the most spectacular sights I have witnessed in the mountains,” Koch said. When the storm stopped, they continued upward through four more good pitches of ice, including a winding WI 5 pitch that Koch called the nicest ice pitch he has ever done on a mountain route.

http://climbing.com

(4.11.2004)
Rating of rock-climbers - the world leaders. Bouldering. Speed. Difficulty
In bouldering and speed the sportmen have been already put in their places, "all sweets" are given away, in difficulty there are two events more ahead...

UIAA Climbing-Worldcup 2004

Bouldering

Women
1. Sandrine Levet, France
2. Olga Bibik, Russia
3. Julia Abramchuk, Russia

Men
1. Daniel Dulac, France
2. Kilian Fischhuber, Austria
3. Jerome Meyer, France

Speed

Women
1. Tatyana Ruyga, Russia
2. Anna Saulevich, Russia
3. HENDRAWATI Agung Ethi, INA

Men
1. Sergey Sinitsyn, Russia
2. Eugeny Vaytsekhovsky, Russia
3. Alexander Peshehonov, Russia

Difficulty. The current rating

Women
1. Muriel Sarkany, Belgium
2. Angela Eiter, Austria
3. Bettina Schopf, Austria

Men
1. Tomas Mrazek, Czechia
2. Alexandre Chabot, France
3. Gerome Pouvreau, France

All results http://digitalrock.de

(2.11.2004)
Rock Climbing. World Cup in Valence, France. Difficulty.
The winners

Men
1. CHABOT Alexandre FRA
2. Bindhammer Christian Germany
3. MRAZEK Tomas CZE
4. FUSELIER Micha FRA
5. AUCLAIR Fran FRA
Women
1. Muriel Sarkany Belgium
2. Caroline Ciavaldini FRA
2. CUFAR Martina SLO
4. Jenny Lavarda ITA
5. Angela Eiter AUT

The leaders of Big Cup Mrazek and Sarkany. Chabot and Eiter are the second.

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