The "Kuzbass" team's head Jury Uteshev (Mezhdurechensk), the coach Alexander Foigt (Novokuznetsk), Peter Kuznetsov (Krasnoyarsk) and Arcady Kuvakin (Kemerovo) are reported missing by the authorities of Pakistan after an avalanche collapsing on Abruzzi ridge on August 13. Kuznetsov, Foigt and Uteshev were considered the aces of aces of Russian Mountaineering. All together on their account there were 12 successful "eight-thousanders" ascents.

On August 16 Sergey Bogomolov gave a detailed interview to Andrey Afinogentov, Russian Sport-Express correspondent shortly after he together with other four climbers descended to BC.

-We already got the final part of the summit ridge and were at about 8350 meters after exhausting climbing of the so-called "Bottle Neck" only in 2 hours from the summit: We could see the K2 summit distinctly, when a snow slab collapsed, - Sergey Bogomolov told.

- And was it an avalanche or a huge piece of frozen snow split off the rock?

It was the enormous piece of frozen snow and ice, somewhere 120*80 meters. It just brushed the guys away like specks of dust off the ridge at the wild speed and behaved like an avalanche: having run downwards it lug off them. But all of this was without characteristic sounds. If an avalanche starts in mountains it always noisy and audible to everyone who is near to the mountain. But this time all these things happened almost silently. Nobody from us heard how and when this huge piece of snow split off the summit.

- Have you turned back at once?

- Yes. We tried to find the guys, but without success. The traces of the avalanche were visible down below 7800 meters, and then it was broken down into two parts. I descended hundred meters below on via Cesen route using the fixed rope of Japanese expedition. Without results.

- How did the other climbers manage to survive?

- Snow and ice caught all of us. But the fact is that we climbed falling into three groups. The first group - The first - Victor Kulbachenko (climber from Minsk), and Alexander Gaponov (from Kemerovo). Then - Foigt, Uteshev, Kuvakin, Kuznetsov stringing out the ridge. And finally the Irish Bennon, Pole Teler and I were closing this caravan. Personally I was saved by two circumstances - due to my ice-axe I fixed right after I saw the collapsing snow and the ridge itself shaped like a comma near the summit.

- Whether were search of missing climbers carried out by Pakistan army rescue parties?

- The inviting company wanted to call up the helicopter, but that would be the bootless effort. Maximal flying height of the helicopter is only up to 5500 meters. Besides the weather finally deteriorated and now even the base camp is fogged, needless to say about high altitude. The Authorities have now decided to consider the missing climbers dead. Now we are headed for the procedure of official registration in Islamabad and other sad formalities.

- You spent eleven days at the altitude of 6700 meters and above, twice started the summit push, but and have not reached the aim and have lost your friends, climbing partners...

- It was the fantastic team. Probably, the strongest one that was possible to pick today in Russia for the "Eight-thousander" climb. K2 is a terribly hard mountain with very freak weather and it does not want to let the climbers to get the summit. But this time Foigt, Kuznetsov, Uteshev were at my side and they were the experts in High Altitude climbing. We had been in one team ascending Lhotse and Makalu, and now we had spent six days together waiting for weather window.

We set the closing deadline of expectation - on August, 13. To this term the food ended in our tent. And the sun came out that day. There was overcast below, but clear- above. And we decided to head to the summit believing such weather as our award for our improbable work and persistence. The improbable spirit reigned in the expedition. All other teams had bailed and surrendered many days ago, but we climbed and climbed forward. As the Russians can act. In mountains they name "Russians" everyone who speaks Russian, not differing Ukrainians or Kazakhs...

Probably, we made a mistake when had come to the decision to start the summit push by such a big group. On descent the guys, climbed first told that they heard the firn crackle under their feet. But it is only a mere surmise to search any explanation of happened tragedy. Only the Mountain knows what happened in fact. But it always keeps a grim silence.

- When are you going to come home?

- The ticket is taken for August, 29. I hope we will have time to fix the whole business in Islamabad and to wake from the shock.