An idea to make a trip to this region visited me in the beginning of 90-s. G. Klin told me a lot about this place. It was paradise on earth for skiers from Khabarovsk and Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and hell for tourists in summer - horseflies and other bloodsucking insects leaved you alone neither in the daytime nor in the night.
At the start of January a combined team of Moscow Demchenko Club aims to summit Shkhelda 3-rd Western, 4280m, via V. Balyberdin's route (5B-winter-Russian grade).
It is going to be the second ascent of one of the most logical routes for the summit of Shkhelda 3-rd Western. Since 1984 this route has not been repeated.
During two day visit to climbing routes of Tujuksu Gates and cliffs on Butakovka river, Alexander Klenov gave some helpful advice on climbing development of these sites for climbing gurus and ambitious newcomers.
The countdown has begun. It is only over one month to the award of Piolet d’Or, an Oskar in the mountaineering world. Main internet sites tell about nominated teams and persons. The names of Denis Urubko and Igor Chaplinsky are well known by Russian active mountaineers. Other nominations and their achievements usually stay in the shade.
Report about ascent to the pole “Shaman”, massif “Amur poles” (settlement Nignetambovskoe, Amur region, the Khabarovsk Territory). The route was done 17-18 September 2002 within the bounds of the championship of the Primorsky Kray in alpinism.
The Foigt’s group and joined it Gija Tortladze was going to be the first. But before that at the mount had happened events, that had altered the situation in the whole. As early as we started descending, our group fell into heavy rockfall.
This is a story about lone Crimean rock-climber. He was born to be victorious and has held a record, compared to which the gold of any sport competitions is nothing. Generations will change, new champions, pioneers, extremals, that will show their high skills, will appear, but our hero will still be the best and invincible. By the life itself he has earned a right on this title.
In comparison with many rocky regions in the Crimea, the walls of Ai-Petri do not enjoy wide popularity among mountaineers (because of distant approaches), but, however it was this place, where the first steps and routes of Crimean mountaineering were made.
The season is over, my darling is waiting for me at the Issyk Kul, and I am waving my hand to the helicopter that carries to Kar-Karu remains of the Northern basic camp. A regular storm on the top of Khan Tengry and extremely vexing returning back from the cupola of Pobeda for the sake of saving client’s life is left behind.
Certainly, the descent doesn’t include in the description of the route, but as nobody has done a descent from Topografov, and the route of the descent wasn’t the same with the way of ascent, I think it will be useful to produce it, it may be useful in making new routes along the wall in this region.
The route was done in Alpine style in 18 days, 2 of them were dedicated to the approach-shuttle from the BC, it took us 12,5 days to reach the top and 3,5 – to go down to the camp.
- I used to take part in all-comers competitions for my regional team together with 2 or 3 hundred of starters. Once I shot out after a mistake in "qualification" contest, but next time I won the silver in German competitions. I have never been mad about competitions, the dialogue with rocks is always more important for me.
A trip to America is not an easy thing… But the decision has been maturing for a long time, so I could prepare everything. Now I won’t touch upon the question about getting visa, if anybody is interested in it, I can tell him this information in a private talk.
Speaking political language, a revolutionary situation has arisen in our club. Many young masters of sports and sportsmen that are about to receive a master degree are fond of climbing only steep difficult walls. But where can they be found?
Shingu Charpa North Ridge, Karakoram. New route in a five-day round trip.
Have you ever seen a beautiful route? Such as to bewitch at once and make a motion to climb it? For example, West ridge of Makalu? My experience suggests that not every mountain fascinates and makes one want to open a new route. It's like we care about a woman...
The Crimean peninsula is situated in the Southern part of Ukraine. It is here where the most well-known rock climbing sites of Ukraine
are. New sport rock climbing routes and boulder problems appear every single year...
A lot of words were spoken during last month about accidents on Everest at spring 2006. It is very important to clear understand all
situations and make conclusions for future.
I write this article because I want to turn this discussion in more constructive
direction. I hope that there will be a number of interesting opinions and offers.
- Will you try Masherbrum again?
- No.
- No?
- No.
...
It seems that years will go by and the new climbing generation will change to come into being a new impartial interest to the mountain. For those who will want to climb this wall our words should become nothing less than the opinion of the enfeebled by age and fit for nothing old men...
It was our second attempt in this route. During the first try we were hit by
an avalanche and me by ice also.
After this experience we started to climb at
midnight, as we wanted to avoid falling of ice and avalanches...
For the first time the idea to climb Koskulak peak came into our heads in spring 2002. After acclimatization in Pamir we planned to move to China and to make a first ascent of the beautiful Peak 6355 and then Koskulak.
They are going to the mountains again. And again to Pakistan in spite of they failed twice there and lost their friend. Masherbrum Northeast Face, remaining still unclimbed is their ambition...
Approaching Fontainebleau we looked around local landscapes and were puzzled: «What rocks can be there? ». And then everything happened like in a fairy tale. We entered an unremarkable forest (seemed small at first blush), and found a lot of stones - mossy, unusual, like emmarbled dinosaurs, but with very interesting structure and good friction.
Authors: Natalia Perlova and Serik Kazbekov, Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine Photo: Otto Kurts and Serik Kazbekov
Dear everyone,
Patagonia is being flooded with complaints by people who are saying I broke the law, hurt the environment and disrespected nature by free soloing Delicate Arch...
Eiter (AUT) and Crespi (ITA) confirm last year’s leadership, sixteen years old David Lama (AUT) claims 2nd place at his first worldcup. Chloë Graftiaux (BEL) climbs up the ranking with a nice 4th place.
Spring in Crimea is in its pride. We managed not only to luxuriate in the warm spring sunshine but to get a solar burn climbing for some days in Nikita. Temperature was up to +26! The motivation to send hard routes is in the air since the very beginning of this climbing season
The author: Evgeny Krivosheitsev, Ukraine, Odessa Photo: Anna Malyarova, Ukraine, Odessa
After the quarter-final I slightly drew tight psychologically as I had not climbed two rather simple problems which I should have climbed.
And became only the 16-th, but due to meditations and fans’ support I managed to bring back mental approach and then to feel great security...
Author: Olga Bibik, Krasnoyarsk Photo: Olga Bibik, Evgeny Bashkirtsev
All the same I believe in elective affinity,
I feel repressed and cooped in world of big cities, exquisite attitudes
and television feelings. I can't get enough sincerity, naturalnesses
and love there...
A huge "book" - a dihedral- consisted of monolithic marmorized limestones of red - yellow-pink colors was ahead. Here and there we could see the fossils of ancient sea animals embedded into the rocks. All of this was hanging above us...
Long ago after one of my first visits to France, Pavel Shabalin asked me about good falls in Altai area. My first thought was the Chulyshman river valley and at right a strong desire to investigate the region and to try to climb something ice there appeared...
...Uncertainty is in the big mountains... It is similar to extravehicular activity.
Frequently, starting an ascent in a two-man team on a huge wall in the Himalayas or in Tien-Shan you cannot predict whatever result. Sometimes it can be that you have an "outward half of ticket": only up to the summit.
20 minutes by bus, two ski lifts and 10 minutes walk and we get to ther ridge of the Cerro Cathedral. Incredible views of the volcanoes (Lanin, Tronador, Puntiagudo...) with their shinning glaciers.
A two hours walk on this ridge and you will get to the Frey valley. Some nice boulders on the bottom of the valley, in front of fantastics red granit spires...
Author: Cedric Larcher, www.kairn.com Photo: Philippe Maurel
I do not exactly understand the English style, they offered us too many reliefs, there were two start crimpers at the first problem, a big "roll" and finish on a "skull". That was all! No holds any more. Starting I thought: "Where is anything to hold?" First it seemed that it would be unreal to send it, but then everything went OK...
From July 18 - August 26, the united team of Moscow district climbed in the West Kokshaal-Tau. We made first ascents on eight summits of this valley during the expedition.
I am going, again, for the third time to climb Lhotse. Yes, exactly there, there again, for the third time! Why? You should have understood by now that the collection of 8000 meter peaks as an end in itself does not interest me and has become for 98% of Himalayan climbers, the only way to approach climbs at very high altitude and try to become professional alpinists.
On November 28-29 Gatis Kalnins and I (both from Latvia) opened a new route (21 pitch, 1000 m, TD+ Fr 6a) on the south face of Jebel Misht in a lightweight, single push. Route was free climbed without any usage of bolts or pitons
„Ban zone“ M9, 287 Meters,
First ascent of the Staubbachfall, in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
In February 2006 the legendary Staubbachfall was first ascended by the German Extremclimber Robert Jasper and his Swiss Friend Markus Stofer
Part 3
If to tell in general, I like polyvalence. My routes can be absolutely opposite
on style or on trainings: both cascades, and rocks, ascents in the Alps
and the Himalayas, but every new route is a huge attachment for me. I
like performance I like to extend myself up to the end on each of my
ideas.
Part 2
...Standing under the wall a few days ago, I had been very sceptical that we would ever get as high as we had been. But now we were climbing on hand and footholds that never had been touched before. There it was again, this feeling of discovery coupled with the hope that we might reach the summit after all...
Author: Stefan Glowacz Photo: Klaus Fengler Mountain.RU thanks Stefan Glowacz, Robert Jasper and Klaus Fengler for this wonderful story
Part 2
Alpine style… It means for me to remain independent as far as possible, i.e. not to fix the rope and not to set intermediate camps beforehand and to climb in such manner as it is accepted in the Alps. It is difficult enough to do in the Himalayas, but simultaneously it is more tempting. It has advantages and disadvantages, of course...
Always at the same time of the year, in the months of November and December of 2003, 2004 and 2005, we struggled to the foot of the wall and twice had been harshly turned back. Diva Murallon enchanted us and - with a total disregard for logic and common sense - we would have returned even a forth or a fifth time in case we failed again. Until she would give in to our desire...
Author: Stefan Glowacz Photo: Klaus Fengler Mountain.RU thanks Stefan Glowacz, Robert Jasper and Klaus Fengler for this wonderful story
Principles… A beautiful route line, if possible a direct line. To remain polyvalent. There are different rules in different disciplines. For example, in rock-climbing, dry tooling or big wall climbing the rules will never be identical. As to ethics … I try to choose "engagement", I like to find and try a beautiful line, a technical line. That means it is identically hard and engaged... I like to be in absolute privacy in mountains, all alone as on Gasherbrum I, for example. On Gasherbrum II there were a lot of people, on Ê2 at the end of the ascent - too. Certainly, I would prefer to be only two there, I and Hans Kammerlander face to face with the Mountain...
Ines Papert, Harry Berger and Samuel Anthamatten win the first stage of the Ice World Cup Difficulty 2006 held last weekend in Valle di Daone, Italy.
Ines Papert from Germany wins the first stage of the Ice Climbing World Cup in Daone ahead of Anna Torretta from Italy and Stephanie Maureau from France. Harry Berger from Austria and Samuel Anthamatten from Switzerland tie for first place in the men's competition, Herbert Klammer from Italy placet third.
The aim of the project is to make winter ascents on three great northern walls of the Alps: Eiger, Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses. From all Alpine mountains these three ones have the biggest walls, the most difficult routes and the most dramatic and mysterious climbing history...
Moscow team is going to Chile: Arcady Seregin (the head),Timur Ahmedkhanov,Igor Pehterev, a.k.a. Khron,
Sergey Sorokaty Ascent aim: Torres del Paine (Tower of Paine), Andes, Patagonia.
Start from Moscow on January, 7, 2006.
