7 Summits Everest Expedition: Elizabeth Hawley registered us, we can go further

Today, Nikolay Cherny, Sergei Larin, and Noel Hanna, along with a team of Sherpas went to the base camp at North side of Everest. A day before, there was a meeting with the legendary Miss Elizabeth Hawley. A journalist, in the past, this 87 years old lady, is the main authority in the Himalayan mountaineering. Even she has not made any ascent itself. Hawley in her place, is both a chronicler number 1, directly receiving an information about Himalayan expeditions, and a referee deals in complicated situations. Unexpectedly for us, this remarkable woman personally paid a visit to the hotel where located Alexander Abramov and his team.

Meanwhile, a small ceremony held in the office of the 7 Summits Club. We farewelled our beloved comrades in Nepal. Victor Bobok and Dmitry Ermakov go to the Himalayas. Dmitry will lead an expedition to the foot of Mount Everest from the south, the main aim of a large group will be climbing Island Peak. Victor will join the team of Alexander Abramov, as a guide of Mount Everest. He wants to climb the summit already by his third route (2004 - North Face direct, 2009 - a classic from the south). We know that Eugene Vinogradsky reached the summit of Everest by three different routes. Or anyone else?

Our 2011 Expedition.

The main part of the expedition (with permit on Everest):

Karina Mezova (28 years) Nalchik
Andrew Podolyan (39) Moscow
Dmitry Sokov (43) Sakhalin
Igor Prinzyuk (33) Khabarovsk
Yuri Beloivan (44) Moscow
Roman Grezky (39) Moscow
Christopher Cannizzaro (25) U.S.A.
Crina Popescu (16) Romania

Group with special permits (without climbing Everest):

Valery Rozov (46) Moscow
Denis Provalov (42) Moscow
Sergey Krasko (49) Moscow
Anatoly Yezhov (64) Archangelsk
Ovidiu Popescu (47) Romania
Gennady Naykov (44) Moscow

Guides of the expedition:

Alexander Abramov (47) Moscow

Sergey Larin (51) Tver

Nikolay Cherny (72) Moscow

Noel Hanna (44) Ireland

Victor Bobok (50) Moscow

Earlier:

Today we returned in Kathmandu, after an early flight from Lukla. All of the team enjoyed the acclimatisation trek in the Khumbu a lot. It was very nice to get out of town. Our permits for Tibet are finalized and we will leave Kathmandu early tomorrow morning. We will drive to Kodari and the cross the "friendship bridge" into China to the Border town of Zhangmu. If everything goes smoothly we will continue to Tingri at around 4200m. Here we will spend two more night to finish our acclimatisation before going for base camp.

Our Tibet visa are a little bit delayed, so we decided to go up in the
Khumbu and start our acclimatization. This way we can make some time up during the approach in Tibet. Yesterday we reached Namche Bazar at 3600 metres/11,800 feet. Today we are just hanging out here and enjoying the nice coffee and apple pie..........hard work expedition climbing!

Tomorrow we will head up to Tengboche at around 4000 metres/13,100 feet. After this we will go down and back to Kathmandu. Today I got the good news that all our permits are ready, we only have to get the Tibet entry visa in Kathmandu. We expect to be back in Kathmandu on Wednesday and we will probably cross the Tibetan Border on Thursday!

All the members are doing well and are enjoying the fresh mountain air and great views here! I think we have a very strong group with a lot of experience this expedition, but let's see what the mountain does this year.......stay tuned for more news......
Arnold Coster - expedition leader

We look at the Himalayas from south to north. Kanchenjunga. The team collected by Alexey Bolotov will try to climb this giant mountain. It consists of two top Russian high altitude climbers - Nikolay Totmyanin and Gleb Sokolov. As well as our close friend, president of Mountaineering Federation of Azerbaijan, the snow leopard and the climber at the Seven Peaks Israfil Ashurly. Together with them - Pole Paul Michalski, Romanian Alex Gavan and Italian Mario Panzer and Spaniard Antonello Martinez. And also a group of Nepalese climbers. If successful Sherpa Mingma will be the first in the country climbed 14 eight-thousanders ...