Reports and stories about climbing Lenin Peak. Climbing Lenin Peak Lenin Peak climbing in the year reports

19.10.2017

Igor LEONTIEV, head of the Everest 2018 project, says:

“2017 is a special year, the year of the centenary of Russian revolutions. It was unforgivable to ignore such a date.
I have never come to Lenin so early, at the end of June. However, this year my early arrival in Kyrgyzstan was due to several reasons. Firstly, by agreement with Svetlana Fedina, I had to take part in the installation of tent camps for the Aksai Travel company. Secondly, I wanted to get deeper altitude acclimatization in order to arrive at South Inylchek, as they say, in full combat readiness. Thirdly, I promised our wonderful journalist and climber Svetlana Antimonova to help in filming a film about the work of the Aksai Travel camp on Lenin Peak.
I flew to Osh via Bishkek in the hope that I would receive a parcel there from Spain with new Boreal boots, which I planned to wear throughout the summer season. I received the boots, but they turned out to be two sizes smaller than necessary, and old boots from the same manufacturer, grabbed from home just in case, turned out to be handy.
The first day
On June 27, I flew to Osh. The city was met with cloudy weather and a temperature of +21C°. After Bishkek +32C° it’s cool. Two hours to get ready at the new transshipment, and off we go. I was traveling in the minivan with Aksai guides. At the wheel is an old acquaintance, ace driver Kamurza. We arrived without any surprises. Achik-Tash greeted us with heavy, leaden, autumn-like clouds hanging over us and periodically drizzling rain.
In the evening, the camp team celebrated the beginning of the summer season. Funny! I was the first and only “client” in the camp, so I sat at the common table with everyone else. The Kirghiz specially prepared a ram for this occasion. The dinner ended with an orientation meeting, at which those who were to rise in the morning to set up the ABC advanced base camp were determined.
Second day
I, as a free artist, allowed myself to spend one more day in Achik-Tash at an altitude of 3600 m, and my decision turned out to be correct: it rained and snowed all day and midnight. Red Fox stationary tents reliably protected both from moisture and wind. There was no desire to get out of the down sleeping bag. At that moment, for the first time, I understood all the delights of the “client” status, who is “always right” and “does what he wants.”
Day three
I planned my first trip to ABC camp (4400 m) at 9.30, i.e. right after breakfast. At 5 o'clock in the morning I left the tent to watch the sunrise. The weather is fantastic! A slight “minus”, not a cloud in the sky, the beautiful Alai Range in the rays of the rising sun, the peaks of Lenin and the 19th Party Congress are covered with freshly fallen snow, even Onion Glade is covered in snow! It doesn't happen like that! It was still raining at 2.30!
At the end of Lukovaya Polyana, Vasya, an old acquaintance from Chelyabinsk, caught up with me. So the two of us walked: he ran ahead and waited for me. I loaded up, as I usually do for the first exit, with a 30 kg backpack. I never knowingly use the services of horsemen. Firstly, by our standards it is expensive. Secondly, I think that it is more correct to acclimatize this way. A 12-kilometer hike with an elevation gain of 800 meters is not an easy walk. In 3 hours we climbed the Travelers Pass, from where our cherished goal, Lenin Peak, seems much closer. I understand that we are going slowly, but this is only the first way out. I know that later we will move much faster, and this time is a guideline for the next walks.
We walked another 3 hours to the crossing of the Krasnaya River. We crossed over. We sat and had a snack. And here at 4200 m I was slightly “covered”. I planned to “run” to the camp in an hour, but crawled in 1.50. However, I did it within the 8 hours I had set for myself.
There were already several tents in ABC, which the guides had set up the day before. I was given one of them. Vasya went to live in the Mountains of Asia camp.
Day four - day nine
Over the next six days, I ran to Achik-Tash three more times, picked up the rest of the equipment and food, helped the guides set up tents and unload the arriving helicopter, went to the acclimatization climb at 4700 m, lowered the sick Vasily to the base camp, and helped Svetlana get into the first camp. Finally, our guys climbed the glacier - Lyokha Cherdantsev, Vasya Stepanov, Volodya Papin, and Roman Govorkov, who joined them. Now we were all assembled! We can start! But…

All the following days...
Every day, as scheduled, it rains from lunch until night, with snow at the top. At 4400 m there is a thunderstorm! With lightning and thunder! It’s good that the camp is already set up, and there is a place where you can shelter from bad weather. We continue to set up tents. Aklimukha is “rushing”! I run down to Achik-Tash in less than 3 hours, from there to the first camp in 4.5 with a 20 kg backpack. The result is great! Pulse at rest – 57-60. Like at home! I just want to go up!
And here is our first long-awaited exit to C2 (5300 m), which is located in the far part of the “frying pan”. I know from previous expeditions that the sun beats down on it mercilessly, so we decided to set out on the route at night. We left at 0.45 and arrived at camp at 9.00. I wanted to do it in 8 hours, but the overload of the backpacks took its toll; I had 23 kg, not counting the equipment and hanging equipment. Our men took 10 hours to rise. We've had enough. Still, going out at night gave us an advantage and helped us preserve our strength, although we no longer walked along the “frying pan” - we crawled. But we weren't the slowest. On the contrary, we were the first to climb to the second camp that day. Everyone who came after us was on the verge of heatstroke. The latter were 4 hours behind us!
So, through the efforts of the group, we brought four tents to 5300 m on the first exit, which gave us some chance to attempt to climb to the top from the second exit. Discussed. Lyokha and Vasya are in favor. We spend the night in C2, tomorrow we have an acclimatization trip to C3 at 6100 m with a return to C2 and another overnight stay at 5300 m. By the way, I discover that the altitude of the second camp according to my navigator is 5400 m.
The morning began with rescue operations. The Aksai guides lowered an unconscious Iranian woman from C3. The Iranians decided to approach Lenin without acclimatization and setting up intermediate camps, as they said, “in the Alpine style.” A good lesson for those who want to repeat...
The Iranian woman was pumped full of dexamethasone, and she left C2 on her own feet, although, of course, under the supervision of guides.
The strange behavior of the Iranian team members was discouraging: no one took part in transporting the victim, the entire team trailed behind the rescuers.
Then we, having escorted the guys down, slowly went to the third camp. We walked for fun. Weather – 5 points! At 5800 m we sat for an hour, drank tea, and told jokes. True, especially my lips were burned. Lipstick does not protect you from direct active sun. Once again we discussed plans for climbing Lenin by dates with Lyokha and Vasya. Neither me nor Sveta are pressed for time, but the men are limited by the plane tickets they have taken. That's it, the plans coincide! Tomorrow we'll go down to ABC.
In the morning, like experienced mountain climbers, we got up at 3.00 to skip the “frying pan” in the cold, drank tea, got dressed and even put on shoes, but didn’t go anywhere. Half a meter of snow fell overnight, but that’s not the main thing. Very warm and very dense thick fog. Visibility is zero – 3-5 meters. Neither the path nor the direction of movement is visible. We decided to wait until dawn, so as not to fly into a crack somewhere, of which there are a huge number on the glacier, and of different configurations. So, right in the gear we were wearing, we slept until the 8-hour connection.
A group of Aksai guides went down, and we followed them. We reached the camp in 4 hours. They didn't run. Visibility appeared below the “zigzag”, but it was raining nasty, autumn-like fine rain. Sveta was filming material for a future film. We got wet, but were satisfied with the result of the work done.
July 11 and 12 – two days of complete rest: we slept, ate, and devoted a lot, a lot of time to filming, which later became part of the film. I managed to read “Life on Borrow” by Remarque. It’s not worth reading such works in front of the Mountain, but there was nothing else to read, and once I picked up this book, I couldn’t stop.
From July 13, they promise stable good weather for a week! We are preparing to reach the summit with the whole team of 6 people. The drop off has been completed, the tents are standing. We walk relatively lightly to C2. All! We hit everything with our hooves. The mood is fighting. I feel that the acclimatization is excellent, the condition is like on the plain. The resting pulse does not rise above 60. We know that on July 9, Nikolai Totmyanin and his partner went to the summit. We went to visit the “Mountains of Asia”, congratulated our colleagues, and talked with our comrades. All the cards are stacked in such a way that we must certainly rise to the top in full force.
We left the camp at 2.10, before everyone else. At this time, people were just waking up, and we went out into the night according to the established pattern. We wanted to quickly get through the “frying pan” that was exhausting everyone. Very warm. There is dense fog on the glacier. With difficulty we reached the Fortuna camp only thanks to the hanging red flashing lantern.
How many times have I walked this path back and forth! It seemed to me that I could walk along the plane of this glacier blindfolded, but... I got lost!!! Later, when it was dawn, I realized that when crossing from the moraine to the glacier, I went straight, but I should have walked, turning to the right.
Night. Fog. Unfamiliar terrain. Where am I? For two hours we wandered along the glacier left and right, trying to get our bearings. Finally, the flashlights of those who had left a couple of hours later than us began to appear behind us. We look, they go to the right. We quickly traverse the slope and go out to the area where everyone is wearing crampons.
We arrived at C2 at 9.30. Not a bad result considering the overnight adventure. They walked without falling through, they held the firn, they were lucky. The glacier on the slope of Lenin Peak has changed a lot: some cracks have closed or become clogged with snow, and new faults have appeared. In C2 and above there is a storm all day. The wind was hurricane-force and tore and tore down several tents. Our “homes” are standing and holding on.
At 16.00 in C3, the radio again announced the need to save a person. All the guides who were preparing to storm the summit the next day were forced to turn down. It's a shame! And it would be okay if the question concerned your client, but here a situation arose that was far from a sober understanding. An extravagant girl from Kharkov came alone, without any experience or equipment, to go to Lenin Peak. Not finding the same “partner” nailed to her head in the base camps, by hook or by crook she reached the camp at 6100 m, climbed into someone else’s tent, spent several days in it like a mouse and began to die. She was accidentally discovered in an unconscious state by the guides on duty at the camp, who checked and strengthened the tents during the storm. The second “rescue”, and again - “woman”... I have remembered the advice of our outstanding climber Gleb Anatolyevich Sokolov for the rest of my life. He says: "Beware of the 'lonely women' on the glacier."
The next day we planned to go to 6100 m at 4.00, but the lack of visibility due to dense clouds, snow and stormy winds changed our plans: we left at 9.30, when it was dawn.
After getting dressed and shouldering our backpacks, we were standing near the tents when we heard the sound of an approaching jet plane. Where could there be a plane here? The next moment, an avalanche flew out of the cloud across the entire width of the Razdelnaya slope. She rolled towards the tents and onto the path that approached the camp along the “frying pan”. Thank God that at that moment there was no one on the trail, although usually at this time there are several groups or bundles here.
Without taking off our backpacks, we rushed, as much strength and zeal as we could, up the path from the camp. The avalanche stopped 100 meters short of the tents, and we continued moving.
On takeoff from 5800 m to 6100 m, the wind knocked us off our feet, sometimes we had to lie down on the slope so as not to fly into the “frying pan”. At 15.00 we were already sitting in tents, having lunch and dinner and resting. The hurricane continued for the second day, without stopping for a minute. In a well-built camp, six tents were torn by the wind, two were blown towards Tajikistan.
On the third day of stormy weather, Roman’s health began to deteriorate sharply. If you don’t lower him down today, then tomorrow there will be another rescue operation. Who needs it? We make a decision: all the men go down, Sveta and I remain at 6100 m to wait for a “window” in bad weather to try to successfully complete our expedition. The guys only had one day left, we had a wagonload of time!

At night I had a dream in which I was in some bar, and then an earthquake began, I ran out into the street, and there were mountains of destroyed buildings. Continues to shake. I wake up. The tent is ready to take off. The wind tears it in all directions. My head is wedged in the corner of the tent and swings from side to side with every gust of wind. It really felt like there was an earthquake.
During the morning call, Vladimir Ivanovich Suviga said that the long-awaited “window” is expected on July 17. From the lower camps, groups of people wishing to go to the Mountain reached up. The Aksai guides are getting up, carrying tents, and we will restore the pretty shabby camp. From us to the guys - help, for us - additional acclimatization. In the evening, Odessa residents came up and offered to go together. We agree, it's safer together. Looks like a group is gathering.
Fourth day at 6100 m. Stormy wind and snow continue to hit the camp. We spent the entire day setting up tents, replacing torn and deflated ones. Ten swings of the shovel and rest for 2-3 minutes. He pulled the quickdraw, stood, and caught his breath. Yes, at this altitude, strength is no longer restored even during sleep. Sublimates no longer work; you have to force yourself to eat something. If there is no “window” tomorrow, you will have to “get down.” The assembled company encourages each other and motivates them to climb. We believe Vladimir Ivanovich and his forecasts. Everyone expects that tomorrow the wind will stop and the weather will settle for at least one day.
At 12.25, during communication with the base camp, a huge dust avalanche descended from the slope of Lenin Peak onto the “frying pan”. Seven people were caught on the trail, but all escaped with only fright. Avalanche dust reached C2.
July 17th. "Window"! Ha! Twenty-five people came out through the promised “window” for the ascent: besides us, four Odessa residents, two Lithuanians, two Stavropol residents, our friend Misha from Moscow, some “fixies,” the French and someone else. We left at 2.30. When we reached 6400 m we were in the top six. Here the first ones leaving the route began to turn in the opposite direction. There was no “window”! The stormy wind and snow knocked us off our feet, the temperature was about -20C°.
11 people climbed out onto the “knife”, but while I was distracted for a few minutes, I discovered that there were only three left who wanted to continue the ascent: Sveta and I and some Frenchman who did not know where to go, stood and waited for our decision. And we had no thoughts of turning around. We have already worked hard, as they say. We climbed the rocks to the parachutists' plateau and found ourselves in thick clouds. It became very difficult to navigate. We went first. There was no path or markers in front of us. Only knowledge of the route from previous ascents allowed us not to get lost, although we spent two hours looking for the summit itself.
Wind, frost, lack of visibility, knee-deep snow that had to be traversed - we caught all the delights of high-altitude mountaineering. The Frenchman turned out to be an ungrateful bastard: he flatly refused to trail, lagged behind by 50 meters so as not to lose sight of us, and waited. On the way back, he was also in no hurry to catch up with us.
We found the summit by 15.00. Vladimir Ivanovich, sincerely worried about us, told us to stop looking for it, that he would count it for us anyway... There was no strength or desire to take off the backpack, take out the camera, sit down, or have a snack. There was only one desire - to go down. Our tracks were covered, the cloudiness did not decrease, and the wind continued to knock us down. Everything was against us. Only Ivanovich, constantly in touch with us, tried to correct the direction of our movement using barely noticeable landmarks.
At 16.00, thoughts began to arise about a “cold” overnight stay and digging a snow cave or at least a hole. There was nothing to dig with, there were no additional warm clothes with us, there was no tent or sleeping bags. There were no options to bury ourselves in the snow. We had already been at an altitude above 6100 m for five days already. An additional overnight stay at 6900 m was not part of our plans.
When we passed the parachutists' plateau and came out onto the barely noticeable, familiar outlines of rocky outcrops, a miracle happened: for 15 seconds the clouds cleared, and a panorama opened up in front of us, clearly in the rays of the setting sun, in the center of which the third camp was located. Yes, it was still a very long way to go, but I already knew exactly in which direction to move.
When we descended to 6400 m, Vladimir Ivanovich sent two guides to meet us. Very handy! They met us at the crossing near Razdelnaya, gave us tea, fed us chocolate and helped us carry our backpacks to the tents. Respect and respect to both Dimons! We returned to camp at 21.30. It turned out that we were the only ones that day whom the Mountain allowed in and sent back. We were the first representatives of the Aksai Travel camp to climb to the top this year.
We descended to the next base camp in 5.5 hours, including time spent having tea in C2, kindly provided by the guides on duty, and filming materials for the film. ABC congratulated us on our successful return. Thanks to everyone who helped!

On July 19, we did not go down, but arranged a full day of rest for ourselves. The mountain took a lot of physical strength. And we just wanted to have a holiday for ourselves. Pasha went up to the camp, with whom we, together with the guides, spent a wonderful evening and half the night, singing a lot... The songs of the Great Patriotic War sounded enchanting at 3 o’clock in the morning!
In the morning, we heard over communications that the groups that went out to storm Lenin Peak found a frozen girl a few meters from the peak. She lay on the slope in a down jacket, not moving. The fingers on his hands were black from frostbite. She lay there all night! One! Ruslan Kolunin, a guide with a dubious reputation, contacted the base camp by radio and reported the find, stepped over the victim and led his group towards the summit, injecting the girl with adrenaline, to which the camp doctor reacted sharply negatively...
Next came the group of Lyosha Tyulyupo from Tomsk. In his group there were New Zealanders who, having seen the dying young lady, decided to save her without going to the top. Having administered the required dose of dexamethasone, under the strict guidance of Vladimir Ivanovich and the camp doctor, Lyoshin’s group lowered the Pole to the camp at 6100 m by nightfall. Gradually she began to come to life. Another “lonely woman” went for a thrill to the “simplest” seven-thousander”, as they often write on the Internet, in order to “conquer” it. Well, who will win? Now, at 35 years old, she is left without fingers. At 4400 m she began to demand that she be given a certificate of ascent to the summit. Rave…! Another one...came to the mountains in search of adventure!
In the city on TV I heard another version of the rescue of this Polish woman. It was as if some guy from Irkutsk was saving her. I don’t know, I wasn’t there myself, but I heard all the radio communications. I know that Alexey deployed his group a few meters from the top and transported the victim down. Lyokha, well done!!
Having descended to Achik-Tash, we received congratulations from everyone present in the clearing; from the management of the Aksai Travel company we were presented with certificates numbered 1 and 2.
In the evening - bath! Two hours in the steam room! Bliss! I shaved and changed into clean clothes. Grace!
In the morning, our Sveta, Svetlana Antimonova, went upstairs again. She remains under Lenin Peak for another five days and will continue filming the film. I left for Osh in the evening. My adventures on Lenin this year are over. Ahead is South Inylchek, thoughts about Khan and Victory. But that's all ahead. In the meantime...
We arrived in Osh at midnight. The Asian heat has subsided. The eastern city at night, as always, is in full swing with its life. Knowing where everything was, I easily found a cafe where they prepared a takeaway shish kebab for me at one in the morning. I took two bottles of Karaganda beer to a cozy room at the Sun Rize Hotel, which I barely finished while having a barbecue and tuning in the TV. All! Tomorrow I’m flying to Bishkek.”

Igor LEONTIEV, project manager “Everest 2018”

Route

Moscow - Osh - Base Camp 3600 - Summit - Osh - Moscow

Attention! The program is organized by our partners Ak-Sai Travel.

Lenin Peak- one of the highest peaks of the Pamirs. On the territory of the former Soviet Union, and now the CIS, there are five seven-thousanders, three of which are geographically located in Kyrgyzstan - Lenin Peak, Khan Tengri Peak, Pobeda Peak. The remaining two - Peak Communism, Peak Korzhnevskaya are located in Tajikistan. Of these, the most accessible for climbing remains Lenin Peak, whose height reaches 7134 m above sea level. Lenin Peak is a beautiful and powerful seven-thousander, the classic route of which does not have steep rocky and ice sections, and the entire path is covered in bundles, which attracts an increasing number of people who want to climb to its peak.

Climbing Lenin Peak, starts from the base camp at an altitude of 3700m. The base camp under Lenin Peak is located on a green clearing, which facilitates recovery and rest before climbing to the top. The transition between base camp and advanced base camp (ABC) is through Travelers Pass. The advanced base camp is located on a glacial moraine. Lenin Peak opens in all its glory from here. The transition between ABC and camp 5300 passes through a large snowy clearing, sandwiched by a circus of ridges, popularly called Frying Pan - this is camp 2. Camp 3 is located at an altitude of 6100. From here most climbers make their ascent. Further the ascent passes along the ridge, which leads to a plateau (6400 m), where camp 4 is sometimes set up. At the end of the plateau there is a steep ice rise of 45 degrees - a knife. Then between the rocks there is access to the pre-summit fields and, following the logical path of ascent, access to the summit.

Necessary additions

Despite the fact that the ascent route itself is not technically difficult, in the presence of factors such as weather (and it can be completely unpredictable in the Pamirs) and altitude, which plays an important role, you need to be very careful. A successful expedition requires good physical preparation, equipment and, of course, proper acclimatization, especially for those who do not have experience in high-altitude climbing. You should make several radial climbs to a height, which at first will seem very difficult (headache, loss of appetite, lack of air) and only after you feel normal at the height, you can storm the summit.

The acclimatization and ascent program is approximate and may vary depending on weather conditions and the well-being of the participants.

When purchasing the program, the participant receives a discount on the purchase of equipment up to 21%

Tips for guides and staff (important information!)

You trust the guides with your life and health, and most importantly, your time and money. And they take on all these concerns and responsibility for you and for the success of the event 24 hours a day for the entire duration of the trip. Tour guides and staff expect a tip of $10-20 per client for each day of service. If you liked everything, you remained alive and well, you can pay them more! All tips can be given to the Chief Guide and he himself will distribute them among all employees. Don't forget to thank the guides and workers before leaving. And you will see their happy and grateful eyes!

Required documents

Passport
Citizens of the Russian Federation can enter Kyrgyzstan using an internal passport.

1. Be sure to check with our manager about the need to obtain a visa to enter the country

2. Be sure to make sure that there are free pages in your International Passport and that the passport expires in more than 6 months

Transport

All transfers according to the program (carried out in comfortable minibuses on asphalt roads
and on all-wheel drive off-road SUVs “UAZ”, “KAMAZ”, “URAL”);

Accommodations

In cities in 2* hotels
on the route and in stationary camps in double tents

Lenin Peak (7134m) is located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the Pamir mountain system. This mountain is one of three seven-thousanders located on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, the other two being Pobeda Peak (7439m) and Khan Tengri Peak (7010m). Lenin Peak is the most accessible of them both financially and technically.

As a rule, Lenin Peak is the starting peak for the Snow Leopard program. Lenin Peak is especially loved by experienced mountaineers and skiers. The classic climbing route does not have steep rocky or ice sections. And the descent from the top of the seven-thousander does not leave even the most extreme athlete indifferent. All this characterizes the peak as one of the most accessible among seven-thousanders. But! Do not forget that the height of Lenin Peak is more than 7000 m, and behind the apparent accessibility of the mountain there are hidden difficulties and risks associated with the height. A successful ascent requires a responsible approach to organizing the expedition. To take part in this expedition, you need an appropriate level of physical fitness, basic mountaineering skills, prior high-altitude experience and, of course, the desire to reach the top! The main difficulties that climbers face when climbing Lenin Peak are altitude, low temperatures, periods of bad weather and, of course, glacial crevasses.

Every year hundreds of climbers come to us who value their safety and the quality of the services provided; these factors are the priorities of the Ak-Sai Travel company. We take care to ensure smooth logistics in our camps. Base Camp (3600 m) and Camp No. 1 (4400 m) offer you comfortable living conditions that will allow you to recover and relax after expedition trips. Balanced and tasty three meals a day on a buffet basis will allow you to enjoy Asian cuisine and gain strength. To successfully reach the summit, our company marks the entire ascent route and also hangs ropes at dangerous places along the route. Our team makes a lot of efforts to ensure that the cherished dreams and goals of our guests become reality. Trust your climb to professionals!

Route

Climbing route

From the Achik-Tash base camp along a dirt road to Lukovaya Polyana, it’s about an hour on foot, but you can get there by car. Further along a good trail through the Puteshestvennikov pass and along the slopes of the spur to the right of the Lenin glacier to Camp No. 1 (ABC) 4-5 hours. Camp No. 1 is located on the moraine of the Lenin Glacier. Before reaching the moraine you need to cross the river.

They usually leave Camp No. 1 for Camp No. 2 an hour before dawn to avoid the heat and soggy snow. Having crossed the moraine and approaching the foot of the Northern slope, you need to contact and put on crampons. Important! The length of the rope between climbers in a bunch must be at least 10 meters! Ascent along the center of the steep Northern slope, to the left of the icefall, going around and crossing numerous ice cracks. The most dangerous and difficult places are hung with railings. At the top of the climb, the route goes to the right, to a vast ice plateau called Skovorodka. We cross the plateau from left to right. There, on the surface moraine at the base of the North-West Ridge, at an altitude of 5300 meters, is Camp No. 2. The average time to cover the section from Camp No. 1 to Camp No. 2 is 7-9 hours.

From Camp No. 2, after overcoming a steep takeoff, the route emerges onto the gentle North-West ridge. Further to the left along the ridge to the steep rise of the Razdelnaya peak. Camp No. 3 is located on the spacious dome of the summit at an altitude of 6100 meters. From Camp No. 2 to Camp No. 3 4-6 hours.

From Camp No. 3, descend to the saddle and climb along a steep rise to the wide Western ridge of Lenin Peak. On the ridge, at an altitude of 6400 meters, it is possible to establish Camp No. 4. Next, keep to the left side of the ridge and move towards the top. Having overcome a steep (45 degrees) ice take-off 80 meters long, called the “Knife”, and passing between the rocks, the route crosses the vast, gently sloping snow - “Parachutist Plateau”, and goes out onto the gently sloping rocky pre-summit hills. There are no obvious landmarks here, and in conditions of insufficient visibility it is easy to get lost. At the top there is a small bust of Lenin. An important safety rule: if you have not reached the top by 2 o’clock in the afternoon, you must immediately begin your descent to the assault camp!

Day 1. Arrival in Bishkek, transfer to the hotel, hotel accommodation.

Arrival at the airport. After receiving your luggage and passing through customs control upon arrival at Manas International Airport, you will be met by a representative of the Ak-Sai Travel company, who will give you all the necessary documents and permits, after which you will be taken to a 3* hotel located in the center of our capital - Bishkek.

Day 2. Flight to Osh. Transfer Osh-Achik-Tash.

After an early breakfast, a driver will pick you up and take you on the morning flight Bishkek-Osh. Our representative will meet you in Osh, and then on our transport you will be taken to the Achik-Tash Base Camp. At the camp you will be met by the head or administrator of the camp, who will accommodate you.

Day 3. Acclimatization at base camp, walk to the waterfall.

After breakfast, the athletes go for an acclimatization walk. Return to lunch. After lunch, rest, checking high-altitude equipment.

Day 4. Acclimatization hike to the ridge of Petrovsky Peak.

After breakfast, acclimatization hike to the peak ridge. Ascent to the snow, to a height of 4000 m. From the ridge there are breathtaking views of the Alai Valley and the Achik-Tash tract. Return to Base Camp for lunch. Rest, preparation for the transition to camp No. 1.

Day 5. Transfer to camp No. 1 (4400 m).

After breakfast, departure to camp No. 1. Cargo can be sent by horseback (for an additional fee). The trail passes through alpine meadows, through the Travelers Pass, and further along the slope of the ridge along the Lenin Glacier. The transition takes 4-7 hours.

Day 6. Ice activities. Climbing Yukhina Peak 5100 m. Overnight.

Ice training in the morning. We recall the rules of movement on the glacier, working in a team, ascent and descent on a fixed rope, self-rescue skills and rescuing the victim. Climbing Yukhina Peak does not require special equipment. Overnight at a designated camp at the top.

Day 7. Preparation for the ascent.

Ice training in the morning. We recall the rules of movement on a glacier, working in a team, climbing and descending on a fixed rope, self-rescue skills and rescuing a victim from a glacier crevasse. After lunch, preparation for the transition to camp No. 2

Day 8. Transfer to camp No. 2 (5300 m).

Departure at 4 o'clock in the morning. Climbing the northern slope of Lenin Peak. Moving on crampons, in ropes, overcoming glacial crevasses. The transition takes 7-9 hours. Overnight in tents in camp No. 2. Self-cooking.

Day 9. Transfer to camp No. 3 (6100 m).

Departure at 9 am. Immediately behind the camp there is a steep climb to the ridge. Moving along a wide ridge and again a steep rise to the top of Mount Razdelnaya. Traveling on crampons in ties. The average transition time is 4-6 hours. Overnight in camp No. 3, self-cooking.

Day 10. Descent to base camp 3600 m.

Early in the morning we begin our descent from camp No. 3 to camp No. 1. Traveling on crampons in ties. Lunch at camp No. 1. After lunch, transfer to base camp. Dinner at base camp.

Day 11. Rest day.

Rest at the base camp.

Day 12. Preparation for the ascent.

Rest at the base camp, preparation for the ascent.

Day 13. Transfer to camp No. 1 (4400 m).

After acclimatization, the transition requires less effort and time.

Day 14. Transfer to camp No. 2 (5300 m).

Departure at 4 o'clock in the morning. Climbing the northern slope of Lenin Peak. Moving on crampons, in ropes, overcoming glacial crevasses. After acclimatization, the transition requires less effort and time. Overnight in tents in camp No. 2. Self-cooking.

Day 15. Transfer to camp No. 3 (6100 m).

Departure at 9 am. Immediately behind the camp there is a steep ascent to the ridge. Moving along a wide ridge and again a steep rise to the top of Mount Razdelnaya. Traveling on crampons in ties. The average transition time is 4-6 hours. After acclimatization, the transition requires less time and effort. Overnight in camp No. 3, self-cooking. Preparing for the ascent.

Day 16. Climbing to the top of Lenin Peak 7134 m and descent to camp No. 3 (6100 m).

Exit from camp No. 3. Before dawn. Traveling on crampons. He will descend from camp No. 3 to the saddle and overcome a steep climb to an altitude of 6400m. Further movement along a wide ridge to a steep snow-ice takeoff - “Knife” at an altitude of 6700m. There is a fixed piercing rope. Continue along wide snow fields and rocky hills to the top. Important! If climbers have not reached the top before 14:00, they must begin their descent to camp No. 3

Day 17. Descent to camp No. 1 (4400 m).

Early in the morning we begin our descent from camp No. 3 to camp No. 1. Traveling on crampons in ties. Lunch at camp No. 1. Rest.

Day 18. Descent to base camp.

Transfer to base camp. Cargo can be sent by horseback (for an additional fee). Ceremonial rewarding of climbers at the base camp.

Day 19. Reserve day

Reserve day in case of bad weather.

Day 20. Transfer Achik-Tash - Osh. Hotel accommodation.

After breakfast, a transfer to Osh will be organized. Lunchbox for lunch on the road Achik-Tash - Osh. Upon arrival, check into a hotel.

Day 21. Flight to Bishkek. Hotel accommodation.

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport for the morning flight Osh - Bishkek. A representative will meet you in Bishkek and take you to the hotel.

Day 22. Transfer to the airport. Departure from Bishkek.

The driver will pick you up from the hotel at the required time and take you to the airport for your desired flight.

Prices

I. The cost of the full package of Bishkek-Bishkek programs for 2020 from 1280 USD/person

The full package Bishkek-Bishkek No. 1 includes:

• Meeting and seeing off from/to the airport in Bishkek and Osh.
• Air flight Bishkek – Osh – Bishkek (free baggage allowance – 15 kg; above that, carriage is paid additionally – 2-3 USD/kg)
• Transfer BC - Lukovaya Polyana - BC (on schedule)
• Accommodation in Bishkek and Osh (no more than 4 nights!) in hotels with breakfast. Check-in time is 14:00, check-out is 12:00. (Early check-in/late check-out is not included in the price and is considered as an additional night)
• Lunch on the road Osh – Achik-Tash BC – Osh
• Registration in the rescue squad
• Environmental contributions

The full package Bishkek-Bishkek No. 2 + additional services includes:

• All services in package No. 1

The full package Bishkek-Bishkek No. 3 + additional services includes:

• Installed high-altitude tents at 5300m and 6100m (2 people in one tent)
• 
  kitchen utensil set
• High altitude product set
• All services in package No. 1

II. The cost of the full package of Osh-Osh programs for 2020 is from 1050 USD/person

The complete packageOsh-Osh No. 1 included:

• Preparation of necessary documents (border pass, visa support, registration)
• Meeting and seeing off from/to Osh airport
• Transfer Osh - Achik-Tash BC - Osh (according to schedule)
• Transfer BC – Lukovaya Polyana - BC (on schedule)
• Accommodation in Osh (no more than 2 nights!) in hotels with breakfast. Check-in time is 14:00, check-out is 12:00. (Early check-in/late check-out is not included in the price and is considered as an additional night)
• Lunch on the road Osh – Achik-Tash – Osh
• Providing radio communications along the route
• Registration in the rescue squad
• Environmental contributions

The full package Osh-Osh No. 2+ additional servicesincluded:

• Installed high-altitude tents at 5300m and 6100m (2 people in one tent)
• All services in package No. 1

The full package Osh-Osh No. 3+ additional servicesincluded:

• Installed high-altitude tents at 5300m and 6100m (2 people in one tent)
• Group equipment: rope (if necessary), gas, gas burner,
  kitchen utensil set
• High altitude product set
• All services in package No. 1

III. Cost of the small package program in 2020: 350 USD/person

Small package includes:

• transfer Osh – Achik Tash – Osh
• accommodation on the territory of the camp in your own tents and use of the camp infrastructure
• environmental fee for accommodation on the camp site
• registration in rescue/team
• rental of radio stations during the ascent (only for groups of more than 3 people)
• border/pass
• registration on the territory of Kyrgyzstan
• doctor consultations

The price of any package does not include:

• Kyrgyz visa cost
• International flights
• Supplement for single occupancy in a hotel (40 USD for the Osh - Osh program, 60 USD for the Bishkek-Bishkek program)
• Early check-in/late check-out at the hotel
• All additional deviations from the main route
• Drinks and food not included in the main menu
• All personal expenses (extra baggage fees, room service, medical expenses, insurance, etc.)
• Services of mountain guide and porters
• Equipment rental

Route thread

Osh – Base camp under Lenin Peak – Lenin Peak – Base camp – Osh

The tour price includes

Meeting and seeing off at airports;
- Moving Osh - BC and BC - Osh;
- Hotel accommodation with breakfast:
- Osh (double room, 1 night) - upon departure;
- Registration of necessary documents (pass to the border zone);
- Registration with OVIR;
- Lunchboxes for moving Osh - Base camp - Osh;
- Services of a high-altitude guide for the entire period of the active part (15 days):
with a group of 2-3 people. 1 guide works;
with a group of 4-6 people. 2 guides work;
with a group of 7-9 people. 3 guides work;
- Installed high-altitude tents at an altitude of 5300m and 6100m;
- Services in Base Camp (within the program) and Camp 1 (no more than 5 days) of Lenin Peak:
Accommodation in Base Camp tents for 2 people (tents are equipped with electricity - sockets, individual lighting - table lamps, wooden flooring, mattresses, blankets, pillows and bed linen - duvet covers, pillowcases, sheets);
Accommodation in Camp 1 tents for 2 people (tents are equipped with wooden flooring, thermal insulation, foam mattresses);
Meals - full board (3 hot varied meals a day from professional chefs, including vegetarian);
Yurts - cabins (in the national style) with heating in BC (3600 m) and L1 (4400 m) for relaxation and entertainment (music, guitar, board games, etc.);
Use of washbasins and toilets in BC and L1;
Electricity 220 V; 50 Hz;
Registration in the rescue squad;
-A fixed set of products for the period of ascent from the Base Camp warehouse;
- Bathhouse (steam room), shower in the base camp (3600 m);
- Luggage storage in BC and L1;
- Medical care in BC (3600 m) and L1 (4400 m);
- Consultations on the route;
- Equipment for the entire period of the program (on bail):
Installed high-altitude tents at an altitude of 5300m and 6100m;
Gas burner ($50 deposit);
Gas cartridges 230g (3 pcs per person);
Karemat ($25 deposit);
Main rope Ø 8.9 ÷ 10 mm, dynamics (deposit $50);
Avalanche shovel ($50 deposit);
Radio station and GPS navigator with the guide;
Utensils for cooking in intermediate high-altitude camps L2 and L3 (deposit $25);

The tour price does not include

International flights
- Visa support and visa costs - for citizens of foreign countries;
- Costs for emergency cases (rescue work, helicopter flights, medicines and medical services in the Osh hospital, preparation of supporting certificates and documents, repatriation);
- Cost of international flights.
- Rent of personal climbing equipment
- Food in Osh
- High altitude cook, above advanced base camp 4200
- Climbing insurance



- Internet in Basic Camp and Camp 1 (WI FI) - 20$/500 MB
- Supplement for single occupancy in a hotel in Osh 15$/person per night

Required documents

You can enter Kyrgyzstan either with a foreign passport or with a Russian passport.

Safety

Experienced guides work at the base camp, ready to form a rescue team at any time if necessary. In emergencies, a helicopter is used.

Additional Information

Communication under Lenin Peak:
1. Cellular
If you have a roaming service connected, then it works in BC.
It is much cheaper not to use roaming, but to purchase a SIM card from a local cellular operator. You don’t need a passport or any other documents for this; SIM cards are freely sold on every corner of Osh and Bishkek. At the same time, the best operators are Bitel and Megacom. Their connection works almost perfectly.
2. Walkie-talkies and frequency range
In order to ensure safety during the ascent, we issue them free of charge (on bail), one per group. If this is an individual participant, he also receives one radio for the ascent free of charge, but with a deposit. If you have your own walkie-talkies, it will be even better if you bring them with you. There is no need to prepare any special documents for customs. Mostly Motorola radios with the 446 MHz band (PMR) are used.
Every 3 hours, Commandant L1 gets in touch (communication times are 09:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, 21:00), while the duty radio is always on (working for reception) in case of an emergency communications.

Question answer:

– Does the terrain allow establishing communication with BC and L1 from each point of the route?
- Basically, yes.

– Does the radio we rent have a headset?
– No, if we are talking about headphones and a microphone.

– Is the radio powered by AA batteries or a battery?
– AA batteries (batteries run out quickly).

– What model of walkie-talkie can be provided?
– Main model: Motorola TLKR-T7.

3. Satellite phone
There is a satellite phone in case of emergency communication with anywhere in the world. It is not available for rent, since it is intended to be used only in emergency cases by the commandants of BC and L1.
4. Internet
There is internet at the Base Camp. You can use it for an additional fee (check with the manager), but you need to keep in mind that in bad weather (precipitation, interference from the Earth's electromagnetic field) it does not work very well.

Accommodation/Hotels

In Osh, accommodation is provided at the hotel.

Base camp and camp 1.
To climb Lenin Peak, an infrastructure of 2 large, modern, comfortable and equipped with everything necessary base camps is offered.

Base Camp “Lenin Peak (3600 m) offers at your service:
National yurts - wardrooms for rest, food and entertainment
Comfortable, spacious 2-3 person half-barrel tents. Since 2006, such tents have become a kind of portable hotel room with mattresses and electricity.
Bathhouse with steam room, which operates daily after lunch.
City standard toilet, i.e. equipped with flush cisterns and plenty of toilet paper.
Each camp has convenient washing systems with warm water, soap and mirrors.
Luggage storage.
A first aid station with all necessary first aid supplies, including oxygen equipment.
The resuscitator has experience working at heights, so if necessary, he will be able to provide qualified medical assistance at any time. His responsibilities also include conducting examinations, consultations and issuing necessary recommendations regarding your health throughout the tour.
Volleyball Court.

Camp-1 (4400 m) provides for your use:
The same comfortable yurts are wardrooms, where you will find warmth and comfort (yurts are equipped with stoves), amenities (there is the necessary furniture (tables, chairs), the absence of boredom (electricity, audio and video equipment, a computer with Internet access), hot dishes and cold drinks (full breakfast/lunch/dinner, a bar where you can order tea, coffee, beer, spirits, snacks at any time), but the most important surprise: Friday in Camp-1 is declared a beer day! on this day you can absolutely drink your favorite drink at reduced prices.
Accommodation in spacious half-barrel tents.
The toilet (there are no flush cisterns, only a field version), but is also quite acceptable for use, because it is always in an absolutely clean, hygienic condition.
Luggage storage.
Possibility of recharging batteries.

Completely unpredictable, but July and August are the most favorable months for climbing.

Estimated additional expenses

Lunches and dinners in Osh ($8-10 per dinner)
- Porter services (for one way trip):
Achik-Tash BC (3600 m) – Camp 1 (4400 m): 3 USD/kg
Camp 1 (4400 m) – Camp 2 (5300 m): 10 USD/kg
Camp 2 (5300m) – Camp 3 (6100m): 20 USD/kg
Camp 1 (4400 m) – Camp 3 (6100 m): 35 USD/kg
- Satellite and Internet services
- Internet (WI FI) - 20$/500 MB

Medicine

A resuscitation doctor with experience is constantly present at the Base Camp, providing qualified assistance if necessary.
To participate in the ascent, you need mountaineering insurance with coverage of at least $30,000 and the risk of “climbing” included.

In stationary camps, full board - hot meals 3 times a day. Professional chefs work in the camps.
During the ascent, participants cook their own food and, under the guidance of guides, melt water from the snow.
Example of a daily menu for base camp (3600 m) and camp-1 (4400 m):

Breakfast:
Assorted – sausage and cheese platter
First course - a variety of milk porridges
Second course - croutons, pancakes, omelettes, sausages, etc.
Dessert – candies, cookies, waffles, dried fruits
Standard set:

Dinner:
Salad (1 type) – a varied selection of vegetable and meat salads
First course - a variety of soups, vegetable, meat

Dessert – fruits, candies, cookies, waffles, dried fruits
Standard set:
ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, adjika, horseradish, bread (assorted)
tea (black, green), coffee, cocoa, dry cream, chocolate cream, jam/jelly, sugar

Dinner:
Salad (2 types) – a varied selection of vegetable and meat salads
Second course – a varied selection of Oriental and European dishes
Dessert – fruits, sweets, nuts (assorted)
Standard set:
ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, adjika, horseradish, bread (assorted)
tea (black, green), coffee, cocoa, dry cream, chocolate cream, jam/jelly, sugar

Equipment rental

Safety system $20 (+ deposit $50)
- Carbines (2 pcs) 10$ (+ deposit 25$)
- Zhumar 15$ (+ deposit 25$)
- Cats $25 (+ deposit $50)
- Ice ax “Black Diamond” $25 (+ deposit $50)
- Telescopic poles $20 (+ deposit $25)
- Asol helmet $15 (+ deposit $25)

Insurance requirements

The insurance assistant SHOULD NOT BE GLOBAL VOYAGER;
- Insurance policy amount is at least 30,000 USD;
- In the “occupation” (or “sports”) field, “MOUNTEIN CLIMBING” must be indicated;
- Host country Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan);
- The dates of the insurance policy must coincide with the dates of stay in Kyrgyzstan;
- The insurance policy must cover “transportation of the injured person”
(specify this when applying for a policy);

We check the cost of insurance before each tour, as we try to select the best insurance companies.
Insurance covers search and rescue, helicopter evacuation and subsequent treatment

DO NOT TAKE OUT INSURANCE YOURSELF WITHOUT PRIOR CONSULTATION

In case of early descent

Your return transfer will be scheduled as scheduled. If you want to leave for Osh earlier than the planned day, then, if possible, you will be put on a transfer to other groups (without additional payments). If there are no available seats, you will be offered an individual transfer ($200). Additional night in a 3* hotel in Osh - $40 (single room with breakfast).
If you leave for Osh ahead of time, money for unused days of accommodation at Base Camp will not be returned.

We are publishing a story about the ascent to Lenin Peak (7134) in August 2013, carried out as part of a training camp (or a commercial expedition?) of the Ural Alpine Club. The story is written in a captivating way and is easy to read. And everyone will draw their own conclusions about their climbing style. For ease of perception, the text is divided into chapters and a chronology by day is added.

Altitude chart

Day 1. 3600
Day 2. 3600 – 4400
Day 3. 4400
Day 4. 4400 – 5400
Day 5. 5400 – 4400
Day 6. 4400 – 3600
Day 7. 3600
Day 8. 4499
Day 9. 4400 – 5400
Day 10. 5400 – 6100
Day 11. 6100 – 5400
Day 12. 5400
Day 13. 5400 – 6100
Day 14. 6100 – 7134 – 6100
Day 15. 6100 – 4400
Day 16. 4400
Day 17. 4400 – 3600

Six nights. About climbing Lenin Peak in 2013.

A frostbitten finger hurts. In order to rush less and save on paying for excess weight, I had to drag my climbing boots to the airport, put them on there, and change back into slippers in the plane cabin. Outside the window, just below the plane, there is a white ocean of dense clouds; the dawn glow is visible to the left. We chat with Seryoga about everything, including what we will eat and do first in Moscow. On the navigator screen, first Kyrgyzstan, then Kazakhstan, slowly float by, then we are already flying over the Orenburg region, and there it is not far from home. There are already a little over four hours of flight behind us and the plane, diving through the low clouds, lands rather softly on the runway of Domodedovo Airport. Together with the army of Kyrgyz, which was brought to Moscow by the next S7 board, we, four Muscovites, unload from the plane. There were no other Europeans on board except us. When going through passport control, the girl stares at my unshaven and burnt face for quite a long time. There is not a single emotion on her face, she reminds me of a scanner, you can see how she looks at some part of my face, then the same part in the passport photo. Before the third pass of the “scanner,” I barely restrain myself from saying: “Wait a couple of minutes, I’ll shave and then you’ll recognize me much faster.” Finally, she nods approvingly and having received the luggage, we head to the exit, where a respectable uncle-customs officer sharply swears at the Kyrgyz, who, in his opinion, do not place the luggage correctly on the baggage scanner belt. Seeing our backpacks, he asks where we came from and hearing the answer: “Osh,” waves his hand and says: “Come on in,” which certainly makes us smile - we are home. We say goodbye and go in different directions. Now I’ll finally light a cigarette, now Lenka will arrive, I’ll plop into the car and soon I’ll be home, where a hot bath and a warm bed awaits, and then... then dismantling my backpack, doing laundry and going to the doctors. Thus ends my three-week trip to Kyrgyzstan to Lenin Peak.

Preparation

I came up with the idea of ​​going to Lenin Peak last summer after I left Elbrus from the east. At first it was something that didn’t make sense, then, closer to winter, this thought began to visit me more and more often and I made up my mind. As preparation, I tried twice (albeit unsuccessfully) to climb Elbrus in winter, which allowed me to remotely feel the scale of the upcoming adventure and, in one go, try out some of my clothes and an expensive down sleeping bag bought especially for Lenin. In March, after my second failure on winter Elbrus, I hesitated a little - “is it worth it?”, but doubts quickly disappeared and I began to prepare and save money for the trip and the missing equipment.

In the winter, after work, with a headlamp, I skied 15...20 km almost every day, either with a classic move or with a skate. When the snow started to melt I started running. The results of the first weeks were very inspiring - six kilometers on asphalt in 24 minutes. Then I increased the distance to ten kilometers, and then to twelve, so that in the end I ran about 48 kilometers a week in four sittings. I really never quit smoking, although I constantly told myself: “If you want to go see Lenin, then you’ll have to quit smoking.”

Closer to May, I was puzzled by the choice of shoes. I didn’t want to buy plastic, even though it’s relatively cheap. I really liked the Zamberlan Denali boots, but although they were expensive, I still really wanted to save money. And I had this opportunity. Looking through European sites, I found these boots in one Polish store for 5,000 rubles cheaper than in Moscow. After some not very lengthy questioning, it turned out that an acquaintance of acquaintances was just going to Poland the other day. I gave him the money and three weeks later I was the proud owner of a box with new shoes and a receipt from a Polish store inside. I definitely decided which company to go through back in the winter - purely by chance I came across the UVK Gorets website. The price was not competitive, I really liked the stated climbing program, and most importantly, they told me a lot of good things about Yuri Ermachek, who runs everything there (after reading some articles on risk.ru, I really didn’t want to end up with an unscrupulous company and foolishly end up with Lenin guides).

Initially, we were supposed to go with Phil and Nastya, but Phil said back in May that he had some overwhelming problems and would not be able to go, and Nastya was turned away from work exactly a week before departure. Of course, I wanted to go to the mountain with already trusted people, but there were no other options other than going alone again and getting to know everyone there. When Phil and I were thinking about which shift to go - in July or August, we agreed that it would be better in August, since we would have time to save more money, and there should be fewer people in the group, although we understood that it would be colder than in July.

A month before departure, in July, I was sent on a business trip to a tent camp on Seliger for a week. A day later, I understand that running there is simply not realistic because I can’t fall asleep before two in the morning and I get upset, because I really value the running form I’ve acquired thanks to iron, almost army discipline. One day, the camp participants organize a half-marathon race and quite easily, one of the first, I resort to breakfast. Before leaving, I manage to get sick and spend another week lying around in Moscow. Two weeks of almost no training is too much! There are only two weeks left, which according to the plan should have been used for rest and recuperation before the trip, but one of them has to be sacrificed in favor of training. I barely have time to regain three quarters of my former form. Sadly. And there is only one more week left for rest. Few, very few. She flies by unnoticed. The backpack is packed and finally the cherished day “X” arrives - the day of departure.

Start

Paveletskaya metro station. I almost run to catch the Aeroexpress I need. My minimalist backpack with a stated volume of 75 liters, but actually filled to 85 liters, allows me to do this. In front of the escalator I see a guy and a girl with huge backpacks on their shoulders and trunks in their hands. The thought flashes through my mind that these could be my alpine group members, but it is immediately canceled out by another - such a coincidence is unlikely, and you never know how many people are on Paveletskaya on a Friday evening with backpacks.
Three minutes before departure, I fly into the Aeroexpress carriage and, out of habit, without bothering, throw my backpack into the corner of the vestibule, and sit on top of it. Spacious and comfortable, the player hums familiar tunes. 40 minutes and I’m already at Domodevo airport. I have difficulty finding the terminal I need and am horrified to see that even though I arrived two hours before departure, a whole army of Kyrgyz is already standing in front of me. A very uncomfortable feeling, although I have never been a racist or a Nazi. They're just so different that it scares me. Another half hour passes and, to my surprise, the same guy and girl appear, barely noticeable from under the pile of things that I saw back on Paveletskaya. This is Andrey and Dasha, we are flying together and must ascend together. After some time, Pasha appears, and the four of us are already more cheerful. There is less than an hour left before departure, and the crowd has not moved forward one step. Finally, an airport employee comes running and asks half of those flying to Osh to go to other check-in counters. We are undermined, so we stand at the very end of the line, but for some reason unknown to me, at the counter we need, we again find ourselves at the end of the line. This is followed by a couple more similar dashes and as a result we are the last (and I am the last) to check in for the flight. I go through passport control and search, where due to the haste I lose my watch with a built-in barometer. Let's go for landing! The flight has been delayed for about ten minutes and I hear my name on the loudspeakers, but there is not a single sign indicating my flight anywhere, and I make a couple more circles around the terminal before finding the right exit, and with a running start, I literally dive like a fish into the waiting bus.

The strange place on my ticket is “2C”. I go through business class, but I don’t find the treasured symbols in economy, so I go to the flight attendant, who confidently seats me in business next to the pot-bellied Kyrgyz. And then it dawned on me - I was the last one to register and therefore there are simply no places left in economy. True, the price of my flight in business class is a wonderful watch that doesn’t cost two pennies, which is somewhat disappointing. But it’s very spacious and comfortable, and throughout the entire flight you can lounge as you please, but I’ll be tossing and turning a lot because I’m very afraid of flying. I turn on the navigator and player. Since I’m unlikely to fall asleep, there will be at least some entertainment.

We are going down. From above, the lights of Kyrgyz cities and villages are clearly visible. There is still about an hour until dawn. It’s a pity I’ve long wanted to watch the sunrise from an airplane window. The navigator shows an altitude of about 900 meters when I notice the runway lights. A few more seconds and there was an impact - the plane touched the runway with its rear wheels, then another, much stronger one - the front landing gear touched. The second blow was so strong that the thought involuntarily flashed through my head that the front landing gear would break off, and I was sitting in front. Immediately after touching down, you feel that the plane is traveling along the runway with one side turned slightly forward - it has skidded. Here I finally begin to feel like one of the passengers on the plane from the movie “Crew”, and I’m waiting for a further crash, but very soon the plane levels out and rides normally. After this, even sharp braking causes almost no reaction on my part.

Osh

Then everything was as usual - passport control, baggage claim, exit from the airport and three cigarettes in a row. Well, or almost as usual. The Kyrgyz have invented a new semi-automatic baggage claim system. A forklift with luggage drives up to the ramp, and then a couple of tall guys throw out (that is, throw out) suitcases and bags right into the hall, where a crowd surrounds the resulting pile of things and begins to rummage around there randomly, looking for their things. Complete chaos. The same chaos happens when checking the tags on luggage with the tags on tickets - there is basically no queue, there are three and four rows, which eventually turn into one. If you start to push, they become indignant; if you stand politely, they insolently push you aside. In general, the first impression is a jungle.

At the exit from the airport, the four of us are met by Yura Ermachek and taken to the car. After some deliberation, we decide to wait another hour for two guys from Surgut (Anatoly and Sasha), and then, the six of us, a local “gazelle” brings us to the so-called summer verandas next to the central stadium of the city of Osh. Summer verandas are a set of rooms in a light house, everything is simple - several beds and one bedside table per room, there are even sockets, everything looks clean and tidy. We drop our things and everyone except me goes to bed, and I’m still nervous after the flight and want to drink a bottle of beer so I can sleep better. I drink beer in the company of the already cheerful Vadim from Irkutsk, he has not yet left after Ermachek’s first ride to Lenin Peak. I'm interested to hear about what awaits us. I ask him about the miner, and he assures me that if I climbed to 6100 for the first time, then there should be no problems with the ascent. He talks about how they sat at 6100 for two days waiting for the weather to storm the summit, but it never came. He repeats several times that our arrival will definitely be lucky with the weather. I remember the words of Pasha, who assured me back in Domodedovo that the weather would be as he would bring it. Oh, how I want to believe in this, how I don’t want all the money invested in half a year of preparation to sink into oblivion and the result would only be an ascent to the assault camp at 6100. Having finished my beer, I join our sleepy kingdom.

Today we have a free day, we will go to the mountains only tomorrow. In the afternoon we go to a cafe, then we go to the city market to buy goodies, and then Pasha and I go to Suleimanka, a small mountain in the center of Osh. Since I’m too lazy to look for a normal path to the top, I have to climb a little without a safety net with a tripod and a DSLR over my shoulder. From the top of Suleimanka there is a stunning view of Osh - one- and two-story houses almost to the horizon, how many of them are there? and only a few five-story buildings stand out as white spots. They are completely out of place here. I shoot a spherical panorama, and then I notice two guys. They are very useful, since you don’t really want to go down the ascent path, but they clearly came from the other side. The guys turn out to be French and in broken English I find out where they came from, and when I show them where I came from I hear a laconic response: “Crazy.”

In general, when I meet Osh for the first time, it makes my brain tense. Everything is so different here that it’s not the first time you understand simple things. It's a very clean city, but you have to work hard to find a trash can here. There are completely different rules of behavior on the roads and in the crowd. The Kyrgyz race around like mad, as if not noticing each other, but then you realize that they see everything, it’s just the way they drive. The traffic lights here still work according to the Soviet system - when the pedestrian’s light turns green, the car’s right turn also turns green. There is generally a lot of Soviet stuff here, which undoubtedly warms the soul. Almost everyone, young and old, speaks Russian. In a word - Asia, Soviet Asia, with all its pros and cons.

In the evening we have dinner in the Tsarsky Courtyard - almost the only cafe in Osh where you can find pork shish kebab. We drink some beer there and go to bed. Tomorrow we have a difficult journey ahead of us, and also tomorrow we will get to know everyone who will be ascending under the leadership of Yura.

Early in the morning, still in the dark, we load our things into cars and set off from Osh. The driver is clearly in a hurry, having entered the highway leading from Osh to Tajikistan, he makes such turns on the turns that it seems to me as if the car will fly out, but every time it holds on. As in the Caucasus, we periodically encounter obstacles on the road from herds of imperturbable cows. On the pass through the Alai Mountains (3600 meters) my ears are blocked. After descending from the pass, we turn off the highway onto the road that runs exactly between the Alai Mountains and the Pamirs - on the left are just large mountains, on the right in the distance, across the valley, is a fence of the giant white Pamir Mountains. I immediately remembered someone’s words: “You are going to big mountains.”

We stop for lunch at a roadside cafe. It’s noticeably colder here than in Osh, although it’s eleven in the morning and the sun is shining in full force. Not much time on the asphalt yet and we turn onto the dirt road under the sign “Lenin Peak”, after which another hour of continuous shaking, swaying, failures, take-offs, acceleration and braking awaits us, from which our brains crawl out of our heads. As a result, from Osh to the base camp of Lenin Peak at 3600, which is called Achik-Tash, it took 6...7 hours. It’s not bad at all, we weren’t even tired on the road.

We set up the scarves intended for living in the base camps, sort out our things, call home (communication here is almost perfect) and do all the little things that we usually do when setting up a camp. Yura introduces us to the owner of the camp and our breadwinner for the duration of our stay in Achik-Tash - the Kyrgyz Paiselda. Gradually we get to know each other. We are about 25 climbers, two instructors and a cook who is waiting for us at the base camp at 4400. I immediately liked Achik-Tash. It’s not too cold here, mountains on all sides of all possible colors and sizes, nearby rivers, a couple of lakes, green grass. Resort. We eat in a large yurt, made according to strange Kyrgyz traditions using modern materials - the steel frame is covered with skins, and an electric lamp burns under the ceiling. It turns out that Paiselda has beer. After dinner, a whole line of people line up to see him. We gather in a yurt and Yura sings and plays the guitar. Tomorrow is our day of rest.

Camp Achik-tash (3600)

Acclimation

Day 1. In the morning I literally wake up in a puddle, it rained at night and my single-layer tent leaked like a sieve. The only saving grace is that the sleeping bag with a membrane and down filling does not get wet, but still I beg to wear another scarf the next night.
After breakfast, Seryoga and I decide to take a walk. We follow the path leading to the base camp at 4400, we reach the Travelers Pass, where it turns back, and I climb onto the pass. The height is not particularly felt. Of course, I got here with only the luggage of a camera and a tripod, but still, only a couple of days ago I was in Moscow. It’s a strange thing, on the pass at a height of 4200 meters, grass grows, and below, on the other side, 400 meters below there is a glacier. Beautiful pass. From here, in good weather, you can see Achik-Tash itself, and even the road along which we were driving, and even the Alai mountains. A group rises from the side of the base camp at 4400, they look very stern. Still would! they stood on top of Lenin Peak a couple of days ago.

I'm heading back to camp. In the evening we drink beer again (though not in such quantities) and listen to Yura sing.

Day 2. The next morning, after breakfast, we weigh the things that must be sent on horseback from Achik-Tash at 4400. 10 kg per person is free, or rather they were paid for by Yura in advance, and for everything more than that we have to pay extra. Although here, unlike in aviation, the prices for excess weight are not high, I get exactly 10 kg per horse and I will carry about 15 kg on myself. Some people give almost everything to the horse, but my personal belief is that for acclimatization it is better to go with a load.

The weigh-in ends and we take turns, five or six people at a time, crammed into a UAZ, which takes us for 100 rubles per person to the onion meadow. There is practically no elevation gain in this section, and the walking time is saved at least an hour. The UAZ is driven by Paizelda's brother, who drives it as far as the road allows. Considering how densely the car is packed with people, we get a truly unforgettable experience. Well, tell me, where else for 100 rubles can you ride a roller coaster for 20-25 minutes without a break? Despite the fact that the intervals between UAZ flights are decent, already on the very approach to the base camp, Yura and Alla, who were driving the next UAZ after us, catch up with me. So, the transition, which, after reading the reports, I considered the most difficult, is over and I’m finally at base camp.

Life is already in full swing here, tents are being set up, things are being sorted out, food is being prepared. Here we have a full kitchen - a large tent with a mini table and two gas stoves. Opposite, across the river, there is a large camp of the Aksai Travel company, closer to the foot of Lenin Peak there are several more camps of other companies. They have generators and even souls. You can already feel the altitude of 4400 meters - in case of urgent need, you can no longer run to the toilet, you just go quickly, and then only with shortness of breath. Although in Moscow it seemed to me that it would be worse. The weather is not good. We walked almost the entire way in the clouds, and here now it is also cloudy and snowing at times. We saw Lenin Peak itself only once - from the road, when we climbed into Achik-Tash; the rest of the time it was in the clouds.

I left my miracle tent in Achik-Tash, because Yura assured me that at 4400 there was a tent in which I could live. It turned out to be a rather cramped two-room apartment, and what’s more, the second layer was made of mesh, that is, it was essentially single-layer. Well, there’s not much choice, although it’s not much better than what it was. The only thing that will save us is that at 4400 there will be no rain, only snow, and it won’t cause the scarf to leak much. I stretch the skirt of the tent with heavy stones, and on the opposite side of the entrance I build a windproof wall of stones. While I’m carrying stones, I’m breathing heavily and loudly, heavier than at the end of a 12-kilometer run. Soon, Zhenya volunteers to help me of her own free will; the miner has taken over him a little and he decides to tax himself physically. In the evening, Seryoga and I are trying to somehow fix the situation with the leaking tent, so as not to get our sleeping bags wet before the ascent. We take garbage bags from our cook Ksyusha, tear them so that we get pieces of polyethylene as large as possible, cover them around the perimeter with reinforced tape and sew them with threads to the tent where possible. This ridiculous design will help us out more than once later.

Day 3. The next day we are in camp at 4400. The weather is again bad, either just clouds, or snow, not a piece of clear sky. From the first day of my stay at the base camp, I help Ksyusha in the kitchen, because I need to keep myself busy (I don’t want to sleep all day), it’s warm in the kitchen, and Ksyusha turns out to be a very pleasant person. On one of these two days, I accidentally cut my fingers with a knife. First the little finger, the very tip, about half the depth of the finger, then the index finger, on the same left hand (also quite). In both cases, blood spurts out like a fountain and I have to seriously wrap up the cuts. As a result, I get two practically motionless fingers, a comical-looking finger and a bunch of experiences from the series “how was this possible? What if this causes the ascent to fail?” Later, Volodya Kalashnikov, a snow leopard, and a surgeon in the world, examining my little finger, says that the nerve endings are cut (I myself feel this) and for this reason there is a possibility of freezing my finger during the ascent. The altitude is already serious, like 4400, and the fingers practically do not heal. Looking ahead a little, I want to say that my fingers began to heal only in Moscow.

In the evening, a guy with a hefty backpack comes to our camp. This is Sasha. He was detained for several days at work and he got here from Osh on his own, spending only one night in Achik-Tash. This is not entirely correct, but nothing can be done.

Day 4. After spending the second night at 4400 in the morning we go out to camp at 5400. Again there are only clouds, above 5000 nothing is visible from the base camp. We are fully loaded - sleeping bags, all warm clothes for the subsequent trip to 6100, food for several days, gas, ice axes, harnesses, trekking poles. But you don’t have to carry the tents, Yura left them after the first shift at 5400. And personally, I’m also carrying photographic equipment with a total weight of about five kilograms. After an hour and a half of a fairly flat approach to the foot of Lenin Peak (from the base camp), we put on crampons, exchange trekking poles for ice axes, and tie up in groups of three or four people. My team is Seryoga from Moscow and Alla from Novosibirsk and Yura Ermachek. Seryoga is first, Alla is second, I am third, and Yura was supposed to go up behind, but at the beginning we rushed so sharply that he did not catch up with us and as a result the three of us went.

Transition along the moraine to the beginning of the ascent.

While they were putting on the crampons, Vova said that he was going back. At that moment, it only caused me surprise and misunderstanding - it seemed like I was walking like everyone else, but now I’m back. But as it turned out later, his heart was playing up and his eyes were darkening. The doctors said that if he lives here for two weeks, his body will acclimatize and he will be able to ascend. Naturally, he didn't have two weeks. It's a pity, the first one is "minus one". How many more of these “minus one” will there be? and will I be one of them? I really don't want to.
Before the upcoming climb, I smoked, because I understood that I would not have such an opportunity soon. This did not go unnoticed and I heard a couple of jokes directed at me. Well, what can you do, I couldn’t quit yet.
We started to climb. First there is a steep takeoff, then an exit onto a flatter glacier with a lot of cracks. The trail meandered through the glacier, and at times we walked along almost horizontal sections. The cracks were impressive. They made it clear what scale everything was here, and although the clouds hid from us what was above, I felt about the same feeling when I saw Elbrus relatively close for the first time. I am a grain of sand, no more, and no, probably even less. We jumped over most of the cracks one by one, some were so wide that flimsy wooden bridges were thrown over them, which sagged almost half a meter when one person walked across them. I didn’t even want to think about who got them there and how. There was a rope attached in a couple of places and we carefully walked through them using our jumars.
The glacier ended, or rather it didn’t end, it was just now one hundred percent closed and no cracks were visible. We walked along a well-trodden path, but if we took a bad step to the side, we could fall knee-deep or even waist-deep. One climb after another. The fact that we were higher up prevented us from seeing the cloud into which we soon entered.

“Garland” of climbers, just above open cracks.

It was already day and the sun should have been near the zenith, and therefore the cloud worked like a lens. It's hot, very hot, like in an oven. Gradually, our team began to slow down (as I now understand, it was already not fast). I began to feel the first urges of a miner. At first there is only lethargy. I was terribly thirsty, but I did not see the end of our journey, and therefore could not know when we would arrive and I had to save tea. At one of the stops, I gave up on everything, took out a burner with a saucepan (MSR Reactor) and began to melt the snow. Seeing this, the two bundles following us also fell down and we set up a watering hole, melting 5-6 liters of water. I was very glad for the prolonged halt, as I was already pretty exhausted.
We continued to climb and I felt that I was getting worse. I was sick. I slowed down the movement of the ligament more and more. The moment came when I finally vomited, after which I sat for about 15 minutes and felt a little better. No matter how hard I tried to fight back, Alla still pulled out a couple of things from my backpack and stuffed them into herself and Seryoga. Although their weight was ridiculous for such a backpack - she took a maximum of one and a half kilograms. We moved on. A couple more takeoffs and we reach Skovorodka. I walked as fast as I could in this state. At times we even walked downhill. I knew that the camp was already close, although it was still not visible because of the cloud.
On the final takeoff from Skovoroda to the camp at 5400, I uncouple from the rope and barely hobble. That's it, the torment is over for today.

Having sorted out my things, Ruslan (the second instructor, Yura’s assistant) and I helped two Bulgarians - a young guy and a girl - level out a platform for a tent in the snow and set it up. They came to us yesterday and Rusla, apparently in order to avoid senseless sacrifices against Lenin, recommended that they stick to us. In general, at first they wanted to climb Lenin in the Alpine style, but they were very quickly dissuaded from doing so. And as I understand it, their experience was not much more than mine, that is, practically none.
It was already getting dark. Yura prepared dinner in the tent (and in the tent we slept as usual in a group - me, Yura, Alla and Seryoga), we ate and went to bed. Tomorrow I’ll lie down here day and night and then go down. According to the plan, tomorrow we should take a walk without things at 6100, return to 5400 and spend the night going down. I won’t go anywhere, I’ll just lie here and if I’m lucky with the weather, I’ll take a photo. I slept well, I don’t sleep like that in Moscow, why, I spent so much energy during the day.

Day 5. The next morning, almost everyone goes upstairs and only a few people, including me and Yura, remain in the camp. Ruslan takes two or three downstairs, those whose temperature has risen. Again there is a cloud all around, but there is no snow. Gradually I realize that after every movement, for example, after putting on a shoe, I have to sit still for several minutes just to regain my strength. No, not shortness of breath, although at this altitude it is inevitable, I was just squeezed like a lemon. After some thought, I come to the conclusion that another night at this altitude will not make things better. On the contrary, it will only get worse. Nothing terrible or irreparable has happened yet, I went to 5400 and spent the night, and the fact that I didn’t go to the top is still time to catch up.

I ask Yura if it’s realistic to go downstairs today? To which he replies that there are two more with a temperature, and that we can tie up and go down. Yura cooks buckwheat in an autoclave (at altitude, it’s simply an irreplaceable thing - since the boiling point of water decreases with altitude, and the autoclave is hermetically sealed and, due to the crazy pressure inside, allows you to reduce the cooking time of absolutely all products) cooks buckwheat, I have lunch and breakfast at the same time, after which we The three of us, having tied up, leave.

At Skovoroda I feel like I’m sick again and very soon the snow near the path is colored with recently eaten buckwheat. But now every particle of my body is rushing forward - down. I know that if I lose a couple of hundred meters in height, I will definitely feel better and gain strength. This is true. When we go to the cracks, I’m already full of energy and mentally indignant that the guys in a team are so slow, but I don’t say anything to them, because I don’t want to irritate them, because walking in a team requires tolerance towards each other. As it turned out later, they deliberately slowed down, because they thought that I was completely unwell. We untie ourselves and take off our crampons at the beginning of the glacier. I quickly overtake them and arrive at the camp first.

Ksyusha has already prepared dinner and we sit down to eat together with those who came down in the morning. Among them is Zhenya, who helped me build a windbreak from stones for the tent. I encourage him to go to Achik-Tash tomorrow morning and spend one night there, after which he will return again to the base camp and continue the ascent according to the schedule planned by Yura. Tomorrow morning everyone will start descending from 5400, then they will have another day of rest, so we will have time to return before everything goes up again. I really want to go down, I want to rest at least a little. Besides, I probably could use a doctor. On the climb to 5400, I decided to check how much my contact lenses protect from ultraviolet radiation (and they claim 100% protection) and simply did not put on sunglasses, especially since there was a cloud. My vision is fine, the lenses really work, but the whites that the lenses do not cover are red and slightly inflamed.

I’m also trying to persuade Vova to come with us, who felt bad at the very beginning, but he says that he will come later, first say goodbye to everyone, and then go home, because he has nothing to catch here. As we decided last night, in the morning we go out with Zhenya in the direction of Achik-Tash. In the backpacks there are only oil seals and mats and a couple of things to wear if it gets cold. We drive like crazy, two hours and fifteen minutes after leaving the base camp we already say hello to a slightly drunk Paiselda (he’s probably bored when there are no climbers). We eat and sleep, then we eat and sleep again. How nice it is here! The weather is not kind again, but the body feels much better here.

In the evening Vova comes along with the Bulgarians, whom I helped set up a tent at 5400. The guy says that he has already seen me somewhere. I tell him about 5400 and he showers me with gratitude. He speaks Russian quite well, unlike his companion, almost without an accent. We sit in the yurt under the light of electric lamps and talk, Vova and Lyubomir (that’s the name of the Bulgarian guy) drink beer. Lyubomir spends a very long time trying to translate the phrase “I can’t pour you any more, I’m just like you need” to his companion. At first she doesn't understand anything, but then she starts laughing out loud. Then we give him a taste of alcohol diluted 50 to 50 with water. After the word: “Have a snack,” he flavors a piece of bread with canned fish and... first eats the sandwich, and then drinks alcohol. These Bulgarians are funny.

When it was already dark, Vova, Zhenya and I went to the bathhouse to wash. It produces almost no steam, but there is warm water there, and I’m very happy about that. I fall asleep very happy. At night Zhenya wakes me up and says that he is going to the doctor in the neighboring camp. He had a stomach ache even before dinner; the pain was very similar to what I had before I was taken to the hospital to have my appendicitis cut out. I told him exactly that. But the doctor reassured him, saying that it was just his intestines that were starting to work, because he hadn’t really eaten anything for several days, but now he was eating normally.

Day 6. In the morning, before the planned departure to base camp, I also go to the same doctor to have my eyes examined. He sells me eye drops and Furacilin for rinsing, assuring me that it will help after some time. We dive into the UAZ and the attraction will repeat. It's a good weather today. The mountains appear to us in all their glory, first the low multi-colored mountains surrounding Achik-Tash, then the white giants adjacent to Lenin Peak. We walk slowly, or rather Zhenya does not walk quickly and constantly asks me not to wait for him. But I’m in no hurry, and even then I’m not waiting for him, I periodically stop to take photos, because who knows, maybe I won’t have such an opportunity again, there won’t be such good weather again. Life in the mountains generally depends very much on the weather. So, slowly, we reach the base camp in probably four hours, where we find out that we were supposed to meet on the road (it’s very strange that we didn’t meet, because there are no bypass roads here) Sasha and Yura, who accompanied him to Achik-Tash. As they tell us, Sasha barely came down from 5400 with a high temperature. Happens. He rose to the top too sharply, so his body could not withstand the overload. At least he tried. Another minus one. In total there are already two less.

Tomorrow we have to go to the top, first at 5400, spend the night there, then at 6100, where someone will just spend the night, and someone like Dasha and Andrey, who acclimatized well before the trip to Kyrgyzstan, having visited Bezengi and climbed Elbrus, will attempt to storm the summit, if, of course, the weather permits.
I’m determined to go until the evening, because I’ve rested and managed to lose some altitude. But by evening I begin to be tormented by doubts. The eyes have not yet healed and the face leaves much to be desired (I frankly neglected the sunscreen from the very first day of my stay in the mountains, and now I am rewarded with a crust, like a pig baked in the oven, covering my entire face, which also oozes). Following the principle “If you do, don’t doubt, if you doubt, don’t,” I decide to stay. It’s okay, although time is running out, it’s still there, and all is not lost. There should be three of us left: me, Zhenya and Dima.

The path to camp 5400.

Days 7 and 8. In the morning I pretend that I’m sleeping and don’t go out for breakfast, just so as not to see the guys getting ready and going upstairs. I’m just torn with frustration: “They’re on top, and I’m on the bottom.” It’s very reminiscent of the childhood feeling when you’re sick, your friends invite you all over the yard to go for a walk, but you want to, but you can’t. No, you definitely need to lie down a little longer, it will be better. Crawling out at about ten in the morning, I find Dasha and Andrey who had not yet left. I also notice Pasha. What is he doing here? why doesn't it go to the top? After all, he was already at 6100 and everything was in order. It turns out that he only felt bad at night. This miner is a strange thing - it allowed a person to reach 6100, and at 4400 after a day of rest it cut it down. Although a similar situation happened to me on the same day - out of nowhere, periodic breathing began to appear. Why? Where? After all, I have already spent more than one night at 4400 and even spent the night at 5400, but nothing like that happened. True, after a day there was no trace of these attacks.

This and the next day I sleep and rest as much as possible, and also treat my eyes and burnt skin on my face. Oddly enough, two days spent in the “infirmary” is more than enough for me to do this. And I’m also left to my own devices, I have time to think, and the question constantly arises in my head: “Is 5300 really my limit? Can't I do more? After all, this is not the first time, this happened on Elbrus...”

In the evening of the second day, some guy comes and asks where Yura Ermachek’s camp is. I don’t immediately recognize him as Sasha. It turns out that he went down to Achik-Tash, spent a couple of nights there, he felt better and he returned here again, dragging his heavy backpack. We collectively persuade him to stay in the camp and not go anywhere higher until Yura comes down.

I’m trying to encourage some of those who feel more or less well to go to the top tomorrow, but they all don’t want to, because they were intimidated by Ruslan: “If someone from the bunch falls into a crack, you won’t be able to get them out without a second rope.” person." Perhaps Ruslan is right, but I understand that now delay is fatal and I decide to go alone tomorrow to 5400, and if I have time, then on the same day at 6100. I no longer need to carry food, warm clothes have already been abandoned, the weather for these two days has only I’m getting better, I feel good, so I have all the trump cards in my hands, I need to act. And for one thing, there will be a chance to find the answer to the question about my altitude limit. If 5300 is really my limit and the miner cuts it down again, then I go down, then to Achik-Tash and home, and there’s nothing else for me to do here. It's either hit or miss.

Climbing

Day 9. In the evening, Ksyusha said where all the necessary ingredients for breakfast would be, and at the beginning of six in the morning I was working my magic in the kitchen. It's dark as if you poke your eyes out. In the camp across the river I notice flashlights - from there, too, two people should start heading up at six, well, maybe I’ll have some company? But I got a little carried away with getting ready and left about fifteen minutes later than them. The main thing is to go out onto the cracks when it’s light, then it won’t be so dangerous and you’ll be able to get past the very heat at the top.

Halfway from the base camp to the cracks, I overtake a guy and a girl, wishing them a good morning, I move on. They are walking too slowly, I'd rather go alone. I put on crampons, smoke, drink tea and frankly relax. Go. Here in front of me are already familiar cracks. I am concentrated to the limit, because I am walking alone. It’s scary when I jump over cracks and walk across bridges. Adrenaline rushes to your head. If you accidentally get tangled in crampons while jumping over a crack, then no one here will even look for me. But everything works out and the cracks remain behind. Now it's just tedious work uphill. Lift after ascent, from pole to pole. I try to fully concentrate on the process of walking and almost go into a trance, thanks to which I manage to slightly exceed my plan. I say to myself: “Go to that milestone and stop there for three minutes.” But having reached it, I understand that I don’t need a halt yet and move on. This happens more than once. And when I go out to Skovorodka, I literally fly; it’s only a few minutes’ walk to the camp.

Five minutes to twelve, the sun is at its zenith and not a cloud. I am very pleased with myself, in six and a half hours I covered the path that took me more than ten the first time, and most importantly, I feel good after that, not the slightest sign of a miner. I'm wearing a scarf. There is still time to rest a little and go higher, to 6100. No, it would probably be better to spend the night here, because I flew here with an almost empty backpack, and at 6100 I will need to drop off warm clothes and photographic equipment that I had prudently left here.

Towards evening a bunch of our guys come down. They are somewhat surprised to see me here and say that everyone who was able went to storm the summit and tomorrow will descend to the base camp. Due to poor health, they themselves abandoned the assault attempt this time. They will have the opportunity to try again. I ask you to tell the base camp that everything is fine with me and I will stay here overnight.

A little later, a guy and a girl, whom I overtook on the climb, climb up. We are getting acquainted. Stas and Anya from Irkutsk are quite easy-going guys. Perhaps they will also go to 6100 tomorrow, if not overnight, then at least for a walk. Well, so much the better, maybe I’ll have company there too and won’t have to spend the night alone in the camp.

Day 10. In the morning I wake up quite late, because the transition to 6100 should not take much time, and I still need to wait for Yuri and hear what he thinks about this. The ligaments “sprinkle” from above at short intervals and with enviable regularity. I see the happy and tired faces of those who managed to reach the top. They don't stay long and go down. Yura comes down in one of the bundles. Mentally, I am prepared for the fact that he will send me down after such arbitrariness, but he says that there is plenty of food and gas and I can stay here. I'm pleasantly surprised. I’m asking if I can go to 6100 with an overnight stay. The answer is yes. From the outside, this may seem like complete indifference, but I feel that this is not so. He understands perfectly well that this is my chance, because without an overnight stay at 6100 there is no question of climbing, and the time allotted for the climb is melting away before our eyes. We agree that I go to 6100 and spend the night there, then back to 5400 and spend the night, then the main group from below comes from below, I spend the night with them again at 5400, and then at 6100 and climb! Naturally, if I feel bad, then immediately go down. The road down now lies only through the Mountain.

After lunch I go down to Skovorodka to photograph material for a spherical panorama. Having finished filming, I wait for the last group to go down: Ruslan, Dasha and Andrey. For some reason I want to see them off. Before saying goodbye, I ask them to convey to Seryoga (my neighbor in the tent at the base camp) a request: to pick up a few packs of cigarettes for me, which I forgot to take.

Final takeoff to Razdelnaya peak

It’s already around half past four in the evening, we urgently need to go upstairs, the main thing is to arrive before dark. I throw a sleeping bag, a rug, warm clothes, camera equipment and a thermos of tea into my backpack. Now it is noticeably heavier than when climbing here. Stas and Anya also go up to the top, just for a walk, they go out about twenty minutes earlier than me, but despite this I overtake them on the first takeoff, although, as it seems to me, I am walking very slowly. Anya is getting sick and most likely they will go down tomorrow. You will have to spend the night in the camp alone. Then the ascent flattens out with each step and the going becomes easier. Gradually I find myself in the afternoon cloud that is so familiar to me and I see a maximum of two landmarks ahead, and more often only one. In a break in the cloud I feel like I'm taking off at the finish line. The navigator shows an altitude of 5850 meters, which means that until 6100 I have 250 meters of elevation gain left with a forty-five degree slope. I have always liked such climbs - they are difficult, but with every step you feel that you are gaining height, getting closer to your goal, and this, contrary to all the laws of physics, gives you strength. A quarter of an hour was spent on a smoke break and a thermos of hot tea, and then back upstairs. I walk slowly, sometimes leaning for two or three minutes to catch my breath. The top is not visible, only a half-covered path almost in front of your nose and sometimes pegs peek out from the clouds. I really wanted to see the sunset from the assault camp, but the sun is already so low that I can only see the solar corona of the Razdelnaya peak, exactly behind which it is setting. The colors are amazing, but I don’t have the time or effort to get the camera out. When I take the last steps and find myself on an almost level top, the sun has already completely gone below the horizon and it is almost dark. I've arrived. This is the main thing.

There is only one tent at the top and it is ours. I throw things in there and fill a plastic bag with snow. Here, unlike the camp at 5400, there is no longer a spring, which the cold turns off only at night, and this must be done so that later you can boil water without leaving the tent. For dinner, some kind of doshirak mixed with smoked sausage cut into small cubes. I’ve probably never eaten anything tastier in my life. While you boil water from snow, even on the most modern burners, it takes so much time that you forget what you wanted to eat or drink, so I melt three liters of water in the evening and pour it into bottles. In the morning I will already have water, which will significantly reduce the time it takes to prepare breakfast; I just need to throw it in my sleeping bag at night.

It is much windier here than in the previous camp and the walls of the tent easily bend under the pressure of the wind. This makes it difficult to fall asleep for a while. In the morning I wake up because my feet are terribly cold, I toss and turn until I figure out how to take the water bottles out of my sleeping bag and immediately fall asleep again. But overall I slept well, there was no periodic breathing, no headaches, and there were no other signs of a miner.

Day 11 In the morning the weather is almost perfect and after I had breakfast, as I planned in the evening, I take only trekking poles and set off for the acclimatization climb at 6400. At first I can’t find where to go, there is not a single pole at the top and there is no sane trail. But when I finally find the road, I almost cry - I first have to drop the altitude by a hundred, one hundred and fifty meters, and then, along a forty-five degree slope, go up five hundred meters. Having recovered a little from the shock I received, I set off on the road, but having gone down and then climbed the same amount (to the camp level), something inside me stops me. I could have reached the cherished mark of 6400 meters that day, but I suspect that I would have worked very hard and even now I’m afraid to guess how the ascent turned out. I return to camp, photograph material for a spherical panorama, leave my camera equipment and all my warm clothes in the tent and head down. The initially set task was completed - I spent the night at 6100, and now I can think about climbing.

The photo was taken by Seryoga at 6400 during his first ascent attempt.

The road to the camp does not take much time. On the descent from the ridge, I see a man coming towards our camp from below. It turns out that he is Seryoga, he also came alone. We approach the tent almost simultaneously, I from above, he from below. Seryoga says that he wants to spend the night here and go to the top tomorrow so that he will be rested and well-slept before the ascent. In my opinion, the decision is questionable, but he knows better. He is literally raving about this ascent. On his first run, he reached 6400 and, as he assures, was undeservedly turned back by the instructor, so now he wants to be fully armed. He came to Lenin straight from Dugoba, where he had climbed several four-thousand-meter peaks, so he had good acclimatization, and judging by his appearance, he was in good health. Something tells me that he will succeed.

Towards evening, several of our guys come from below, including Sasha and someone unfamiliar. They say that Pasha should still come, that he is far behind, but he is coming. We don’t attach much importance to this, since it will be light for a few more hours, and Seryoga and I climb into our tent. The tent is designed for four people, and if absolutely necessary, five or even six can sleep in it, but after two nights spent completely alone in such a tent, it seems to me that Seryoga takes up too much space. We cook, eat, talk about everything. He is six or seven years younger than me, but we have a lot of topics to talk about, and the main one is photography. It's getting dark. Suddenly our conversation is interrupted by a voice on the other side of the scarf, which politely asks if we are sleeping and would like to talk to Ruslan on the radio? Ruslan is interested in who came to the camp, and while listing those who came, I suddenly catch myself thinking that we have completely forgotten about Pasha. Ruslan last saw him from the base camp on the approach to Skovorodka. Need to go. Seryoga and I will go, since we look the freshest. Those who remain in the camp quickly boil a liter of tea, Seryoga takes a rope and more carbines, and lighting the path with lanterns we go down. Besides the fact that it is dark, we are also walking in a cloud and along a well-spread path. I am only now realizing the horror of the current situation and constantly asking myself the question: “How could we forget about Pasha, after all, we were told that he was coming?” This is a lesson for us, a very good lesson for the future, if everything works out, of course. We quickly agree that with such visibility, it is not at all safe to descend further than Skovoroda, much less climb along the cracks. In any case, two is more than one. We reach approximately the middle of the Frying Pan when I notice the dim light of a lantern ahead. Screaming at the top of our lungs and it helps - Pasha heard us and will stand still, and we literally run towards him. Everything was fine with him, but he was about to settle down for the night, since he could not see that there was only about a twenty-minute walk left to the camp and did not understand where he was at all. He refers to a leg that was pulled during the climb, but he doesn’t look very good, to put it mildly. Hot tea comes in handy. I take his backpack, quite light, about twelve kilograms, and we, in a column, with Pasha in the middle, reach the camp at his leisurely pace. Through the walkie-talkie of a stranger (one of the instructors of the Aksai-Travel company), we report to Ruslan that everything is fine with Pasha. No matter how hard we fight, turning all our concerns about his well-being on deaf ears, Pasha does not go to the guys’ tent, but chooses a separate one, which will be occupied by the new arrivals tomorrow.

Day 12. The next morning the weather is great again and I watch the Frying Pan. First one point, then a second one appears, and the second one moves noticeably faster. Quite early for the first climbers. The second point turns out to be Slava Topol, as I was told, a legendary figure on a local scale. He is a so-called free porter, he carries heavy loads at 5400 and 6100 and, in addition to them, skis or a snowboard, which he then uses very quickly to descend. To my question: “How long does it take you to get from the base camp here?” he replies: “If light, thirty kilograms of cargo, then in two and a half hours, and if already loaded, fifty to sixty kilograms, then nothing can be done about it, three and a half hours, or even four.” He takes out, leaves two bags of things, puts on a snowboard and dashes off downstairs, followed by my admiring gaze. A little later, the first “point” approaches, which turns out to be another, more modest, porter, who left only one bag and asked to tell the Canadians, who should soon come up here, that all three bags are their things.

Here on the Frying Pan several more dots appear, followed by more and more. The first bunch are Canadians. In broken English, I greet them and show them where the spring is. We understand each other with difficulty, since their English is not much better than mine, and they speak French among themselves. There is one woman among them. I am somewhat shocked when one of the Canadians, from the depths of his gut, produces a burp, which almost causes an avalanche and they all laugh loudly together, and the woman is the loudest of all. Canadians, what can we take from them?

Seryoga goes upstairs. It’s too late to go out, but he has plenty of strength and will go quickly. I can barely dissuade Sasha from going upstairs with him. He is a strong guy, but what was easy with him with such a sharp rise can happen again. The bundles arrive at the camp one after another. After two days of hermit life, it seems to me that this is at least one of the central stations of the Moscow metro during rush hour. Tents are set up, food is talked about, things are sorted out. Thanks to the fact that Seryoga left, there are three of us in the tent. Now there is no need to cook, we have a chef - Yura, who gladly takes it upon himself, and we don’t particularly interfere with this, since he does it better than anyone else.

Day 13. The morning passes in leisurely preparations and we go out to Razdelnaya. We leave our tent at 5400 as a warehouse for food and things, at 6100 our other tent is waiting, food and gas are also already there, so in the backpack there is only a sleeping bag and a few things. Despite Yurina’s advice to stay at 5400, Sasha, with the words: “I can’t do this,” leaves a little earlier than everyone else and literally flies up to the ridge and very quickly disappears from our field of vision. Now if something happens, at least there will be someone to help him, there are many of us.

This time I walk much faster than the first time. On the final takeoff, I line up behind Ruslan and follow his trail. At times it’s not entirely easy because Ruslan is a tall guy and his steps are disproportionately larger than mine, but in any case it’s easier than walking uphill and I don’t lag behind.

We wake up Seryoga and the whole evening passes in endless boiling of water and getting ready in a cramped tent, in which this time we are in full force - the four of us. Seryoga and I are very amused by the style of communication between Yura and Alla. Alla constantly wants something, asks for something, and Yura every time finds stunning answers, which seem to amuse him no less than us, at times he just makes fun of her, but at the same time everyone is happy.

We agree that we will go out at whatever time we are ready, but at the latest at four in the morning. This time Yura will lead the group to the ascent, and Ruslan will be below as backup and for one thing, as he put it, “he will cut off the tail that will go slowly,” for this he will leave at five in the morning and everyone who reached 6400 slower than him will be sent back . There is a reason for this; those who walk slowly will still not make it to the top, and if they need help, it is unlikely that anyone will be able to provide them with help. Seryoga and I are very happy that Yura will lead. Ruslan is a good guy, but personally I like Yura more, and Seryoga is generally afraid of Ruslan like hell, after he was turned around for the first time at 6400. Everyone understands that this is the last chance for climbing on this trip due to the time limit. If only it were the weather. If she’s not there, we can try our luck again after tomorrow, and then go straight down. If only there was weather...

Day 14. The alarm clock rings at half past two in the morning. I have a hard time waking up, I really don’t want to get out of my warm down sleeping bag. Seryoga is the fastest to get ready; there is literally a fire in his eyes. I'm going out to smoke. Terrible cold. Even here, on Razdelnaya, gloved hands freeze almost immediately. The wind is very angry - it doesn’t seem strong, but it chills to the bones. There is not a cloud in the sky, the stars hang in clusters. Great start. A couple of mugs of tea and something like candy is the whole breakfast. Ruslan comes and says what everyone already understands - you can go. In the evening it was agreed that he would give the go-ahead depending on the weather. By the time I finish drinking tea, Seryoga has already put on his crampons and is the first to leave the camp. My preparations take another thirty minutes. It took me a lot of effort to find and dig up the crampons that had just been abandoned in the evening in the snow. The backpack contains a thermos, several Snickers, an ice ax, a tripod, a panoramic head, cameras and two balaclavas. Everything else, absolutely all the warm things that were already on me here.

I go out in a direction familiar to me. I’m literally flying down to the saddle between Razdelnaya Peak and Lenin Peak. There is not only Seryoga ahead, but also several more flashlights, I am approximately in the middle. The same climb begins on which I turned not so long ago. It’s good that it’s dark now, it’s a little easier to walk, so you don’t see how much ahead or how much behind, only what the flashlight snatches out of the darkness, so it’s easier to concentrate on moving and walk as fast as you can. Gradually I overtake a couple of people, including Dima with a snowboard. Dima dragged his snowboard from the very bottom and was one of the last to arrive each time. He wants to bring it as high as possible, and then descend on it. He commands my respect - well, I don’t understand how you can drag an extra five to seven kilograms to such a height for the sake of a short descent. I try to keep the pace and not speed up, so as not to stand and greedily gasp for air, wasting precious time. Better slowly, but without stopping. Three exhalations, a step, three exhalations, a step... The wind gets stronger and I have to put on a hood, but this doesn’t help much, and then the damned lantern always tries to fly off along with the hood under the gusts of wind. It's annoying. Very quickly my eyes and cheeks begin to freeze. Yes, exactly, the eye! This happened to me periodically in the winter, when I was skiing and exhaled all the time on one side, and oncoming currents carried the steam from my mouth directly into my eye, which made it freeze. This time the situation was similar. I stop and put on a homemade double fleece balaclava and a hat on top. It becomes much warmer and you can move on.

I periodically (probably like all the climbers on that climb) look around. Below I see a garland of lanterns at irregular intervals. It is very difficult to understand who is going where, but I am most interested in Ruslan. I know that I am going with a reserve and that he is unlikely to catch up with me, but the feeling is not very pleasant, as if someone is breathing down your back and this someone clearly does not want to confess their love to you. I happen to remember the NKVD detachments that, during the Great Patriotic War, shot those who did not go on the attack. Considering that a U-turn in this case is equivalent to an execution, I really like this comparison. It makes me happy and makes walking a little easier.

Where possible, I do pull-ups with poles as if on a horizontal bar, but due to the fact that I don’t even squeeze my hands, but simply hold their handles, my fingers are terribly cold, despite the very warm fleece mittens worn over woolen ones.

It is gradually getting light and it becomes clear that I am already close to the end of this takeoff, and the first climbers (Seryoga among them) have already reached it. I finish the climb at 6400, when there is already a full sunrise around. Terribly beautiful and terribly cold. On the other side of the ridge, already in Tajikistan, lies the sea. Sea of ​​mountains Large and very large. And all this in the first rays of the rising sun. The picture is simply mesmerizing, but I was too cold to take out the camera. It takes me at least five minutes to light a cigarette, the gas in the lighter is frozen and a strong wind is blowing. I want a sip of hot tea, but I don’t want to take off my backpack at all. I am unexpectedly helped out by Lyokha, who had just gotten up here, and he himself offers me some tea. I take a couple of small sips, which I limit myself to, because I understand that he, like everyone else, only has a liter of tea and a very long day ahead.

Further the slope is much less and you can go faster, but they gradually begin to overtake me. There are markers placed by the organizers of the race to Lenin Peak and it is almost impossible to get lost here with such visibility as it is now. Underfoot, stones alternate with ice, firn and just snow. Approximately this road goes all the way to Nozha.

On the Nozha, a steep narrow snowy ridge, Yura catches up with me and advises me to change my poles to an ice axe, which I do. He went last to keep an eye on those lagging behind. More precisely, the penultimate one. The permanent leader of our procession is still the snowboarder Dima with his unbearable load. Having dealt with the Knife, I go out onto the path with a slightly greater slope than before, but sometimes there are relatively steep climbs on it.

At times, something inside me breaks for a split moment and I try to ask myself the question: “What is all this really for? Isn’t it better to turn back?” But this question does not have time to fully sound in my head and everything goes back to normal. And then I mentally repeat Rudel’s “The one who admitted defeat has lost,” but this phrase in no way inspires anything in me, it simply voices what just happened. My toes freeze much more than my hands, they freeze so much that I can no longer feel them, even when I constantly move them. I understand that most likely I have already received mild frostbite. This is a serious argument to turn back. A second of thought and I understand that I will turn back, but only after standing at the top. Until recently, we were in the shadow of the mountain and its ridges, but soon we will come out into the sun and it should become at least a little warmer. At such an altitude there is a lot of radiation, which should warm you up in one moment, you just need to go out into direct sunlight.

Because I’m wearing a balaclava and my nose is clogged, I have to breathe only through my mouth, and when I feel that my throat is completely dry, I swallow my saliva and immediately thousands of needles and razor blades pierce it. Sometimes it doesn’t work on the first try and then I have to repeat it, which makes me choke. If I wanted to hold my breath here, I think it would hardly have been possible for more than five seconds.

Clouds begin to roll in. I have no idea where we are or how much longer to go. But this is not so important now, I am completely focused on the process - a few exhalations, then a step, and so on ad infinitum. From time to time, Yura and I look around to see where Dima is. He is falling further and further behind. Having crossed two snowy wave-like ridges, I see a small plateau ahead, and behind it a rocky ridge, towards which we rush. As soon as we step on the first stones, someone asks Yura a question: “How much longer to go?”, to which he replies: “Yes, probably about fifteen minutes.” Immediately ahead on the left I see a small gap in the cloud, which until that moment hid from us everything above, and in it, it seems to me, the highest visible point. The top must be there, but the walk to that place is no less than an hour. The cheerful optimist Yura was a little mistaken. Once again we look back. Dima did not go out onto the snow ridges. We wait a little, but he doesn’t appear and we continue moving. Perhaps he turned.

I feel like I'm already very tired. You have to stop with enviable regularity, despite the fact that the climb is not very steep. Every step is difficult. In order not to lose the rhythm, I take one step for every fourth exhalation. Infinitely slow. The path winds through rocks, sprinkled here and there with snow. After such cobblestones in Moscow, my excellent ice crampons will clearly need major sharpening. I’m going last, ahead is Edik from Belarus, in front of him is Yura, Alla is still a little higher, and everything further is hidden by a cloud. Another ten minutes pass and I look up and see a little higher in front of me a small pile of stones, and above it a red flag fluttering in the wind and everyone who was in front. It flashes through my head: “There is a peak!” The last steps have been taken, we congratulate each other, but the joy is barely noticeable against the background of fatigue. Dima is still not visible. We take several photographs with almost the entire group, including from my tripod. Well, at least there is some benefit from it. Initially I wanted to shoot shots for a spherical panorama, but the cloud is everywhere. Everything above my head and under my feet was white. It’s not difficult to draw this yourself in Photoshop. I’m a little upset because I never got to see the magnificent Pamirs in all its glory from such a height.

At the top of Lenin Peak

I have a feeling that this is all a dream. Just a week ago I was lying around in the base camp without proper acclimatization, regaining strength and wondering about my altitude limit, and now I’m standing here, at 7134 meters! Hard to believe. By the way, this feeling haunted me from the very beginning of the ascent.

I spend about twenty minutes at the top and Yura gives the command to descend. I could stay here longer, since I am sure that I will be one of the first to go down, but I don’t have the slightest desire to spend any more time here. Following Seryoga, who rose here first, an hour earlier than me, and now flies like a hurricane, and Alla I go down. About five minutes later we meet the lagging Dima, who is very interested in how long we have to go. It's probably about twenty minutes to get to the top. For some reason, I’m very happy for him, because not everyone went to the climb and not everyone reached it, but he didn’t give up. Dima no longer has a snowboard behind him, and he is not needed here, he remained stuck in the snow before the start of the stone ridge. We don’t stay long, we wish him good luck and continue our descent.

The descent is relatively easy and fast, as much as possible in such an exhausted state. Having descended from the Knife, I see that the clouds are just above us and there is an opportunity to photograph a piece of the Pamirs, albeit gloomy in such lighting. It’s strange, but when you go down and see the path on the other side, you start to think: “How was it possible to walk here for so long? There’s practically no slope here!” On the bridge between Lenin Peak and Razdelnaya Peak, I exchange the ice ax back for poles and openly rest, watching Seryoga and Alla disappear into the cloud, making the last climb before the camp. I’m already very close, soon there will be a warm tent and a hot dinner. But I haven’t eaten anything all day.

This climb is difficult for me, I literally count the poles. Now, unlike the morning rise, I would prefer to see its end, but the damned cloud does not even think of flying away. I find the camp with difficulty, I am congratulated by Ruslan and everyone who turned back or did not go up to the climb. Yura arrives soon, we congratulate each other once again. Now our mini-team is in full force and we practically never leave the tent. In a warm tent, your feet get warm and your toes begin to ache. Still, it’s frozen, but most likely nothing serious, maybe the skin will just peel off. I'm postponing the inspection until later. Before going to bed, Ruslan looks at us and tells Yura that there is no connection with Dima and his last message on the radio was: “I’m in front of a big crack, I’m taking off my snowboard and putting on crampons.” Despite all our desire, we are unable to do anything; it is already completely dark. Ruslan asks to constantly call Dima on the radio for Andrey and Dasha, who are sitting in the base camp and have the opportunity to recharge the battery. No one from our tent comments on this situation and we go to bed, but I am sure that everyone is worried about Dima.

Day 15. In the morning the camp collapses and at the same time Seryoga photographs the slope with his telephoto lens and together with Ruslan they look at the photographs for a long time, trying to find Dima’s traces. There is still no contact with him, but I can’t believe that something irreparable has happened and we won’t see him again. We take down absolutely everything, except food that can be left for the crows. In the morning they have been circling over the camp, whistling, cutting through the air with the flapping of their wings. Everything in the backpack except the rug. Last time, going from 6100 to 5400, I was tired of falling knee-deep into the snow on the first, rather steep, 250-meter-high descent. I sit down on the mat and drive down, steering with crampons and sticks. The snow is deep and loose, so it’s impossible to gain decent speed, but I still prefer this method of descent.

We collect the remains of the camp at 5400. Ruslan says that he noticed someone similar to Dima on Skovorodka and runs ahead, and we leave a little later. The backpack noticeably presses me to the ground, therefore, and also because every step down the descent remains a pain in my fingers, I walk slowly. I’m walking alone, but I’m staying close to a group of three people. When we pass through the cracks, I notice how much everything has changed here - not a trace remains of the former whiteness of the snow and transparency of the ice, everything has turned black and is very reminiscent of a typical Moscow winter. We go out onto the moraine and take off the crampons. Then I definitely won’t be able to keep up with the guys and I’ll be the last one to arrive at the base camp.

At the camp I find out that Dima has gone down. Later, while eating a cake made from all the sweets we had and drinking diluted alcohol in honor of a successful ascent, he told what happened to him. From his words, I understood that he was driving and flew off some high cliff, passed out, and when I woke up, I saw that I was lying on the edge of a high balcony. There were already stars in the sky and he stayed overnight right there. In the morning he continued his descent and Ruslan caught up with him in time just before the cracks, which Dima did not see. He looked, of course, rumpled, but it was amazing how easily he got off, having caught a cold night, he didn’t even get frostbite, unlike me, who just went up and spent the night in a warm tent. Most likely he suffered a minor concussion. Just some kind of happy ending!

Camp 4400 is collapsing

Most of the group leaves for Achik-Tash tomorrow and immediately leaves for Osh, but I have no desire to return to civilization and I join those who will stay for another day to assemble a camp. I have become very close to these mountains.

After six nights spent at an altitude of over 5000 meters, this is the first night at base camp and I sleep like a groundhog.

Day 16. In the morning, the camp preparations are in full swing. Horses come from below, things are loaded onto them, and the climbers leave in small groups of two or three people one by one, followed by the horses. After seeing everyone off, the five of us remain - me, Yura, Alla, Anatoly from Surgut and our permanent cook Ksyusha. On this day, as usual, I am not eager to help in the kitchen, and I do all other things without much zeal. In the afternoon I find two cans of beer, which yesterday, at the height of the fun, for some reason went unnoticed and plug my ears with the player. How convenient it is now! There is not a cloud in the sky and I, sitting on a stone and drinking beer, do not take my eyes off the massive wall of Lenin Peak. She literally hypnotizes. What a huge thing this is! But just the day before yesterday I stood on its top, and although exhausted to the limit, I stood.

After lunch, Yura takes out a bottle of vodka and we quickly empty it. I never thought it was possible to drink so much at such an altitude. The rest of the day is spent leisurely getting ready and taking photographs. Seryoga left me his wide-angle lens and after waiting for the first stars, I did not fail to use it, but the sky quickly became cloudy and it was not possible to take a series of shots as I originally wanted.

Day 17. The next morning I get ready faster than everyone else, because with a frostbitten finger I will walk longer and I need to go out first. When the horses come for the modest remains of our camp, I have already collected everything and set off on the road. Closer to the Travelers Pass, I meet two Kyrgyz teenagers on horses. When I give way to them, they shoot my cigarettes. Is it written on my forehead that I smoke? Climbers don’t smoke at all, I’m just an exception to the rule for now. How did they even come up with this idea?

In Achik-Tash you can feel that autumn is already coming into its own. This is the first time I’ve seen early autumn in the Asian mountains and I don’t know what it should look like, but I don’t doubt at all that this is exactly what it is. All the colors have become a little softer, almost indistinguishable for photography, but if you are here, the eye instantly catches it. Almost all the companies have already closed their camps and now, instead of a tent city, I see one lifeless stone field against the backdrop of mountains shimmering with all the shades of the rainbow. As they say, leaving on time means leaving a little earlier than asked. We leave on time, forever keeping in our hearts the memory of these mountains and not the easiest climb.