Neither me nor you will ever climb such a mountain again... June, 9 ,2004 The Russian Jannu team has arrived to Moscow. At first official meeting and then- informal talks and first accounts "how it was". Russianclimb: Alexander, was there a moment when you have thought that the summit is unreachable?
Russianclimb: Was there a simple terrain where one can just walk without rope? May be just below the summit? Ruchkin: No. Steep ridge ends very close to the summit, we had to use ropes until the very end. Actually, this is not a ridge, rather a wall.
Nickolay Totmyanin: On the last abseil, below 5100. At first there was a rope from the avalanche cone, then one goes down along the shelf and then the first rope. As soon as I've fixed my eight and released self-belay I got a hit. I had an impression that a good boxer punches me. Russianclimb: The helmet was brocken? Nickolay Totmyanin (on right photo): No, but piece of it was torn away and goggles were hit. They cut my nose bridge.
Michail Bakin: It was a bad day: Pershin had to go down because of hemorrhage; 3-4 hours later stone hit Borisov and in two more hours Bolotov broke a rib during fall. Serguey Borisov (on right photo - Borisov and Kirievsky): Two years ago, exactly on the same date, May 16, Bolotov and me climbed Everest. We hoped that now it will be again a lucky day. Lucky... Russianclimb: And then, in the very end of the climb monsoon approached, it became warmer and other problems appeared: There were long intervals v 3-4 days in between ascending groups and fixed ropes started to thaw away.
Ruchkin: Ice screws thawed. I climb the rope, pull it out from ice and, with every meter, it is less and less stable. It appears that in places where ice had some holes some ice flow over the rope. These places served as the only fixing point. Once I ascended over some bend and was shocked: there is no anchor, both screws are almost free, the rope is fixed only because the next one is in ice, while the next anchor is also free. Mikhail asks from below why I am stopped. And I am hanging on the bend relying on non-existing anchor... Russianclimb: Do you remember, before the first expedition you've told that you have no idea, which rocks will you encounter. Last autumn you've just touched the wall and it was covered in snow. So, what is Jannu made of?
Mikhail Mikhailov: And there were quartz holes in granit. Real quartz crystals inside. You put a stopper into it and climb further. Ruchkin: Also lot of cornices- Nickolay Totmyanin: Yes, immediately after 7000 first cornices appeared and all the way up there is lot of them. Russianclimb: Have you used bolts? Ruchkin: Only few- only on traverse with pendulum. Russianclimb: How many kilometers have you climbed up and down?
Russianclimb: Guys said that if something fell down, it was easy to find it 25 ropes down. They throw a bag and it hit the wall only once. Mikhailov: I was working on the wall and dropped a small bag with a carabiner and something else. It flew over a bend and then I found it directly on our trail just in front of the first rope. Totmyanin: I hear once: "I am throwing a sleeping bag!" Immediately I saw it flying... I abseil down and see it on the trail. Very accurate delivery... Russianclimb: Which psychological climate was in the team? Mikhail Bakin: I want to say that moral climate was exceptionally good. Despite some working moments, inevitable in such an expedition with lot of stars with personal ambitions, there were no conflicts. All questions were solved in a positive way. Alexander Odintsov: But despite all this I feel sad. You know why? Because neither me, nor you will ever climb such a mountain again... it is like reaching a dream. Gennady Kirievsky: It is like a British Queen: one can marry her only once- Totmyanin: Yes, Jannu is a great experience. New, absolutely new experience. Mikhail Bakin: My suggestion v some new wall somewhere on Hawaii. Somewhat lower-
Russianclimb: And people started to discuss new possibilities where to make a new Russian route. Next day we received an email from Peru: "Congratulations to the team! We are waiting for your team in Andes!" May
be Andes is indeed a new task?... June, 9-11, Elena Laletina |
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