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library about Russian climbs:
DENIS
URUBKO (ALMATY)
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Photo
by Vassily Litvinov, July 2003 |
Mountain
plots - 2003
Also
two thousand third has come to the end. For this time we
have become who wiser, who older. And someone probably has
become happier. I want to believe that among climbers of
Kazakhstan there are not few of such. And I shall allow
myself to remind the reader the marks on which our climbing
present developed this year.
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I thank everyone who supported the two Kazakhstan climbers in winter
expedition on Ê2 (8611 ́). This top of the world, the second on
height, had drawn attention of Polish climbers, and headed by K.Wielicki
they arrived under the northern wall of the notorious mountain.
Many people were lost for all history of its conquest, and the nickname
of the Mountain-killer reflects well the attitude to it. Into the
team had been invited some sportsmen of the former Union, and among
them two climbers of Central Sports Club of Army of Kazakhstan –
Vassily Pivtsov and Denis Urubko. The word "bad" very
precisely reflects weather conditions in the heart of winter Karakorum.
A long period of the expedition at the bottom of the chained in
ice mountain giant proceeded up to the end of February. Then the
assault twosome Kachkan - Urubko retreated because of storm and
illness of the Polish climber. Here at height of 7800m the assault
camp had been established, and processing of the route up to this
place was so hard that the majority of participants had fallen ill
and got frost-bitten. On this the expedition broke off the work.
By the way, the article on course of this ascent, published earlier
in several magazines, is possible to find on www.russianclimb.com.
The winter also was marked by ascents in gorge Tuyuk-Su not far
from Almaty and carrying out of sports gathering of CSCA in mountains
of Kyrgysia in gorge Ala - Archa. The team of 9 climbers, having
divided into groups, made ascents of the fifth category of complexity
in extreme conditions, raising their skills. . Certainly, the routes
for such purposes had been chosen far not simple, and each ascent
was the significant moment in preparation of the team. As the fact
can be stated that everything has passed at a good level, and snow-covered
rocks of CIS mountains could not stop the push of our guys, - they
accomplished two ascent of 5B category of complexity and three of
5À.
In March three Almaty climbers have made trip to Caucasus, and one
of them, Artjom Skopin summited Elbrus (5642m). During the summit
bid he was pursued by a strong wind and reached the summit already
in darkness. In early spring on slopes of the highest mountain of
Europe conditions are severe.
The complicated question of mountaineering - what is more important
technical training or functional endurance, - as usually was solved
in competition on climbing snatch combining rock-climbing and high-speed
“vertical” race. The competition was held on April 20 on the rocks
"Lesnichestvo" and a steep hill nearby. Denis Grinevich
has won, as if by heart knowing relief, Nickolay Chervonenko has
proved that knowingly contends for leadership having remained on
the second place, and E.Shutov has achieved the third place in difficult
struggle for an inexperienced person.
Vladimir Suviga, one of the most experienced Kazakhstan climbers,
together with Valery Babanov has attempted the unclimbed summit
of Nuptse East. On a southern edge of the top they reached height
of about 7000 m. and turned back because of bad weather conditions
of this year in the Himalayas.
The spring has demanded from Kazakhstan climbers mobilization of
all their forces. Before Karakorum expedition there passed selection
competitions on which opportunities of each sportsman were found
out, and were revealed the best climbers for trip to mountains of
Pakistan. By the way, the team of expedition has been expanded to
eight participants that has been caused by powerful financing. The
head of the expedition Baghlan Zhunusov has found the required sum
and forces for the organization of the trip. And under decision
of the main trainer of the team E.T.Ilinskiy the objects of forthcoming
storms had been declared at once three tops above eight thousand
meters - Nanga-Parbat (8125 ́), Broad (8046 ́) and Ê2 (8611 ́).
For this purpose, as it is clear to the reader, preparation of sportsmen
had to be on a high level.
Candidates for expedition were one and a half ten person, and to
say that the Combined team of Kazakhstan worked hard, it means to
say very little. Skeleton of the group was made by sportsmen of
CSCA and thus worked how they used to work in army and for long
years of training - trying to exceed their abilities. The team consisting
of B.Zhunusov (leader), E.Ilinskiy (trainer), M.Zhumaev (captain),
S.Lavrov, D.Molgachev, A.Raspopov, V.Pivtsov, D.Chumakov, V.Litvinov,
D.Urubko at the end of May departed to Pakistan.
From the city of Islamabad where all organizational meetings and
actions were carried out, the Kazakh team arrived to the small town
Chilas which is situated nearby to mountain Nanga-Parbat. After
several days of trekking the caravan consisted of more than a hundred
porters, on first of July has arrived to Base camp, and work on
a route began. Except for kazakhstans some foreigners took part
in this expedition (S.Moro, E.Viesturs, I.Ochoa, J.Lafaille and
other). For an ascent the team chose the rib of Kinshoffer, the
German climber who led storm in 1975 on this way. Sixteen days climbers,
risking under icefalls and rushing through the bad weather, worked
on mountain, and on June17 the first assault group has reached the
top of Nanga-Parbat (8125 ́). On June 18 the other guys have summited.
Only one of the team, D.Molgachev, being ill could not climb to
the top and had to go home, to Kazakhstan.
By the way, the leader of the expedition B.Zhunusov after managing
of organizational and financial problems also returned to Kazakhstan.
In the summer he traveled to Caucasus where with his wife climbed
mountain Elbrus (5642 ́).
In depth of mountain gorges of Karakorum the huge glacier Baltoro
lays. Its boards are framed by legendary tops, and among them there
are four, exceeding 8000 meters. The passage is difficult and continuous,
and few travelers risk to storm the mountain giants. Even less they
come back home. And here the team of Kazakhstan climbers has arrived
after an ascent on Nanga-Parbat. They wanted to test their abilities
in ascent on tops of Broad and Ê2. To a word, in 2001 the majority
of participants of present team already had been here, having climbed
Hidden and Gasherbrum-2.
On twelfth of July climbers established Base camp and in two days
left for storm of Broad peak. With acclimatization after previous
“eightthousander” the ascention was supposed to be made in Alpine
style. Therefore all the team went at once. Certainly, as always,
there were some events changed initial plans. The team divided into
two groups before the Third camp (7200 ́) where arrived only four
members. The others have stayed at night below on a slope. Besides,
in Camp 3 a Frenchman was ill, and one of the Kazakhstan team had
to go down with him to help at descent. Thus on sixteenth of July
threesome Zhumaev-Pivtsov-Chumakov reached the top of Broad (8046
́). Next day ascended Raspopov, Lavrov, Litvinov and a day later
Urubko who had gone down with the sick Frenchman made it to the
top.
The summit bid of Ê2 began with even smaller group. V.Litvinov was
ill and had left, the Kazakhstan climbers remained only six. By
that time attempt of an ascent had been undertaken by the Swiss
group, but having lost one climber at height of 8350 m, they turned
back. Strengthening of the wind and strong snowfalls on the mountain
stopped the Kazakhstan team at height of 8100 meters. And even repeated
storm failed - the mountain has beaten off the attempt already from
7700 m. After that the expedition was finished and participants
came back home.
At the end of July nearby to Almaty a high-speed
ascent on peak Nursultan (4376 m) has been held. This traditional
competition has been organized by CSCA of Kazakhstan, Rescue Service
of Almaty (051) and " Asia - tourism " company. Participants
were about fifty. “Start” was given on Chimbulak, and sportsmen
finished at the rocks of the top. The climber of CSCA Artjom Richkov
has shown the best time, for a long time aspiring to show his high
level.
In the summer of 2003 in mountains of Tien-Shan has been held the
International Mountain Festival "Khan Tengri " which idea
belongs to R.Khaibullin and the general managing is under his control.
The Festival has attracted more than four hundred people, and many
of them have made an ascent on the highest mountain of Kazakhstan.
On the slope of Khan Tengri (7010 ́) up to height of 6500 meters
with descent to base camp a high-speed rase has been organized.
The winner has become the representative of foreign mountaineering,
C.Kellog with the result of 6 hours 11 minutes and 40 seconds. More
over in the same days on the Central Tien-Shan the International
Meeting of Rescue crews of the CIS has taken place. Sharing experience,
rescue groups imitated actions on rescue in mountain conditions
and coordination of services.
A group of CSCA with Yuriy Gorbunov as a leader has gone to Kyrgystan
in order to storm Lenin peak(7134 m). It took half a month for fourteen
members to climb this "seventhousender", and on July 16
four of them (Richkov, Grinevich, Brodskiy, Skopin) though storm-force
wind reached the summit. Unfortunately, the others had to turn back
because of fatigue and threat of frostbites.
Two climbers of CSCA Vadim Khaibullin and Alexander Rudakov also
worked on their program in Pamir. In the middle of the summer they
ascended on E.Korzhenevskaya (7105 ́) and Lenin (7134 ́) peaks..
S.Brodskiy after climbing Lenin peak has summited Muztag-Ata (7546
́), on which he ascended with Spanish climber. The highest top of
the Alpine mountains, the motherland of mountaineering also has
obeyed to a group of Kazakhstan climbers. This time on Mont Blanc
(4806 ́) have been six person under Valiev's leadership.
The autumn has brought deserved rest to Kazakhstan climbers. The
summer season demanded considerable physical and nervous efforts,
therefore it was necessary to be restored before new ascents. Though
already on September 25 D.Urubko and S.Moro have summited Elbrus
(5642 ́). This ascent has not demanded from the twosome serious
preparation and has taken quite little time.
On the fourth of October has passed the traditional Day of Memory
organized by Fund of Mountaineering of Kazakhstan. The meeting of
mountaineers took place in gorge Tuyuk-Su on the memorial « to the
Perished in Mountains ». As it was noted, a hard blow of the last
year was death of V.I.Popov, the remarkable person and organizer
who had given a lot to the development of mountaineering in our
country. And on the other day was held a sport race from Medeo up
to the Memorial devoted to the Day of Memory.
On seventeenth of October the group of climbers from Almaty under
the initiative of a priest Alexander Ziryanov has ascended on peak
of Jesus Christ’s Birth (4360 ́). This top from blessing of the
orthodox church doicese was named so in 2000, yet nobody of priests
summited. And father Alexander was the first who with support of
sportsmen - climbers has reached the top.
On December 28 the final sports action of the year was held - the
High-speed ascent on Amangeldy peak (3999 ́) where all interested
persons were invited. This becoming traditional competition is devoted
to memory of one of the best mountaineers in the world, Kazakhstan
climber A.Bukreev. The first place with time of 1 hour 15 minutes
and 44 seconds has taken D.Urubko, and among women S.Sharipova achieved
victory for 1 hour 58 minutes and 28 seconds.
The youth of climbing sections regularly goes to the mountains,
making sport ascents. Trainers A.Raspopov, D.Molgachev, Y.Gorbunov,
S.Samoilov develop teaching techniques and tactics of mountaineering.
Physical preparation of sportsmen accompanies qualification growth,
and it is obvious that many of them in the future can represent
our country on the world scene. Now many Almaty people make ascents
on mountain tops not far from Almaty. And winter cold seem only
to add passion in their reaching the goals.
The fund of Mountaineering carries out the action for attraction
of children to rock-climbing for this rock stands are erected at
schools. Training on them guys get the first skills and notions
about techniques of movement on vertical relief. By this time 19
rock stands have been established and operate in common schools.
In plan is building of one big artificial rock wall of the international
class on which competitions will pass.
On results of the year it is possible to see that any significant
achievements in sport, able to become a bright page in history of
world and Kazakhstan climbing, has not taken place. It is clear
that any sportsmen able to exceed achievements of fifteen - ten
years' prescription of our fellow countrymen ( Khrishatiy, Valiev,
Bukreev, Suviga, Gorbunov, Moiseyev) are not revealed yet, however
lacks of organizational work are observed. As positive factors there
are tendencies to closer cooperation between climbers, wide popularization
of mountaineering that for certain will bring results in future.
Who is interested in more detailed information on development of
the Kazakhstan mountaineering can receive it on web sites www.mountain.kz
and www.russianclimb.com
where the majority of the mentioned events are reflected.
I wish success and health to all lovers of sports!
December, 30, 2003 Denis Urubko
The
central Sports Club of Army of Kazakhstan
SALICE, La'sportiva, BASK, www.russianclimb.com
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