Presto on line 3
Agosto 2001 Yes, we snowboarded the Kyrgyz powder trought the north face at
Pik Lenin!
On 3 August
the Italian Emilio Previtali snowboarded off the summit of Pik Lenin 7134
m, via a new line directly down the North Face. Just a day previously, team member
Luca Dalla Palma (who, together with Elena Spalenza formed this
three-man expedition) descended via the Normal route from 6500m using telemark
skies
The
line snowboarded trought the north face. (foto Simone Moro) The trio had left
Italy on 17 July for Kyrgyzstan and reached Base Camp at Achik-Tash, 3700 m on
19 July. They established their "true home", Camp 1 at 4200m one day later, before
pushing up to Camp 2 at 5200m on 23 July and Camp 3 at 6100m at Pik Razdelnaya.
From here the Normal route continues via the western crest to the summit of Pik
Lenin.
Bad
weather forced the trio to postpone their summit bid, but on 1 August Luca Dalla
Palma and Elena Spalenza left directly for Camp 3. The next day Luca reached the
summit and teklemarked from 6500m.
Elena's attempt stopped at 6500m, where she too descended. On 3 August Emilo Previtali's
dream came true as he reached the summit and snowboarded down the immense 8km
wide North Face to Camp 1 - a height difference of 2900m!
Emilio had the following to say about his extraordinary (and demanding) 35°- 50°
descent "Can you imagine my joy when I finally reached the bottom of the face
and turned around to see my tiny traces in that immense sea of white? It's a great
and rare privilege, the mountain let me pass and I slid down its slopes, feeling
her cold breath. I'm sure that she noticed me, but she let me go. Like an elephant
and an ant."
Emilio Previtali emilio@freeridespirit.com (Italian version)
RUSSIAN
EXPERIENCE
