Information

Home Expedition

21.05.2002: Victoria! Russian flag is flying at Cerro Torro! 31.01.02 Timur Akhmedkhanov, Alexander Lastochkin and Arcady Seregin became the first Russians who climbed the forbidding and treacherous peak of Cerro Torre (3128 m, Patagonia). Four climbers, powered by BASK equipment, left Moscow on the 11th of January. Vyacheslav Skripko, who injured a knee and dropped out of the game, kept us informed during several unsuccessful attempts of the expedition to climb Cerro Torre. At last, long hoped-for news from Timur Akhmedkhanov reached our office: “We did it! All congratulate us, say we are lucky to return alive. We’ve climbed it in alpine style – just as we were planning to. It took 40 hours from bergschrund back to bergschrund…” We are impatient to meet our heroes and to learn more from them about the expedition.

21.05.2002: Climbing Cerro Torro This year BASK company has equipped Russian climbing quartet for climbing one of the hardest summits Cerro Torro (3102m) in Patagonia, which is so difficult that it was not climbed until after the first ascent of Mount Everest. Russian expedition started on the 11th of January and was planning to finish in February. There are no easy routes even for a descent. Vertical granite tower of Cerro Torro is defended with 1500 metres walls and storm winds what makes successful climbs almost impossible. Last year all attempts to climb it had failed, as there was only 11 hours of good weather in entire the season. Russians have never touched a summit of Cerra Torre yet. Last winter Shataev’s expedition had no opportunity even to shoot its peak, resembling stellified aiguille, because of abominable weather. Russian company BASK with its leading experience in equipping expeditions in the four corners of the earth has provided brave climbers with everything required for this event. Russian team includes Timur Akhmedkhanov, Alexander Lastochkin, Arcady Seregin and Vyacheslav Scripko. Timur, Alexander and Arcady became champions of Russia in 2001 (technical class). This time they hope for the best – for good weather. The day before expedition left to Patagonia, one of its members, Arcady Seregin, told us the following: “We’ve chosen exactly this, low-snow season, (you know, in southern hemisphere it’s summer now) as we hoped that great `summit mushroom’, which is the main obstacle on our way, would melt a little. With the nick `mushroom’ climbers call grandiose ice-snow cornice, formed with wet winds blowing from the Ocean. From nearby it looks like a picket of monstrous horizontal icicles. This section of route may be passed only if there are crevasses and fractures in the mushroom, and only in this case one may reach the summit. Patagonia latitudes are well known as `roaring forties’ due to their famous winds. In south part of American continent furious winds, which gathered power over the Ocean, first time reach earth and face granite faces of Cerra Torre. Sometimes speeds of winds reach 200 kilometres an hour there! As Ocean is near humidity is too high there, that’s why, say, traditional down clothes don’t work in this region. Because of it, BASK company provided us with wonderful Valdez jackets insulated with humidity-proof Thinsulate, Polartec and Windbloc gloves and jackets and all other necessary clothes.” We hope that BASK equipment will help our own nationals to climb this, thus far forbidden for them, summit. Good luck! Keep up with latest news from expedition at our site.