Bolotov's three-man team climbed up to the last summit cornice
Odintsov called and informed the latest news (translation by www.mountain.ru): Bolotov's three-man team climbed up to the last summit cornice, but they did not overcome it completely because of traumas of climbers (Alexey Bolotov, Sergey Borisov, Michael Pershin were injured). I hope that they have already descended into the base camp, called home and informed their relatives about their health states. The doctor renders the guys first aid.
Three-man team led by Ruchkin (Ruchkin-Mikhailov-Pavlenko) went to change leading group and to climb the cornice and three last pitches left after it.
According to Ivan Samoilenko this year a monsoon is coming early. It is not as usual. But before arrival of the monsoon the team should have some days of good weather more during which the leading three-man team will be able to make the last pitches, summit and descend before bad weather begins. The expedition should be completed till June, 1.
Sergey Borisov's impressions. Letter from 05.05
Hi, everybody! Yesterday on May, 6 we returned from the last 4-th trip into the wall. And I have understood that everything we had done before was a prelude. And just now a real WORK began!!! In the third trip our group restored fixed ropes up to 7000m and reactivated the portaledge: we spent two nights in it.
The bad weather did not allow us to go further. The bad weather began on 22-nd of April and it still holds: nobody could see Jannu in all its glory. It takes three days or 50-52 pitches (5600, 6700 and 7000) to reach to the camp at 7000. All the pitches are really abrupt.
On May, 1 we came at 7000 to replace Totmyanin's group. They finally finished to dig the platform and set the tent. Because of heavy snowing and a strong wind they did not work that day and descended. After the afternoon the wind dropped a little and we could change the tent on the portaledge. The previous one "did not breathe". During our last trip we gasped for breath and the gas did not burn in the previous tent, when it was totally closed. And, when it was slightly open we were swept up by snow. Moreover there was strong "condensate" in it.
On May, 2-nd Bolotov and I went to work. The first, that we could see, was our broken portaledge. A storm pulled out one ice screw and the portaledge was twirled. The skeleton of the portaledge was bent and broken. The tent and the tension ropes were torn too. Then we informed about that the guys and began climb. They spoke that the fixed ropes were no lumps of sugar, but the reality surpassed all expectations. We climbed only five pitches on slanting and abrupt ropes for 4,5 hours. To tell the truth, all this was at the altitude higher than 7000 m and the wall was practically vertical. A wind only added our "pleasures". Its impulses knocked down us sideways and turned back to the wall. This day Alexey climbed about 8-10 meters for 3 hours. All of this did not add enthusiasm to us. But it was of 8-10 meters of hanging site. And having climbed it Alexey approached under the following hanging.
The wall seems less abrupt further. Descent on a slanting fixed ropes is not a pleasure. And traverse on abrupt ice in blunted crampons was somewhat! During our expedition we had remained only a half from our front points. We could stand on them like a cow on ice. But everything comes to the end. We were in the tent: suffocated by cough to death of it. Gennady gave us to drink a lot. Then we contacted to the base. Tomorrow Gennady and Alexey will work upwards, I w ill be engaged in fixing. It is a small plus to me, I will leave the tent not at 8, but at 10 a.m., when the sun reaches the tent. We were short of ropes and some gear. It depressed all of us. I asked Alexey to take a rope and gear at descending.
The new fixed rope is not all cakes and ale. In one place you do not touch the wall about four meters, but there is no traverses and slanting lines there.
The guys descended, brought the rope and already in darkness crept in the tent. We felt cold but we were in the tent. We had a bad mood: even wanted to descend tomorrow. We climbed only a bit, but toiled a lot descending. There was a cold and a strong wind. We were exhausted. Having taken a sip we began to decide what to do further? We could talk only between impulses of a wind. The head hooted from noise. With the base we could speak on our command when a wind did not strongly blow.
On 4-th of May the guys went ahead. I slept further. It meant that I had a rest. But spending all the day long in the tent at 7000 does not add health and it is considered as a rest conditionally. Alexey climbed all hangings and, the route seems to become easier further. Having finished a pitch we began to make next one and returned to the tent in darkness. Tomorrow Alexey and I will work; Gennady will descend.
Soon Mikhailov and Ruchkin will change us. Now they spend the night at 6700. For the first time there was no wind at night. But we could not sleep. All of us were tormented with cough. In the morning we went upwards. The fixed pitch impresses. It hangs freely not touching the wall about 30 meters. And it is at the altitude 7200-7300m.
We began to climb upwards: friends, stoppers, sometimes pitons, etriers, free climbing on 1-1,5 m sites twice. But we moved very slowly. I reached a grotto where there could be a ledge, but I could find only abrupt ice. Having organised next pitch we decided that it was enough for today. From three ice screws we could twirl only one just having hammered it by halves. In tent we met our change. They gave us to drink and fed. We treated them to spirit and went to sleep. Alexey was without a sleeping bag but in a down jump-suit and in two down parkas. But he got a cold all the same.
Having sent the guys for work in the morning at 10 a.m. we began to descend: via 1,5 -km vertical wall, 50 pitches, and at 17.00 we were in the base camp.
Here it is - our happiness!
S.Borisov. 19.05.2004
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