The second expedition of Russian alpinists to the North Wall of Jeannou peak: the challenge is thrown down

The alpinists use to call Jeannou peak (7710 meters), or Mystery Peak, Peak of Terror, the 38th highest point of our planet, the last unsolved problem of The Himalayas. At the altitude of 7000 meters Jeannou Big Wall (the big plumb wall) starts, which no one has been able to climb on until now.

The exact number of expeditions to the Northern Wall is still unknown. Until Autumn of 2003 the maximum altitude climbed accounted for 6700 meters (1999, Uzbek team). In October 2003 a new record was set up by Russian alpinists, participants to the unique alpinist project “The Russian way – the walls of the world” under the guidance of Alexander Odintsov, international degree Master of Sports. For whole eight years now those sportsmen have been paving the exclusive “Russian Routes” along the most famous walls of the world.

The route of climbing that is based on fragmentary data obtained from the previous expeditions had to be corrected at site: its first third is a constantly moving and changing its relief icefall. On the 12th of September Michail Michaylov - one of the expedition participants - was caught by the icefall. Later on the team’s leader Alexander Odintsov got a hand injury. Under severe frost conditions, without oxygen masks on, through avalanches, the five Russian alpinists have managed to climb up to an altitude of 7200 meters. There were only 510 meters left to the top. But the weather had got very bad, and it is absolutely useless to rival with the monsoon outbreak. The team took the only correct decision to close the expedition having the equipment preserved on the mountain so as to come back onto Jeannou in March next year.

The alpinists do not consider their doubtless record to be the absolute victory they have been striving for. Only the completely laid “Russain” route could have satisfied them. The entry list of “Panasonic – Jeannou North wall – II” expedition has changed, and the sports potential of the team has been strengthened by three high-skilled alpinists. According to the preliminary Odintsov’s plans, the way up to the 7000 altitude mark should take no more than fourteen days. If so, the guys will have had enough strength reserved to climb onto the plumb Northern Wall. The way of 710 meters may also takes about two weeks.

As it was in Autumn 2003, the general sponsor of the expedition has become Panasonic Corporation. The primary logistics provider of the expedition is traditionally represented by BASK Company that has been providing the team of “Russian walls – walls of the world” project with special equipment within four years already. The members of Odintsov’s team intend to fly to Katmandu on the 24th of March 2004. Starting from that day on, the attention of the world alpinist community will be keenly drawn to the region of the East Himalayas.

24.03.2004