Panasonic-JANNU North Face: "...we reached 6800m..."

"Big Wall- Russian Way" Panasonic - Jannu
The latest news (translation by www.mountain.ru):

21.04.2004
Hi, our friends, now all the team are scattered over the mountain. The schedule of work and acclimatization goes in the right way. The plan of work is simple, but labour-consuming, and includes fixing the rope, lifting the cargoes for life-support at such altitude, acclimatization - spending the night as high as it is possible - and, at last, descent for the rest.

Three groups, replacing each other, climb upward. Our group lifted a portaledge from 6100m up to 6700m, and having made three pitches upper descended to the base camp to have a rest.

On 20.04 the two-men group Totmyanin and Odintsov lay the route. Now they are fixing the rope above 6800m. The group Bolotov - Borisov - Kirievsky is going to change them and fix the rope on the wall up to 7000 m. If everything goes in the right way, they will try to check up and fix the rope up to the line where we stopped last year.

The two-men group Pershin - Prilepa makes cargo carry from 5600-6100 and up to 6700 m. According to the condition and state of their health Odintsov, Totmyanin, Pershin and Prilepa will descend into the camp at 5600 or into the base camp. Just now Nikolay Totmyanin has come to the base camp, the others are staying at 5600m.

The weather simply indulges us today. All the day long the sun has been shining and it has not been snowing.
The mountain towers in all glory, without any cloud. The fog usually coming from the valley below has receded today too. All our greetings to everybody. See you soon.
Ruchkin and all the guys.

18.04.2004
Hi, friends!
We are fine, safe and sound. I regret very much, that nobody with the exception writes and informs about our Jannu expedition going. Today we descended to the Base Camp. Pavlenko, Mikhailov and Ruhckin spent two nights at 6100m, being engaged in restoration of fixed ropes. Having reached up to 6700m we lifted there a portaledge with all equipment needed for a life. We spent the last night in a struggle against a thunder-storm, lightnings and snowfalling, all the night long we shook off a lot of snow from the portaledge lest it was not broken off.

There is less snow on a wall than last autumn, and instead of a planned at 6500m cave, we lifted the portaledge from 6100m up to 6700m on the rock and made three pitches more. So then all things considered that we reached 6800m.
But I think we will not manage to dig a cave at 7000m too. There was a heavy fall snow last night, al the ropes are covered in snow and we have to dig them. We are in the Base Camp now: the doctor is engaged in treatment of our coughs and sores. Yesterday he descended from 5600m for acclimatization. Everything takes its normal course.

Descending we met the guys Totmyanin-Pershin-Prigoda ascending up to 6700m to change us and to continue fixing the rope. The group Bolotov - Borisov-Kirievsky ascended at 5600m to continue working from there. Waiting for the details and photos tomorrow.

Ruchkin.


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19.04.2004