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25.09.2003: Jannu, North Face. Expedition chronicle Alexandr Odintsov   Translation by www.russianclimb.com 22 September Today Mikhail Bakin reports via radio from Gunza that team is OK. Totmjanin and Pershin are planning to climb tommorow, the other members are working on the mountain. They have set Camp II at 6000m and going to work above it. Odintsov and Ruchkin will come back to Base Camp tommorow. Communication problems with the team are still existing. Mikhail Mikhailov are already in Bishkek, at his home. He feels well, his fractures aren't hard: only two ribs and he has some leg and pulmonary problems. 18 September Igor Kulishov from Kathmandu: We received the information that the team has some problems with sat phone. 3-day strike will be in Kathmandu tomorrow. Mikhail Mikhailov will leave Nepal tomorrow and fly to Bishkek via Delhi. 16 September Mikhail Mikhailov was delivered to the hospital in Kathmandu by the helicopter, he's out of danger. It was occured due to the skill and courage of Russian pilot, Victor Kolesnikov, who was the crew commander on the helicopter, which landed at the difficult weather conditions at 5100 m to take Mikhail. Expedition is continuing. 13 September Odintsov called in morning, 6 a.m., and said that yesterday, at 5 p.m. (Nepali time) at 5100 m Mikhail Mikhailov was covered by ice avalanche on the icefall. He was injured, has some fractures. Now it's the broblem to transport him down. Ivan Samoilenko write later that helicopter may come tomorrow and catch out guys from 5100. Team members are in turn with Mikhail, take him anaesthetic medicines. 12 September Mikhail Davy: Two days ago we wrote that were going up by all the team for some days, but life corrects our plans. Me, Odintsov and Pershin spent night at the Base Camp again. Trio Ruchkin - Mikhailov - Totmjanin went 16 pitches at the icefall and returned to the tent, which was set by Odintsov and Pershin at the bottom of the icefall. Alexey and me brought loads (ropes and equipment) as high as we could along the fixed ropes. But the icefall appeared more difficult than we thought. In result, the vanguard trio and Bolotov climbed up with loads to the end of fixed ropes, and worked two ropes more, but met huge crevasses, which couldn't being climbed. The only decision was to went down to the eighth pitch and to find another way on the icefall. They'll do it tomorrow, but today they spend night at the little plain place at the icefall, which is out of danger. At the other side (the right part of the icefall) it seems that all ice have fallen down clearing the rock. We remember from the report and the film of Uzbek Expedition, they climbed by the right side, but there's clear rock now, and next and next portion of ice is falling down every five minutes. I'm going to climb by the opposite slope of the valley tomorrow, and will correct guys by the radio. In the Base Camp all are OK, doctor Bakin has given the interview for TV by the sat phone today, Igor went down to Gunza for the fresh meat. All of us send greetings to our relatives and friends, and to all who are in touch. Mikhail Davy, September11, 7-23 p.m. 11 September Alexander Odintsov from the Base Camp: Trio Ruchkin - Totmjanin - Mihkailov left Base Camp at 6-30 a.m. and they were near the icefall about 8-30. Other members left Base at 9-30. Icefall is very dangerous part of the route now - ice is in bad conditions. Bolotov and Davy are planning to prepare more steep and more difficult but less dangerous way along rocks tomorrow, istead of icefall. We couldn't reach 5400 today and returned to the Base Camp. The weather's bad, it's rain and snow every day. Jannu North Face is white, covered by snow Odintsov, September 10, 5-49 p.m. 9 September The team reached Base Camp yesterday. Tomorrow they'll begin to work at the route. 8 September We are in Gunza. We'll start to Kombachen tomorrow and then to the Base Camp We'll write you from Base. 7 September Jannu, North Face. The expedition is on their way to Jannu. The situation in Nepal is very difficult because of maoists rebellion. The team hoped to fly by helicopter , but they are obliged to walk. September 5 they were in Amjulhasa, in Nepal jungle. 20 August Today's August 19. Only four days ago the team of the expedition "Panasonic - Jannu north face" standed at the top of Khan Tengri and made pictures with peak Pobeda on the background. We didn't want to descent to Base Camp fast, our goal was to acclimatize before Jannu - so we have slept more night at 6400 m. 13 August Five members of the team - Alexander Odintsov, Alexander Ruchkin, Mikhail Davy, Mikhail Mikhailov and Mikhail Pershin - began this night (August 12-13) to climb Khan-Tengri (6995 m). Their goal in this push is to reach the top of the highest point of Tien Shan, and to acclimatize at the high altitude. 11 August The acclimatization have successfuly completed. Team reached Camp 3 between Khan Tengri and Chapajev Peak (at altitude 5800 m), and slept in the snow cave. August 9 at 9-00 a.m. they have descended to the comfortable high-altitude Base "Tien-Shan Travel" 8 August Acclimatization: the team spent night in Camp 2 (5300 m) The weather's poor. 7 August The team has already arrived to Khan Tengri Base Camp on the North Inylchek glacier. They'll climb Khan for acclimatization before going to Nepal. The goal now is not only to climb, but to spend some days on the altitude about 7000 m. Press conferences, devoted to the seventh step of "Big Walls - Russian routes" project, North Face of Jannu, took place in Saint-Petersburg July 24 and in Moscow July 30. The team'll start August 1st.

03.06.2003: BASK – Jannu North Face’ expedition Mt. Jannu (Nepal, 7710 m), the 38th tallest peak in the world, is called a mountain of the 21st century and it deserves this title. Its unrelentingly steep 10,000 foot north face still remains a true last great problem in the Himalayas. In spite of numerous expeditions of the world’s best climbers none could ascend up this wall. Now Russians challenge this Face. `BASK – Jannu North Face’ expedition is a part of `Big Walls – Russian Way’ project, which is managed by a permanent leader: famous Russian climber A. Odintsov. The event is to take place this autumn and now the team is preparing for it: intensive sport trainings are alternated with logistic preparations. Special gear and clothing are supplied by company BASK – general equipment sponsor of the expedition. `Big Walls – Russian Way’ project implies breaking new routes up the highest world’s mountain walls. There are only about two dozens of such (700 steep with 1 km elevation change) walls and conquering each of them is a great even in climbing society. On a previous stage of the project ‘BASK – Great Sail Wall’ expedition tried Great Sail Peak which is situated at the east coast of far off Baffin Island. The expedition was successful and in spring of 2002 climbing team leaded by Alexander Odintsov broke a new offbeat 1500-meter route up the forbidding Face of Great Sail Peak. It was the first Russian route to the summit. This time our athletes laid down the most ambitious aim that at first sight seems to be almost unrealistic. If their attempt turns to be successful, Russia will be firmly established as a leading climbing power. A crux of Jannu North Face consists of a hardest 700-meter wall located at 7k altitude. No one has ever managed to climb this crimson 7710-meter fang. At the moment the team includes Alexander Odintsov, Alexander Ruchkin and Nicolas Totmyanin (Saint-Petersburg), Michael Devi, Alexei Bolotov and Michael Pershin (Ekaterinburg), Michael Mikhailov (Bishkek) together with high-altitude cameraman Ivan Samoilov and a permanent team doctor Michael Bakin. A leader of `BASK – Jannu North Face’ expedition Alexander Odintsov said that `Jannu is an apex of our plans and at the moment I can see nothing behind of it. Each our new expedition is harder than the previous, but Jannu North Face is the hardest wall in the world. None could conquer it. And now we, humble climbers, dare to ascend up the awesome Face. What we may but pray for our success.’