K2 Extreme news atchive 2003-2004

07.26.04 Urgent news! French expedition (leader - Sebastien Moatti, High mountain guide from Chamonix, members: Jerome Moatti, Romain Faita, Benoot Varescon; BC staff: Raphaelle Gueydon, Audrey Bornard) had successfully climbed Eienstein Peak, Russia, Siberia, Altai, Northern Chuya Range. Itinerary: South Face, Western Pillar (Big Wall climbing), 1st ascent. The entire team also climbed Maashey Bashi peak (4177 m, the highest summit of Northern Chuya Range). Jerome was a bit injured on Einstein Wall (hit by stone). Come back to Barnaul: July, 29. Congratulations! Look for climbing report!
Expedition was organized by K2 Adventures Travel Agency.
Sebastien Moatti to IF via sat phone from BC, July, 26, about 11:30 a.m. local time (GMT+7) + some additional info.

07.16.04. A note to all that might be traveling from Khujant to Dushanbe in Tajikistan. The road approximately 40-60 kilometers from Dushanbe has been washed out due to mud flow caused by heavy rains at the night of July 13th. For now no traffic will be able to get through, and local authorietes still have not announced how long the road will be closed, but in some places the road no longer exists so it is expected to be closed two weeks at least, but there is no official statement yet how long they officially expect.
AlpineFund

05.27.04. The main page of K2 Adventures Travel's Agency now is available in Italian and Deutsch! Benvenuti! Wilkommen!
IF.

05.20.04. News from our recon team from Chuisky Trakt area (Russia, Siberia, Altai). The prices for horses are raised up to 2 times in Chibit, Aktash and Kurai - up to $30-$40. Probably it is connected to last year catastrophic earthquake- locals are trying to catch more money to restore their homes.
IF.

05.19.04. Our recon/training group came back from Ala-Archa forge near Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Here is some info in addition to last-year report:

new modern "Ala-Archa" hotel is open, $40 for single, $55 double, $80 de luxe, bar, cafe, good and inexpensive sauna (300 soms per hour);
we investigated the left-side gorge of Adigene- uncrowded place, good for entry-level and moderate climbing and birdswatching- the report is coming soon!
new cafe is opened at the very beginning of the Ala-Archa site. Running by native Uygur woman, it is a good value especially for lagman (spicy meat and lentil soup) and kuurdak (roasted meat+potatoes)! Good choice of cooled drinks and moderately priced! See at the red-roof hut on the right side here;
the gorge is becoming good place for birdswatching and wild life observing. We saw 3 herds of mountain goats at once!

04.25.04. New comprehensive climbing and trekking report "Khan Tengri North climbing" is published in both Mountaineering, Climbing and Pass Hopping zone! Variety of approaches is described- from Bishkek or Almaty, on foot or by air! Interesting pass hopping (heavy trekking) route to the North Inilchek Glacier BC is included!
IF.

04.19.04. New comprehensive climbing and trekking report "Khan Tengri South and approaches to Peak Pobeda" is published in both Mountaineering, Climbing and Pass Hopping and Trekking zones! Variety of approaches is described- from Bishkek or Almaty, on foot or by air! Interesting trekking route to South Inilchek Glacier BC is included, famous Mertzbakher lake en route!
IF.

04.06.04. The main page of K2 Adventures Travel's Agency now is available in English, French and Spanish!
IF.

03.25.04. The latter climbing fotoreport for Peak Korjenevskoy (7105 m, Pamir, Academii Nauk Range) is placed in Mountaineering, Climbing and Pass Hopping zone. Also some pictures and usefull info on Moskvina Field BC in Central Pamir. Photos by: Georgy Regetsiy (K2 Adventures Travel Agency), comments by: Igor Fedyaev.

03.05.04. Cheap guided climbing tour to join: Lenin peak, 7134 m, Zaalaisky Range, Pamir, Kyrgyzstan. Start: May,1 from Bishkek; finish: May, 23 in Bishkek. No minimal group size limit (e.g. available for single person)! Take a look at climbing fotoreport. Contact us for details!

02.11.04. Illustrated report of Wild Altai-2003 V.I.P. trekking is published it Trekking zone. 56 photos from very rare visited area near Belukha, Katunsky range! Route: Akkem Lake, Yarlu-Boch pass, Sulu-Boch pass, Saluairi river gorge, unnamed 2-col pass, Bartuldak river gorge, Argut river gorge, then proceed to junction with Yedigem river, then Argut up to junction with Kulagash river. Photos and comments: Igor Fedyaev.
IF.

01.14.04. Comprehensive fotogallery of Ala-Archa gorge (Northern Tien Shan, Kyrgyz Alatoo - Kyrgyzsky Range, Kyrgyzstan) is placed in Mountaineering, Climbing and Pass Hopping zone. The area is very easy-to-get from Bishkek (about 40 km drive) and suitable for trekking and climbing- from entry-level up to 6B UIAA big wall climbing!
IF.

01.05.04. New destinations for trekking and backcountry skiing from K2 Adventures: introducing Kuznetskiy Alatau Range: the Land of lakes and flowers, Sayan: Buddha in the Valley of Hundred Springs and Baikal Range: "Lake Baikal: The Pearl among the Mountains". Now teahouse trekking is available in Siberia!

01.03.04. New mountaineering offer from K2 Adventures: famous Communism Peak (7495 m) and Korjenevskoy Peak (7105 m) climbing! Now available after more than 10 years of isolation! New lower price: from $1,550 only! Experienced mountaineers can try climb both of them! Climbing Lenin peak is available for special low price if combined with Communism and Korjenevskoy!

12.06.03. Special offer from K2 Adventures: Christmas and New Year-2004 in the mountains! Celebrate Ortodox Christmas and New Year-2004 in Altai mountains (Russia, Siberia)! Ded Moroz (Russian Santa Klaus) accompanied with Snegurochka (his granddauther) and some strange Altai persons like The Great Shaman, Russian bania, horse riding, ski mountaineering, traditional feast and other features surrounded with fantastic mountain views! Optional Extreme Christmas: climbing, alpine skiing, heliskiing! Take a look here for further details!

09.20.03. Strong team of American trekkers (Gary Miles, Daniel O'Neil, Bradley Pielsticker, William Reed, Michael Ross, Jonathan Solomon), accompanied by 2 our guides (Igor Fedyaev and Valery Medvedev), cook, horsedriver and 6 horses, succesfully finished new trek "Wild Altai" in very rare visited and unpopulated area in Siberia, Altai mountains, Katunsky range, near Mt. Belukha. Route: Akkem Lake, Yarlu-Boch pass, Sali-Boch pass, Saluairi river gorge, unnamed 2-col pass, Bartuldak river gorge, Argut river gorge, then proceed to junction with Yedigem river, then Argut up to junction with Kulagash river. The transportation to Akkem lake and from Argut gorge was made by helicopter (from/to Gorno-Altaisk). New-discovered antient cemetary (probably Turk or Sciphian, 3,000-1,000 BCE) was visited en route.
Fotoreport and video are coming soon!
IF.

09.15.03. Guillaume Kasperski (France, Paris), Cathrine Lagerberg (Norway, Hafrsfjord) and our guide Dmitry Savinov made 2 very interesting mountain heavy trekking/ pass hopping trips on new routes: one from Issyk Kul lake to Almaty through 1B-2A CD passes (Popova, etc.) in Kungey Alatoo and Zailiysky Alatau ranges (Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, Northern Tien Shan), then in Terskey Alatoo range (Kyrgyzstan, Central Tien
Shan).
Detailed fotoreport is coming soon!
IF.

08.18.03. Italian climbers from Milano Astrid Cotterli and Franco Pecchio had successully climbed Mount Belukha (4,506 m, the highest summit of Altai, Russia, Siberia) August, 14 via Delone Pass and Berelsky Sedlo Pass (3A UIAA). Climbing guide: Oleg Poberezhniy (Russia, Omsk, K2 Adventures). Congratulations!
IF.

08.11.03. Our climbing guide Dmitry Savinov, 37, established new record of speed climbing the highest summit of Altai mountains - Mt. Belukha (4506 m, Katunsky Range, Siberia) - 18 hours from/to rescuer's base on Akkem lake via Delone pass! Congratulations!
IF.

07.27.03. Our travel agency "K2 Adventures" is now recommended by "Lonely Planet"- the world's #1 publisher of traveller's guides! See the "Russia & Belarus" Guidebook, 3rd Edition, Simon Richmond et al, published June 2003, ISBN: 1740592654, main reference: p.507, also pp.490, 494, 508, 519, 529.

07.27.03 The road to popular mountaineering base and resort in Ala Archa (35 km from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Kyrgyzskiy Range) is badly destroyed by mud flow 7 km down from the base. Now the transport stops there, further 7 km hiking is needed (no big problem with it, though).
IF.

07.26.03 Good news from Central Asia: the part of the road (about 12 km) between Jelal Abad and Osh (Kyrgyzstan, Fergana Valley) which previously was dedicated to Uzbekistan and involved need of Uzbekistan visa to cross it, now according to Gvt. treaty, belongs to Kyrgyzstan- so, no need of Uzbek visa to drive from Bishkek to Osh and further, say to Lenin and Kurumdy peaks BC and to Tadjik border!
IF.

06.26.03 Special proposal from K2 Adventures! Tour to join! Guided mountaineering expedition on the Mount Belukha + trekking . Route: Tungur-Kucherla valley-Kucherla lake-Riga Tourist pass-Akkem lake-Mount Belukha climbing via Delone pass (3A UIAA)-Tekelu river-Akkem valley-Kuzuyak pass-Tungur. August, 15- September, 10, from Barnaul or Novosibirsk. Contact us for further details!

06.16.03 Special proposal from K2 Adventures! Tour to join! Guided pass hopping and mountaineering expedition Almaty - Akkol BC - Bayankolsky pass (4400 m, 1B CD) - Opasniy pass (5200 m, 3A CD) - Semenov peak climbing (5816 m) - North Inilchek BC - Marble Wall peak from south (6400 m, 4A UIAA), optional climbing - Khan Tengri from north (7010 m, 5A UIAA). Start July, 31 from Almaty. Contact us for further details!

06.13.03 Special proposal from K2 Adventures! Tour to join! Guided mountaineering expedition "Maashey's Shoe". Altai, Northern Chuya Range. Climbing of the following summits above 4,000 m: Kurkure, Aktru, Burevestnik + Tamma, Maashey (2B-3A UIAA). Start point of the hiking - Shavlo Lakes. July, 8- August, 5, from Barnaul or Novosibirsk. Cost: from $650. Contact us for further details!

06.12.03 You're travelling alone or together? Want to save money? New offer from K2 Adventures: now some tours are available to join for the group price - no minimal group size limit! See notes Tour to join below and at the corresponding tour pages!

05.22.03. K2 Adventures offers new adventure trips: "Altai: The Golden Mountains. Aktru" (Russia, Siberia, Altai. Trekking with optional climbing); "Marble Wall" (Central Asia, Central Tien Shan, mountaineering); "Two Summits: Marble Wall and Khan Tengri" (Central Asia, Central Tien Shan, mountaineering); "Lenin Peak" (Central Asia, Pamir, mountaineering); "Jubilee Ascent: Communism and Korjenevskoy Peaks" (Central Asia, Pamir, mountaineering).
IF.

05.21.03. Our recon/training expedition just came back from Ala-Archa area, Kyrgyzstan. Some up-to-date info from there:

entry fee to Ala-Archa valley: 70 soms for a car, 30 soms per person;
accommodation: now available in 2 places: old mountaineering base "Ala-Archa" - 250 soms for 3-bed room, 200 soms for 2-bed (look for 2-storey old fasion building); and meteorological station - 250 som per room in main 2-storey building (about 6 places), same for huts at the yard. Modern luxure hotel have to be finished soon (maybe in a month or two);
meals: available in the mountaineering base, traditional Central Asia cuisine - about 45 soms for main course. Beer: 50 soms per bottle 0.5 l, soft drinks: 50 soms per plastic bottle 1,5 l;
hot shower- not available, but it is possible to ask meteostation staff for the bania (150 soms per hour);
Ratsek Hut - o'k; Korona hut - o'k but veeery cold;
snow cover - moderate, o'k for climbing;
exchange rate- about 44 soms per USD, 1.4 soms per RUR;
fotoreport and video will be available soon.

IF.

05.20.03. Trekking fotoreport "Belukha - The Heart of The Altai" is published in Trekking and Pass Hopping zone. Siberia, Mountain Altai, Katunsky Range. Route: Barnaul - Gorno-Altaisk - Tungur - Kucherla river gorge - Kucherla lake - Karaturek pass - Akkem lake - side trips in Akkem area - Akkem river gorge - Kuzuyak pass - Tungur. Photos: Igor Fedyaev.
IF.

05.14.03. We're glad to inform you that in connection with 2nd International Festival "Khan Tengri-2003" the climbing permits for Central Tien Shan peaks which are situated on Kyrgyzstan terrytory are cancelled and we offer NEW low prices for climbing: only $820 for Khan Tengri North and South, $910 for Pobeda and $770 for Marble Wall!
IF.

04.16.03. Detailed fotoreport for climbing of Lenin peak (7134 m, Zaalaisky Range, Pamir, Kyrgyzstan) is placed in Climbing, Mountaineering and Pass Hopping zone, Pamir subsection. Very interesting approach for those who are beginners in high-altitude mountaineering. Photos: Georgy Regetsiy (expedition leader) and Valery Murzakov. Comments: Igor Fedyaev (IF).
IF.

01.12.03. Today we represent the Altai Art Gallery - spiritual paintings created by "Zvenigorod" ("The City of Craftsmen") - Assotiation of Altai artists. New paintings and amulets are coming soon (and items will be available to buy!).
IF.

to the top of the page | K2 extreme home | Current news | K2 Adventures travel agency | News archive 2000-2002