Virgin Summits

Most of the climbing will be on snow and ice. On the ascents, members will have to carry their personal equipment and a fair share of food and other communal equipment.  They will be expected to help as much as possible with camp chores especially in pitching tents at each stage. The ascents are very much a team effort. Applicants should be confident about their ability to ascend a high glaciated mountain (such as Mont Blanc by the normal route), to move confidently through areas of crevasses, on steep snow and easy ice, to carry their fair share of equipment*, to pitch tents in bad weather and to help with catering at the higher camps.

 

* In general the support staff and guides will carry a fairly large proportion of the communal equipment where this is logistically possible.

 

On Virgin Summits near Kurumdy

 

At all stages of the expedition food will be prepared by the Geographic Bureau team (though in bad weather at high altitudes you may have to help out with the cooking). Food will be mainly brought in from St. Petersburg and Osh. At base camp a cook will prepare meals using a wide variety of fresh ingredients. All participants are requested to make up their own personal goody-pack of snacks that they particularly enjoy.

Accommodation will be in a small, private hotel in Osh - not far from the famous bazaar. At base camp there will be a mess tent and group members will sleep in comfortable two man double skin-tents. On the ascent high altitude 2 or 3 man tents will be used.

 

Our expedition leaders will be Andrew Wielochowski, our colleague from EWP, with experience of many first ascents on major Pamitrian summits and Sergei Semiletkin, Russian "Master of Sport" and coach in mountain climbing from St Petersburg, who has ascended all the Central Asian 7000m summits. There will be assistant guides all with high altitude experience. The group size will be limited to about 16 climbers including the supporting group. On the climbs there will be one guide to a group of three or four climbers. Each group will make its decisions independently and democratically as far as possible. There are several virgin summits accessible from our base camps so it might be possible to work on two mountains independently at the same time. At base camp there will be a cook and a base camp doctor who will be fully equipped. 

 

 

Kurumdy and Eastern Sunrise Panorama

 

Mountain weather is variable; bad weather and snow conditions are possible. Day temperatures at base camp should be above 15°C; at night temperatures may drop below zero; on the ascent it may drop to minus 15°C. Good equipment for cold conditions and snow and ice climbing is essential, i.e. double boots, duvet jacket, mitts, harness, ice axe, crampons and ski poles, 4 season sleeping bag and a medium size rucksack (70 liter minimum). A full kit list will be given with the pre-departure information.

 

Climbing above 5000m requires good physical fitness and health it is advisable to consult your doctor prior to booking to discuss this. Diamox may be taken as an aid on the climb. Although hygiene is good the change in diet may cause some stomach problems. No special inoculations are required. A visa is required and there will be a further cost associated with obtaining it.