Georg Gasparyan: In the Mountains, You Can Learn Forever
Mountaineering is first and foremost work long and persistent. It requires strength, endurance, patience, and maximum dedication. Mountains bring great joy with them, but they also often leave you exhausted. Months ago, Armenian mountaineer Gevorg Gasparyan wrote on his Facebook page:
— Greetings from the mountains of Tian Shan. Everything is good, we are getting ready.
— My love for mountains awakened in 2011, when we guided a group to Mount Aragats for the first time. After that, my interest in mountains grew, and I started going to the mountains and choosing mountain routes for future tours. In 2011, I climbed Mount Ararat for the first time, and in the winter of the same year, I climbed Damavand. Then came Kazbek, Elbrus, Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, and Khan Tengri.
— In the mountains, I discovered endless beauty. Even if you climb the same mountain several times, it is different every time. During mountaineering and mountain expeditions, you make friends, you find yourself with many people in difficult situations, and you understand who you have gone to the mountains with, what to expect from others, and what they expect from you.
August 13, 2022, Khan Tengri
— I admit, it was the most difficult ascent of my life. After descending from the first acclimatization climb at 5800 meters, we found out that according to the plan, after two days of rest and then starting the ascent, the weather forecast showed that reaching the summit would be impossible. The only option was to start moving earlier. The ascent began the day immediately after our descent. We had only three days to reach the summit, which forced us to move from Camp 1 (4200m) to Camp 3 (5800m) and continue toward the summit the same night.We were powerless against the weather. A temperature of -35°C and winds of 60 km/h accompanied us throughout the entire ascent, and during the descent, there was also a severe snowstorm. Our guide lost the descent route, and we reached the tents after 23 hours.
— In the mountains, you can learn forever. You learn to always move forward, overcome difficulties, and eventually reach the peak of success. At the same time, you must always be able to stop yourself and turn back, because no matter how beautiful and attractive mountains are, they are equally harsh.
— Among the most impressive climbs, I would highlight Mont Blanc. It was the first time I encountered a mountain with such technical difficulty. I was with friends who were much more experienced than me, and when we were climbing toward the summit at night, we could see absolutely nothing. On the way back, it was light. I saw the mountain and was amazed; I even thought, how am I going to descend from here?
— I have many plans. There are several peaks I have clearly marked and want to climb, and my distant dream is Everest. We will see how I feel after the upcoming planned climbs, which I scheduled for the beginning of 2023.
August 17, 2022, Khan Tengri
— It was dark, the guide lost the descent route and the rope, moving toward the gorge on my right side. I slowed down my descent to understand whether he would find a way out or whether we would have to climb back up again. He disappeared from my field of vision, I descended after him and found myself on the ice.
It was completely dark, heavy snow was falling, there was a snowstorm… I was on the ice on a slope. After remaining motionless for about 20 minutes and signaling with my flashlight, I realized that the guide was not coming to help at all. I tried to secure myself by fixing an ice screw and using the rope I had with me, but it did not work — the ice was too thin. Creating a foothold with an ice axe was also ineffective.
Anyway, using the points of my crampons and the ice axe, moving parallel to the slope, I reached soft snow and the trail. The guide was exhausted and could not stand on his feet. I suggested that he descend first using the last rope, but I asked him to give me a signal when he reached the bottom so that I could descend as well.
He went down, and for about 10 minutes I received no news. There was heavy snowfall and continuous wind. It was clear that there was no signal, so I checked the tension of the rope and descended. When I reached the tent, the guide was already lying inside the warm shelter.
The company organizing the climb was the largest in the area, and I had chosen it based on recommendations from very experienced people, but…
— My advice to those who have decided to take up mountaineering: educate yourself, educate yourself, educate yourself. Education is the most important thing in every field, and even more so in mountaineering. Physical strength alone is not enough; you also need to choose mountains that you understand you are capable of climbing.
August 10, 2022, Khan Tengri
— There was a section that was the most dangerous because it did not depend on your experience, physical condition, or equipment. The section is called “Butylka.” Every day, dozens of avalanches occur there. That is why mountaineers cross this section at night, in order to reduce risks. As a result, on the 4200–5200m section, together with the acclimatization climb, you have to go four nights without sleep in order to ascend and descend.
During our climb, two small avalanches occurred, but during the day their number was incomparably higher. I advise my friends that if they decide to take the Khan Tengri route, they should even choose the northern route rather than the southern one, which was the route we took.
It was a difficult 21-day expedition with a group of 7 people. Apart from Gevorg, the others were foreigners. They learned on the way that strong winds were expected, which was the reason they climbed almost without resting.
Khan Tengri — 7010 meters. On August 18, 2022, the Armenian tricolor was raised in the mountains of Tian Shan.
August 19, 2022, Khan Tengri
— Victory Peak (Pobeda Peak) — 7439m, the highest peak of the Tian Shan mountain range. This year, no mountaineer managed to reach the summit. The problem is not only the technically difficult ascent but also the weather.
If you look carefully at the summit section, you can see snow dust floating in the air because of the wind. Calling the wind mild would be an understatement; almost constantly, behind the summit, winds blow at a speed of 100–120 km/h. Under such conditions, it is simply impossible to cross the final few hundred meters from right to left along the ridge edge and stand on the summit.
This year, even many legendary mountaineers who came specifically for this peak were unable to achieve it.
