Alexei Bolotov

Interview with Alexey Bolotov
In the world there are 26 peaks whose height exceeds 8000 meters, 25 of these people visited in the last millennium, and only one - Lhotse Middle, remained unconquered. The summit is located in the mountain ranges of Lhotse in the Himalayas, which includes three peaks - Home Lhotse (8501 m), Lhotse Middle (8414 m) and Lhotse Shar (8386 m),
. Alexey Bolotov
. In April of this year's team, represented by climbers in Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Rostov, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and made a camp on the Khumbu Glacier
. The purpose of the team was to climb to the summit of Lhotse Average saddle Everest from the South. May 23, 2001 at 15 hours the highest point hitherto inaccessible mountains reached the first man - ekaterinburzhets Alexey Bolotov, a member of team Russia. So, was brought to life the idea of the "eight-Russian.
Lhotse Average - not the first major achievement Alexei Bolotov. In 1997 he took part in the expedition of the Ural mountain climbers on Makalu (8463 m) under the leadership of Sergei Efimov. Mountaineering Federation of France declared it the best climbing, and handed it to the participants of the main prize - "Golden ice pick". In 1998. He has been at the top of Everest, and the following year took part in the Sverdlovsk mountaineers climbing the peak Talai Sagar (6905 m) in the Indian Himalayas, which was included in the list of the hundred best ascents of the twentieth century. For these achievements Alexei was invited last year to France to celebrate the 50 anniversary of ascent on Annapurna. It is with the French, led by Maurice Herzog in 1950 started the era of conquest "an eight". By year end, Alexei Bolotov, along with countryman Evgeni Vinogradskiy was recognized as the strongest climber of the country.
. - With the realization of perfect, comes very strong feelings, but there at the top will not let them overwhelm you, because there is still - a difficult descent, and one must be very careful, - says Alexey
. - But down in the camp will give emotions. Here you can enjoy the success to which you went the whole year.
Lhotse Average
- Why Lhotse Average long time remained nepokorennoyN
- Previously, no one asked for separate permission to climb to the Middle. Expeditions went to the main or Lhotse Shar, and since they tried to traverse the entire array to pass, but all attempts unsuccessful. In the same way was Russia's team in 97-m and 98 m respectively and the joint Russo-Georgian expedition in 2000. At this time the team decided to focus their attention only on the Lhotse Middle, as our leaders and reported to the Ministry of Tourism of Nepal. Lhotse Average was included in the list of officially approved peaks of Nepal, and our team is already in the camp received Permit (permit) to climb under the N1.
. - Who owned the idea of climbing the Lhotse SrednyuyuN
. - The idea of "about Russian eightthousanders" belonged to Vladimir Bashkirov, in 1997, he led the team that attempted to traverse the three peaks of Lhotse Main
. But after climbing on it, the team refused to continue his route and went down. On the descent dead team leader Vladimir Bashkirov. Since then, every year someone from the Russians tried to climb Lhotse Middle.
- How is the selection of komanduN
- Teams recruited coaches Nick Black and Sergey Timofeev. They - the representatives of different schools, so the selection of disputes over this or that candidate. In the end, was the composition that satisfies both. Since all knew each other, and the forces of each were well known, in the conduct of a sports selection was not necessary.
- During the ascent of Lhotse you got the gold medal of the championship in high-altitude class, it is possible that you receive the "Piolet d'or" -2001. Four years ago, you have already received this prize, tell us about how she held the ceremony.
Alexey Bolotov and Reinhold Messner
- Each year, the French Federation of Mountaineering selects the five best climbs year. From each team at the ceremony, which takes place in Chamonix, invited two members. In that year, but we nominated the British and the German team for the ascent in the Indian Himalayas, the French - for climbing in the Alps and the Norwegians who have committed a very beautiful and difficult climbing in Antarctica. The first day was held presentation of commands and their representatives to complete the picture showed the audience slides and films. On the second day the jury announced the winner, then had the ceremony awarding. In all subsequent days of the festival climbers had the opportunity to make a climb in the French Alps.
- After three years you again visited Chamonix ...
- Yes, only this time there was no competition. I was invited to celebrate the 50 anniversary of ascent on Annapurna. This is a great date, not only for the French, but the entire world mountaineering. It is from the era of the French conquest "an eight, so they tried to hold the celebration at a high level, with sweep. In those days in Chamonix gathered elite world of climbing, to which I myself do not regard. In Herzog himself, were Chris Bonington - Head of the British expedition to Everest in 1975, and Edmund Hillary and Thomas Humar. Came the great Reinhold Messner, Poland introduced the famous mountaineer Krzysztof Wielicka from Japan came Junko Tabei - the first woman, who visited the summit of Everest. It was very interesting to talk with people in an informal setting, podiskutirovat, to argue. It was curious to find out their views on the competitive moment in mountaineering, the prospects for its development. Frankly speaking, what these people say in Chamonix, differs from what was said by them in the years when they were at the peak of his career. Same Messner said now that there is no place in mountaineering competition, and the only person struggling with nature and yourself. And before he had to beat the Japanese and the first to climb alone and without oxygen on Everest, did not wait for the start of the season and started in the offseason, exposing, thereby, their lives at risk.
. - And what do you think about the competitive moment in alpinizmeN
. - We, the representatives of the Soviet school, brought up in competition
. Championship Mountain - our invention and nowhere it is no longer being. So I think that the sports climbing - it's great. Must present spirit of competition, rivalry, it serves as a stimulus for further growth of Athlete.
- How will climbing twenty vekaN
- It will be more athletic, technically. The new adaptations, it is possible to walk those routes, which had previously only dream. Previously, the climbers were on "an eight" on the ridge, then along the buttresses, now being developed wall routes. I think that athletes abandon the use of oxygen.
. - With the conquest of Lhotse Middle, there is not one "eightthousanders", which would not ever set foot man, you have not experienced any feelings of loss, irretrievable poteriN
. - No, nothing like this had not occurred
. It would be absurd to say in this case of a loss. In the mountains there are plenty neproydennyh routes, each one is unique, so that the tops will be enough for all.
. team
. - This year you took part in the World Championship in multisport (extreme race), with which is connected with this change deyatelnostiN
. - Received a proposal from representatives of the "League of extreme racing to take part in the selection of the team to participate in the races
. I was interested to try their hand at a new sport, to the same occupation Multisport can effectively prepare for the ascent. I would even say that today the extreme race for me more interesting climbing. Climbing - it is still the same type, and extreme race - is a variant of all-round where the person works on the edge, and sometimes beyond their capacity.
. - You have been selected to the team and participated in the World Championships in Switzerland.
. - Yes, part-I received, but unfortunately failed
. Almost at the first stage of the injured knee, . and we had to leave the race, . because multisport team must start and finish in full, . and at the failure of one of the participants to continue the race, . whole team was withdrawn from the competition.,
. - Alex, you made the first ascent of unclimbed until now, an eight, won the championship, received the "Golden ice pick"
. Like all have reached that same dalsheN
- When I first started mountaineering, in our town was a very big competition for a place in the main team. Then I dreamed it to gain a foothold. Now I am a full member of the team, went with her a number of major routes, further I want to continue walking with this team, develop new routes. Dreams, in terms of vertices, I have a lot, and if, at least a small part of them will come to pass, then I'll be happy.