Video: The price of the ascent is life: the tragic death of 8 climbers at Lenin Peak
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
It is impossible to explain why some people are attracted by mountains. The desire to test oneself for strength, to remain alone with nature, to conquer an unapproachable height, to escape the worries of everyday life … The reasons may be different and, as a rule, all are "non-feminine". Today we will remember one of the most tragic episodes in the history of Soviet mountaineering - climbing a female tour group to Lenin Peak in 1974. All the members of the expedition reached their goal, no one came back.
The "boom" of mountaineering swept over the Soviet youth in the 60-70s, the popularity of this sport was undeniable, fortunately, there were enough seven-thousanders in the country. Among those who dared to venture out on a daring trip were not only men, but also women. The latter were not inferior to the stronger sex in endurance, courage and organization and often climbed as part of "male" groups.
The pioneer of female mountaineering in the USSR was Elvira Shataeva, the wife of the famous instructor Vladimir Shatayev. Together they made not a single ascent, including the unapproachable Lenin Peak, which will be discussed below. Returning from another campaign, Elvira thought about how to set a kind of record - to conquer the seven-thousanders by the forces of the women's team. Nobody had done this before. Gathering the "sisters in spirit", she conducted expeditions to the peak of Evgeniya Korzhenevskaya and to Mount Ushba. Lenin Peak was supposed to be the third "target" of the women's team.
Despite the height of 7134 m, Lenin Peak is considered one of the safest, and therefore was chosen by Elvira. The ascent was preceded by training and acclimatization, the girls' team had excellent relationships. In total, 8 people expressed a desire to go to the expedition: Elvira Shataeva, Ilsiar Mukhamedova, Nina Vasilyeva, Valentina Fateeva, Irina Lyubimtseva, Galina Pereduyuk, Tatiana Bardasheva and Lyudmila Manzharova.
Climbing the mountain was surprisingly quick and relatively easy. The climbers regularly contacted and even telegraphed that they had successfully reached their goal. Trouble began on the descent. Because of the raging bad weather, it was decided to camp and wait out the raging wind. The first night passed in anticipation of when the hurricane would subside, but the miracle did not happen, during the day the weather did not improve, and it was decided to start the descent. The women periodically contacted the base, but their messages grew more terrifying each time. First, they reported that one of the participants was feeling unwell, then that the wind carried away the tents, things and stoves, after that - about the first deaths. The girls kept in touch until the last moment, talking about the piercing cold and frostbite. The last message was terrifying with its doom: "There are two of us left. In fifteen - twenty minutes we will not be alive …".
Groups of male climbers, who were closer to the summit, were able to move forward in search of bodies only the next day. Among those who provided assistance were the Japanese and the Americans, and Elvira's husband, Vladimir Shataev, went in search of the bodies.
The girls were buried in the mountains, but a year later, on the initiative of Vladimir Shataev, the bodies were lowered down. They found their last refuge in the Achik-tash tract, at the "Glade of Edelweiss".
Speaking about the death of the participants in the ascent to Lenin Peak, one cannot but recall the tragedy at the Dyatlov pass, in which people also died under unclear circumstances …
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