Interviewed by Anna Piunova, Mountain.RU
Translated by Anna Samodelko, Mountain.RU

Timur Ahmedhanov and "the Russian Extreme project " in Greenland
Interview for Mountain.RU

Part 3

The Take-off

We collected all broken details, left the gear. That was all for that day! It was the day of rest before a take-off. The next day Valery and I began as usually: got up early, rappelled to start to process of working up sooner, and Arcady and Alexander were engaged in the staying cargo, it was turned out three weighty trunks. Physically we had to strain very much to lift them at such altitude. By the evening they were more tired, than Rozov and I. Then the life was adjusted: in the morning we went for work, in the evening came back home. There were problems with good weather, At some moment, understanding that we simply would not be in time, we seriously pondered working non-stop: while the two was sleeping, the two was working. But the weather brought own corrective amendments. We have stayed under a downpour rain for a long time. Alexander and I actually a whole day stayed sitting on our hydrobags making an attempt to keep anything dry because a pool constantly accumulated at the bottom of the portaledge. And it was interesting that the portaledge had special outlets to flow off the water, but they were made crudely, in result, at the bottom of a portaledge, in my opinion, litres hundred of water accumulated. We had a fear, that the bolts couldn’t hold such additional weight. We had to pierce the bottom and to flow off periodically the water. The second portaledge hung a little lower, on about one meter, and we poured them as kind neighbours.

Rozov

Valery is a tremendous purposeful person. The training of old school of 80-90 years tells on him when the treatment mountaineering was an another matter. It was the time when an ardour and a spirit were others. Valery is constantly in movement; he is extremely restless person. He needs to climb somewhere, to work. It seems he has got enough time, but on the other hand, there can be a bad weather... After the take off we worked five or six days, very equal, without a rush job, without any emotions, sweat. Absolutely normally, easy and silently. It was slowly, certainly, but the area was unfamiliar. We had to be very cautious: when you bolt and you know, that a relief is reliable, you load feet, without a confidence you made secure it. A plenty of narrow cracks we had treat in addition, i.e. we did a lot of work seemed simple, but rather labour-consuming.

Anyhow, there was no doubts at first that we would run into continuous monoliths. We could looked through a relief from below well- It was a series of vertical cracks. But sometimes a crack seemed as the worker one appeared in result wet and technically difficult. We used the camalots of big size climbing on rather extent site, but we banally were shot of them and have to traverse to the next crack. We thought, that It would be simple to make the last pitches, but that site was covered with a dense wet moss, and we couldn't determine any relief and just guessed there was any crack and chose them. Finally we summit the top and spent some times sitting and waiting for Valery’s jump. There was a strong fog. The weather began to spoil. We requested the forecast. It was raining, the gale-force wind was expected. We were frightened, certainly.

The Summit.

The top represents a ridge, not difficult for B.A.S.E. jump. Though when Arcady climbed the top first (we didn't work that day), he transferred on our radio communication, that it was impossible to jump from there and it wasn't necessary to lift a parachute. As it found out, he hadn't climbed two pitches more to reach the right place.

On the top everything was in a fog, we could see nothing, as we were plunged in solid milk: neither the grounds, nor the sky, other tops, anything. We sat, waited. The weather was in dynamics as the guys transferred from below. In result, the clouds opened a window, literally, and Valery managed to prepare and jump having for it only a half an hour. In total, we spent six hours at the top. We got frost a little bit, because we did not expect to sit there for a long time. Valery had to go descend half-pitch, on a ledge, which allowed making safer jump. He was engaged in testing for a long time: the basic test is to throw a stone and listen, as it is flying, when it hit about a wall or do not hit. I asked, watched him. He was not so pleased with the results. It seemed he was rather afraid. He took a rope, descended to a ledge, threw stones from there and finally found a place that probably he could jump from.

The preparation took as just about a half an hour. After that small weather window, the sky was hopelessly clouded over. We were short of the light time to catch the moment when we could see the ground, and the sun, the place where he had to jump, the operators standing and waiting for the jump. Then the sky clouded again, and there was a fog when he jumped, the fog already was, it was not visible anything. It was looked wildly because the person first fell and then disappeared in the fog and we couldn't know how long he would fly, when he would open his parachute, how he would touch down. While from the ground we did not received the news, that all was good, we were sitting calm, looking against each other, not speaking any words and not inquiring about the result. It was very nervous and strains two minutes. He was the good fellow and having landed he transferred at once: "It is all normal at me, guys". We felt a holiday at once, splash in emotions, run down to the portaledge but that day we had not time to descend. We had to rappel meters 900 and we couldn't do that for a day.

We had still lifted the portaledge upward, on the last rope before the top in case if he couldn't find a convenient jump-point-place from the top and would jump from the Wall without any ledge. The next morning we got up, packed not hurrying up, well understanding, that we already was allow to do it for us. As the forecast for this day was normal, and the weather was quite good.

The guys met us below. In the camp there was a big stone, under the stone there was a table, on the table there was a photo of a girl from a magazine, as usual, to make any female company. It was so pleasant to come back, to wash, to have a talk, to sit a little and then to call home. A small river near the Camp was cool, but ice-cold. Warming up while descending we dived into the river.

MR: Aren't you going to jump B.A.S.E. itself?

Ò.À.: No, probably. Valery and I have spoken about that a lot. I don't think that it is too dangerous, no, it does not contradict my own life directions, but the reality is simply in following: to learn to jump B.A.S.E. you should have two things: the time and the required money. There's nothing to be done with it. It's rather expensive. And then, if to be engaged in something seriously, means that, you should be engaged in it seriously. And with the right attitude to the B.A.S.E. is not easy thing: you can’t simply come and jump. I understand that it is a thing where you are short of the time for changing your mind in case of occurrence of a non-staff situation. You have to take any measures for the time for which you cannot comprehend your decision if you think a head. You should act a level of instincts. Valery examples resulted, it is the most simple thing when the slings twist, and a parachute opens aside walls. You have shares of a second to do right operations.

There is a program of seven jumps for beginners, such a graduated training. The one of steps is when you should open a parachute at limiting altitude, independently estimate this moment on altimeter. If to be more exact, you should give a sign to instructors. While flying, you have to notice and the definite altitude you have to give a sign. Anybody cannot do that. For seven jumps there is no person managed to do that. Though any talents also meet, but it is very rare. Therefore, if to speak, whether I want to jump B.A.S.E., well, yes, I want. If I have got five thousand dollars, certainly, I would like to receive an adrenaline splash. In general, that is the main reason why people go to mountains.

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