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Lenin Peak

Briefly about our «PAMIR EXPEDITIONS» crew


We believe we are just ordinary people. Or are we not? It’s for you to decide, our friends and guests!

1. Victor Artamokhin
- is our principal “commander”, the moving spirit of our well-organized cohesive team, its brain and reason. For years he has been possessed by the idea of accomplishing the most incredible of human’s whims – to enable the people to see Lenin Peak with their own eyes, to tread it up on their own feet, and from the top of this grandiose 7000m giant to marvel the whole world beneath. First he managed to inspirit us all with this adventurous idea, and then the whole team enthusiastically plunged itself into organization of camps at the bottom of the peak – Base Camp (3600 m) and Camp 1 (4400m). To our great surprise it worked, and the outcome of our joint efforts is now at the service of all and sundry. Now, on our own behalf as well as on behalf of our gusts, a big and hearty thanks goes out to Victor Artamokhin for everything he has done.

2. Mukhammad-Sali Allakhojaev
- the person we really cannot do without. He is our main king-pin in Osh. It’s him who solves every possible problem, who breaks a deadlock, who is up to his eyes in papers, the pile of which grows and grows and by mid-summer seem to reach the size of the Peak itself. It’s him who even during off-season period sometimes clutches his head in despair because of our endless telephone calls and requests, letters and other trivialities, without which, however, it’s impossible to make the life on the mountain comfortable and carefree enough. And every time a new group of ours bursts into his hospitable house he welcomes the guests with a broad friendly smile on his face and immediately lays traditional Kyrgyz table as lavish as it could be. Dear Mukhammad-Sali! Only Allah himself knows the real worth of your kindness.

3. Ziyod Davranbekov
- a doctor with rich medical practice and real passion for mountains (Lenin Peak in particular), in summer time he sets aside his doctoral thesis and nurtures his love for mountains. Instead of having a quiet pastime with his family, he is always on the go: at one moment he is at the frontier check-point meeting or seeing off some guests, at another he is helping the quests at the airport or at a hotel, be it day or night. In rare instances he has the opportunity to drop in at home, in most cases just to lodge some guest. At such moments he would hold his little daughter in his arms and kiss her tenderly. And we wonder, “Wow, she still remembers him!” Tireless and invariably friendly, Ziyod is always where and when he is needed, ensuring the transfers go smoothly, and minimizing any discomfort that can appear during the travel to and from the mountains.

4. Oybarchin Allakhodjaeva
- ziyod’s sister is a cheerful and open-hearted person, a real workaholic, who somehow contrives to be simultaneously in different corners of Osh. One can hear people say, “Oybarchin has gone to the hotel to help the guests with accommodation. Oybarchin is arranging the permits. Oybarchin is here, Oybarchin is there”. Meanwhile she finds the time to bustle about her house, at odd moment to talk to people, to give every possible support. Fluent English, pretty dimples, real feminine beauty and charm, quick mind and business acumen, all this makes gusts as well as all of us adore this wonderful girl.





5. Zarifa-opa Allakhojaeva
- is the hostess and real homemaker, a reliable partner of Mukhammad-Sali, the support to the head of the family in everything, a hospitable and kind woman who is used to meeting any life challenges with a smile on her face. She will feed her family and every guest to her house until they are full, will offer shelter and arrange comfortable bed. In the morning, maneuvering between backpacks and camping outfit, boxes and sacks, this early bird will start putting everything in order while suntanned and dusty members of our crew are still fast asleep. And by the time we get up she will lay the table with fresh golden-colour round bread, and will fill the teapots with fragrant tea. It’s a puzzle for all of us how she finds the time for everything.

6. Sasha Osipov
- an excellent skillful mountain guide, is a cheerful, energetic, quick-witted, optimistic, smart steadfast and at the same time kind-hearted man. He is a perfectionist in everything, whether it work or rest. He is noted for intrinsic sense of justice and humour. He is a reliable friend and a committed worker. A brilliant computer programmer, he easily combines his technological resourcefulness with the burden of responsibilities of a Head of Base Camp. It remains a secret how he manages to make any type of technical equipment, from generator to portable radio transmitters and notebooks, to work properly all the time, but it is quire understandable why the whole staff of the Base Camp is ready to work round the clock without any compulsion on his side. Such a rare dedication to work can be explained not only by inbred passion to mountains and sense of responsibility, but to a considerable extent by bright personality of Sasha, who is always the first to tackle the job, setting the example for the others. In rare moments of rest, Sasha takes a guitar and then those round him detect one more of his many talents: he can sing.

7. Alexander Anisimov (Medved)
- Medved more often called Bear, is an experienced mountaineer, the most responsible, reliable and respected member of the crew, who is fully in charge of camps organization. Precise analytical mind does not prevent him from joking or fooling about with the rest of the crew. Always square in all his dealings, cool and sure of himself, he is ready to offer a comprehensive advice and to give well-grounded answer to any question, in spite of being constantly busy. Besides, he has one more ‘free-lance’ work- that is of an avid ‘wilderness paparazzo’. He takes photo of everything on his way: form wild daisies to tiny bugs. The entire life of the camp is captured in all the details on camera and later recorded on disks. He is the man you can rely on and everyone in the camp respects him.

8. Dima Harmanis
- is the person about whom people say, “If Dima is on the Peak there is nothing to worry about”. It’s difficult to say how many times he has been to the Peak. Not only because being an experienced mountaineer he works as a mountain guide and takes groups of enthusiasts to one of the highest summits, but also because he has become rooted to the Pamirs with his heart and soul. It seems he can climb the Peak blindfold. For him there is nothing more satisfying and exciting than attempting a new summit, the higher the better.
In the evening, disregarding the fatigue of the day, he takes his guitar and starts his recitals, singing at the top of his voice the popular hits from all over the world. These solo concerts usually start after dinner and last until the last fan of Dima rests his head on the table in deep sleep.
By the end of the season Dima will considerably lose weight and become overgrown with beard. His face will undergo changes acquiring a slight tinge of tar and chocolate mixture.

9. Andrew Bainazarov
- his mysterious smile comes from the very depths of his enigmatic soul and freely hits the heart of every woman of the group. But this is not his only weapon. Andrew is the full-time “Moses” of mountaineering group, and like Patriarch of Hebrews who led his people across the desert, Andrew leads people to Lenin Peak, with just one difference – he knows the way too well. A world-class athlete, professional mountaineer and a certified mountain instructor, Andrew cannot but win the hearts of those close to him by his even temper, poise, ability to manage properly any unforeseen situation that can happen while on the Peak. What are the grounds of his success? Experience, great experience. There are few mountains that Andrew hasn’t attempted. But Lenin Peak is his special love. And every season, whether he likes it or not, his legs carry him to the foot of this eternal mountain. Andrew has no powers to resist this temptation taking into account his constant and impetuous love towards mountain summits.

10. Lyosha (Alexey) Lukyanenko’s
- nickname is “Solo”. That does not mean that he likes to sing solo. He is a solo mountaineer. His overflowing, inexhaustible energy makes him be ahead of everyone while ascending the summit. One can only envy his speeding up from the very start: just a few minutes and his well-proportioned silhouette fades into the mist on the mountain pass with his huge backpack being the last thing to be seen. By the time the group reaches the camp, Lyosha is fully relaxed and is ready to load himself with all the troubles of camping logistics. Later, loaded with grapnels and ropes he advances up the path skillfully balancing between the crevices and then sportily zigzagging on the snow. And seeing how easy it comes to him, the group he is guiding follows him enthusiastically.

11. Nina Moor
- is such a small, fragile girl that at times she becomes almost unnoticeable among the deep snows of the Pamirs. But if you chance to watch her at work you will stand agape: she is like an electric broom working at the altitude of 4400 m in rigorous environment of snow and ice. While sturdy fellows are greedily gulping thin air with their weather-beaten lips, Nina, two buckets in her hands, is cheerfully skipping to the river in order to fetch some water. By the way, ‘water supply’ is considered in Camp 1 the most difficult job and no-one likes this errand. But Nina doesn’t care a straw. “I don’t feel the altitude”, she says. And then grabs the waste baskets to remove the rubbish. You can see her bustling about in the kitchen or laying the table in the mess-tent. She has proven to be the Energizer bunny of Energizer bunnies ... Who would have thought that Nina - a real theatre person, a girl of artistic temperament- seriously takes up mountaineering, rock climbing, and mountain biking. Moreover, she is in the lead at various sport competitions and keeps amazing us with the easy manner in which she achieves her goals.

12. Sanya Bykov
- a kind-hearted, sweet-tempered man, is a real enthusiast of mountaineering and mountain biking. An experienced mountain guide he always gives every attention and support to each member of the group he guides: while making headway or having a stopover camping he is always ready to make a brew, to cheer up, always eager to help if needed. And all his clients see him not only as a guide but also as a reliable friend with whom it is easy to overcome the hardships of mountaineering, with whom you feel really comfortable.


13. Maria Mayorova
- everyone at Camp 1 understands that to ensure proper functionality of the camp at the altitude of 4400 m is not at all easy. But this pretty cheerful girl manages it perfectly and does an excellent job of keeping the camp staff in line as well as ensuring everyone of the guests is looked after properly. As Camp 1 supervisor she is the first to meet mountaineers, to help them accommodate in the tents, to offer tasty meals in the mess-room, to solve any problem connected with the stay in the camp. And even when you leave the camp to make an ascent to the Peak, she is here to arrange prompt assistance just in case. She is aware of everything what happens in the camp and on the Peak.

14. Igor Volosianov
- for guys like Igor mountaineering is not an odd job - it’s their destiny. Only in the mountains they find an outlet for their impulses. Mountains help them to realize themselves as strong personalities, to prove their potential. Once Igor picked up mountaineering there was no limit to his passion for this sport. In the mountains Igor feels secure and at ease. He debuted as mountain guide in 2008 when he successfully guided the ascent of a group of mountaineers and won their hearts to such an extent that they unanimously entrusted him with their life. Even temper and natural kindness have brought him love and respect of his colleagues too. During off-season when no mountaineering is possible, he improves his athletic skills to be fit for the future ascents. Then summer starts and nothing can entice him from the mountains. By the end of the season his vigorous figure becomes thinner, but that does not affect his spirits and he is as cheerful as ever.

15. Nadaya Kalinina
- is a person of rare ability to work selflessly and perfectly well in any environment. What dishes has she not cooked for crew members! And the cakes she manages to bake in the camp stove are a real surprise to mountain-climbers who come back to the camp where they are welcomed and their victories are rejoiced at. It’s amazing where she finds strength to untiringly bustle about in the kitchen inventing new but always savoury dishes. She is easy to deal with as she is a sagacious, patient person, knowing the tastes of our guests from different countries, but most importantly – she is kind and wise. Besides, she is a mountaineer herself with extensive working experience in mountain camping. That is why no difficult situation can confuse or scare her. Our Nadya is not a timid type.

16. Vadim Bliznets
- is a real pro in mountaineering, high-altitude ascents in particular. He is self-confident, experienced, robust, an excellent sportsman and a reliable companion. He readily shares his experience and knowledge. For along time he has been working as an industrial climber and a trainer of young mountaineers. His work on the mountain has always been his favourite pastime, because it is here, on Lenin Peak, that he has the opportunity to do what he likes to do most – to ascend the Peak and to help others do the same. He is a remarkable man whom you can trust entirely.

17. Rano Tashboltieva
- is a nice cheerful woman, a skillful, highly qualified cook. All the more it is hard to apprehend why, year after year, she comes to the mountains to work in difficult, harsh conditions of high altitudes and cold weather instead of staying in warm, fully-equipped kitchen of her own restaurant and spending the time in the city as majority of people do. But she finds the city life boring, and by June, when our crew arrives to the ‘glade of edelweiss’ Rano leaves off the usual routine, her employees and civilized environment of her restaurant, her comfortable home and regular life of a business woman, and rushes to the snowy spaces of the Pamirs, having changed the elegant dress for mountain down suit which in no way hinders her from moving graciously in a tent-kitchen. Using only quite basic equipment and her exceptional culinary skills she manages to create gourmet dishes. What an incredible woman she is!

18. Yura Uzbekov
- is really a sophisticated and intelligent person with great leadership abilities and personal aptitude. Being an experienced mountaineer with lots of climbs on his record, Yura is familiarized with various mountain regions only too well and easily navigates at high altitudes. He is a glider pilot and instructs people in gliding. He is a creative personality and approaches any issue constructively yet competently and critically enough. In this person a realist and a romantic live in harmony. His uncommon ideas and nontrivial projects enjoy our support as we too find them tempting and quite feasible. Yura is a reliable and generous companion. This is proved by numerous appreciation and enthusiastic comments sent to us by the members of mountaineering expeditions he led. But for us this is no wonder, though!

19. Sergey Khoroshev
- he is a real boon to us all. He is a jack-of-all-trades and thanks to him all type of equipment in Base camp and Camp1 always functions properly and even if something happens to get out of order it is refitted in no time. Generators continuously provide electricity, barrels are filled with water, heaters give warmth, as they should, amazingly sterile toilets are always in working condition, kitchen stoves are supplied with gas, rubbish is regularly removed, the supplies are timely delivered from Osh. By and large it is difficult even to imagine how we can survive without him. Sergey is a modest, taciturn young man, who prefers masculine physical activity to any type of paperwork. Though he always keeps in the background, the result of his strenuous efforts is in view and as perfect as it could be. No wonder he is the first one our women apply to for help.

20. Paizulla Murzakanov
- is really “our man” in the Achik-Tash valley. The head of horse drivers, a man of a big family, time-proven team-mate and reliable friend, a hospitable owner of the yurt where his family lives in summertime, he is always ready to help our team in many problems, be it load transportation on the pack-horses, or temporary storage of various equipment meant for the Base Camp or Camp1, as well as many other tasks which demand prompt solution. A man of reason and a dashing horseman, who knows everything about, cares for and loves horses he is a simple and kindhearted man who is aware of his potentialities and who is attentive to and takes care of his mates – horse drivers. The latter appreciate his friendship and team work under arduous conditions of high altitudes, because though all of them, as well as Paizulla himself, grew up in these mountains, Pamir is not always benignant to its children and it means that one should know all the goings-on and intricacies, generous possibilities and treachery of the “Roof of the World”. But for Paizulla the Pamirs is an open book, a large book of life.

21. Azamat Abdulkhamidov
- a modest likable man, is a doctor by profession. Year after year he has been working on Lenin Peak servicing practically all the camps located in the valley of Achik-Tash river and on the mountain. The considerable number of patients he has cured is the best proof of his exceptional doctor’s skills and intuition. He is always here, ready to help just in case someone is sick, and you may be sure that the medical care you get is adequate and sufficient. High altitude is known to adversely affect our weak, unadapted body. It is a vital but not unsolvable problem. If you follow wise advice and professional recommendations of Doctor Azamat, you can cope with it. He does not wear a white doctor’s gown and does not scare the potential patients with a phonendoscope hanging on his neck. As anybody else on the Peak he looks like an ordinary mountaineer, and when not giving an injection or taking patients’ temperature, he is on the move, he does not idle his time away. Instead he deals with various chores about the camp as anybody else in our crew, giving a hand and aiding those who at the moment need assistance.

22. Oskar-aka
- most of our guests who arrive to Lenin Peak via Tashkent, first meet Oskar-aka - our permanent driver. It is him who is responsible for timely and unhindered transfer of our guests to Uzbek-Kyrgyz border. It takes nothing more than 6 hours to drive there – first up through the Kamchik mountain pass and then further across the Ferghana Valley. For many years we have known his as an experienced driver, serious and concentrated while driving, and really a fun during the breaks. Without any hesitation we entrust our guests to his care, because we know too well that if Oskar-aka is driving the car there could be no problems whatsoever. On the way to the border he will tell the passengers about the localities and landscapes they can watch through the windows of the car, will answer any question satisfying their curiosity and will try to make the trip as comfortable as possible.

23. Mansur Nasirullaev
- a witty cheery fellow, is a professional cook who though being still a young man have seen much and have visited many places in the world. He has joined our team just recently, but even within this short period of time he managed to win our great appreciation of his cook’s talents and the efficiency with which he ‘rules’ in his kitchen kingdom under the yurt felt vault. Here he is a chef, a culinary ‘lord and master ‘, surrounded by assistants who continuously laugh until they cry at his jokes and humorous sayings. You know, jokes can wonderfully ease the strain, and cook’s job is rather demanding. It requires high level of skills, a knack to making delicious dishes from ordinary products, and certain creativity. All these Mansur has in abundance. Everything he cooks is savoury, mouth-watering, nourishing and tempting: just one look at the dish and you are eager to snatch the spoon and devour the contents of your plate.

24. Kunduz Jumaeva
- is Mansur’s helpmate in the kitchen. A jolly woman and a real oriental beauty, she speaks English and lays the table in mess-tent with equal ease. She is also entrusted with an honorary task of awarding the mountaineers with certificates and cakes, because after a very tiring ascent to the Peak it is really a pleasure to sit in a warm yurt and to watch her charming smiling face, which in itself is an additional reward. She finds time for everything, and everything she does turns out well. Being optimistic, Kunduz never gets upset about trifles and is ready to joke in every situation, because buoyancy helps to face any difficulty with ease.

25. Gulia Abdarakhmaniva
- a kind, thoughtful, intelligent, well-educated and responsible woman, is a teacher of English at Osh University of Foreign Languages. She has been working with us for a long time so far, and has won our respect and appreciation. Our guests adore her, because as a real Easterner she is always ready to hear out anyone, to offer a piece of advice. In this woman the gentleness of the character is surprisingly combined with professional qualities. Everyone who comes in contact with Gulya immediately makes friends with her and feels at ease in her company being well aware that she is a person one can totally confide in.

26. Dildora Kamilova
- a nice jolly girl, who speaks fluent French, is always friendly and courteous with everyone, always ready to help. A pretty smart girl, she is never confused by something new or unfamiliar. On the contrary, she is eager to know the world and to try herself in various qualities. She is not afraid of any work and steps in this life confidently, whether it a mountain path or flowery Achik-Tash valley, ground floor of the kitchen or stony bottom of the mountain river. She is open to everything new and this cheerfulness of hers makes any contact with this girl a real pleasure.

27. Maman
- is a serious man. He is a hereditary horseman, grazer and owner of horses. When he is on horseback it seems as if he was born a horseman. But when his favourite steed Tarat (‘red steed’ in translation) is to carry load to Camp 1, Maman never rides, he walks by the side of his four-legged friend. Tarat is his workmate and Maman cares for him. Tarat’s writhers are never in disorder, he is always well-groomed. There are no reasons for Tarat to grumble about his owner. One cannot picture Maman without his steed. Even when he drops in to the tent for a minute, he cannot sit calmly and keeps worrying about his steed that he left behind. In the evening, when Maman together with other horseman come to Base Camp and we all are sitting in the kitchen and having dinner to complete the hard day, Maman always likes to tell us stories about horses, about life in the Pamirs, about the unusual incidents that he witnessed while on the Peak.

28. Nina Shashlova
- everyone who meets Nina for the first time is mistaken in this fragile charming woman. Her delicate figure contrasts sharply with her strong character. Surprising as it may seem, she is master of sports in mountaineering, a certified mountain instructor, the coach of a mountaineering crew, an outstanding woman, and at the same time extremely kindhearted and impartial. The low tones of her voice possess a powerful energetic strength able to bring great level of enthusiasm to both experienced mountaineers and beginners whom she has trained so many. Our trainees owe her all their technical skills, ability to cooperate and work on the peak as a team, to feel comradeship and to come to help, that is the vital things without which it is impossible to survive on the mountain. She always knows whom and when to praise, whom to reprove. She knows the capabilities of every young mountaineer and what can be expected of him in difficult situation. She is always ready to encourage and to give a practical advice, she is always helpful. She is a person whom you can rely on in any situation.

29. Nureza Murzakanova
- younger daughter of Paizulla, is a small lively girl who is always on the move. Like other children of the Achik-Tash Valley Nureza helps her parents from her earliest years. In the camp this quick-witted girl helps her mother to wash up dishes, which after breakfast, lunch or dinner quickly make up huge stacks. But cheerful Nureza, together with her mother, makes short work with this ‘porcelain nightmare’ and then breathes a sigh of relief. Nureza miraculously catches on the foreign languages very easily and by the end of the season she bombards you with questions in fluent Russian or English, and you can do nothing but start answering as she is a curious girl and wants to know about everything under the sun. When the mountaineering season completes and the last of us curtail the camp, Nureza is on the point of crying and tugging you at the sleeve keeps asking “When are going to come next time?”.

30. Shukhrat
- our bus driver, is a jack- of- all- trades. If you happen to drive from Osh to Taldyk pass, and then to descend into the Alay valley advancing further towards our Base Camp at the bottom of Lenin Peak, you may appreciate at the true value his driving skills, the mastership with which he manages to overcome this rugged terrain, the stony bottom of the Pamir’s rivers, cross-country mudflows, numerous bridges and fords. And while the passengers of Shukhrat’s bus, with bated breath and wide open eyes because of increasing anxiety, are gazing out of the bus windows at spellbound landscape, Shukhrat himself remains totally dispassionate, his face expresses confidence of a worldly-wise cross-country driver for whom such a rough and at times impassible road is nothing compared with what he has experienced before. Soon his self-confidence and unruffled calm help the passengers relieve the anxiety and some even try to drink beer in spite of the bumpy ride. As the bus approaches the camp and the dust covers the Alay valley and the snow-white mountain summits become closer and higher, the atmosphere in the bus becomes more cheerful and the moment Shukhrat reaches the longed-for Base Camp the whole bus bursts with words of appreciation and applause.


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