Lenin Peak Safety Policy

Emergency Precautions
Handling of Accidents

1. The Measures We Take to Ensure the Safety of the Expedition Participants.

Every mountaineer who has decided to participate in an expedition to Lenin Peak must realize that an ascent of this Pamir mountain of over 7,000 m in height is an adventure travel activity and so it poses certain health and life risks. Besides, Lenin Peak area has no well-functioning government rescue facilities like those in Europe. We as a company, therefore, do our best to ensure the safety of our clients at our base camps at the foot of Lenin Peak and during the ascent of the mountain and build our own rescue team consisting of experienced guides and mountaineering instructors. Considering rescue operations are always costly contingencies breaking the itineraries and putting additional load upon our team, we request each expedition participant obtain an insurance policy in due time, since the policy money will then cover the cost of search and rescue operations if necessary.

The guests at our base camp at the foot of Lenin Peak must follow our Rules and Regulations to secure themselves against emergencies and accidents during the expedition, properly going through the preparatory stage.

Each participant, if alone, is provided with a portable radio station at no charge, against a deposit. If a participant climbs as a member of a group, we provide a portable radio station per group at no charge, against a deposit.

Head of the rescue team contacts a group en route every three hours (at 9:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00, and 21:00). The emergency portable radio station is on round the clock (in the reception mode) in case urgent communication is necessary.

Each expedition participant must have an Insurance Policy for $30,000. It must be handed to Commandant of Base Camp as a participant arrives at Base Camp. If an accident occurs, this insurance policy will cover the cost of the rescue operation (rescue team jobs, helicopter transportation, medicines and medical service in Osh, paperwork, transportation to the home country, etc).

When an expedition participant arrives at Base Camp, Commandant and the guides brief them on the route, pointing out the most dangerous parts of it and telling what one must be careful about: where there is a high risk of falling into a crevice, where it is better to move tied together, where Lenin Peak avalanche danger areas are and what indicates an avalanche occurrence, as well as how to predict weather by nature signs: clouds, temperature drops, wind, etc. Each participant confirms with their signatures in a special register that they have been properly briefed.

Each participant is registered with the rescue team.

Since an ascent of Lenin Peak involves certain health and life risk, all the expedition participants must sign Risk Acknowledgement, Form 1 on their first day at Base Camp:

Risk Acknowledgement	Подтверждение признания рисков
I, ___________________________________________ (full name) ____________________________________________ (nationality)	Я, __________________________________________ (Ф.И.О.) ____________________________________________ (страна)
hereby acknowledge that I have been informed of the risks associated with my participation in ascending Lenin Peak and I have decided to participate in Lenin Peak Ascent tour knowingly and voluntarily, able in mind and under no pressure. I take full personal responsibility for my decision to participate in this tour, any act or failure to act during it and all the possible consequences of this decision, and I will have no grievances against the host tour operator as to these consequences.	данным Документом подтверждаю, что о рисках, связанных с участием в программе по восхождению на пик Ленина, предупреждён, и решение об участии в данной программе принял сознательно и добровольно, будучи в здравом рассудке и без чьего-либо давления. В случае если я буду игнорировать рекомендации гида/ врача/ Начспаса и продолжать восхождение вопреки здравому смыслу, всю ответственность за принятие решения по участию в экспедиции «Восхождение на пик Ленина», за все свои дальнейшие действия или бездействие, а также за возможные последствия своего решения я полностью беру на себя и претензий к принимающей стороне не имею.
Signature / Личная подпись________________	Full Name / Ф.И.О._____________________
Date (dd/mm/yy) / Дата _______ / _______ / _______

All the participants must regularly inform Base Camp Commandant and Head of the rescue team of their plans, routes outside the camps and return times. When a participant leaves Base Camp of Camp1, they must inform Commandant of doing so.

Each participant’s activity is monitored at each climbing stage by Head of the rescue team (Camp 1). He records (in a special register) all the movements of single participants or groups, and checks by radio whether the participants en route have reached a point at a certain altitude according to their ascent schedules (submitted earlier).

During their stays at our Lenin Peak camps our guests can receive qualified medical aid from professional doctors on duty in Base Camp or Camp 1 (or, mainly, in both of the camps). The medical kits at the camps have a full range of medicines to give first aid and treat common acclimatization or cold problems.

Before going on an ascent each participant has a general medical examination by our doctor. A participant is allowed to climb the mountain if the doctor has no doubts about their fitness to do so. If the doctor concludes a participant should not go on an ascent because they are unfit for it (there will be high risk to their health), they should understand the fact and comply with the doctor.

Our guides working in Lenin Peak area are also members of the rescue team who quickly react in case of an emergency. We keep in contact with all the base camps in Achik-Tash Valley. If some of our guides cannot for some reason participate in a rescue operation, we use guides from other camps. If other camps need our rescue workers, we never deny them our assistance, too.

Thanks to stable radio communication between all the camps in Achik-Tash Valley, a helicopter can be called in case it is necessary to quickly transport an injured person to a hospital in Osh where they will receive professional medical care: drug treatment, resuscitation, an operation, an X-ray, an ultrasound scan, etc).

Using a helicopter will cost a lot, which a participant' insurance policy should cover. Moreover, a helicopter can be hired only upon full prepayment (for reasons beyond our control). The helicopter hire price is $9,000 and higher, depending on whether the rescue operation includes a search flight around Lenin Peak or just transportation of an injured person to Osh (a few options are available).

Our experienced guides are always ready to give the participants detailed advice on any part of the route to the summit.

2. How It Works In Case of Emergency

If Commandant or Head of the rescue team receives a radio message saying that somebody has been injured in an accident and the rescue team is needed for urgent help, the rescue team learns all the details of the accident (such as its location, weather conditions, etc), develops a rescue operation plan, prepares necessary equipment, and sets off.

While the rescue operation is being carried out, Commandant calls the insurer of the injured person (The insurance policy and the insurer’s contact information must be given to Base Camp Commandant beforehand.) and informs them of the accident and rescue operation under way.

The insurance company should guarantee that all the expenditures on the rescue of the injured person will be covered (by sending an official letter stamped and signed by its authorized officers). Note an expedition participant should choose their insurer carefully, for some of the insurers do not fulfill their obligations properly.

Irrespective of whether we have or have not received a payout guarantee letter from the insurance company, we shall do our best to transport any injured participant to Camp 1 and further to Base Camp as soon as possible.

Our doctor will give first aid to any injured participant and will take further care of them. If necessary, such a participant will be transported to a hospital in Osh. If not, such a person stays in the medical tent at Base Camp under regular medical observation, with special treatment and regimen prescribed.

If an injured participant or a participant who has fallen ill is fully conscious and of sound mind, they themselves, if physically able, must contact their insurer and settle the rescue and medical service coverage issue. Such a participant also informs their close relatives about the accident.

If an accident results in a death of a participant, Base Camp Commandant or Camp 1 Commandant contacts the insurer of this person and informs them of it. He also contacts this person’s close relatives or agents (using the contact details provided in this person’s application) and agrees with them on further actions (including the issue of the transportation of the body from the mountain area and forwarding it to the home country). If a death accident occurs, we request the dead person’s relatives (agents) to arrive at Lenin Peak area as soon as possible to personally control the transportation of the body from the mountain to a mortuary in Osh, preparation of the necessary documents with the local police, having a forensic medical examination performed, preparation of the documents for the transportation of the body and the dead person’s personal belongings to the home country, and expenditure on all these.

Photos of the «Ascension on Lenin Peak» tour:
The biggest collection of photos of Lenin Peak: photos of ascension on Lenin Peak, photos of the summit of Lenin Peak, photos of Lenin Peak Base camps, landscapes of Achik-Tash and other beautiful photos of the Pamirs area.