1/14/00 - This posts page was supposed to be a compilation of our thoughts leading up to and during the climb and posts from other climbers that I could find. Tragically, just a over two weeks ago 3 Russian/American climbers fell to their deaths on Orizaba, a grim reminder of the dangers of mountaineering, and an all too real message to be careful when we arrive Jan. 29th.
Press release by the Black Alpinist
Description of Tragedy by Team Member
3 Russian American Climbers Die in Millenuim Climb on Orizaba
1/3/00 - Posting by Rodulfo Araujo (Mexican climber and frequent
contributor): The information is still confusing and partial. This party of 6 Russians and Russian-Americans climbed unguided from Coscomatepec on the NE route, with the intention of returning to high camp and then traverse to the North route (the normal route) and descend to Piedra Grande and Tlachichuca. On December 28th all 6 reached the summit but only 3 made it
back to high camp. The other 3 were last seen not too far behind. A
search was conducted for 8 days by the Alpine Rescue, Red Cross, local
guiding companies (Reyes, Canchola-Limon, Manolo), the military,
Civil Protection and others. The bodies were found today and carried down by a helicopter. There is no assessment yet on what happened
but seems to be a fall.
This is a provisional list of the dead:
And the three survivors are:
From Vladimir's website (he's a guide)
On December 28 1999, a group of three mountaineers disappeared while descending after having reached the summit of Orizaba peak.
They were
Searching efforts by three other members of the team, and a group of experienced Austrian mountaineers were soon joined by the rescue effort mounted by US Embassy in Mexico and Mexican authorities. The rescuers from the US First Response Rescue Group were on their way too... The bodies were discovered by a helicopter crew on January 3rd 2000. According to preliminary reports, they veered off the routine path close to the high camp at dusk time and slipped on an icy slope where self-arrest (stopping) can sometimes be extremely difficult. Autopsies confirmed instant death.
Irina Libova, a biology graduate student from MIT is survived by her parents and sister in Mountain View, California. Vladimir Smirnov, a
web developer and programmer from Boston, Massachusetts, is survived by his mother and sister in Russian Federation. Ilya Krasik, a mechanical engineer from Boston, Massachusetts is survived by his parents, daughter and son, and a brother.
Our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences go to the families and other friends of the deceased.
We all would like to thank:
From Yahoo:
Tuesday January 4 3:50 AM ET
Bodies of Russian Climbers Found
MEXICO CITY (AP) - The bodies of three Russian mountain climbers missing since last week on the Pico de Orizaba, Mexico's highest
peak, have been found, the government news agency Notimex reported. The bodies were recovered by a state rescue unit Monday, the
news agency said. The climbers were identified as Vladimir Smirnoff, 29, Liya Crafic, 42, and Irina Lilibova, 23.
Puebla state secretary Carlos Alberto Julian y Nacer told Notimex that the three had been missing since Dec. 28. They were trying to
climb the 18,810-foot Pico de Orizaba in southeastern Mexico. He said the three bodies were located by a search helicopter
Sunday in a ravine northeast of the peak. The bodies, apparently frozen, were brought down from the snow-covered mountainside one-by-one in a helicopter. The Televisa television network reported that one of the climbers appeare to have slipped and may have caused all three to fall down a steep incline. The state secretary said an autopsy would be performed and
the bodies would be turned over to the Russian consulate in Mexico City.
From abc.com:
MEXICO CITY, Jan 3 (Reuters) -
Three Russian climbers on Monday
were found dead from hypothermia on
Mexico's highest peak, Orizaba, in the
centre of the country, officials said.
Rescuers found their corpses in a cave
on the icy, cone-shaped mountain, which
is some 18,700 feet (5610 metres)
above sea level, said Puebla state interior secretary
Carlos Alberto Julian.
The missing three were identified as expedition chief Illiya
Krafik, 42, Irina Libova, 23, and Vladimir Smirnoff, 29.
They were known to have set off five days earlier for
Orizaba, which is 125 miles (200 km) east of Mexico
City.
Julian said arrangements were under way to send the
bodies back to Russia.
Director of the state Civil Protection unit Seproci
Guillermo Melgarejo, said the climbers came from
Boston, where they had been studying.
A fourth climber, Luba Ivanova, 27, descended suffering
from altitude sickness after climbing part-way up the
mountain, Melgarejo said.
Orizaba, also known as Citlaltepetl (Star Mountain), is the
third-highest summit in North America.
The steep, icy peak is sometimes scaled in two days, with
an overnight stay in a lodge, but the hazardous climb is
not meant to be a several-day venture.
The Peak of Orizaba, on the border of Puebla and
Veracruz states, is some 85 miles (140 km) from the Gulf
of Mexico.
Our team debate that ensued:
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