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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jan 25, 2011 - 01:55am PT
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I will walk from Moscow to these pillars before I board a winged Russian deathtrap again.
Those are words to live by. I've quite a few hours in some of those death
traps. I gots some stories. As a Commercial license holder and a Russian
Studies major I've always kept a finger on the pulse of their airline
industry. It is a sick puppy, at least as far as the domestic business is
concerned. There are some domestic airlines who are making an effort but
it is rather hit-or-miss. The sad part is that they build pretty good planes
and they have capable pilots (when they're sober) but the maintenance is
way beyond the pale.
An AN-124 crashed outside of Irkutsk in 1997 when a computer malfunction
shut off the fuel feed to the aircraft's engines! That is the official
cause although I recall reading in "Aviation Week" that fuel contamination
was also strongly suspected. That is something you expect in Africa not a
country with a space program.
ps
TFPU HEALY! COOL! Too bad most people who have gone out there weren't
there for the scenery. I doubt you could climb there in the summer unless
the wind was blowing the skeeters to Alaska.
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
sorry, just posting out loud.
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Jan 25, 2011 - 02:01am PT
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rock and ice article in 3, 2, 1 weeks.
you heard it hear first
the TNN - Taco News Network
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Klimmer
Mountain climber
San Diego
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Jan 25, 2011 - 02:09am PT
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Nice find. Incredible place.
Looks other Wordly. Wow.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2011 - 04:07am PT
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The forecast for this Friday is -43F.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2011 - 09:31am PT
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Nah, not worried. I've read a few TRs of people passing through just Yakuskt by land and river and it's pretty grueling. No reliable transport. Boat, train, and bus schedules all dubious. Mosquitoes the size of grizzly bears. No one speaks anything but Russian and the local language. Lots of shakey folks about. All in all, short of having oodles of time and money it seems like a pretty hardcore place to just venture through. I think David Lama would get his ass kicked there in short order.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 25, 2011 - 02:47pm PT
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Got this from Alexey:
Honestly the Lenskie Stolby is the remote place with long access and not prepared for climbing. As well in general the rocks there are not stable and very old. Only somewhere (a little) you may climb, and all the time with not very solid belay, because of the rock instability.
He must be a granite guy...
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cintune
climber
the Moon and Antarctica
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Jan 25, 2011 - 02:59pm PT
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Very old.... Cambrian carbonates... true 'nuff.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 26, 2011 - 07:01am PT
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Just got an email from a fellow named Slav who works for yakutiatravel.com (I presume govt) and he knows some rock climbers he's going to try and put me in touch with. Should be interesting...
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Tony Bird
climber
Northridge, CA
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Jan 26, 2011 - 11:10am PT
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like china's stone forest or the spires of madagascar--only lots more of it, apparently.
skeeters? catch it right after the first frost. choss? something to drop on your FSB tail.
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Johnny K.
Mountain climber
Southern,California
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Jan 26, 2011 - 11:15am PT
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Next thing,you all will want to climb the ruins that go along the road of bones.
If anyone is seriously getting to Yakutsk without plane.Your best plan would be to take enduro bikes or offroad vehicles across the river to access Yakutsk.Think UNIMOG. You can also find some local to take you,try to get basic russian skills before heading out lol
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2011 - 02:48am PT
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Huh? No, I wouldn't climb anywhere protected, with petroglyphs, or prohibited. I'm only talking climbing trad and I don't use chalk. And that's why I'm talking with the folks there (just got turned on to some climbers), to find the extents of the park boundaries, what's allowed, and what isn't. There are clearly columns all over the area on several rivers. If you look at the yellow circles on the previous page you can see the Sinsk River has them at every turn. And yes, at least some portion of it all is nominated as a world heritage site and I certainly totally support that. Others parts are being developed into tourist parks. I guessing there has to be pillars which available to climb and given I can do the LNT thing if I went I don't feel like I'd be doing anyone a disservice. Personally I find it pretty hard to compare the two and a bit odd to be invoking the imagery of the one to glibly cast it over a possible LNT trip to the other.
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ß Î Ø T Ç H
Boulder climber
bouldering
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Jan 27, 2011 - 03:21am PT
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I heard the local ethic is free solo only, and then down solo(s) to get off. I hope you packed a lunch.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 27, 2011 - 03:33am PT
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You're right! I totally forgot about those crazy videos of masses of folks free soloing around. Turns out that place is about a 1000 miles to the west of Yakutsk. I'm guessing with softer rock around Yakutsk they may not be quite as into free soloing, but you never know given how scarce something like nylon ropes would have been for decades. I'm about to send an email to the local climbing 'community' in Yakutsk and I'll be sure and ask about that - thanks for the reminder!
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trucking si
Trad climber
brighton uk
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Dec 19, 2012 - 04:14pm PT
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i know im late on this but im doing a litle reserch on a climbing tour of russia genral idea is st petersburg to bernt straits i gather the season in the urals is may to sep so this could be a chalenge as i say this is sumthing im looking into for feasbilty but if it is posible there could be up to 15 seats. eney info on rock climbing in russia or info for russia/thorts is most welcom
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Topic Author's Reply - Feb 25, 2017 - 10:24pm PT
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Would still love to go, what a sight. Not happening for awhile with all the work I have happening - sigh.
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