The expedition to Latok III of the team "Big walls - Russian routes" were swept by avalanche from the route
03.08.2000

The team climbed all the ice part of the Latok Face (about one kiloliter) and started to work on the rocky - 4 pitches. The weather was horrible and they spent about a week in portaledges. Then after starting Yuri Koshelenko were hurt by the stone falls (fingers broken). They started to descent and were swept by a big avalanche. Everybody is alive. All of climbers have traumas - broken ribs, legs, arms.

Now all climbers are evacuated from base camp. The camp was evacuated. Expedition is over. There were some problem with helicopter but it looks like the officers in Pakistan Russian embassy did everything to help our climbers.

Message from Alexandr Odintsov. They are in base camp
12.07.2000

Hello friends!

Today is June 30. We are in base camp. Everybody is OK, cheerful and healthy. The weather: snow and rain. No visibility at all. Somewhere not far from here is our mountain.

The height of base camp is 4 500m. Feel seeking. Doctor told that cognac is a good medicine in this case as well. :-)

We did not find any more expeditions though somewhere here Italian and American climb Ogre.

Best wishes to our wives, children and friends.

A.Odintsov.

Yuri Koshelenko reported from Islamabad
21.06.2000

The impressions from the country are the same like last year: very gloomy and expensive. Two more expeditions will work in our region, on Latok II and IV. I will specify later, do they come and who they are.

Tomorrow we will be busy with our luggage, buying the food and some filmmaking. By the way, according to the new rules importation of the digital cameras to Pakistan is prohibited, how do you like it? Too much new restrictions in compare to last year.

Continue tomorrow, Inshallah,
Yura.

Yuri Koshelenko from Islamabad
20.06.2000

We are in Islamabad. All together. We wait for our loads and briefing. All are OK. We discuss our nearest plans including climbing ones.

Yuri Koshelenko.