Denis Urubko

Denis Urubko (born 29 July 1973 in Newinnomyssk, Northern Caucasus, Russia ) is a Kazakh climbers. He is the 15th climber, the climb all eight-thousanders succeeded and the eighth, the accomplished this feat without supplemental oxygen. In addition, he managed together with Simone Moro, the first winter ascent of Makalu and Gasherbrum II He is married, has two children and lives in Almaty since 1990.

Trails easy resume

Urubkos father, a topographer and hunters, has reignited his passion for the mountains. Because of its allergic asthma, his family moved in 1987 from the North Caucasus to the island of Sakhalin. After compulsory school Urubko went to Vladivostok in 1990 alone to become an actor, cameraman and journalist. There, he also read a fascination for its first Alpine books, including single-handedly on Nanga Parbat by Reinhold Messner. He alternated between academy, odd jobs and the mountains. Due to the local climbers club he learned the first alpine training and in the free summer months, he moved to the Pamirs. There he performed his first solo and speed climbing and worked in between as deputy mountain guide for tourists.

In the summer of 1992 he led Western mountaineers to Kazakhstan was officially introduced to the Kazakh military sports team during training. Their head coach Ervand Iljinskij Urubko asked if he would not vote, although he was still a Russian. Iljinskij was the head of the Kazakh project The Conquering of All The Highest Mountains by the national team, all 14 eight-thousanders should be achieved by the Kazakh military team. Then Urubko went for four months back to his parents in Yuzhno -Sakhalinsk to earn some money. With their savings, he followed " an oral promise of a soldier ," the vague invitation Iljinskijs, to Almaty.

With little luggage, even less money and many hopes Urubko arrived in Kazakhstan on January 3, 1993. There followed a year without fixed accommodation and work. His strong will should be a lasting impact. He lived through difficult moments: on the one hand because he as a Russian could not be included in the Kazakh army, on the other hand, he was considered for the Russian side now as a deserter because he was the convening in the Russian military service eluded. In the summer of 1993, he climbed on his birthday the Marble Wall and Iljinskij enabled him to participate in a military expedition. He ascended twice the Khan Tengri. With some tricks he attained then the residence permit and was in December of 1993 to enter the Kazakh army. As a non- authorized officer of the Central Sport Club of Kazakhstan Army to Urubko finally able to focus exclusively on training, had a fixed salary, a roof over your head and an organization that cared for him for his daily problems. He was now able to concentrate on what really interested him: the mountains. In the former USSR it was only in Kazakhstan a alpinistically oriented Army Department. This military - sports Corps was essentially characterized by Serguey Samoilov. In it Urubko now found a great mentor, expedition companions and expedition leader. Serguey Samoilov died in 2009 at the Lhotse. The military expeditions were planned and strictly controlled. A large team worked to command the heroic national summit victory.

Simone Moro Urubko brought finally out of the anonymity of the institutionalized mountaineering, by inviting him to jointly run an idea by Anatoly Bukrejew to an end. The aim was to climb all five seven thousand of the former Soviet Union, the snow leopard project in a few weeks and a single expedition. Today, these " 14 eight-thousanders of the Russians " lie in the border region of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Moro and Bukrejew had developed this project together. As Bukrejew but was swept away in 1997 at the Annapurna south face during a winter attempt of a new route of an avalanche, Moro wanted to implement the project for him with Mario Curnis and two " boys " from the Kazakh military sports Corps, whose member was also Bukrejew. In an internal secretion were finally chosen Denis Urubko Molotov and Andrei from a set of powerful Kazakh climbers. In just 39 days ( 16 July-24 August 1999) made ​​it Urubko and Molotov, the Pik Somoni Ismoil, spades Korschenewskaja, Pik Lenin, Dschengisch Tschokusu and Khan Tengri to beat. As a result, they were also carriers of the Snow Leopard Order. To climb all seven thousand five in a season was not until the second time after 1991. Moro had given up on Pik Pobeda due to stomach problems. He had to persuade Urubko and Molotov fervently to continue alone to go to the summit, as they follow the old rules initially did not want to separate from Moro. Curnis reached three peaks and two was also Alexander Gubajew with it.

Through this encounter with Simone Moro Denis Urubko has completely redefined its attitude to mountain climbing. He now learned more varieties of mountaineering know how sport and ice climbing, improved his training and equipment. He also lent itself to a philosophical, deeper component of the struggle with nature. The Everest - Lhotse exceeded along with Moro was his first " trip " abroad. Also known as Kazakh soldier had Urubko no Kazakh citizenship and received his passport only after a few bureaucratic hurdles by great support Moros four days before the expedition start. Moro also financed the entire expedition and equipment. As state recognition for reaching the Mount Everest Urubko got her own apartment. This satisfied him in two ways: on the one hand, because he was allowed to plan independently from now on his ascents, even if he continues to train with the sports group, and the other because he could trust others have placed in him to confirm and he also his mother able to show that he could reach some goals in life by his " unusual desires ." Moro bought the first washing machine for Urubko and led him in the following years to other eight-thousanders. Moro helped him to find sponsors and taught him to organize expeditions. Since then, she combines a great friendship with many other common ascents.

As much as Urubko also was in his youth prefer to work alone in the mountains on the way he is now, as he put it himself, always on the move for security reasons and for the joy of life with fellow climbers.

Denis Urubko it was he who Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner on an expedition in 2003 on Nanga Parbat the nickname " Cinderella Caterpillar " was because despite its delicacy on the mountain always spurts, but he never could remember her real name.

After completion of the ascent of all 14 eight-thousanders, which he reached all without supplemental oxygen to Urubko now wants to devote to the highest mountains in new and difficult ways, and other winter ascents. Such adventure and the associated uncertainties are his motivation.

Ascents of eight-thousanders

Urubko was now 19 times (as of July 26, 2011 ) on the top of an eight -thousand-meter.

In 2000 he defeated a workout the Khan Tengri base camp (4000 m) to the summit ( 7010 m) in just seven hours and 40 minutes. In the same year he reached after five days without additional oxygen over 8000 m to the summit of Mount Everest with Simone Moro on the southern route. It was also planned in this expedition to climb Lhotse.

A year later, in 2001, was along with Moro the first winter ascent of the Marble Wall ( 6400 m) in the Kazakh part of the Tian Shan mountain-style and in just two days without prior acclimatization. The mountain is one of the northernmost and most remote six- meter peaks of Central Asia, yet it only took us eight days from Almaty to the summit. Then it went straight on to a renewed Everest - Lhotse traverse, when he reached the Lhotse alone. Moro used his powers for a successful summit during a night rescue of the English mountaineer Tom Moore to over 8000 m. Urubko then gave up another single-handedly to Mount Everest, he wanted to cross again dear try again with Moro. In the same year Urubko reached with the National Kazakhstan expedition to Gasherbrum I still on the Japanercouloir and Gasherbrum II so This made him a total of three eight-thousanders in a year. The Gasherbrum II he ascended from 5800 m to the summit in seven hours and 30 minutes. The descent took place in four hours.

After further ascents in Kazakhstan together with Moro, the ascent of Kangchenjunga on the southwest wall in the course of Kazakhstan Kangchenjunga Spring 2002 expedition and the Shishapangma, Central and main 2002 Summit Urubko had already climbed three of the four highest mountains in the world.

For 2003, one Pakistan was " three in one " planned expedition to Nanga Parbat, Broad Peak and K2. At this Kazakh expedition in addition to the total national military team were also climbers from other nations participating, including Moro, ascended to the Urubko Broad Peak via the normal route. The expedition was successful and on Nanga Parbat on the Kinshofer route. A variant of this route was by Jean -Christophe Lafaille and Ed Viesturs, but only in part by Moro, are completed. On the K2 was not yet foreseeable. To reach the tried Urubko only with the Polish winter expedition at the end of the year on the North Ridge, but did not get beyond a height of 7750 m.

2004 managed a spectacular first ascent on Baruntse ( 7220 m) with Moro and Bruno Tassi by reaching the 7056 m high north summit ( Baruntse North, also known as Khali Himal ) on the north-west wall. The route was christened " Ciao Patrick ?" And thus the unfortunate climbers and mountain guides Patrick Berhault. This climb also won the " Russian Mountaineering Championships ", so to speak, the " Piolet d' Or" of the East. In 2004, Simone Moro Urubko came with the Annapurna. Moro was forced to retire due to stomach problems, but Urubko reached at 1:20 clock in the night alone the summit. These intense experiences absolute exposedness, the moonlight and the seemingly nearby stars, altered, according to the interview statements, his life. There was in this year a peak Lenin winter ascent.

With Serguey Samoilov, 2005, the Broad Peak succeeded in alpine style on a new route in the south-west wall. Urubko stood for the second time at the summit. Led to this by the Italian Roberto (aka Roby ) Piantoni Italian - Kazakh expedition also took Mario Merelli, Domenico Belingheri, Stefano Magri, Marco Astori and Matteo Piantoni part, the Broad Peak climb over the normal route.

Even the summit of Manaslu reached Urubko twice: on 25 April 2006 on the normal and on 8 May of the same year a new route from the northeast wall, in each case together with Serguey Samoilov as a two -man expedition ( Manasly Kazakhstan expedition ). On September 14, Urubko made ​​the world record in speed climbing on Mount Elbrus in three hours, 55 minutes and 58 seconds of Azau (2400 m) to the West Elbrus summit ( 5642 m).

There followed in 2007 the Dhaulagiri on the normal ( northwest ridge ) and on 2 October 2007 the K2 is the Japanese route on the northwest ridge rarely committed again. Than two-man expedition with Serguey Samoilov Never before the summit of K2 had been achieved at such a late point in the year. This climb is one doubt one of the big alpine achievements in the Karakoram.

The summit of Makalu ascended Urubko also twice: the first time in spring 2008 with Svetlana Sharipova, Boris Dedeshko and Eugeny Shutov; the second time the following winter, February 9, 2009, with Simone Moro. This was the first winter ascent of Makalu, on the previously failed many well-known mountaineer. This outstanding performance was rewarded with the Swiss Eiger Award 2009. This year he succeeded even in alpine style, the eight - mountaineers peak in the Tian Shan.

The summit of Cho Oyu, he reached in alpine style on 11 May 2009 on a new direct route through the south-east wall, together with Boris Dedeshko. According to his own statements, that was due to overhanging rock outcrops, with the necessary switch between multiple shell shoes and sport climbing slippers, the avalanche dangerous slopes and in poor weather conditions by far his most difficult and dangerous adventure in the Himalayas. He became aware of during the ascent, that under these conditions many climbers had already died. This performance was awarded the Piolet d'Or Asia 2009 and the Piolet d' Or 2010.

With the successful ascent of Cho Oyu Denis Urbko has climbed all 14 eight-thousanders than 15 climbers and eighth without the use of supplemental oxygen.

2010 was successful despite the extreme wind conditions alone made ​​the first ascent of an intersection parallel to the ridge of Mount Everest South Col (South Col, Camp 3, C3) for Lhotse main peak during an expedition with Simone Moro.

On February 2, 2011 came with the Gasherbrum II, the first winter ascent of an eight -thousand in the Karakoram, together with Simone Moro and Cory Richards. The journey to the base camp was in the helicopter, the lowest temperature was -48 ° C. This was the only successful winter ascent of an 8000m peak in this year.

On December 26, 2011 Urubko started with Simone Moro to a trial of the first winter ascent of Nanga Parbat on a new route, since the Kinshofer "Normal Route " on the spot appeared too dangerous due to the ice conditions. After building the base camp at 4200 meters on January 3, 2012 three camps still could be built up to a height of 6600 meters. As of January 27, but persistent snowfall foiled every other climb or summit attempt. On February 15, the decision was made to abort the expedition due to consistently bad weather forecasts eventually. Lowest Temperature: -41 ° C to High Camp 3, at base camp -26 ° C.

Climbing statistics

  • 1,500 ascents
  • 34 solo ascents
  • 32 ascents of the highest quality, according to CIS classification
  • 5 Six thousand ascents
  • 11 Seven thousand
  • 19 successful eight-thousand - climbing (as of July 26, 2011 )

Awards

  • Golden Piton 2011 of the magazine Climbing
  • Piolet d' Or 2010
  • Eiger Award 2009
  • Piolet d'Or Asia 2009
  • Carrier of Snow Leopard Order
  • Quadruple UIC Alpinism Champion in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan
  • Best Kazakh mountaineer 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001
  • Winners of the Kazakh speed climbing competition on Amangeldy Peak ( 3999 m) in the years 1997, 1998, 1999
  • Second places for combined sport climbing competitions ( Speed ​​and Rock Climbing ) 1998 and 1999
  • Captain of the national Kazakh climbers teams
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