Peak Lenin Tragedy–Snow Leopard Down: TWC loves climbers from the former Soviet Union. They are skilled alpinists, they love to talk (and drink), and they are always doing crazy sh*t, like driving a Land Rover up Nanga Parbat (and then trying to drive it down….whoops). Three years ago a group of climbers at the Center of Mountaineering Training for Rescuers and Guides were a little bored and a little restless, and they decided to revive the grand Soviet alpine tradition of the Snow Leopards. The idea is simple: climb all the mountains in the former Soviet Union above 7,000 meters…in winter. That’s the beauty of these guys. There’s always a twist, a twist that makes the challenge more difficult, more rewarding, and simply more interesting. In the winter of 2001-2002 the new Snow Leopards pulled off a traverse of the 7010 meter Khan Tegri peak. And this winter they planned an assault on Peak Lenin, at 7134 meters. Dodging avalanche danger and overcoming illness, the 9 climbers on the expedition stood atop Peak Lenin on February 1. But on the descent–it’s so often the descent–they lost climber Daniyar Mynzhysarov in the dark. A desperate search ensued, but it was not until the late morning that his body was found at 6200 meters with apparent craniocereberal trauma (massive head wound?). The team is continuing down, carrying their dead. Unfortunately, Snow Leopards, like cats, don’t have nine lives. But TWC hopes the Snow Leopard tradition continues. It’s very Wetass and very cool….



“Lenin, you bastard, you always were a murderer…..”