Satbayev University presented "The Verny Peak" documentary film
On February 28, Polytech hosted a gala evening dedicated to the first showing of the documentary about the rise of the Kazakh team to the Verny Peak in summer, 2022.
The film tells about a breakthrough event in Kazakhstani mountaineering field - Kazakhstan national team’s victory in 2022 World Championship in the class of high-altitude technical climbs. The team led by Maxim Ten made the first ascent to the Verny Peak (5250 m). The team included Roman Shesternin, Leonid Krupa, Zakirzhan Abduraimov and Stanislav Laiponulo, the coaches were Artem Skopin and Vyacheslav Titov.
Verny Peak is located next to Kyzyl-Asker Peak, in the Western Kokshaal-Too ridge on the Central Tien Shan. It is often compared to Petit Drew peak - one of the most difficult peaks to climb in the Alps. The route of the highest category of complexity 6B passed along the north-western wall.
Despite the fact that the length of the route was only 1670 m, it took 7 days to complete it. Athletes had to overcome many obstacles, climbing a granite wall with a large number of overhangs, fireplaces and monolithic areas where it is difficult to reliably organize insurance. The climbers spent the night right on the steep wall on platforms, and a rock visor protected them from the stones flying from above.
It was this ascent that was marked by International Sports Mountaineering Federation (ISMA), which awarded the Kazakhstan team the first place in the World Championship.
The presentation of the film on the rise was led by an experienced journalist Galina Mulenkova, who has been writing about mountaineering for many years. After her greeting, the legendary climber, Vice-President of IFSM Asia, Secretary General of Republican Federation of Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Kazbek Valiyev and Almaty Mountaineering Federation’s President Artem Skopin held a speech.
After watching "The Verny Peak" film, the audience applauded the team of climbers for a long time, and then had the opportunity to discuss important issues related to the formation and development of the given sport with Kazbek Valiyev and the 2022 world champions. It was very interesting to hear their opinions and ideas on how to advance the mountaineering in the future.
At the end of the evening, Kazbek Valiyev presented the climbers with medals and well-deserved prizes from Mountaineering and Sport Climbing Federation of Kazakhstan, highly appreciated their achievements in sports as well.
It was not by chance that the film presentation took place within Satbayev University walls, a former Polytechnic Institute, where Kazbek Valiyev and the famous mountaineering coach Yervand Ilyinsky studied at some time in the past. In those years, University was the base of «Burevestnik" student section, which won silver medals of USSR Mountaineering Championship in 1971.
Mountaineering in Kazakhstan has a long history. In 2022, the sports world celebrated 40th anniversary of Kazakhstani mountaineering, and “Tuyuksu” Kazakh alpine camp has been in existence for 85 years. Satbayev University still supports this sport, which is traditional for Kazakhstan, and University has a section for climbers. Therefore, as part of the presentation, Memorandum of mutual cooperation was signed between Federation and University. The revival of student mountaineering will be the main goal of this collaboration.
If any of you want to try yourself in this sport, see the world from a height and find loyal comrades, we invite you to the climbing section of University that is led by Ada Molgacheva. Here you can get professional knowledge and experience from real masters, as well as make new friends and find a life's work for yourself. All opportunities are open for you!