٠٠:٠٤:٥٠Mandatory credit: 00:00 - 01:14 - Pavel Klemyashov
Mountain climber Pavel Klemyashov unfurled a Russian flag with an image of Vladimir Putin at the summit of Mount Everest to mark the day of the Russian president's inauguration on May 21.
Klemyashov shared his experiences during the challenging climb on Wednesday in Moscow, while footage taken in the Himalayas on May 21 shows the climb itself, with Klemyashov holding the flag and a portrait of Putin at the world’s highest point.
The mountain climber said he arrived at the idea to dedicate the climb to the inauguration of the Russian president when he noticed that the dates of the trip coincided with the ceremony. He decided to climb the mountain with a Russian flag, to show his support for his president. However, his climbing group faced challenges along the way.
“A severe infection, one that doesn’t occur every year, swept through the base camp, where people from all over the world had gathered. Everyone was sick, everyone had a cough, fever, and a sore throat,” said Klemyashov.
The climbing date was postponed due to health considerations and the weather conditions, which meant that the process of conquering Everest took Klemyashov almost two months.
"I did my best because I felt very bad, to put it mildly. <...> I had a very strong thirst, which I had never experienced in my life. While breathing at such an altitude, the body loses a lot of moisture," Klemyashov explained. “I was very thirsty, thirstier than I have ever experienced before. Breathing at such an altitude, the body loses a lot of moisture. My overalls were covered in ice from the moisture that was released by breathing,” he added.
On one occasion, Klemyashov found himself without any water at all. "My thermos broke on the way to the summit. I don't know how, but all my water leaked into my suit through the bottom. The thermos burst, and I was left on the ascent without a drop of water. <...> My instincts kicked in, and I ate snow," he said.
Despite the challenges, Klemyashov said the trip was memorable for its breathtaking scenery. “The moon was shining so brightly that you could walk without a flashlight at such a height, as if it were a spotlight - it was very beautiful. The weather was perfect, cloudless and windless. A huge amount of stars that you can’t see from down here” he noted.
While Everest is not the first high peak that Kemyashov has conquered, he noted it was the most difficult. When he finally reached the summit, Klemyashov unfurled the Russian tricolour in pride. “I felt proud of my country, of course, like any self-respecting climber. I consider the flag of my homeland to be an essential item [for a climb]," he said.
'Proud of my country' - Russian mountain climber marks Putin's inauguration by unfurling portrait on Everest summit
Mountain climber Pavel Klemyashov unfurled a Russian flag with an image of Vladimir Putin at the summit of Mount Everest to mark the day of the Russian president's inauguration on May 21.
Klemyashov shared his experiences during the challenging climb on Wednesday in Moscow, while footage taken in the Himalayas on May 21 shows the climb itself, with Klemyashov holding the flag and a portrait of Putin at the world’s highest point.
The mountain climber said he arrived at the idea to dedicate the climb to the inauguration of the Russian president when he noticed that the dates of the trip coincided with the ceremony. He decided to climb the mountain with a Russian flag, to show his support for his president. However, his climbing group faced challenges along the way.
“A severe infection, one that doesn’t occur every year, swept through the base camp, where people from all over the world had gathered. Everyone was sick, everyone had a cough, fever, and a sore throat,” said Klemyashov.
The climbing date was postponed due to health considerations and the weather conditions, which meant that the process of conquering Everest took Klemyashov almost two months.
"I did my best because I felt very bad, to put it mildly. <...> I had a very strong thirst, which I had never experienced in my life. While breathing at such an altitude, the body loses a lot of moisture," Klemyashov explained. “I was very thirsty, thirstier than I have ever experienced before. Breathing at such an altitude, the body loses a lot of moisture. My overalls were covered in ice from the moisture that was released by breathing,” he added.
On one occasion, Klemyashov found himself without any water at all. "My thermos broke on the way to the summit. I don't know how, but all my water leaked into my suit through the bottom. The thermos burst, and I was left on the ascent without a drop of water. <...> My instincts kicked in, and I ate snow," he said.
Despite the challenges, Klemyashov said the trip was memorable for its breathtaking scenery. “The moon was shining so brightly that you could walk without a flashlight at such a height, as if it were a spotlight - it was very beautiful. The weather was perfect, cloudless and windless. A huge amount of stars that you can’t see from down here” he noted.
While Everest is not the first high peak that Kemyashov has conquered, he noted it was the most difficult. When he finally reached the summit, Klemyashov unfurled the Russian tricolour in pride. “I felt proud of my country, of course, like any self-respecting climber. I consider the flag of my homeland to be an essential item [for a climb]," he said.
Mandatory credit: 00:00 - 01:14 - Pavel Klemyashov
Mountain climber Pavel Klemyashov unfurled a Russian flag with an image of Vladimir Putin at the summit of Mount Everest to mark the day of the Russian president's inauguration on May 21.
Klemyashov shared his experiences during the challenging climb on Wednesday in Moscow, while footage taken in the Himalayas on May 21 shows the climb itself, with Klemyashov holding the flag and a portrait of Putin at the world’s highest point.
The mountain climber said he arrived at the idea to dedicate the climb to the inauguration of the Russian president when he noticed that the dates of the trip coincided with the ceremony. He decided to climb the mountain with a Russian flag, to show his support for his president. However, his climbing group faced challenges along the way.
“A severe infection, one that doesn’t occur every year, swept through the base camp, where people from all over the world had gathered. Everyone was sick, everyone had a cough, fever, and a sore throat,” said Klemyashov.
The climbing date was postponed due to health considerations and the weather conditions, which meant that the process of conquering Everest took Klemyashov almost two months.
"I did my best because I felt very bad, to put it mildly. <...> I had a very strong thirst, which I had never experienced in my life. While breathing at such an altitude, the body loses a lot of moisture," Klemyashov explained. “I was very thirsty, thirstier than I have ever experienced before. Breathing at such an altitude, the body loses a lot of moisture. My overalls were covered in ice from the moisture that was released by breathing,” he added.
On one occasion, Klemyashov found himself without any water at all. "My thermos broke on the way to the summit. I don't know how, but all my water leaked into my suit through the bottom. The thermos burst, and I was left on the ascent without a drop of water. <...> My instincts kicked in, and I ate snow," he said.
Despite the challenges, Klemyashov said the trip was memorable for its breathtaking scenery. “The moon was shining so brightly that you could walk without a flashlight at such a height, as if it were a spotlight - it was very beautiful. The weather was perfect, cloudless and windless. A huge amount of stars that you can’t see from down here” he noted.
While Everest is not the first high peak that Kemyashov has conquered, he noted it was the most difficult. When he finally reached the summit, Klemyashov unfurled the Russian tricolour in pride. “I felt proud of my country, of course, like any self-respecting climber. I consider the flag of my homeland to be an essential item [for a climb]," he said.