Soviet climbers to visit

Press, 26 February 1987, Page 39

Soviet climbers to visit

Four Russian mountaineers will arrive in New Zealand on Saturday as part of the first exchange of climbers between the Soviet Union and New Zealand.

In July last year three New Zealand mountaineers — Gary Ball, Bill King and Colin Monteath — took part in an international climbing meet in the Soviet Pamirs, and were successful in scaling the highest peak in the Soviet Union, Pik Kommuniza (7495 m

The Soviet mountaineers — Valentin Ivanov, Vladimir Shataev, Lev Dobrovolsky,, and fury Raisky- — all

experienced climbers and have been awarded “Snow Leopard" status by the Soviet Mountaineering Sports Committee. This medal is awarded to any mountaineer who climbs the four highest mountains in the Soviet Union.

Some members of the Russian team have also climbed the difficult South Face of Mount Everest, and Mount McKinley in Alaska.

For most of their stay in New Zealand the mountaineers will be based at Mount Cook National Park, and,„will attempt to climb sejteral

peaks in the Mount Cook region. They will take part in a two-week international climbing meet at Mount, Cook, to begin on Sunday. About 30 climbers from countries throughout the world, including Japan, France, and Britain, will join New Zealand climbers at Mount Cook and attempt to climb peaks in the region.

The Soviet mountaineers will also give a slide lecture to the Canterbury Mountaineering Club on their 'successful ascent of Mount Everest in 1982. ■ They will leave New Zealand on March 20.