Second Secretary of the information, social, and cultural division of the Indonesian embassy in Moscow Enjay Diana told ANTARA`s London correspondent on Sunday that with an exceptionally high spirit, only relying on their right feet and a cane, one of the climbers Sabar had promised himself to reach the peak of Mt Elbrus.
Enjay Diana another member said she wished to fly the Red and White Indonesian flag at the peak on the 66th anniversary of Indonesian Independence Day on August 17, 2011, not only to introduce Indonesia to the rest of the world, and to get to know the Elbrus National Park.
In a meeting with the Indonesian climbers team, the ad interim Charge d`Affaires (KUAI) at the Indonesian embassy in Moscow Political Counselor Nugroho Setyadie hoped for success of the Indonesian climbers. "The extremely high spirit of the Indonesian climbers needs to be supported,", he said.
In the meantime, Chief Editor of RMOL Teguh Santosa also in the company of the Merdeka Expedition Team said that the climb was also aimed at flying the Indonesian flag on the Elbrus peak on August 17.
In preparing the climb in stages, the team members were on August 12 already at the Emanuel Glade base camp (2,580 mdpl) to adjust themselves to the local climate.
To cover 120 kilometers to reach the base camp from Pyatigorsk in Stavropolsky Krai was not at all easy.
The distance had to be covered in 5 hours on special vehicle like jeeps, because of the many steep and hilly roads with deep ravines.
Before starting the first stage of the climb the on August 13 all the members of the team sang the Indonesia Raya national anthem and conduct joint prayers.
Counselor M. Aji Surya accompanied the team up to the base camp and handed over the Indonesian flag to climbers to fly it at the peak when they have reached a height 38,000 meters and return to the base cap to spend the night.
To day the climbers returned to a height of 3,800 meters in the second stage and spend the night and on August 15 proceed to a height of 4,800 meters, the third stage of the climb and then return to the base camp at a height of 3,800 meters to spend the night.
In the meantime, on August 16 the team return to a height of 4,800 meters, the fourth stage, and spend the night. Then in the small hours of August 17 they planned to conduct a summit attack to reach the peak at 5,642 meters, the last stage of the climb.
Success of the climb of Mt Elbrus always covered with snow depends on the constantly changing weather. Many hoped the weather would support the Indonesian climbers to reach the peak. "Just wait from my report from the Elbrus peak", said one of the climbers in the first stage of the adventure.
In the last few years many Indonesian climbers succeeded in reaching the peak and flew the Indonesian flag. But one interesting thing and Indonesia`s pride in the current climb of the Indonesian team is that some of the members are physically handicapped.
If they succeed, they will be the first in the world to climb the mountain and defeated Elbrus by way of the recently opened northern slope. The physically handicapped climbers who will reach the peak of Elbrus by way of a different slope, was different from that by Vladimir Krupennikov ((parylized) from Russia in 1997, Yakov London (laralyzed from Russia in 2001, and Erik Weihenmayer (blind) from the United States in 2002.
(Uu.H-NG/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
