Rob DesLauriers  John Falkiner  Frederik Jacobi  Kit Katzenbach  Ace Kvale  Kasha Rigby  Scot Schmidt  Jim Zellers

Rob DesLauriers

Hear Rob's Call

We're just sitting around and we're in a little bit of bliss, but we're also singing a little bit of the blues because every good trip has to come to and end, and it's sad to see this one go.

Great friends, great music, great mountain, great people — the Russian people are so kind for helping us along our journey the whole way, and it's a hard adjustment, actually going from the bliss of the mountains to civilization again, but we take the highs of the mountains with us and we'll try never to forget that.

And then regarding the bottleneck route on the north face, it was all black ice at this time of year, and rumor has it it has been skiable in perhaps August, but it's never been skied. But it was absolutely impossible and a very technical climb this time of year. It's a very, very long descent, that one, it's probably 4,000 vertical feet, maybe even a little more of very steep routes. No one should seriously consider it, in any form. To ski it, at this point, would be all rappels.

That is that. We'll make the transformation gracefully. Thanks to everyone at Mountain Zone for your support and to everyone who checked in with us to follow the journey. It's been great for us and hope you all enjoyed it, and we look forward to another one again in the future. So here's Jim Zellers doing his thing, with support of Freddie:

Jim Zellers
Freddy Jacobi

MT. BELUKHA BLUES
Vocals: John Falkiner
Guitars: Jim Zellers and Freddy Jacobi

Whoa, well Mt. Belukha...it's so...high....mmmmmn. 
Well the Belukha is a mountain 
It is all white 
Belukha takes us higher 
And we walk all through the night 
Oh....  yea 
Mmmmmn, thank you, thank you, thank you 
Oh Belukha, for letting us get on... now.
 

Okay we love you all, we love each other. Altai party signing off. Bye.

— Rob DesLauriers and friends, Mountain Zone Correspondents

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