Over the next ten years, Odintsov, with various partners, systematically ticked off one huge wall after another — Rocky Ak Su, the Troll Wall, Bhagirathi, Great Trango — culminating in 2004 with Jannu. Other Russian teams also were extremely successful during this period. Details of these ascents are unfortunately hard to come by. The Russians’ written accounts are universally understated, giving only the basic facts. It’s not in the Russian nature to wax too emotional in the official account. Over a few shots of grain alcohol — well, that’s another story.
There has only been one wall on which the Russians were denied, and the only climb to have claimed the life of a member of the Russian Big Wall Project. On July 19, 2001, the Russians were four-fifths of the way up the unclimbed 2300-meter west face of Latok III, one of the biggest walls on the planet. This was their second attempt, having reached 5800 meters the previous year. The team was clearing a bivouac platform at 6400 meters. It was a beautiful evening, with no wind and the wall bathed in warm sunshine. Igor Barikhin was about forty meters below, jumaring up a fixed line to camp. He called up to Odintsov with a nothing-special question, while hanging back on the rope to rest. Suddenly, a huge rockfall cut loose from the summit ridge. Everyone pressed to the wall as massive boulders rained down.
The chaos lasted only a few seconds, then all was quiet again. No one had cried out, but when they called to Barikhin, there was no answer. Soon they had a severed rope end in their hands. Barikhin had fallen a kilometer and a half to the bottom of the face. The Russians had at most two days of climbing between them and the summit, but Odintsov made the call to begin descending immediately. They reached the glacier two days later, never to return.
One of the things that I love about climbing is that it’s a sport with no rules, and for the most part, climbers are free to choose a style based on their skills, experience, and personal preference. The Russians often climb in excellent alpine style. Other times they mount massive expeditions.
I recognize, as many others do, that on certain Himalayan big walls, alpine style dooms the team to a token effort. I made such an effort myself on Jannu. One thing I’ve learned about the Russians is that they’re not interested in token efforts. A failure in impeccable style does not fit as comfortably into their heritage as it does into ours. For the Russians, the summit is more than a little important, and it is usually reached.

The problem with expedition style, as evidenced on Jannu and countless previous expeditions of all nationalities, is that it installs vast amounts of gear that becomes physically and psychologically difficult to strip off the mountain. Be it bad weather, illness, or accident, the factors that lead to leaving behind ropes and camps are ever present. Such ropes litter the Himalaya. Concerning the equipment left on Jannu, Odintsov offered only this explanation:
“I am as concerned about the environment as the most fervent member of the Green Party. The decision was well thought through and, as future events showed, a reasonable one. I don’t think it necessary to list those grounds. Whatever I say about this, there always appears some dogmatist who wishes to be holier than the Pope.”
Nick Totmjanin, who summitted in the second team along with Sergey Borisov and Gennady Kirievsky, was the very last person down from the summit. By email, he offered this additional information, indicating that some stripping of ropes did indeed take place:
I went down from the top last. We took down seven ropes above 7400, the portaledge of camp 7400, two ropes above 7000, tent and equipment of camp 7000, the portaledge of camp 6700, some ropes between 5600 and 7000, tent and equipment of camp 5600. We have taken downwards a maximum possible at one time.”
Totmjanin also reported that the face of Jannu already was littered with fixed ropes when the Russians got there: “There were a lot of old ropes and pitons from other expeditions up to 6500, and a broken tent of Uzbek Expedition at 6700.” If Totmjanin’s report is accurate, the Russians weren’t nearly as messy as previously reported.