Meanings of life revealed at the striving’s cutting edge

Valery Babanov
international certified IFMGA mountain guide
professional climber
  • 6
    ascents of the eight-thousandth peaks
  • 43
    years of experience
  • > 600
    overcome routes
  • 2
    Golden Ice Axes



Meanings of life revealed at the striving’s cutting edge

Valery Babanov
international certified IFMGA mountain guide
professional climber
  • 6
    ascents of the eight-thousandth peaks
  • 43
    years of experience
  • > 600
    overcome routes
  • 2
    Golden Ice Axes

Valery Babanov

Climber, professional IFMGA mountain guide

Valery Babanov is a master of sports of international class.
He has been involved in mountaineering and rock climbing since 1980.

During his career he has made more than 600 ascents.
More than 300 of them were of the 5th-6th category in a team and in twos. Eight times he climbed the seven-thousanders of Pamir and Tien Shan. Two ascents were made in high-speed style "from camp to camp" in one day.
from camp to camp" in one day (Korzhenevskaya Peak - 7103 m, Lenin Peak - 7134 m).

Climbed six peaks exceeding 8000 meters.
On five of them - without using additional, artificial oxygen.

Among the notable ones: ascents of Broad Peak (8047 meters)
and Gasherbrum 1 (8068 meters), on new routes and in alpine style.
He also climbed about 45 long routes of the highest category of difficulty in the Pamir Mountains, Tien Shan and abroad (Alps, Yosemite, Alaska, Himalayas) in summer and winter conditions in solo style. Some of them were first ascents.
  • Graduated from the ENSA French Guide School in Chamonix in 2002.
    International Diploma of Professional Guide
Valery Babanov, Russian with two Golden Ice Axes 1/3
Remarkable pages of biography recorded by Denis Ducrot

He was born in Siberia, in Omsk, "a city where you can dream of Chamonix but not earn enough to get there".
Valery Babanov is a mountaineer who emerged from the post-Soviet chaos to find freedom with
the power of an ice axe - the freedom to climb in the Alps and the Himalayas.
As the author of dazzlingly daring solo ascents, for the first time, in the Himalayas, he was one of the Greatest Climbers of the 2000s.
Valery Babanov sacrificed everything for his passion for the mountains, except his life, when he decided to stop Himalayanism.
In the Biographie dedicated to him, Denis Ducrot paints a sensitive portrait of a man, derided by
some as a "little Russian," who won two Golden Ice Axes and then found in himself the key to becoming a peaceful man.
Here is the first excerpt from this fascinating biography, just published in Editions du Mont-Blanc:
In 1998, Valery Babanov and his companion, Yuri Koshelenko, were the first to encounter the Western Wall of Petit Drew after its collapse the previous year.
Individual and
group tours
Experience in leading tours since 1990

Valery Babanov has extensive experience in organizing, conducting climbs and expeditions in the Himalayas, the Alps, Alaska, Canada,
as well as in the mountains: Caucasus, Pamir, Tien Shan, Altai.

The guide also offers individual and group skiing lessons
on the slopes and off-piste skiing, teaches how to move in the mountains on any form of mountain terrain.
And for those who like novelties and are friends with water, in summer Valery organizes and conducts canyoning - rappelling down waterfalls, river canyons in a wetsuit with a rope.

Services

Available today

Summer
In a group and individually
Summer
In a group and individually
Summer/Winter
Expedition
Winter
In a group and individually
Winter
In a group and individually
Winter
In a group and individually
Winter
In a group and individually

Available soon

Winter
Alpinism
Ascents
In a group and individually
Summer
Difficult acsents
In a group and individually
Summer
Trekking around Mont Blanc
Single and multi-day tours
Summer/Winter
Expeditions
Nepal, Himalayas
Summer/Winter
Expeditions
Elbrus, Russia

Ascents

Mt. Free Korea Solo
1993
r. "Barbera", North face. "Barber" route. Tien-Shan
5 dif.grade
Mt. Admiralteys Solo
1994
Mt. Admiralteys. Bashkirov route. Pamir-Alay
6 dif. grade
Mt. Petit Drew Solo 3754
1995
West face. "American directissima" route. French Alps
ED+, 6а, А3. 1000 m
Mt. El Capitan Solo
1996
"Zodiac" route. California. North America
VI, 5.10а, А3+, 750 m
Mt. Washington Column Solo
1996
"The Prow" route. California. North America
V, 5.10a, A2, 500 m
Grande Jorasess Solo 4208
1996
French Alps
Route: "Colton/McEntire", North Face
ED3. 1100 m
Mt. Lhotse 8516
1997
Himalayas
Mt. Petit Dru 3754
1998
French Alps
West face. New route "Lena". Winter. With a partner.
ED+, 6а, А3. 1000 m
Grande Jorasess Solo 4208
1999
French Alps
New route: "Eldorado" 1200 m
ED+ (6в), А3/А4, 90гр. 1100 m

Mt.Barille 2332

1999
Alaska
"Forever more" route, Northeast wall
ED, VI, 5.10а, А3, 900 m

Mt. Kangtega Solo 6799

2000
Himalayas
North face. New route.
ED+(5C/6A, A2/A3, M6, 80°, 1.200 m)

peak Meru Solo 6310

2001
Himalayas
First ascent
Mt.Nuptse East Solo 7804
2003
Himalayas
South East pillar. With a partner. Himalaya. "Moonlight sonata" route. ЕD+(6b, M5, A3, 90*, 2500 m.)
Mt. Mc Kinley 6200
2005
Alaska
New route: "Infinity Direct", Southwest Face, with a partner, 4700m; Alaska Difficulty Category: 5
Mt. Chomo Lonzo North Solo 7200
2006
Himalayas
West face. New route: "The Little Prince". In alpine style, without going to the top.
TD+(1100m, M4+)
Mt. Jannu 7710
2007
West pillar. New route. With a partner, in alpine style
ED / VI / WI+4 / 80 гр. / M5 / (6 gr.)
Mt. Dhaulagiri 8167
2008
Himalayas
In twos, alpine style
Northeast ridge

Mt. Broad Peak 8051

2008
Karakoram, Pakistan
In twos, alpine style
New route: Central buttress of the Western Wall. VI, WI5, M6
Mt. Gasherbrum I 8080
2008
Karakoram, Pakistan
In twos, alpine style
New route: Southwest Face
Mt. Annapurna I 8091
2009
Nepal Himalayas. An attempt, the Western Wall. A new route.
In twos, in alpine style.
Mt. Makalu 8485
2023
Nepal Himalayas
In team, classic style
Classic route (French)
Mt. Manaslu 8163
2023
Without supplemental O2.
In twos. Classic route (Japanese)
Awards
Gallery
Contacts
+33 6 70 54 72 30
val.babanov@gmail.com
France, Chamonix
Made on
Tilda