Second SKOLKOVO Himalayan XL Track finished in Nepal

In the end of April the Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO’s students and graduates set off for a traditional expedition to Himalayas in Nepal. Within two weeks the group has covered more than 100 km, and the majority of participants have reached the height of 5800 m. The team leaders – Andrei Volkov, Dean of the SKOLKOVO business school and President of the Russian Mountaineering Federation, and Yuri Belonoschenko, Head of UralSib Asset Management, SKOLKOVO EMBA 7 student – have conquered Mera Peak (6476 m).

“I came up with the idea of such an educational module for the SKOLKOVO business school a couple of years ago. And last year we managed to conduct it for the first time. During that year the core principle of the module has not changes. I’m still sure that a person reaches true knowledge only by means of overcoming. It does not mean only physical overcoming, but it definitely giving up or overstepping something", says Andre Volkov.

The 2013 route was more complicated and less equipped than the 2012 one. Taking into account the last year experience, the decision was made to start the expedition from lower heights and ascend gradually so that the acclimatization process could run smoothly. For the same reasons the traditional route to the basic camp Mera Peak has been changed: the group has eliminated passing the Mera La (4700 m) pass, having chosen under-populated paths and covered a longer way with fewer altitude drops. On the way the participants have added new words to their personal vocabulary, such as “basic food, no menu” – there tourists are a rare occurrence.

The lack of comfortable infrastructure has been compensated with impressive beauty of nature. The trekking went through blossoming rhododendron groves, pine forests, along mountain rivers.

The sport and moral preparation of the group has proved to be sufficient for 10-12-hour daily crossings. During the first couple of days the route had been connected with constant ascents and descents, after that a continuous ascent to the settlement Kartse (5100 m) and the high-altitude camp Mera Peak (5 800m) started.

This year “Management” has been chosen as a key topic for the intellectual work during the module. As usual the participants had prepared individual reports on the issues, directly or indirectly connected with management. The majority of questions were discussed on examples and real business cases from the participants’ personal experience.

The next year’s trekking will be held as usual with the support of the Russian Mountaineering Federation and Higher Mountain School in the Lantang valley at the border with Tibet.

The programme’s partners:
Red Fox – equipment for sport and active life style;
The travel agency Royal Mountain Travel Ltd., Nepal.