(BelTA) – A Belarusian alpinist expedition has reached the peak of Muztagh Ata in Western China, BelTA has learnt.

This is the first time the Belarusians have reached this 7,546-meter-high mountain, which is listed among the world’s highest summits. Sergei Varivoda, who is in charge of the expedition, contacted the camp at the bottom of the mountain and, through a Chinese communications officer, transmitted a message to Belarus that the Belarusian flag had been mounted at the mountain peak.

The participants of the expedition are doing well. It will take over 24 hours for them to climb down, with nine kilometers of mountainous relief separating them from the camp at the bottom of the mountain. The most dangerous place is an icefall at the altitude of 5,500-6,000 meters.


The Kunlun Mountains are among the world’s 50 highest peaks. They are rated 5A on the Russian difficulty scale. The most important hampering factors are the height and unstable weather in the region. The first recorded attempt to reach the peak dates back to 1894. However, the first successful ascent of Muztagh Ata was made by a joint Soviet-Chinese expedition in 1956.

The Belarusian expedition was sponsored by the company OOO Chinese Automobiles. The information support was provided by BelTA and the Belarusian state television and radio broadcaster Belteleradiocompany.