AlmaU welcomed Maksut Zhumayev!

June 12, 2018 in Almaty Management University there was a meeting with Maksut Zhumayev, who returned from the mountain.

Nearly two months ago, in AlmaU the legendary mountaineer, the AlmaU MBA listener Maksut Zhumayev was given “zhollayak” - sent to Everest Mount with the flag of the University! And the mission entrusted to Maksut was fulfilled – on May 18, after a sleepless night, at about 9 am, the flag of AlmaU was hoisted to the highest point of the planet!

The most ardent fans of mountaineering gathered in the hall, among them those who closely followed the Maksut’s itinerary on the online map of the 7summit.kz site, and who got involved with his success on the night of ascending to the mountain peak.

The mountaineer talked about changes in his life after the ascent: "Everyone pays their price for the climb (to Mount Everest). Someone - the highest and remains there forever, someone refuses such a ‘payment’, going down halfway. I paid with my energy level decrease, and I am still recovering. I'm probably now recalling this half-empty glass in my hand."

Maksut related the details of the climb. The most difficult and arduous moment of the expedition, according to him, was not at the last meters to the top, but the time in the evening at 6-7 p.m., before leaving the 4th camp. The state of the members of the expedition naturally left much to be desired (at a height of more than 8,000 meters there is a so-called "death zone" where a person begins to die slowly), but in addition, everything was complicated by the dependence on the Sherpas who carried torches, tents, oxygen, etc., and who have not yet reached the camp; the inability to eat normally (the appetite at this altitude disappears) and relax (having fallen asleep, you can just not wake up). And yet, after difficult negotiations with Sherpas who did not want to stay overnight in camp 4, the team managed to defend their positions and they climbed to Everest in full force.

While descending from the summit to the 4th camp there were other excesses. So, one of the   Maksut’s companions used all the oxygen that he had, and could not go on. Zhumayev had to give his own supply to that man and go further without oxygen: "I was going down besides the Chinese coming down in a mask, but obviously feeling unwell even with the oxygen." And I said to him: "We, Kazakhs, can go without oxygen." I could not help showing off. I think it was just some kind of euphoria that began, probably against the backdrop of mountain sickness," Maksut joked.

One of the most memorable and solemn moments of the meeting was passing the university flag, which had been on Everest, back to the University. On the colour cloth, which is now a rarity, the alpinist left his autograph: "From the top of Everest (8848), May 18, 2018, Zhumayev Maksut :)".

The AlmaU team, which went to Kathmandu to support our climber and was to meet with him in the base camp on Everest, also took part in the meeting; among them the President of AlmaU Assylbek Kozhakhmetov, Chairman of AlmaU Mountain Club Gulmira Mukhanova, the founder of AlmaU, President of the Tulen firm Tulegen Kozhakhmetov (another member of the expedition Altynbek Kozhakhmetov lives in Kaliningrad and was unable to attend the meeting).

The team of the university, who visited Nepal, talked about their trip and showed a presentation with photos and a video of ascending to the base camp. On their way, the members of the expedition were also looking for stickers with the AlmaU logo, which Maksut left on his travel line. The travelers found 7 stickers.

While the guys were searching for stickers on the outskirts of the Himalayas, the subscribers of the social networks of the university were looking for them here - in the photo reports sent by the expedition members. For subscribers in social networks, there was even organized a contest - one who calls the correct number of labels found in the comments was promised an extraordinary prize from Nepal. And the initiators of the contest kept their word. Victoriya Ibrayeva, who accurately indicated the number of the stickers, was awarded a singing bowl personally by the President of AlmaU Assylbek Kozhakhmetov.

A gift from Nepal - a calendar with views of Everest - was received by the smallest fan of Maksut from AlmaU, seven-year-old Misha Khomenko! The boy was sending messages to Maksut through the 7summit site all the way, followed his movement and even invited a famous mountaineer to visit him. And as a gift to Maksut, Misha drew a picture depicting the mountains, and the base camp, and the climbers.

The meeting with the legend of Kazakhstan mountaineering lasted 2 hours, not everybody had time to ask their questions during this time, and the conversation continued in the lobby at the buffet table.

One of the interesting and memorable moments of Zhumayev's speech was his confession that next time (that is, there will be at least one more climb to the Chomolungma of the famous mountaineer!), he plans to rise to the "roof of the world" with the first Kazakh girl, the conqueror of Everest.