FORWARD-Travel

FORWARD-travel team led by Andrey Korolev was formed in 2000, since then team made more than 10 sport journeys which are given the 6th maximum complexity rank (the 6th grade). Some of them are much more complex than routes standards for the 6th grade. Most of expeditions are held in places where people have never been before (so-called Poles of the Earth Inaccessibility).

Team leader Andrey Korolev arranged more than 70 sport journeys, is a master of sports tourism, and the champion of Russia. He is working as a teacher at Perm State University in the Tourism Department.

The team consists of experienced athletes only, strong physically and morally, they are not ordinary but outstanding people.

1. Vladislav Bazhenov.
   
2. Konstantin Kotelnikov.
   
3. Igor Mokhov.
   
4. Igor Ponomarev.
   
5. Rafael Sharafutdinov.
   
6. Alexander Rande.
   
7. Sergey Pelenev.
   
8. Natalia Safranskaya.
   
9. Andrey Elizarov.
   
10. Denis Osipov.
    
11. Igor Shirokov.
    
12. Andrey Chumakov.
    
13. Ludmila Bazhukova.
    
14. Nina Mayorova.

In 2000, they crossed the Pamirs from North to South, across the largest glaciers on the Earth: Fedchenko, Groom-Grzhimailo and Witkowskiy glaciers. It was a unique winter expedition. Moreover, people were skiing and climbing to altitudes over 6,000 m. The first attempt of a winter ascent to the peak of Revolution, 6973 m was made. No one could do such before!

In 2001, the team made the most difficult winter ski expedition to Russian and Mongolian Altai, with an ascent to the highest point of Mongolia - Nairamdal, 4374 m, using a new route, which is brought under "Classification of ascents routes of mountain peaks" now. Also the team passed a difficult mountain route in the Pamirs that summer. A few passes are given the maximum «3В» grade were covered for the first time. One of them was called "Perm".  It was also made an ascent to Lenin Peak, 7134 m.

In the summer of 2001, the team made the hiking given the 6th grade in North-Eastern Pamirs (Zaalai mountain range). A few difficult passes were covered for the first time, which altitudes are about 6,000 m. One of these passes was called «Perm». It was also made an ascent to the Lenin Peak, 7134 m.

In 2002, our team carried out a maximum 6th grade cycling expedition in the Central Tien Shan in winter, that let them win at Russian Touring Championship. In summer the team made an extensive journey in Arctic - the Polar Urals, with an ascent to the summit of Mount Konstantinov - the very first in the Urals if count from the Arctic Ocean.

In the summer of 2003, the team came through the Pamirs from West to East in hiking also given the 6th grade.

In 2004 a difficult mountain route in the North-Western Pamirs was made with an ascent on the Korjenevskaya E. peak, 7105 m.

In the winter of 2005 the team traveled on Putorana plateau, Arctic, where they made a lot of the first ascents of passes, canyons and icefalls. In summer FORWARD’s team carried out a cycling expedition, where they crossed the Kunlun, Tibet and the Trans - Himalaya from North to South. The length of this route is about 2, 5 thousand km, the average altitude is 5,000 m. Also several world records were set there: the first conquer of the altitude of 6000 meters in a bicycle tour, the first crossing of the Tibet completely from the Takla Makan desert to the Brahmaputra River, etc.

In 2006 they succeeded in breaking through to the very source of the Amazon in South America, in climbing on the top of it for the first time with altitude of 5500 m. They called it “Perm peak”. Also the team held a lot of passes in the Peruvian Andes for the first time, made the first ascent to one of the highest volcanoes in the Earth - Nevado Koropuna, 6500 m, and in Argentina in very bad weather, in record time, they climbed to the highest point of the Western and Southern hemispheres of the Earth – the Aconcagua rock, 6962 meters.

In the winter of 2007, the team accomplished some expeditions to the most hard-to-reach places of New Zealand and Australia, with climbings to many volcanoes and the highest point in Australia - Kosciusko City. In the summer they made an attempt to climb at Mount Muztagh-Ata, 7546 m, located in the Chinese Pamirs. The weather allowed rising to the altitude of 7200 m, where they did downhill skiing.

In 2008 FORWARD’s team took part at a ski Marathon in the Polar and Sub polar Urals through the Pole of Inaccessibility of the Ural Mountains, where they got over 500 km for 16 days.
In 2009 the team made a bike expedition, dedicated to the 170th anniversary of Przhevalskiy, - crossing from West to East the Central Kun-Lun and Northern Tibet. They climbed to tops of 6200 m and 6100 m for the first time, which were called Przewalskiy peak and Roborovsky peak. Also FORWARD’s team overcame about 1,500 km at the average altitude of 5,000 m.

In April - May of 2010, the team made the third Russian expedition in Greenland, where they accomplished the 6th grade ski trip, with a lot of the first ascents of peaks and passes, one of which was called «FORWARD».

In 2011, “FORWARD-TRAVEL” team on a bicycle “Forward” conquered Kilimanjaro, one of the largest extinct volcanoes in the world, which altitude above sea level accounts to 5895 m.
In August of 2011, “FORWARD-TRAVEL” is planning to carry out the 3rd bicycle expedition across Tibet.