EverestHistory.com:  Constantin Lacatusu

Constantin LACATUSU is the president of The Romanian Mountain Club was born in Piatra Neamt, Romania He complete his Seven summits on December 10, 2001 (Vinson). Make sure you read his climbing resume after his Seven summits list !

His Seven Summits list:

1) ELBRUS/5642m/:    1990, July: East Peak: Romanian team, summit with Ted Tomov (Romania)    1993, June 27: West Peak: only 3 hrs 50min from Priut reffuge; Romanian team (Viorel Tofan, Aurelian Vivirschi,  Lucian Mihai, Daniel Duta,  Lucian Constantinescu, Sorin Baciu)

2) KILIMANJARO/6960m/: 1995, February 4: Marangu route, 2 days (12 hrs.of climbing), with  S.Baciu (RO)

3) EVEREST/8848m/:  1995, May 17: North Col-North Ridge-NE Ridge, summit reached at 13.45 Nepali   time, alone from first step, oxygen used from top camp  (8250m) to the bottom of 2nd step  (8650m) on the way up; international expedition led by Russel Brice (N. Zealand);   *1994: we reached 8100m on a new route, NNE Face.

4) ACONCAGUA/6960m/: 1996, February 16: Normal route from Plaza de Mulas, summit with Oliver Batar (Romania);  2 men 7 days expedition.

5) McKinley/6194m/: 1997, June 4: West Butress route, summit with Cornel Galescu (Romania);  Romanian 8 days expedition.

6) CARSTENSZ-PYRAMID/4884m/:  2000, April 25: East Ridge route, team and summit with Joby Ogwyn (USA).

7) VINSON/4897m/:  2001, December 10: normal route, teamed with Michael Hodges (USA); summit day: left Camp 3 the last (2 hrs. after before the last one), arrived  summit   the 1st, waiting half an hour for my friend BERNARD VOYER (Canada), 4 meters below  the summit, to make last steps together !

-  INTERNATIONAL CLIMBING BACKGROUND

(selected ascents)

1990 --- CAUCASUS : Elbrus East (5633m), Ushba-North summit (4700m)- one of the most difficult4000m-s in the world, Pic Sciurovski  (4259m), Chatin-Tau W (4200m);

--- SAXON SWITZERLAND (Germany, Elbsandsteingebirge): Difficult rock climbing routes (6-8) ;

1991 --- CAUCASUS : Donguz Orun (4468m) –first Romanian ascent, solo, 3 days, Ullu  Tau W  (4200m);

1992 --- HIMALAYA-KARAKORUM (Pakistan):  Broad Peak (8047m), August 2  – first Romanian 8000m ascent, the only ascent of Broad Peak in 1992: a mixed group of 1 Romanian, 2 Americans and 3 Spaniards out of 70 different alpinists from 14 countries (10 different expeditions);                 

1993 --- CAUCASUS : Nakra (4451m) – first Romanian ascent, Keishi (3702m) – first Romanian ascent, Nakra – 

Donguz Orun Traverse (7 days) – national first, Elbrus W (5642m)- The “Roof of Europe” 3hrs50’, Pic Sciurovski (4259m)- The North Wall / Herghiani route (TD+, 3 days)  – first Romanian ascent;

1994 --- HIMALAYA : Everest (8848m) – 8100m on a new route on the NNE Face (Tibet); several rescue actions for some climbers in trouble from Canada, US, Italy, New Zealand.   International team including world famous woman high altitude climber Chantal Mauduit (France);   “Fair-Play Trophy”(awarded by the Romanian Olimpic Committee );

---SWISS ALPS: Monte Rosa (4634m) –  the highest Swiss summit, first Romanian team ascent;  Breithorn (4160m) – NW Wall / Welzenbach route (TD+, 2 days)- first Romanian ascent,  Matterhorn (4478m) and Rimpfischhorn (4199m) – first Romanian ascent;

1995 ---AFRICA :  Mount Kenya /  Batian (5199m) – 2-nd highest in Africa, - first Romanian ascent, Point Lenana (4985m), Kilimanjaro (5895m)-The “Roof of Africa” – 2-nd Romanian ascent in a record time (2 days, 12hs effect.);

---HIMALAYA : Everest (8848m) – “The Roof of the World”, North side (North Ridge/NE Ridge) – first Romanian atop Mount Everest (17th of May), International team  (Romania, N. Zealand, France, Canada, Finland,  Nepal); Emerit Master of Sport (Romanian Youth and Sport Ministery); expedition led by Russell Brice (NZ) included Alison Hargreaves;

1996 ---CORDILLERA DE LOS ANDES (Argentina): Aconcagua(6985m)–“The Roof of South America” and Cerro Cuerno (5462m) / SW Face (TD) – first Romanian ascent;

---HIMALAYA (Nepal) : Dhaulagiri (8167m) – the world’s 7-th highest mountain, NE Ridge. leader of a Romanian expedition , first ever to climb over 7500m; altitude reached=7850m; all high camps destroyed by 2 weeks storm. 

1997 ---SCOTLAND :  International Winter Climbing Meet organized by the British Mountaineering Council and the Scottish Sports Council; representatives of 26 countries all over the world; difficult mixed climbs on ice/rock/snow together with British climbers; conferences and symposium focused on mountain environment, adventure tourism and international mountaineering;

---ALASKA (USA) : McKinley=Denali (6194m), “The Roof of North America”, first Romanian team ascent in only 8 days from base camp /2200m to the top /6194m in severe arctic conditions;  3 days blocked at 11,000 ft camp. 

1998 --HIMALAYA (Tibet): Cho-Oyu (8201m) – the first Romanian attempt on a new variant of the world’s 6-th highest peak; altitude reached=7500m  in bad, deteriorating weather (C.Lacatusu & Cornel Galescu);

--FRENCH ALPS / CHAMONIX-MONT BLANC: International Stage for Mountain Leaders organized by French Federation of Mountain and Climbing (FFME) and world famous National School of Ski and Alpinism (ENSA, France); rock and ice ascents in Mont Blanc area;  Certificate of International Mountaineering Instructor;

--HIMALAYA (Tibet): Cho-Oyu (8201m) –SOLO- the first Romanian successful self-supported 8000m expedition, first Romanian ascent of the mountain, the fastest Cho-Oyu ascent of the year in only 11 days since arriving in Base Camp (5500m) to the top (24th of September);

1999 --HIMALAYA  (Nepal): Dhaulagiri (8167m), autumn season – International team  (11 members from 5 countries of 3 continents); successful expedition on the “Mountain of Storms”; in bad weather, Lacatusu reached the NE peak (8140m) of the summit ridge, alone;  2 other team mates made it to the summit a day before, then weather has changed dramatically; expedition led by Gary Pfisterer (US), fellow team member Ginette Harrison killed in avalanche 2 weeks later; 

2000 --FRENCH ALPS – International Winter Ice Fall Climbing Meet in Les Ecrins National Park; Member of the “Access & Conservation” commission of the UIAA  (International Union of Alpinism Associations);

--NEW GUINEEA / IRIAN JAYA (Indonezia): Carstensz Pyramid (4884m) – “The Roof of Australia-Oceania”, first

Romanian ascent, very difficult route (East Ridge/Messner line, probably first repeat, C. Lacatusu & Joby Ogwyn-USA). 

2001 --ANTARCTICA – Mount Vinson (4897m);  15 days on the White Continent.  Summit reached on December, 10th. Last step of the Seven Highest  Continental Summits project. 

Altitech2: Digital Altimeter, Barometer, Compass and Thermometer. Time/Date/Alarms. Chronograph with 24 hour working range. Timer with stop, repeat and up function. Rotating Bezel. Leveling bubble. Carabiner latch. E.L. 3 second backlight. Water resistant. 4" x 2-1/4" x 3/4" 2 oz. Requires 1 CR2032 battery. See more here.

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