Vitaly Mikhailovich Abalakov

Vitaly Mikhailovich was a Soviet mountaineer, Honored Master of Mountaineering (1934), Honored Master of Sports (1940), Honored Coach of the USSR (1961), and a design engineer. He led the first Soviet ascents of Lenin Peak (Pamir, 7134 m) in 1934 and Victory Peak (Tien Shan, 7439 m) in 1956. The Spartak team led by him (Moscow) was the USSR mountaineering champion 12 times. He was also a bronze medalist at the USSR Alpine Skiing Championship.

He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology. Mendeleeva, a mechanical engineer. Back in his student years, Vitaly began organizing expeditions to high-altitude areas (Altai, Sayan Mountains). In 1931, when Vitaly and his wife Valentina Cheredova and brother Evgeny first came to the Caucasus, they were the first Soviet climbers to traverse the peaks of Dykhtau - Misses-tau – an exceptional ascent at that time.

After graduating from the institute, in 1931-1932, Vitaly went to the Central Caucasus, where he made a number of serious Soviet ascents. And in 1936, while descending from the top of Khan Tengri, the expedition of the All-Union Central Committee was caught in a severe storm; as a result of frostbite, Vitaly Mikhailovich had 13 fingers amputated. In this regard, from 1937 to 1945, he was mainly engaged in teaching, design and research work, while at the same time conducting rigorous training.

From the time of the war until his retirement, he worked at the Central Research Institute of Physical Culture (TSNIIFK) and the Central Laboratory of Sports Equipment (CLSI), which was later transformed into the All-Union Institute of Sports and Tourism Products (VISTI). He was engaged in the development and construction of sports equipment and devices. He is the author of the first Soviet climbing equipment, which is called "Abalakovskoe". He has developed a number of insurance techniques and techniques in the mountains. He is the author of about 100 devices used for an objective assessment of the athletes' training process. The gymnastic equipment used by gymnasts at the 1980 Moscow Olympics was created by V. Abalakov.