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The evening of remembrance was held at Buryatenergo by the Vertical tourist club. According to a long-standing tradition, like-minded people gathered here to remember the days spent traveling and to honor the memory of those who are no longer with us: Vladimir Zharnikov, Stanislav Melnikov, Anatoly Gurulev, Nadezhda Venediktova, Vitaly Cheremisin, Viktor Alferov. For many years, Vladimir Zharnikov was the chairman of the route and qualification commission at the Republican Federation of Amateur Tourism, and was the most experienced and authoritative tourist. His word was decisive when the group was released on the route.

He was the first to teach us, newcomers, the ABCs of tourism. Power engineers owe the development of sports and tourism in the team to Stanislav Melnikov, who is proactive and full of ideas. It was he who introduced mandatory passing of the tourist standards of the GTO complex. Stanislav is also responsible for the creation of the Vertical club, which is now thirty years old.

Over the years, power engineers have laid out their routes in the Eastern Sayan and Khamar-Daban, in the labyrinths of the Barguzin and Baikal ranges, on Vitim, Tien Shan, the Kola Peninsula and Kamchatka. Anatoly Gurulev died in August 1980 on the Barguzin River. Behind him was already the Tien Shan and Altai. How long have we missed him?

Vitaly Cheremisin is a reliable travel companion, an excellent taiga resident, the first chairman of the Vertical tourist club. Unfortunately, Vitaly passed away early. Everyone who came to the club that evening could not remain calm, peering at the memorable scenes filmed by cameraman Vladimir Zharov… On the ski track, serpentine leading to the top of the mountain, Nadezhda Venediktova.

The ski trip was made to Khamar-Daban in February 1991, and she was gone the next year. He was a great-hearted man, sensitive, reliable and, of course, courageous. How she hid her incurable illness from everyone for a long time. Here are verses from her diary: “…”

If a waterfall wakes me up at night and I dream of Kita or proud Shumak, these are dreams for the happy, believe me, friends…” On the screen is another video: snow-capped peaks of mountains reaching into the sky. These are Tunkinsky loaches in the Eastern Sayan. A group of mountain climbers, having climbed the ridge, are slowly approaching the nameless peak.

The last difficult steps and… the joy of victory! Under a piercing wind, the guys installed a memorial plaque with the inscription: “The summit named after the rescuer of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia Viktor Alferov, 1960–1996.” Thanks to these desperate guys from the search and rescue service, the nameless peak gained its name. It is located near the Arshan resort, in the upper reaches of the Left Kyngarga River, at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level.

The head of the search and rescue service of Buryatia, Yuri Golius, told us about Viktor Alferov: “Viktor had golden hands and a kind soul, and he also loved the mountains. These qualities were perfect for a rescuer.” The songs that were sung with a guitar that evening sounded the memory of friends, difficult roads and the joy of victories.