SAR 8
Gran Paradiso’s glaciated summit above larch forest in the Valnontey valley.

A personal climbing plan from Helsinki: the Tour to Eight. One trek done, the Alps next, and Manaslu, 8,163 m, in 2030.

Gran Paradiso, 4,061 m.
The next climb.

Hi, I’m Artem Militonian, and this is my personal project. I have set myself a goal: to climb Manaslu, one of the fourteen mountains on Earth higher than 8,000 m. For me this is not just a journey but a challenge against the hardest opponent of my life: myself.

So here you can follow my path.

  1. Manaslu8,163 m2030Nepal
  2. Baruntse7,129 m2029Nepal
  3. Himlung Himal7,126 m2029Nepal
  4. Mera Peak6,476 m2028Nepal
  5. Island Peak6,189 m2028Nepal
  6. Lobuche East6,119 m2028Nepal
  7. Mont Blanc4,806 m2027France–Italy
  8. Matterhorn4,478 m2027Switzerland–Italy
  9. Breithorn4,164 m2027Switzerland–Italy
  10. Gran Paradiso4,061 m2027Italy
  11. Olympus2,918 m2026Greece

The Tour to Eight

Every summit at its true height, year by year. Manaslu is the first 8,000 m objective. The highest I have walked is 2,728 m, on the Zonaria path under Mytikas.

  1. 2026
  2. 2027
  3. 2028
  4. 2029
  5. 2030
  6. Beyond
    1. Annapurna / 8,091 m
    2. K2 / 8,611 m
    3. Everest / 8,849 m

  1. 2026

    First mountain

    One multi-day trek: pacing, endurance, and how the body answers long ascent days.

  2. 2027

    Alpine foundation

    A skills course, then glacier, altitude and exposed rock in the Alps.

    • Alpine skills courseCrampons, ice axe, self-arrest, glacier travel, rope-team movement, crevasse rescue, basic rope work, and moving on snow, ice and mixed ground.
    • Gran Paradiso4,061 m
    • Breithorn4,164 mOr instead of Gran Paradiso
    • Mont Blanc4,806 m
    • Matterhorn4,478 m

  3. 2028

    First 6,000 m

    Weeks between 5,000 and 6,500 m, and the fixed-rope systems of the Himalaya.

    MilestoneUnderstand how the body performs between 5,500 and 6,500 m.

  4. 2029

    First 7,000 m

    A full expedition: high camps, rotations, recovery and decisions at extreme altitude.

    MilestoneProve readiness for an 8,000 m expedition.

  5. 2030

    First 8,000 m

    Manaslu, with the whole stack behind it.

    MilestoneThe first 8,000-metre summit.

  6. Beyond

    More eight-thousanders

    Manaslu is the first 8,000 m objective, not the final destination. The tour can go on to more of the fourteen 8,000-metre peaks.

    • Everest8,849 m
    • K28,611 m
    • Annapurna8,091 m

Summits are milestones. Skills and judgment are the actual progression.