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luglio 15, 2016 - Toyota

Toyota EverTest Expedition: Mission Complete

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  • The big and ambitious #toyota #evertest project has been successfully completed. The project took place from April to June 2016 and gathered together the legendary #toyota #landcruiser SUVs, courageous people and the world’s highest peak, Everest.
  • The #landcruiser 200 and the #landcruiser Prado have proved yet again to be ever better cars by taking a tough road 15,250 km long, supporting the mountaineers during their hard climb and then coming back to Moscow without a single failure.
  • All alpinists in the group have managed to make the most challenging climb to the Everest and get back home safe thanks to extensive training, gradual acclimatization and the possibility to quickly get down in #toyota SUVs at the first signs of acute mountain sickness.
  • Exclusive photo and video materials collected during the project will let many people learn all about the conquest of Everest and make their own streetview “climb” to the top.
  • The diagnostics at an official #toyota service center in Moscow confirmed the expedition SUVs’ fully serviceable condition, proving the excellent quality and reliability of #toyota cars.
  • The #landcruiser 200 and the #landcruiser Prado’s trials will soon continue in new large-scale projects extending the boundaries of the #landcruiser domain.
Toyota Motor LLC - The large-scale #toyota #evertest project is complete. For three months – April, May and June 2016 – this project united brave and strong-minded mountaineers who took the challenge of the world’s highest mountain, and legendary SUVs of the #landcruiser family. The #landcruiser 200 and the #landcruiser Prado, unbeatable and designed for testing to the limits, have again proved their right to be called ever better cars, travelling a path of 15,250 kilometers in extreme road and altitude conditions, providing reliable support to the expedition during the climb and coming back to Moscow without a single failure. All the members of the united team – media project “Snob”, famous TV host Valdis Pelsh’s with the filming studio “RD Studio” and global web portal Yandex – were able to realize their ambitions, for they climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain on the Earth, and collected exclusive materials to show the world’s greatest peak to as many people as possible. And legendary #toyota Land Cruisers will be integrated in these materials and will stay in people’s minds as the best vehicles to realize their dreams.

Project Background
 Legends are told and movies are made about Everest, but nobody has ever managed to show the real climb from its bottom to the top. It was an ambitious idea of Valdis Pelsh’s and RD Studio, a company producing documentaries, to do a real-time story about real people, the fearless conquerors of the world’s greatest mountain, that gave a start to this project.
Valdis Pelsh, showman, TV and documentary host and author, says, “We began shooting a movie about the climb to Everest in spring 2015, but there was an earthquake near Everest on May 25. We had to choose between dropping the project or looking for an opportunity to undertake a second expedition. In #toyota we found like-minded people who shared our dream of conquests. After winning Toyota’s support we could worry about anything – about the Chinese not opening access to the mountain, our shooting equipment breaking down, the operators getting sick – but there was one thing we never worried about: the Land Cruisers will not fail and will get us to the final destination”.

Tatiana Halyavskaya, Director of Marketing Department, #toyota Motor Russia, says, “In #toyota we always choose projects that bring to the edge of human and vehicles capabilities. It is part of our strategy. We never intended just to pull a vehicle as high as possible – if you want you can do that even with a fridge. Our goal was to support the brave and courageous people who decided to go for their dream and conquer the world’s highest summit: to comfortably and safely deliver the climbers to the base camp, minimize any inconvenience on the way and help them to save the maximum strength for the key effort.” 

So was born the #toyota #evertest project based on a common ambitious idea and it brought together the unique peak, strong and spirited people and legendary #toyota #landcruiser SUVs.
The Cars

The expedition started 7,000 kilometers away from the Everest base camp, and it was essential to go all this way knowing full well the cars would not fail.
 Denis Provalov, speleologist, mountaineer, Guinness World Records holder, two-time Everest climber, “When they told me about the car expedition, my first reaction was, ‘How is it possible? Crossing China on a car! Before the expedition a climber must focus on the mountain, and nothing should distract them. We are going to lie in the dust and change the wheels all the time, we will never get there.’ But when I found out that we were going on Toyotas, I had no more doubts. Moreover, the cars were very comfortable for this extremely long journey.” 

Alexei Mochalov, the planner of the car expedition route, “The journey started in Ulan-Ude, Russia, and difficulties began right there as we drove through the fields and steppes to Ulan Bator. It was March, which means the roads were all dirt. We had three ice bridges on the way. But surely the Land Cruisers didn’t let us down even there.”Christina Kozlova, director of RD Studio, “All expedition members noted the comfort and spaciousness of the Land Cruisers’ interior. Each climber had loads of bags, and they all fit. We even picked up the other crews’ luggage. And I can say as a film director: the interior is so spacious that it is always easy to shoot inside the car “.

However, the cars provided reliable support not only on the way. The #toyota Land Cruisers protected the mountaineers’ lives during training climbs. The climbers totally appreciated permanent mobility and possibility to protect some team members from acute mountain sickness by coming down and having a rest below the base camp’s altitude.
 Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Peaks Club, seven-time Everest climber, “Cars in the base camp were absolutely essential. We went down four times for successful acclimatization and in previous expeditions we could do it only once. This time we could afford driving down and having a good sleep. And this is not as easy as it seems. You have to drive fifty kilometers in order to lose one kilometer of altitude.”

Christina Kozlova, director of RD Studio, “We thought we had provided for everything, but at different altitudes something always broke down. Only #toyota cars never failed, while everything – and everyone – else did. During each acclimatization round someone got sick, and the only thing that could help was descending for at least a kilometer. It is hard to explain how important it is to have an #suv at hand.”
The People

Unlike the #toyota Land Cruisers that are able to go through serious testing as they are – with the standard equipment, people – the expedition members – require rigorous training and all possible moral and physical efforts in order to climb a peak of 8 848 meters. 
 Denis Provalov, speleologist, mountaineer, Guinness World Records holder, two-time Everest climber: “You have to train a lot. Before climbing Everest you need to climb as many other mountains as possible. And still nobody can guarantee that you will reach the top, and nobody will say it is absolutely safe. You have to learn to step back and take chances.”

Since all participants received thorough training and could use timely transportation in the #event of getting sick, during the expedition all climbers stayed healthy, were able to make the most challenging climb and get back home safe.
 Marina Gevorkyan, Director General of Snob Project, a mountaineer: “This climb incredibly united all of us. When our team reached the top, I was overwhelmed. This is why people take up mountaineering. Working hard together, taking risks and feeling the support. And your teammate’s success makes you as happy as your own.”  
The Peak

We are not the first generation to wonder why young, motivated and intelligent people with successful careers go to the mountains and demonstrate bravery to do something that has never been done before. It is not the desire to look down at the world from its top or a way to prove something – it’s a challenge to oneself. And it’s up to mountains, these centuries-old giants, to decide who can climb to the top and who cannot.

Alexander Abramov, President of the 7 Peaks Club, seven-time Everest climber, “Sometimes the leader understands that a climber is not ready and prevents him from going to the top. Because the climber cannot stop on his own, especially when the top is so close. The Everest is tempting, but people have to learn to swallow their pride.”

Everybody wants to see Everest, but few dare climb it, and even fewer - get to the top.  Thanks to the #evertest project during which all members of the united team  collected exclusive photo and video materials, all details of the Everest climb are now available to a wider audience along with the opportunity make a streetview “climb” to the top on Yandex Maps web portal. 
 Konstantin Lysenko, Special Project Manager at Yandex, “Yandex has been shooting panoramic views of unusual places for a few years. We wanted to find something special, to attempt something hard to imagine. And we thought it would be cool to shoot a panoramic view from the top of the world. To let users ‘take a walk’ to the top of Mount Everest. The dream of millions that few can fulfill because of lack of money or health will soon come true for everybody on Yandex Maps.” Completion of the Project

Upon coming back to Moscow, the #toyota #landcruiser 200 and the #landcruiser Prado had a full technical diagnostics at an official #toyota dealership. Despite the most severe operating conditions at altitudes of up to 5,374 meters, the parameters of the various systems of both SUVs conform to the standards taking into account the covered mileage. There were no notes on the cars’ condition, and it only required replacing consumables.But it was not the end of trials for the legendary crossovers. The cars are ready for new achievements and will soon add them to the chronicle of their victories by taking part in new large-scale projects and extending the Land Cruisers’ boundaries. ###Notes to Editors:

CARSTires 
  • Yokohama Geolandar I/TS G073, winter studless 
Optional Equipment 
  • Thule luggage roof racks, 410 l
  • Standard set of tools for light repairs 
  • Repair kit for tubeless tires in case of a puncture
  • Spare tires
  • Shovels
  • Extra fuel cans, 40 l
  • Snow chains
  • 4 dynamic slings with clevises
EXPEDITION MEMBERS
  • Team of professional drivers
  • Valdis Pelsh’s RD Studio camera crew; Christina Kozlova, director of many documentaries, entertainment and educational programs
  • Marina Gevorkyan, Director General of Snob Project
  • Yandex team 
  • Denis Provalov, speleologist, mountaineer, high-altitude cameraman, Guinness World Records holder, two-time Everest climber
DATES OF EXPEDITION
  • March 28 – June 12
  • Pre-expedition break-in period – from March 28 to April 1
  • Official start of the expedition in Xi’an – April 4 
  • All members joining in Lhasa – April 16
  • Climbing – May 20 and 21
  • Arriving in Almaty and loading car carriers – June 12
ALTITUDE AND ACCLIMATIZATION 
  • From 200 to 5,374 m above sea level altitude differences
ROUTE
  • Length: 15,250 km

STAGE 1 
ULAN-UDE – NORTHERN EVEREST BASE CAMPCities along the route: Ulan-Ude, Kyakhta, Ulan Bator, Erenhot, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Tianshui, Lanzhou, Xining, Golmud, Nagchu, Lhasa, Sangzhuzi STAGE 2NORTHERN BASE CAMPClimbing STAGE 3NORTHERN EVEREST BASE CAMP – ALMATYCities along the route: Saga, Osh, Suusamyr, Kochkor, Karakol, Almaty DIAGNOSTICS RESULTS
Land Cruiser PradoThe diagnostics has not revealed any serious faults. Oil and the oil filter, pollen filter, ICE air filter, front and rear brake pads were changed, followed by disinfection of air-conditioning systems, wheel alignment, topping up the ICE coolant (<1 l). Complete dry cleaning of the interior and trunk.There are some minor non-critical scratches and abrasions on the body and side steps.
Land Cruiser 200The diagnostics has not revealed any serious faults. Oil and the oil filter, pollen filter, ICE air filter, front brake pads were changed, followed by processing of brake rotors, disinfection of air-conditioning systems, wheel alignment, topping up the ICE coolant (<1 l). Complete dry cleaning of the interior and trunk.There are some minor non-critical scratches on the body and side steps. The front bumper is damaged.About the Company Toyota Motor Russia LLC is the authorized importer of #toyota and Lexus cars, spare parts and accessories in the Russian Federation and Belarus. The #toyota Motor branch in St. Petersburg manufactures #toyota Camry vehicles. The president of the incorporated company is Mr. Hidenori Ozaki. The director of #toyota Motor branch in St. Petersburg is Mr. Yoshinori Matsunaga.