Who stood at the origins of the club with you? Who are they, and what role did they play in the creation of Tenir-Too?
As I mentioned earlier, the club was established in 2021 with the participation of people who were actively hiking and possessed significant experience in mountain tourism. There were about 30 individuals with varying levels of experience and technical training. Nine of them became the founders of our public association. They are Yuri Balashov, Sergey Petroshenko, Sergey Komarov, Ryskul Zhumaliev, Olga Davlenbaeva, Eliza Abykeeva, Denis Subbotin, Olga Tairova, and myself, Adilet Zhumaev. We stepped forward as the founders, and what is most remarkable is that all the founders remain active club members to this day, continuing to make a meaningful contribution to the club's development. Additionally, as I noted, around 30 people were involved from the very start as regular members. From that point on, we gradually began to expand.
Who is currently part of the club's core team: directors, coaches, and expedition leaders?
The composition of the club's board has naturally evolved over time. In recent years, proactive, energetic, and experienced individuals have stepped up. For instance, Dima Zhuikov joined the club's board last year, and today he serves as the chairman of the board. It is also important to highlight all the members who act as leaders—those who are capable and willing to lead expeditions. This includes our Head Coach Yuri Balashov, Olga Tairova, Dima Zhuikov, and myself. Everyone on this team is highly experienced, with a track record of participating in expeditions of the 3rd category of difficulty.
This represents a remarkably high level of leadership, and of course, we continuously look for and mentor new expedition leaders.
How do you choose the people you trust to lead groups? What matters more to you: technical experience, character, or something else?
Mountain tourism is a comprehensive sport, meaning it demands physical conditioning, technical proficiency, mental resilience, and leadership skills alike.
Without exception, a leader must possess a high level of competency across all core skills to execute a safe expedition. Because of this, their training follows the same path as that of regular trekkers—moving from simple to complex. Specifically, once you have proven yourself as a competent traveler, opportunities gradually open up for you to train in trip leadership. You begin by taking on the responsibility of leading basic one-day hikes, then progress to overnight trips, followed by treks featuring technical elements and non-categorized expeditions.
Only after mastering these stages do leaders transition to managing officially categorized expeditions. So, as you can see, the process moves steadily from simple to complex. At every single stage, leaders must demonstrate their ability to manage a team and work effectively with people, ultimately executing safe and beautiful expeditions.
The questions were answered by Adilet Zhumaev, Director of the Public Association "Sports Club of Mountain Tourism 'Tenir-Too'"