Climbers say that a lot of people don't understand what real romance is, confusing it with tearfulness or whims, and only conquerors of mountains know what real romance means.
The first Azerbaijani to climb the Himalayan eight-thousanders Everest (2007) and Kanchenjunga (2011), the ICICC and UIAA Secretary (the Ice-Climbing Commission and Competition and the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation), President of the Youth Commission of the UIAA, President of the Azerbaijan Mountaineering Federation (since April 2010), Israfil Ashurly, was born on January 16th 1969.
He graduated from the Baku school, then from the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy's energy faculty, and in 1991 Ashurly set up 'Insol', a company engaged in installation and commissioning of telecommunications equipment for mobile and wired communications in Russia since 1998.
Ashurly became interested in mountaineering in 2000, when he was on an exotic tourist trekking expedition to the foot of Kanchenjunga (8586 m) in the Himalayas.
At the end of March 2007 an international expedition, organized in the framework of the Seven Summits challenge, left for Tibet. Israfil Ashurly was one of the climbers. He was one of the first to reach the summit of Everest on May 19th and hoisted the national flag of Azerbaijan on the highest point of the world, for which he was awarded the Tereggi Medal.
The team of Vestnik Kavkaza congratulates Israfil Ashurly on his birthday. They say the mountains call only those who are ready to leave earth's vanity and dissolve in height and freedom. If the mountains have called you – this is forever. Israfil, may your life be a continuous ascent, and may everyone always look at you with admiration.
