Alexander Agafonov

Alexander Alexandrovich Agafonov ("San Sanych") — Master of Sports of the USSR in Mountaineering, 1st-category instructor-methodologist. He began as a self-taught rock climber (with his friends), and by the age of 16 he had earned the 1st rank in rock climbing. During his military service, with the team of the Sports Club of the Ural Military District, he made numerous ascents, including Engels Peak (6,510 m) – 2nd place in the Armed Forces of the USSR Championship. In 1989 – Bitkaya Peak (5,986 m), 1st place in the USSR Championship. In 1991 he became captain of the Kyrgyzstan mountaineering team at the USSR Championship, which made an ascent of Svobodnaya Koreya Peak (4,777 m) via the north face and took 3rd place in the championship.

In 1994 – head of the training section of the Pamir Mountaineering Camp (Lenin Peak). In 2012 – senior coach of the School of Instructors in Ala-Archa. From 1993 to 2016 he led a mountaineering circle at the Children's Creativity Centre in Bishkek. He has 20 ascents of Lenin Peak (7,134 m), two each of Khan Tengri (6,995 m), Pobeda (7,439 m), and Communism (Somoni) (7,495 m). On Svobodnaya Koreya Peak he has two first-ascent routes (5A and 5B).