Faberlic's Director from Volgograd spent his spring vacation in Himalayas, reached the mountain peak 5,480 meters high, and lived two weeks with ice, stones and mountain admirers all around. 29-year-old Alexander Samoilenko believes that this was his best vacation ever.

We met Alexander in Moscow to ask him about the ways to combine career and adventure sport, reasons for climbing high and changes that mountains make in people.

– What was the most important thing for you on the journey?

– I had a clear target – to reach Everest base camp (5,364 meters). In addition to that, there was Gokyo Ri mountain and lakes on the way to it. Climbing Gokyo Ri was the best experience from my point of view, while the base camp did not produce any strong impression.

– It’s a too popular place, probably?

– Yes, there were a lot of people going together with us and from the opposite direction. After the turn to Gokyo Ri, some sections were absolutely empty. Just mountains and silence. This route is hardly used at this time of the year. It’s a great opportunity to feel the nature and solitude. The way to the camp took us 12 days, while the quick descend back lasted two days only. I was descending with a feeling of a duty fulfilled, extreme calmness, and a great desire to take photos!

– You mean, confidence in yourself and common success?

– Of course. We overcame all difficulties and saw beautiful places. But together with that, we really craved for warmness – not like in a sleeping bag, but real. We really wanted to get warm!

– Are you planning any new ascent?

– If we manage to get together in the same group, next year it will be Kilimanjaro or Mont Blanc. After this journey, when I saw Everest for the first time, I’m looking forward to climb it. In the past there were some doubts because of the risk, but now I definitely know what I am looking for.

Two years ago, Alexander climbed Elbrus (5,642 meters), but this time he decided to conquer one of the Himalayan five-thousands, Gokyo Ri (5,483 meters) and reach Everest’s southern base camp (5,364 meters) that is the starting point of the journey to the highest mountain peak on the Earth.

– The more often you climb the mountains, the more complicated your routes are, the more you get used to it, develop a taste for the risk. Do you agree with this statement?

– I don't think in the same way about the risk, but it is true that mountains are easy to fall in love with. And this was exactly the thing that happened with me. Mountains are some kind of relaxation for me now.

– Why did you decide to take Faberlic flag with you?

– The reason is simple – none of the Directors have ever visited Nepal! I’ve made a photo for our team and it gives encouragement to many people. Besides, there was a representative of the other direct sale company in our group. We are friends and communicate with each other regularly, but there’s some kind of competition between us.

– In fact, sport and business achievements have a lot in common, right?

– I've noticed that when in the mountains, people behave the same way they do it in business. But it is far more obvious on the top, because there is nothing else to look at, except for people and mountains. Someone leads the ways, the others follow. There are team players and individualists. Both in business and mountains it is extremely difficult to do something on your own. Our ascend was successful only because we were always acting as a group. It may seem that your situation is the most difficult one, but you continue moving, because all members of the group have a common target.

The mountains reveal everything a person is capable of. Halfway to the base camp, our group split up – some persons went back, the others continued climbing, but we spent some time for discussion before that. Those who decided to go back tried to convince us to do the same, because it was risky to move further. By the way, there was one more businessman in our group and I remember him saying: “This is not the way to do it. If anyone of my staff was behaving like this, I’d fire them”. Proceeding to completion is a leadership quality. If you decide to do something and establish a target for yourself, you ought to reach it.

– But there are many things that matter: weather, state of health, unforeseen circumstances… It is not enough just to move further – you should always assess the situation properly.

– Exactly! But if there’s no serious threat, the feeling of tiredness is not the reason to turn all other people back. This rule works in everyday life too. For instance, Faberlic Representatives often get refusals (motivated or not): no, no, and no – every day! But two, three, or even ten refusals do not mean that you’ll never succeed.

– How is it possible to combine business with sport or any other time-consuming hobby? Especially if you have to manage other people, that is to control, guide and assist them?

– Any outdoor activity or sport boosts you with energy, improves your self-organization qualities and keeps you up. Climbing the mountain was a high physical load, but I’ve got a feeling that I took a good break for one year ahead. I was literally recharged! So all costs, whether in terms of time or money, are sure to pay back. After such a journey you start viewing some things in a new way. You know, the world seems different when you should pay 4 dollars for one liter of water.

– Do you now have a different view of your colleagues and business in general?

– Probably. After the journey, I came to understand the importance of planning. When in the mountains, you need to get up at a certain time, act accurately and always follow the time schedule, because it is critical not only for the successful outcome of the whole trip, but also for your health and life. I saw once again that planning should be consistent and gradual: there are some minor goals, but if you ignore them, there’s a risk that you fail to achieve the global target. I am sure that interim goals should be split up rather than joined together in a business environment. There’s no need to do everything at a time.

– Slowly but surely?

– Yes. Apart from minor targets, there should be a global one. It always seems to be within the reach, but in fact, you need to go a long way to achieve it.

– Just like Everest?

– That’s true. Just like Everest.

Text: Anna Laznik

8 Element Sport fragrance accompanied Alexander in his hard journey.