Travel

Climber Conquers Mysterious 'Seven Giants' Rock Formation of Siberia (PHOTOS)

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Stefan Glowacz and Uli Theinert on the way to climb a Manpupuner rock formation located north of the Ural mountains in the Troitsko-Pechorsky District, Komi Republic, Russia on February 17, 2013. (Klaus Fengler/Red Bull Content Pool)

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Stefan Glowacz and Uli Theinert on the way to climb a Manpupuner rock formation located north of the Ural mountains in the Troitsko-Pechorsky District, Komi Republic, Russia on February 17, 2013. (Klaus Fengler/Red Bull Content Pool)

Hidden in a remote area of Russia's Komi Republic, in the northern Ural mountains, the mysterious Manpupuner rock formations tower over 200 feet the northern Siberian landscape. The seven gigantic stone pillars, formed and sculpted by the weathering effects of ice and winds, are considered one of the Seven Wonders of Russia.

The pillars, called the "Seven Giants" or "Seven Strong Men," are also the stuff of legend. Locals say the stone pillars were once an entourage of Samoyeds giants walking through the mountains to Siberia, pursuing the Mansi people, according to the Russian Geographical Society. However, the men were confronted by a shaman with the white face, called Yallingner, who turned all the warriors into stones. Yallingner himself was turned into a stone, and since then, the seven formations have been standing in the area, with one facing the other six.

Undoubtedly, their remote, highly inaccessible location just below the Arctic Circle has also fueled the legends surrounding the almost-mystical rock formations. To come face-to-face with the Seven Giants, visitors need to fly to the area by helicopter or hike for miles (the nearest road is about 62 miles away) through uninhabited territories. The trek may be worth it. Intrepid explorers report of a feeling of contentedness when visiting the towers, according to Atlas Obscura.

(MORE: Climbing Canada's Frozen Helmcken Falls)

In 2013, it finally took a legend to conquer a legend when German climber and explorer Stefan Glowacz became the first man to climb the Seven Giants. As part of the Red Bull 7 Giants project, Glowacz skied for seven days to reach the site of the rock formation and spent another two days climbing the "Elder Brother," the biggest of the Seven Giants.

"It is a very unique place which is rightfully called one of the wonders of Russia," said Glowacz. "I have never seen anything like Giants before and couldn’t stop thinking about reaching those mysterious rocks, during winter when the harsh northern nature is especially beautiful."

Glowacz is one of the most successful alpinists ever with more than 30 years of climbing experience. He has conquered the most difficult climbing routes in the Alps, organized an expedition to Canada and has visited unexplored areas of Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. As he did during the 7 Giants project, Glowacz minimizes usage of technical support in most of his expeditions.

"The helicopter can take you to any place in just a few hours, but it completely destroys the whole idea of what I'm trying to reach," said Glowacz. "I call my philosophy 'Searching for the Moment'. In everyone's life there are moments that [will stay] with you forever. For me, these moments of great excitement are usually related with reaching new destinations and conquering new heights. I deliberately refuse of technical assistance — flying to the point never brings the same enjoyment as reaching the remote location by your own. Only by overcoming the difficulties, by overcoming yourself, I achieve this feeling of 'Moment'."

(MORE: Incredible Natural Rock Formations of the World)