Description of the First Ascent of Peak "4020" (Peak A. Zyuzin)

1. Historical Background

Alexander Semenovich Zyuzin (1903–1970), an outstanding Soviet mountaineer, Honored Master of Sports, and one of the founders of mountaineering in Ukraine. He was a mountaineering instructor since 1934, organizer of the first student mountaineering expedition to Elbrus in 1936, founder of the "Stal" alpine camp in the Adyrsu gorge on the Central Caucasus, and head of the training department of the All-Union School of Mountaineering Instructors, Ukrainian School of Instructors, and others. Since 1937, he was the creator and first chairman of the Dnepropetrovsk regional section (federation) of mountaineering, a member of the presidiums of the All-Union and Ukrainian sections (federations) of mountaineering. In 1937, he was awarded the title of Master of Sports in mountaineering, and in 1947, he was awarded the honorary title of Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering. A.M. Zyuzin, a scientist-geodesist, is credited with the first research and mapping of many mountainous regions of the Central Caucasus, including Adyrsu, Tyutyusu, Sugan, and Tepli. In these regions, he made numerous first ascents and first passages between 1937 and 1947. In particular, in the Adyrsu-Tyutyusu region, he first conquered the peaks of Orubashi, Kenchat, Kayarta, and others, and passed new routes on Adyrsu-bashi and others. In the Sullukol gorge region, A.M. Zyuzin made the first ascents and gave names to Peak Stal (3855 m) and Termen-bashi (3950 m). To commemorate the centenary of A.M. Zyuzin's birth, the SOAB "Ullutau" together with the mountaineering expedition of the Dnepropetrovsk regional mountaineering federation decided to organize the first ascent to the peak "4020 m" in the Sullukol gorge, located between the peaks Stal and Termen, discovered by A.M. Zyuzin, and propose to name this peak "Peak Zyuzin".

2. Geographical Characteristics

Peak "4020" is located in the Central Caucasus in the Adyrsu gorge of the Elbrus region of Kabardino-Balkaria. The peak's summit rises in the western spur extending from the Sullukol massif and dividing the cirques of the Stal and Sullukol glaciers. It is located west of the peak Sullukol West (4155 m), from which it is separated by a deep saddle, which is the upper part of a large couloir descending south to the Sullukol glacier. From this saddle to the east, towards the peak Sullukol West, leads a wide, gentle snow-rock ridge. To the west of the saddle, towards Peak "4020", the character of the ridge changes dramatically. Here, it is a series of sharp rock gendarmes, the southern slopes of which are heavily destroyed, and the northern slopes carry significant snow-ice cover. Probably, the difficulty of movement along this ridge, along with the relatively simple ascent from here to the higher peaks of the Sullukol massif, was the reason why climbers have not yet made ascents in the western part of the ridge, despite the presence of a prominent pointed peak "4020".

3. Description of the Ascent

The group consisting of Master of Sports A.M. Zaydler (leader), разрядников A.B. Chichigin, L.N. Solovyova, and N.V. Yakimenko set out on the ascent from SOAB "Ullutau" around 8:00 am on July 26, 2004. July 26, 2004. Having passed down the Adyrsu gorge to the "Jailyk" base, the group began the ascent along the trail crossing the steep grassy slopes towards the middle part of the Sullukol gorge. Further ascent goes up the gorge to the terminal moraine of the Sullukol glacier, where there are camping sites near a small lake. The total ascent time from the camp to the campsite is 4-5 hours. In the second half of the day, an exit was made up the gorge for additional reconnaissance of the route (the first reconnaissance was conducted earlier). July 27, 2004. At 6:00, the group consisting of A.M. Zaydler and A.B. Chichigin went up the left (orogr.) edge of the Sullukol glacier, accompanied by a group of observers. The weather is good, clouds will gather only after lunch. About an hour later, the group approached the tongue of the hanging glacier descending from the left from the Sullukol massif and began the ascent up the large snow-scree couloir leading to the saddle of the western ridge to the left of the peak Sullukol West. Movement along the couloir (vertical drop of about 550 m, steepness 30-40°) took about 2 hours. Movement on hard morning snow with crampons, possible rockfall from the surrounding rock walls. After reaching the ridge, we move west along the snowy ridge, and then along the destroyed rocks, bypassing the first large gendarme on the left. Movement is in a rope team, complicated by the significant destruction of the rocks. After three ropes, we reach the saddle to the next gendarme, which is bypassed on the right. After a couple of ropes of rock movement, we approach a steep snowy ascent leading to the snowy "cushion" on the pre-summit of Peak "4020", above which rises the rocky obelisk of the summit. Time is 12:40, the movement from the saddle took just over three hours. The aneroid shows a height of about 4020 m above sea level. Indeed, the nearby peak Stal with a height of 3855 m is significantly lower than us. Around us is a beautiful panorama of the peaks of the Central Caucasus. We leave a note proposing to name the peak "Peak Zyuzin" in honor of the 100th anniversary of the remarkable mountaineer and our teacher. On the return journey along the ridge, we secure a memorial plaque in memory of A.S. Zyuzin on a rocky boulder, which we had marked during the ascent, and build a memorial cairn with a note nearby. The descent to the campsite was completed around 18:00, and while moving along the couloir, we had to dodge rocks falling from the sun-heated rocks. July 28, 2004. The group returned to SOAB "Ullutau" by 12:00.

4. Results

The group made the first ascent to the peak "4020" ("Peak Zyuzin") in the western ridge of the Sullukol massif in the Adyrsu region. A logical and probably the simplest route to the summit from the south from the Sullukol glacier was traversed. The group evaluates the route as 2A category of difficulty. Recommendations:

We recommend as early an exit as possible from the campsite due to the danger of rockfall in the couloir.
Group members should wear helmets.
Crampons are recommended.

Participants of the ascent: A.M. Zaydler A.B. Chichigin

Observers: L.N. Solovyova N.V. Yakimenko

August 1, 2004.

Conclusion of SOAB "Ullutau": The training department petitions for the inclusion of Peak 4020 in the classification as 2A category of difficulty and assigning it the name "A. Zyuzin"; and states that this region will be promising for climbers of NP-2, where climbers from Moscow have also made a number of first ascents of 2-3 category of difficulty, and climbers from Cherepovets, Severstal, 2B-3A category of difficulty.

Head of the training department, Honorary Master of Sports Yu.I. Porokhnya August 3, 2004.