259. Sarykol — Mestia

(the route is combined, by D. Gudkov, category 2A, fig. 18, 29). The path from the Ullutau alpine camp (group of 4-8 people) to the Mestia saddle with an initial bivouac on the plateau or in the Adyrsu hut is described in route 247.

At the Mestia saddle, turn left and along the snowy plateau (closed crevices) approach the right (southern) slopes of the Western ridge of Sarykol peak, bypassing the lower gendarmes. From the plateau:

• along a gently sloping wide snowy slope,
• then along the talus and easy rocks of the wide couloir on the right side of the Western ridge ("live" stones)

ascent to the saddle of the Western ridge to the right and above the Big gendarme. On the saddle, turn right and along the snow-covered easy, местами simple rocks of the long gentle saddle of the Western ridge approach the summit ascent. From here:

• along a gently sloping ice-snow couloir,
• further along simple ruined rocks of the ascent

ascend to the summit of Sarykol.

From the plateau of the circus, 1.5-2 hours. On the summit of Sarykol, turn right, then a short descent along a simple ridge in the direction of Mestia peak. Further along a simple sharp destroyed rocky ridge approach the I gendarme. Along rocks of medium difficulty of the 40-50-meter wall, ascent (insurance with a rope) to the I gendarme. Along a heavily destroyed, местами sharp simple easy ridge with numerous gendarmes descend to the ridge. From the ridge, along simple rocks, ascent, then along a simple destroyed rocky ridge with several short ice-snow ridges (cornices) ascend to the summit of Mestia.

From the summit of Sarykol, 4-5 hours.