Ascent Record

1. Category: Technical

2. Ascent Area: Central Caucasus, Adyl-Su valley

3. Peak: Volnaya Ispaniya (4200 m)

4. Route: via North-Eastern edge (B. Subartovich route), Category 5B, 2.4.34

5. Elevation Gain: — 535 m Distance: — 720 m Length of Category VI sections: — 70 m Average steepness of the main route section: — 73 degrees entire route: — 62 degrees

6. Pitons left on the route: rock — 22 pcs bolt — 3* pcs Previously driven pitons used by the team: rock — 22 pcs bolt — 3 pcs Total number of pitons used: rock — 30 pcs chocks — 40 pcs bolt — 3 pcs ice screws — 8 pcs

7. Team's climbing hours: 14 hrs / 1 day

8. Team Leader: Aleksey N. Khoroshilov, 1st class

   Team Members:

   • Kirill P. Litvinov, 1st class
   • Evgeny M. Gorshkov, 2nd class
   • Aleksey A. Kononenko, 1st class
   • Andrey V. Glen, 2nd class
   • Anna R. Samofeeva, 1st class

9. Coach: Raif A. Ravilov, CMS

10. Departure for the route: 6:00 AM, August 16, 2004 Arrival at the summit: 8:00 PM, August 16, 2004 Return to base camp: 11:00 AM, August 17, 2004

¹

General Summit Photo

Route taken by the team:

• L. Myshlyaev's route, 1959 (2.4.32)
• V. Kizel's route, 1952 (2.4.33)

Photo taken on August 13, 2004.

Team's Technical Actions

August 12, 2004. First ascent attempt was made. 250 m were covered, due to bad weather, a decision to descend was made. 150 m of rope was left on descent for subsequent ascent.

August 16, 2004. 5:30 AM. Departure from tents at Kashkatash glacier towards the route. Simultaneous movement.

6:00 AM. Reached the bergschrund, passed the previously processed section, started working on the route. First rope team: Gorshkov — Litvinov. Gorshkov leads, climbing on double rope and setting up the belay.

9:00 AM. Reached the first control cairn. No note was found, left their own.

3:30 PM. Overcame the main (wall) section of the route. Approached the location of the second control cairn. No cairn was found.

4:00 PM. Reached the snow-ice slope. First rope team: Litvinov — Gorshkov. Litvinov leads.

7:30 PM. Reached the pre-summit snow ridge, simultaneous movement of rope teams. At 8:00 PM the team was on the summit.

Descent began:

• 8:30 PM. Started descent via the Western ridge. Alternating movement of rope teams. Khoroshilov descends first, Litvinov last.
• 10:00 PM. Descended to the snow patch below the Western ridge. Due to fog, it was decided to set up a bivouac.

August 17, 2004:

• 5:30 AM. Continued descent down the snow slope. Simultaneous movement of rope teams.
• 7:00 AM. Approached the tents at Kashkatash glacier and by 1:00 PM descended to the base camp at the Djantugan campsite.

The route was completed with rope team interaction, lead climber — without a backpack. In preparation for the ascent, descriptions and consultation from PSO «Shkhelda» were used.

Footnotes

1. «Previously driven pitons» ↩