- Traverse of the Elbrus massif with ascent to Kyukyurtly via the South Face (route by V. Nekrasov, cat. 5B). The path from the Terskol village (group of 4 people) to the Khotyutau pass is described in route 32. From the Khotyutau pass, without descending into the Ullukam mouth, turn right and ascend the rocks of the Khotyutau saddle, then traverse the avalanche-prone glacier descending into the Ullukam mouth. Behind it, exit onto the ridge descending left into the Ullukam mouth between the avalanche-prone glacier and the Ullukam glacier. Along this simple scree ridge, descend to the left lateral moraine of the Ullukam glacier. From the Terskol village, 10–12 hours. Bivouac on the moraine. From the moraine, exit right onto the Ullukam glacier, cross it towards the leftmost buttress descending from under the southern walls of Kyukyurtly, and ascend the screes to the buttress. Then, directly upwards along the simple destroyed rocks of the buttress, alternating with screes and two 40–50-meter rock ascents, ascend under the 1st gendarme. Bypass the gendarme along the scree ledge on the left. Behind it — upwards along the simple rocks of the buttress. From under the 2nd gendarme, traverse right through couloirs (rockfall danger!) and small short rock buttresses to the Central buttress under the Central Tower of the South Face of the Kyukyurtly spur. Bivouac on the buttress platform under the wall. From the screes at the Ullukam glacier, 5–6 hours. The second variant of the approach to the Western ridge of the Kyukyurtly spur is described in route 35. From the platform, upwards along simple destroyed gentle rocks, exit under the rock ascent. Bypass the ascent with a 40-meter traverse on the left. Behind it, turn right and along a steep internal corner turning into a chimney (piton protection!), ascend to the buttress. Along the buttress, 40 m directly upwards under the South wall of the Central Tower of the Kyukyurtly spur. On the right side of the wall, along a narrow ledge 20 m upwards-left, then along another ledge 30–35 m upwards-right onto a ledge under a chimney. From the ledge, 30 m ascent up a vertical chimney with an exit from it before a cork onto a ledge. From the ledge, 20 m directly upwards along the wall, then a 5-meter traverse left and again 20 m upwards-right onto a scree ledge. Along the ledge, upwards-left onto a platform. Control tour on the platform. From the initial bivouac, 6–8 hours. From the platform, ascend along a steep 15-meter internal corner onto a ledge, from it ascend 25–30 m traverse left onto a large ledge. From the ledge, directly upwards along a 20-meter vertical internal corner. From the corner, along the wall, transition into the left chimney and along it 40 m upwards onto a platform. Bivouac on the platform. From the large ledge, 5–6 hours. From the platform, directly upwards along a 10-meter overhanging wall (artificial aids!), along a 30-meter vertical chimney, again along a 20-meter wall and a 15-meter chimney-crack, ascend onto a ledge. From the ledge, along a 20-meter smooth couloir, ascend onto a platform under a gendarme. Bypass the gendarme along a ledge on the left and behind it exit onto the ridge. Bivouac on the ridge. From the previous platform, 8–10 hours. From the bivouac site, 100 m upwards along heavily destroyed rocks and screes, then traverse through a rock couloir onto a small rock ridge and along it ascend under the wall. Along the simple and moderately difficult rocks of the wall, initially directly upwards, then left onto the ridge. From here, left and along the snowy ridge, exit onto Kyukyurtly. From the bivouac, 2–2.5 hours. From the summit, along gentle snow fields and slopes, ascend onto the Western shoulder of the massif. From Kyukyurtly, 2–2.5 hours. From the shoulder, descend onto the fields leading to Elbrus. Bivouac in a small saddle behind the shoulder. From the previous bivouac, 4–5 hours. From the saddle, along snow fields and slopes, exit under the saddle between the Western and South-Western summits of the Elbrus massif. Then, on the left side of a steep ice-snow slope between two rock outcrops, ascend onto the left side of the saddle between the summits. From the saddle, right and along a gentle snow slope, ascend onto the South-Western summit of the Elbrus massif. From the South-Western summit, descend along the ascent path onto the saddle and from it, along the snow slope, ascend onto the Western summit of the Elbrus massif. Descent from the Western summit onto the saddle, ascent onto the Eastern summit and descent from it through the saddle and the Priyut 11 into the Terskol village are described in routes 31 and 32. From the bivouac to the Terskol village, 14–16 hours. Duration of the route is 3 days. Special equipment for 4 people: main rope — 2×40 m, expendable cordelette — 3 m, rock pitons — 10–15, elongated rock pitons up to 12–15 cm — 8–10, ice pitons — 3–4, 3-step ladders — 8, rock hammers — 2, carabiners — 12–14, tent — 1. Possible bivouac sites — on all platforms of the Kyukyurtly South Face, on snow fields and slopes of the Elbrus massif. "Baksan Valley", A.F. Naumov