G. Agranovsky + 3 (19747)

14/VII. Gerka woke me up. Bouillon, tomatoes, and tea in the hall. We saw G. Solovyov, B. Talanov, and Lusya Agranovskaya off. We accompanied them to the outskirts. Clear and cool. Good mood. 5 am. On the trail, various memories come to mind…

Under the glacier between І and П Zapadnaya - tea time. We leave at 10:30. At 1 pm - on the plateau under the route. Camp and plenty of food.

The further path (Ovcharov V., 40 c.t.) to І Zapadnaya goes:

• across the plateau to a steep and wide avalanche slope located on the left side of the Northern wall of Shkhelda Zapadnaya peak;
• up the steep snowy slope of the avalanche (falling rocks!) bypass the crevice on the right and move up along the wall rocks to the stream;
• 8–10 m up the "ram's foreheads" along the stream;
• then 30–40 m across rocks of medium difficulty to the right onto a small site…

We clearly see Ovcharov's path but prefer to exit to the northern counterfort of І Zapadnaya. On the right, through a wide snow-ice couloir. We don't have crampons (they are on the Ushba plateau), but it's worth trying the slope. The snow is dense. Steps are beaten perfectly - and in an hour Valentin and I reach the ridge. We'll go here tomorrow! We return to the tent where German and Alik are waiting for us. Tea. And here's the first night in a four-person sleeping bag - surprisingly spacious.

15/VII. We leave at 5:00. Valentin and I are first. Exiting onto the ridge along yesterday's tracks, we see that Gerka and Alik are also leaving the couloir - it's almost sunny. At 1 pm, difficult rocks begin - our backpacks are still very heavy, over twenty kilos.

A small rope is left behind. Our rope also becomes a railing. We continue on a double rope. There are no platforms. Leaving a rope on another difficult section, we somehow settle in to wait for the second team. At 5 pm, Yerka approaches our main rope. There's a place for a platform, and we descend to it with our backpacks. The rope and cord remain for tomorrow. At 8 am, the tent is quite decently set up, and soup is eaten. More tea. We fall asleep well.

16/VII. We get up at 5:00. Valya and I leave. Gerka and Alik, having dismantled the tent, follow us. Yesterday's ropes are passed, and Valya moves on. The rocks aren't getting any easier. When will we reach the saddle? …

11:30. Valya and I are at the end of the rope, waiting for the second team. I climbed twice - with my own and Valya's backpack. The second time, with a knocked-out intermediate hook, it was a struggle. - This is a chimney with a cork. To the "Finger" gendarme - a rope. Gerka and Alik catch up, and finally, after half a rope, we're on the warm, southern side of the saddle between the "Finger" and І Zapadnaya. Diagonal descent across ledges to the south and a rappel to the right - to the saddle where we left a cache. Past it - to the platforms. And while Alik cooks, the three of us go and return with the cache: jam, compote, porridge, and canned meat in glass jars, pickled cucumbers, but no crackers. A comfortable, warm camp. Sleep.

17/VII. We leave at 7:00 - after eating, sunrise (the weather is kind), and a thorough study of the route. Gerka took Naumov's book on the mountain. We change the composition of the teams. I and Gerka leave first.

"From the saddle 60–80 m to the right and down the talus couloir. From it, traverse simple rocks and talus to the left to the base of a narrow ice couloir descending from the southern ridge of Shkhelda Zapadnaya…" In the talus couloir, there's ice under thin snow, and no crampons. In some places, we have to cut steps… We climb onto the southern ridge along the ice couloir. The summit.

At 10 am, we move along the western ridge to Vtoraya Zapadnaya. And after 2 hours - under its ascent on platforms. Under the ascent, we fry sausages and make cocoa - we need to lighten our load.

"…From the saddle up the simple and medium-difficulty rocks of the western ridge of Vtoraya Zapadnaya. All gendarmes are overcome head-on along the ridge rocks (medium difficulty). The rocky ascent of the summit is bypassed on the right with a traverse through a steep ice couloir…"

The first to pass these two ropes (5 hooks) is Valya. A couple more ropes - and we're on the platforms. The weather is deteriorating. Above the platform, we have to work hard - for a long time, we turn over a huge stone. But now the tent is set up, and we eat well:

• porridge
• tea
• soup
• tea It snows at night, and we don't leave in the morning - waiting for the sun. Fiddling with the stove is becoming threatening. Communication with the camp is good, but there's still no connection with Yura Porokhnya's guys on Ushba ("Impulse").

18/VII. At 10 am, having eaten and dried out, we leave. Easy descent and a difficult rope of ice - Valya. And here's Vtoraya Zapadnaya! A cornice, easy descent - one rope, and rocky "highlights" begin. Valya - Alik, Gerka - I. The weather is average. Clouds gather. Precipitation. We move calmly. Insurance, hooks, and sometimes - railings.

Here's a difficult rope of rocky descent. I'm last. I follow Gerka's example, moving in chunks on a double rope, throwing it over ledges, then pulling it through. Gerka masterfully uses this technique. He says he learned it from I. Leonov. Ascent, and a long (45 m) narrow snow "blade" in an arc leads to camping spots. Snow. 4 pm. Dinner:

• Sausage filling
• Cocoa

Valya and I go to hang a couple of ropes for tomorrow. One rope - ascent, another - rappel on a Bulgarian hook. In moments of clarity, the colossal southern wall is visible. On Vtoraya Zapadnaya (our backup (or main?) ascent option), a forest of gendarmes. Walls ahead and behind; it's hard to believe we passed them, and it's hard to think we'll pass them again. Yesterday, to the right, Mazeri and a piece of Southern Ushba rose in full height. Today, terrible gendarmes are visible on the ridge of the Builders, Central and Eastern Shkhelda with the "Rooster".

So, ahead are 5 gendarmes of the Builders' ridge… It's snowing and snowing.

Here's a connection. Tyulpanov is on the radio in the camp. He gives instructions about stoves, since ours is his "gift". Everyone in the camp is worried about us.

19/VII. We mustn't lose track of the days! We move slowly among the gendarmes. Climbing and snow are very tense. But the calm atmosphere, rest, and sleep, which German organizes, restore our strength well. We're fresh, like on the first day. The second gendarme. Walls behind. The colossi of Central and Eastern Shkhelda ahead. And Ushba - the northern edge, saddle, and Southern. Below - the confluence of the Ushba and South Shkhelda glaciers - "hunting camps" where we made a cache under the "Notch". We left the camps in the fog, observing a fantastic "halo" around our shadows on the dense fog. And now the sun hurts our eyes, then suddenly hides behind tufts of fog, like gunpowder smoke. Gerka saw four people on Northern Ushba. Who are they?

Far below - green Svaneti, and behind - the dear Shkhelda valley. Our progress, though slow, is noticeable - we're already on the line (sea traverse) of the turn of the North Shkhelda glacier to the German camps. However difficult, the breathtaking views captivate and lift our spirits. And, of course, the weather - so far, no complaints.

A 20 m rappel, then the first 40-meter rappel - it's time to switch to harnesses - and after a small ascent (2 ropes), we're in a hollow on the ridge, seemingly of the fourth gendarme (Builders' ridge). Five pm. We cut and trample a platform. Alik produces fried meat and tea - it's lunch. And there will be dinner. Connection. The camp offers a KSP stove on the Ushba plateau - a helicopter is supposed to land there with V. Gippenreiter. German refuses. Lusya tells him about the fuss with the Austrians - Kamchadals meet them in the Caucasus, then go to Austria. There's still no connection with "Impulse". At 7 pm, it starts snowing.

Reading Naumov leads to the thought that we have to spend at least 3 more days on Shkhelda:

• Day - 4, 5, 6 gendarmes,
• Day - Third Zapadnaya and Central,
• Day - Eastern. That is, we'll be on the plateau at the earliest on the 23rd!!

Around eight. Porridge is simmering in Alik's pants. Gerka reads from Naumov about previous traverses of Shkhelda and Ushba. What names! I. Leopov, V. Rubanov, S. Tenneshev, and others. Gerka knew many personally. He recalls V. Abalakov and M. Anufrikov.

20/VII. The night and morning are cold. Clear. I woke up several times from the cold and burrowed deeper into the bag. Our "watchman" stone in front of the tent is hung with equipment: ropes, helmets, forge, boots, lit by the sun. Six am. Again, cleaning the stove with the help of a simple repair kit: pin, penknife, adjustable wrench. Disassembling and cleaning the rail, bed, filter, and nipple has an effect - our old "Shmel" buzzes like a young one.

Shtavler and Tsalgmyl - to the right of the "watchman" stone, Mazeri and Svaneti - to the left.

Uncomplicated rocks, snow-ice saddles - and we're on Third Zapadnaya (Arikova peak). We overtake a group of "Baksan" athletes climbing this peak from the south (via the 4th category route). They're from Krasnodar - pupils of S. They say that their 5th team only left the wall of Vtoraya Zapadnaya yesterday. Descent from Arikova peak - rappels 2 × 40 m to the platforms. On the first descent, the rope gets stuck, and Valya, having climbed back up (difficult climbing), eliminates the delay. Below - clearing an old platform. Food.

We examine Central Shkhelda. Tomorrow will start with a rappel to the saddle, familiar to me from 1962. My first 5B - Central Shkhelda via the "shovel".

21/VII. Around 6 pm. Valya and I are on Central. Alik and Gerka catch up. Just now, there was sun, and now fog is gathering again. It's been cold all day. We're wearing down jackets.

We started at 8 am. Rappel onto the ice, and one rope to the saddle, where in 1962, not thinking clearly from fatigue after 17 hours of work, I, Kolchin, Verbovoy, and Timoshev fell asleep in a poorly set up tent. From Arikova peak, Central tower seems inaccessible. But I remember passing it with A. Kolchin without major incidents.

Valya is ahead. Gerka is last. We move in 45 m sections. On difficult sections, there are railings - heavy backpacks. The calm atmosphere of the entire ascent is pleasing.

Arikova peak is already below us. But its walls, northern and southern, are stunning. Maybe it's the angle... Behind Arikova peak - Vtoraya Zapadnaya… We've come a long way.

Breathing heavily, Alik passes by. I "catch" Gerka. Right after the summit - camping spots. A note from Bulgarians (last year's), their yellow hooks, their supplies on the platforms. On Eastern, we see four figures. They respond to our yodeling. It's cold. Sun and tufts of fog. When on one side of the tent there's sun, and on the other - fog, we see a colored halo around shadows again. Connection at 7 pm. Y.P. Shulgin says that tomorrow - the day after tomorrow, Lezhenin, Tyulpanov, Kруглов, and Agranovskaya will start Ushba (ahead of us). A helicopter will deliver them to the plateau. Here, finally, everyone is in the tent. Gerka studies Naumov - wants to compare tomorrow's workload with today's. Alik is busy with food and asks Valya to prepare a harness for him - he burned his buttocks on the rappels. Valya is freezing and tired, makes a harness without leaving the bag.

Like a nice mirage, home, family, and work come to mind. But the dark-beautiful landscapes hold and attract attention:

• gloomy, surrounded by tufts of fog,
• walls of the near and far plans appearing and disappearing,
• from above - sunlight.

22/VII. A clear day. But morning frost and the stove's capriciousness delayed our departure. Waiting for tea and getting dressed (8 am), we see foreigners approaching us along the rocky "saw" from Eastern. They're Japanese. We learn they're doing a traverse in the opposite direction, from "Elbrus", know Motsumoto Tatsuo, who was with us on Lenin Peak in 1969. They're superbly equipped:

• helmets,
• belts and harnesses,
• ultra-light ropes,
• titanium (?),
• vibrams with gaiters.

From the camps - descent along the ridge. Bypass gendarmes on ice. Start of the route to Eastern along the tracks, on the left, although, according to Naumov, it seems this isn't the beginning of the path to Eastern, but the second gendarme. "…Bypass two gendarmes of the saddle on the right. First along a snowy, then a rocky ledge and rocks of medium difficulty ascent to the platform of the saddle under the western ascent of Shkhelda Eastern peak. From the platform straight up along the snowy steep rocks of the ridge, and then a steep slope ascent to the "red" wall (3–4 m). Bypass the wall on the left along difficult rocks - crevices with a нависающим stone at the top. Above the wall, traverse to the right to a small couloir. Up the 10-meter couloir. From the couloir along the difficult rocks of the wall up and to the right to the second couloir. Along the icy rocks of the second couloir ascent to a narrow ledge. Along the ledge up - to the left, then along rocks of medium difficulty and a 5-meter crevice ascent to the summit ridge…"

Ahead - Valya. Climbing is never easy. And the last rope to the summit along the wall and ice chimney is simply difficult. Valya climbs without a backpack. When I catch up with him, he's shivering from the cold but, as always, calm and in control. And here are the last few ropes along simple rocks - platforms, camp. This was the ninth day!

23/VII. Six am. We woke up under the roar of a helicopter. Probably, this is Lezhenin's team flying to the Ushba plateau. Lusya Agranovskaya said so on the evening connection. With them - V. Gippenreiter. The helicopter makes a couple of circles, gaining altitude. Now it's over the Ushba glacier, under M. Ushba. We wanted to fire a green flare, but apparently, the helicopter isn't paying attention to us - and we hide the flares. Suddenly, a sharp sound, and the engine's roar abruptly stops. Crash?! The helicopter freezes motionless on the plateau. We're frozen too. It seems like a propeller is broken. There's no explosion. People run away from it, and from the tents we saw yesterday (Germans? Yugoslavs?) towards the helicopter. Yes…

Breakfast: meat, tea, remaining candies. We leave. First, Valya and I, and on the rappels - in the usual order: Valya, Alik, I, and Gerka. How many were there? Five 40-meter rappels on the wall, past the notorious "Rooster", diagonally, from left to right. Then in the couloir, leading to the ledges of the Shkhelda "saw". We bypass gendarmes on the right and at 6 pm set up camp on a snowy ledge at the end of the "saw". The weather is bad, snow charges, cold.

24/VII. At the cache on the Ushba plateau, we arrive when a helicopter lands nearby. It brings V. Maerkovich (in shorts and a Japanese cap!) and takes away V. Gippenreiter. On the camps - Lusya, Tyulpanov, and Kруглов. Tomorrow, together with Maerkovich, they'll go with us on Ushba. Disassembly of the cache, setting up the tent, adjusting crampons, etc., begins. Terrible wind and cold, although the sun is out all day… We went to bed early. The tent couldn't calm down for a long time. In the middle of the night, I was woken up by heavy drops of water, painfully hitting my face. Wet canopy, damp bag, deafening roar of the tent, hail, howling wind, and rustling of falling stones. Valya woke up and calmly says that the corner, which we built with great difficulty from huge stones, collapsed. 3 am. There's water in the tent. Yerka jumps out of the tent. Returning, he says it's possible to wait until dawn… We get dressed and pack our backpacks. A third of the "floor" has already collapsed, it's been washed away. But we're ready and, in the breaking light, we rush out of the tent. The hurricane wind makes it hard to gather it. We leave under the Shkhelda "saw". Supplies - for 2 days. We'll dry out and return. The remaining junk is pinned under stones on the remains of the platform.

Almost immediately, half an hour into the angle, the wind dies down. Warmth. Dampness. Streams flow, and stones crumble. The snow is saturated. Tufts of fog rush upwards - already mostly above us. On even, safe snow, we set up the tent and, having eaten a piece of sausage cheese, fall asleep until noon.

25/VII. Slept in, ate, and didn't dry out very successfully.

26/VII. Got up early (5:00–6:00). Frost. Clear. Wet but rested, we leave on the frozen snow. The sun touches the tops of Mazeri and Shkhelda, no wind. The sky is blue. A helicopter! A signal flare - it lands on the saddle near our cache. Something wrong with our four?! And suddenly, six people appear towards us. A. Babinin from Bezengi: "Rescue. Four Yugoslavs died on the 'Cross'". So that's why the helicopter is circling here. More people land. V. Prazdnikov is in charge. 16 foreigners are climbing up the Ushba glacier. Where are they going? Prazdnikov approaches, a doctor, and a Yugoslav… We can continue the traverse. There are enough people.

At 2 pm, we leave the cache and at 2 pm - on the Ushba cushion. We won't go further today; Austrians are ahead of us. We had lunch. The sun is shining. And high above, over the Monogarov wall, 10 Austrians are climbing to the summit. Their cries can be heard.

Table of Route Passage

2nd Day of Ushba Traverse

3rd Day of Ushba Traverse