- Shkhelda Central via the counterfort of the North wall of the saddle and the Eastern ridge (F. Kropf route, 5A cat. difficulty). The path from the Shkhelda alp camp (group of 4 people) to "Shkhelda bivouacs" is described in route 111. From "Shkhelda bivouacs" (departure not later than 1:00 AM) cross the Shkhelda glacier and exit to the wide snow-ice Central northern couloir descending from the Eastern ridge of the "saw" of Shkhelda East peak. Having passed 60–80 m upwards on the right side of the couloir, turn right into the first snowy steep rocky couloir and ascend to the site of the rocky-snowy counterfort leading to the saddle between the Eastern and Central peaks of Shkhelda massif. From "Shkhelda bivouacs" approximately 1 hour. From here, ascend 200 m upwards on simple and medium difficulty rocks of the counterfort to the slabs and then exit to the wide ice-snow belt. Further, straight up, first on a wide, then on a narrow ice-snow ridge (cornices!), steep ice-snow slope (avalanches, falling rocks!) and heavily snow-covered steep, difficult and medium difficulty rocky outcrops - ascent to under the first rocky belt. On difficult and medium difficulty rocks of the belt, 100–120 m straight up to the second ice-snow slope. On the ridge of the slope straight up. Pass the 15–20-meter wall in the lower part of the slope head-on. Behind it, on the ice-snow ridge turning into a slope (avalanches, rockfall!), ascent to under the sheer rocky wall. On the 50–60-meter difficult sheer wall, then on smooth 40-meter slabs - ascent to the snowy ridge. On the snowy ridge (cornices!) and ice-snow slope - exit to under the wall. On difficult and medium difficulty rocks of the wall 80–100 m up-left and on the chimney - ascent to the saddle of the main massif between two gendarmes located between the Eastern (left) and Central (right) peaks of Shkhelda. From the saddle descend south and bypass the right gendarme on the left on a snowy ledge. Then, on medium difficulty rocks, exit to the site under the saddle at the rocky ascent of the Eastern ridge of the summit tower of Shkhelda Central. On the site, a bivouac. From "Shkhelda bivouacs" 13–16 hours. From the site, exit to the saddle. From it, 40 m straight up on medium difficulty, in the upper part - difficult rocks of the wall - to the ledge. On the ledge, then on a 6–7-meter smooth steep slab - traverse right to the chimney. On the sheer smooth difficult 5-meter chimney - ascent to the second ledge. On the ledge, bypass a huge stone on the right. Behind the stone, ascend straight up on a 20-meter wall ("live" stones!) with small talus ledges - to the exit on the ridge of the Eastern shoulder. On the steep destroyed ridge of the shoulder - ascent to a small gendarme. From the gendarme - descent to under the second gendarme, which is bypassed on the ledge from the left side with an exit to the site above a small depression. From the site, on destroyed rocks of medium difficulty of a 20-meter wall - descent into the depression under the summit ascent. From the depression - a 40-meter ascent on steep, heavily destroyed medium difficulty and difficult rocks of the ascent, further on simple rocks - ascent to the summit of Shkhelda Central. From the depression, it is possible to bypass the ascent on the left and ascend to the summit on the Southern counterfort. From the bivouac 3.5–4 hours. Descent from the summit on a simple 30-meter rocky Western ridge, then with five 40-meter rappels to the saddle under the peak of Aristov. On the saddle - a bivouac. From the saddle - descent on the right side of the Southern ice-snow, steep, with several rocky outcrops, couloir. From the couloir, exit right to a large talus. On it and further on simple rocks - descend to a wide talus ledge. On the ledge - traverse right under the Southern walls of the peak of Aristov - to a wide snowy couloir and on it, then on a snowy slope - descent to the South Shkhelda glacier. From the saddle 5–7 hours. Special equipment for 4 people: main rope - 2×40 m, rappel rope - 40 m, expendable rope - 20 m, rock pitons - 25–30, ice pitons - 6–8, carabiners - 16–18, rock hammers - 2, headlamps - 4, crampons - 4 pairs, tent - 1. Possible bivouac sites - on all sites, in the depression of the summit tower, on the saddle under the peak of Aristov and on the wide Southern talus ledge. The first ascenders of the route exited to the lower ice-snow belt on the right under the rocky walls of Shkhelda Central. The exit is more dangerous due to avalanches and rockfall. ("Baksan valley", A.F. Naumov)