Report

On the ascent of Peak Shchurovsky via the northwest route, category 5B difficulty

TEAM LEADER: SHABALIN B.I. — Candidate Master of Sports

COACH: SHATAEV V.N. — Master of Sports

Moscow

1969

Team Composition

Ascent

August 3. Departure from «Shkhelda» alpine camp at 15:00. Arrival at Shkhelda overnight stops at 19:00. Bad weather. Light snow, visibility 100 m, strong wind.

August 4. Departure cancelled due to rain with snow. Spent the day with two French climbers planning to traverse Ushba. At 18:00, SHABALIN–SHATAEV conducted reconnaissance of the route's start and cut steps above the bergschrund for 120 m.

August 5. Departed Shkhelda overnight stops at 5:40, crossed the glacier wearing crampons. Bypassed the bergschrund from the left and followed pre-made tracks up a snow-ice slope (35°–150 m) to snow-covered rocks with ice in places (50°–120 m). Here, to the right, is the first control point on a rocky ridge.

Above, we traversed a snow-ice slope (40°–100 m), reaching an ice couloir, which we bypassed to the right via rocks. Continuous strong wind with gusts, snow grains, fog. Steeply inclined slabs with short pitches and few holds.

Above the snow "tie," we ascended a slab and rocks to the base of an inner corner with a plug. Shabalín first passed the inner corner without a backpack. Rocks covered in snow and ice crust. Continuous work with ice axe — clearing snow and chipping ice. Immediately after the inner corner, ascent up steep rocks (80°–40 m) to a ledge, which we traversed to the right. Then, via a snow-rock couloir to the left, we reached more gentle rocks and approached a steep wall, then to the right, with a slight descent and ascent, to the "groundhog's head," where we began setting up a bivouac at 18:00. Two — Shabalín and SHALPEGIN — processed the wall and hung a rope. The wall is steep with smoothed holds, deflecting to the right (85°–25 m). Work completed at 20:20.

August 6. Departed the bivouac at 6:30. Fog, visibility 15–20 m. Passed the challenging section via the hung rope. After traversing rocks resembling "ram's foreheads" (30–40 m), we reached smoothed slabs covered with ice crust and snow. Wind gusts from the Uzhba plateau intensified, snowfall began. Progress was very slow (50 m in 1 h 30 min); we hammered in one piton for safety.

Moving up the brown wall (75°–60 m), the Shataev V., Shataeva E. team moved in parallel, searching for the best route. After the brown wall, we traversed slightly to the right under a vertical wall. There's a relatively flat area suitable for a bivouac. Slightly to the left, via a crack, the Shabalín, SHALPEGIN team approached a vertical inner corner with overhanging rocks above. Shabalín, without his backpack, moved very slowly to the left along an inclined ledge. The transition from the precarious inclined ledge to another, more inclined one, required hanging two ladders. After the ledge, ascent up sheer rocks to a more secure location, where backpacks left below under the overhanging rocks were pulled up (85°–40 m). Then, with a slight descent down to the right, we exited via the inner corner onto the ridge under a "genie," which we bypassed to the right.

Since advancing further up the rocky ridge with snow-ice sections in the given weather conditions posed significant complexity and danger, we decided to descend slightly to the left, cross a snow-ice couloir, and move up a steep (55°–60 m) snow-ice slope towards the ridge again. Shataev V. led this section. The exit to the ridge was particularly challenging: a 7-meter vertical ice chimney.

The section was completed in 1 h 30 min. Then, after advancing 200 m along the ridge, we made a relatively quick — in 20 min — bivouac site at 20:30. Heavy snowfall.

August 7.

• Departure at 8:00.
• Fog. No visibility.
• Snowfall.
• Very cautious movement.
• Shataev–Shataeva team led.
• Encountered 2–3-meter walls, difficult to pass due to snow and ice.

Reached the summit at 11:00. However, unclear which direction to descend — fog, visibility 15 m. Orienting by the edge of the snow cornice, frequently stopping, we descended to the plateau only after 1 h 30 min, although this descent typically takes 20 min. Wet snow. Forced to set up a tent as visibility was zero, even at 3–4 m. Only at 18:00, in the breaks between passing clouds, did we see a large crevasse and, following it, approached the start of the descent from the Uzhba plateau.

Carefully avoiding crevasses and maintaining safety, we descended to the Shkhelda overnight stops by 20:00.

We stayed up late — preparing dinner, sharing impressions of the ascent. And Peak Shchurovsky was again shrouded in clouds.

August 8.

• Departure at 5:00.
• Reached «Shkhelda» alpine camp by 8:00.

Conclusion on the Route

The route was completed in very challenging meteorological conditions: strong wind, snow, grains. Rocks were heavily snow-covered and in many places iced over. Notably, two groups following us abandoned the route, only reaching the first control point. The success of the ascent was facilitated by: the selection of personal, group, and special equipment, and above all, the high moral and volitional qualities of the participants, who remained optimistic despite the adverse weather conditions. The technical skill of the participants allowed them to complete the route, even under such conditions, ensuring safe passage.

The group's pace was somewhat slower, which is understandable — we aimed for a margin of safety when traversing the route's sections. Under these conditions, the route fully corresponded to category 5B difficulty.

Characterization of Participants

Characterizing the participants:

• SHATAEV V.N. — his calmness and technical mastery provided the group with confidence during the challenging weather conditions.
• SHALPEGIN N.N. — resilient, disciplined. Hammered in all pitons on the route. Active during bivouac organization.
• SHATAEVA E.S. — for her, this ascent was her first category 5B. She is technically competent, passed all sections, and led some parts of the ascent. Calm, full of optimism. Her cheerful demeanor kept everyone's spirits high. The only point to note as a drawback is her reluctance to use ropes on challenging sections.

The overall opinion of the participants is positive, and it seems everyone was content, despite having to lead more than two-thirds of the route. For me, completing the route provided immense moral and physical satisfaction. It enhanced my tactical and technical skills in navigating challenging sections under adverse conditions.

And, of course, I'm deeply grateful to the organizer and coach, Shataev V.N. His foresight, excellent, and stable moral-volitional character traits were always a help in difficult situations.

TEAM LEADER: SHABALIN B.I.

Table of Main Characteristics of Route Sections