103. Traverse of the Koshtan-Krest ridge from the peak of Kankashev to Gerty-Bashi with ascent to the peak Kankashev via the Eastern ridge — 5A cat. diff. (A. Naumov, E. Varfolomeev, I. Kudinov, E. Sokolovsky, V. Shutin, V. Shutov — July 16–21, 1961; fig. 34, 35).

The path from the alp camp "Bezengi" to the Eastern summit of peak Kankashev see in description 102.

From the Eastern summit:

• descend 60 m down simple monolithic rocks to the snowy ridge in the failure.

From the failure:

• ascend simple destroyed rocks of the ridge to the Western summit of peak Kankashev.

From the Western summit:

• descend to the west first over simple rocks,
• then by sports descents over slabs and steep rocks of medium difficulty to a simple snowy ridge.

Further:

• along the horizontal snowy ridge, bypassing gendarmes along the snow to the left, exit under the triangular wall of the gendarme-tower.

Along the Central counterfort:

• 7–8 m up (hook!) to an inclined shelf,
• further 20–25 m left-up (hook belay!) — exit above the "Finger" to the left edge of the gendarme.

From the edge:

• along shelves and rocks of medium difficulty of the southern side, bypass the gendarme,
• after 40–45 m exit behind it to the snowy ridge («live» stones! hook belay!).

On the ridge — bivouac.

From the Koshtan pass — 13–15 hrs.

From the bivouac along the short snowy ridge exit under peak XXII Congress of the CPSU. Bypass the first rocky ascent along the snow to the left. Behind it to the right and up 6–7 m along the snowy tie and 10–12 m along the rocks of medium difficulty of the right side of the couloir to the counterfort. From here to the left and up 20 m along the counterfort, further 100–120 m along smooth rocks and slabs of the wall («live» stones! hook belay!) — ascent to an inclined wide snowy terrace. Along the terrace under the wall 60–80 m up-left and along the 3–4-meter wall — exit to peak XXII Congress of the CPSU. From the bivouac — 5–6 hrs.

From the peak down along the rocks of the Northern ridge (to the right) 5–7-meter rappelling. Further 60–80 m down along the rocky-snowy ridge and slope, then to the left and 120–150 m down along the snowy couloir and slope (avalanches! hook belay!) to the wide snowy failure of the ridge. From the failure 50–55 m up along the snowy slope and ridge to the snowy gendarme and descent from it along the sharp snowy ridge. Further along the sharp snowy ridge (cornices!), alternating with rocky sections and wide fields, exit under the rocky tower of peak Oktyabrenok.

Along the edge of the ice under the lower wall of the peak 30 m to the right (hook belay!). Then up 8–10 m along wet slabs and 80–100 m along the ice-snow slope lying on the slabs to a standalone stone; bypass it to the left and exit under the base of the rocky tower of the peak (ice hooks!). Along the wall of the tower 3–4 m up to the shelf and along it to the left — bypass the summit from the southern side with exit to the Southwest snowy steep couloir. Along the snowy rocks of the right side of the couloir 70–90 m up to the gentle rocky-snowy slope and along it ascent to peak Oktyabrenok.

From the peak descend to the northwest along the snowy gentle, then steep 120–150-meter slope to the right of the rocky islet. From the islet — 40-meter sports descent (through the ice forehead, hook!). Further along the snowy ridge (cornices!), small snowy and rocky gendarmes are overcome head-on, exit under the rocky wall of peak Pioneer. On the snowy ridge near the wall — bivouac, from the previous bivouac — 10–12 hrs.

Under the wall traverse to the right (cornices!), then 25–30 m up along the crevice (hook belay!) to the wall. Along wet inclined 100–120-meter slabs of the edge of the wall (hook belay!) and 40–50-meter snowy slope — ascent to peak Pioneer.

From the peak down to the east along the rocky-snowy ridge with 40-meter rappelling in the failure of the ridge. From the failure along strongly cut sharp, in places wide ridge (cornices!) exit under the main snowy-ice ascent of the summit Gerty-Bashi. Along the sharp 300-meter, gradually increasing steepness ridge ascent to the ice dome and along simple destroyed rocks — exit to the summit Gerty-Bashi. From the summit descend to the left along the snowy plateau to the Trud pass. On the pass — bivouac. From the bivouac on the ridge — 8–10 hrs. Descent and return to the alp camp "Bezengi" see in description 104.

Recommendations for climbers:

1. Number of participants — 4–8 people.
2. Initial bivouac — Koshtan pass.
3. Departure time — 4–5 am.
4. Equipment: main rope — 2 × 40 m; repcord — 10 m; rock hooks 12–14; ice hooks — 4–5; rock hammer — 2; carabiners — 12–14; crampons — 4 pairs; tent — 1.
5. Bivouac locations — on the Koshtan pass, on the Eastern snowy ridge of peak Kankashev, before the second and third gendarmes of the Eastern ridge of peak Kankashev, before and behind the gendarmes of the Eastern ridge of peak Kankashev, on peak Kankashev, on all snowy-ice ridges and slopes and on all summits.
6. Descent from the Trud pass only in the morning.

Ascent routes to peak Kankashev — 3920 m