Base camp “Bezengi” till the night stop on the Southern ridge of Utug spire - see description 18. From the night stop descend to the glacier above the third stage of the icefall and cross it to the right towards the Northern buttress of peak Tikhonov. Through the bergschrund, ascend a steep 100-meter snowy slope to the saddle of the Northern buttress of peak Tikhonov, left of the rocky spire Medved (Bear). On the saddle - a bivouac, from “Bezengi” base camp - 10–12 hours.

From the bivouac:

• Bypass the rocks of the buttress on snow to the left.
• 300-meter ascent on the snowy Northern buttress of peak Tikhonov, not reaching 60–70 m to the black rocks.
• To the right, exit to a steep ice-snow slope below the Western wall of peak Tikhonov.
• Along it, 250–300-meter traverse (pitons! rockfall!) with a descent from it along the snowy ridge to the Krumkol collapse plateau.

From the bivouac on the Northern buttress of peak Tikhonov - 4–5 hours.

In the collapse:

• Bypass the spire by a 30-meter traverse to the left or right along simple icy rocks (protection!).
• From the collapse, along a 50-meter wide snowy ridge.
• 100–120-meter steep snowy slope.
• 30–35-meter simple rocks - ascent to below the first rocky ascent of the Eastern ridge of peak Krumkol.

There are two ascent paths to the rocky ascent:

1. First:

   • 20–25 m down to the right onto the northern ice-snow slope.
   • Along it, 70–80 m up to below the wall.
   • Bypass the wall to the right along a 40–45-meter ice-snow couloir.
   • Exit onto the sharp snowy Eastern ridge.

2. Second:

   • 9–11-meter traverse to the left onto the southern slope of the ridge.
   • Up along 20–25-meter broken rocks and 10-meter smooth slabs.
   • From the slabs, up to the left, 50–55 m along moderately difficult rocks, bypassing the southern wall of the ascent to the left.
   • 30–40 m up - exit onto the sharp snowy Eastern ridge.

Further:

• Along the snowy 120–150-meter ridge (cornices!) - exit to below the second rocky ascent.
• Bypass a small spire in front of the second ascent along the snowy slope to the right.
• Behind it, along a steep icy couloir, turning into a steep 25–30-meter icy slope after 35–40 m (pitons!).
• Along a 40–45-meter rocky-snowy ridge - ascent to the second rocky ascent.
• Further along simple rocks and a 150–160-meter icy-snowy ridge (cornices!) - exit to below the third rocky ascent of the ridge.
• Ascent to the rocky ascent along a 40-meter steep icy-snowy couloir with rocky outcrops (pitons!).
• Behind the rocky ascent, along a 250–300-meter wide snowy ridge.
• 50–60-meter snowy dome.
• Simple rocks - exit to the summit of Krumkol.

From the initial bivouac - 12–14 hours.

Descent from the summit along the ascent route or along the Southern ridge - see description 57.

Recommendations for climbers

1. Number of participants - 4–8 people.
2. Initial bivouac - Northern buttress of peak Tikhonov.
3. Departure time - 3–4 am.
4. Equipment: main rope - 2 × 40 m; accessory cordelette - 10 m; rock pitons - 8–10; ice pitons - 5–6; rock hammer - 2; carabiners - 10; crampons - 4 pairs; tent - 1.
5. Bivouac locations - Krumkol collapse, on the snowy ridge behind the first, second, and third rocky ascents.