- Traversing Pik Tikhonov - Koshtantau with ascent to Pik Tikhonov via the Northern Counterfort - Category 5A (E. Abalakov and V. Miklyashevsky - August 25-29, 1938; Figs. 10, II, 13, 17).
The route from the Bezengi alpine camp to Pik Tikhonov via the Northern Counterfort is described in route 40. From Pik Tikhonov, descend via simple, crumbling rocks and a snowy slope to the saddle on the Eastern Ridge. Set up a bivouac on the saddle. From the initial bivouac - 8-9 hours.
From the bivouac:
- Ascend rocks of medium difficulty to the first gendarme on the Western Ridge of Koshtantau.
- Traverse or circumvent the second and third gendarmes along the ridge or via ledges and slopes on their right side, reaching the saddle below the fourth gendarme.
- From the saddle, ascend a 60-meter ridge and a 5-meter chimney to reach the ledges.
- Traverse the ledges to the right and upwards to reach the Southern Counterfort of the fourth gendarme.
- Ascend the counterfort, bypassing a rocky "finger" on the left via ledges, to reach the gendarme and descend to the Western Ridge.
The fourth gendarme can be circumvented on the right:
- Descend 10 meters down the wall to the right while traversing it.
- Then, ascend via a couloir and exit onto the southern counterfort of the gendarme.
- Ascend 50 meters up the counterfort, then to the right, to reach the ridge beyond the gendarme.
Continuing:
- Ascend a snowy-rocky ridge for 45-50 meters to reach the area below the fifth gendarme.
- On the left side of the fifth gendarme's ridge, ascend a 3-meter chimney and 18-20 meters via a poorly defined groove.
- Then, ascend an acute rocky ridge and a 5-7-meter ascent to reach the ledges on the Western Ridge of the gendarme.
- Traverse the ledges to bypass the gendarme's summit on the right, with a slight loss of altitude, and exit onto the snowy Western Ridge.
- Ascend an 80-100-meter snowy ridge (ensure insurance! Beware of cornices!) to reach the area below the 30-meter rocky ascent of the sixth gendarme. Overcome it via the "ridge or bypass it by traversing the wall on the right".
- Then, traverse 15-20 meters along the southern side of the snowy slope (beware of cornices!) to reach the seventh gendarme on the ridge.
- Ascend simple rocks on the right side of the gendarme to reach the ridge and exit onto the Southwestern pre-summit plateau.
- From the plateau, ascend to the right and upwards via a snowy-icy, then rocky slope to reach the pre-summit rocky-snowy ridge and ascend to the summit of Koshtantau.
On the rocks of the southern side, 5-7 meters below the summit, there is a cairn.
From the bivouac on the saddle beyond Pik Tikhonov - 6-8 hours. The descent from the summit via the Northeastern Ridge is described in route 35. The third bivouac is on the saddle of the Northeastern Ridge below the summit of Ptitsa.
Recommendations for Climbers
- Number of participants - 4-8 people.
- Initial bivouac - the saddle on the Northern Counterfort of Pik Tikhonov near the gendarme Medved'.
- Departure time - 4:00 AM.
- Equipment: main rope - 2 x 40 m; expendable cordelette - 15 m; cordelette for descent - 40 m; rock pitons - 12-15; ice screws - 6-8; rock hammer - 2; carabiners - 12-14; crampons - 4 pairs; tent - 1.
- Bivouac locations - on the shoulder of the Northern Counterfort of Pik Tikhonov, 30 meters below - on the southern side of the Southern summit of Pik Tikhonov, on the ridge or ledges on the southern side of the first to third gendarmes on the Western Ridge of Koshtantau, on a ledge on the left side of the "finger" of the fourth gendarme, on ledges on the southern side of the fifth gendarme, on the Southwestern pre-summit snowy plateau of Koshtantau, and on the Northeastern Ridge.