54. Rtsy­vash­ki — G­yul'­chi (combined route by I. Leonov, category 4B, fig. 14). From the tourist center lodge under the slopes of the North-Eastern ridge of the Nameless peak, on a wide grassy clearing in the Kara­su valley, on the right bank of the Dykh­su river, at the entrance to the canyon of the same name (group of 4-8 people), descend along the trail to the Kara­su river and cross it via the bridge. From the river, ascend along the grassy slopes, then along the scree and simple, destroyed, partly steep rocks to the 1st gendarme of the South-Western ridge of Rtsy­vash­ki peak. Further along the long, destroyed, simple and moderately difficult, partly snowy (possible cornices) rocky South-Western ridge with short sections of above average difficulty, overcoming gendarmes head-on or bypassing them, approach the Big Gendarme. From here, along the snowy steep rocks of moderate and above average difficulty (“live” stones, possible snow cornices — piton protection) of the South-Western ridge, ascend 150-170 m to the Big Gendarme. From the gendarme, descend via rappel, then sport climbing, further along simple rocks — to the saddle of the South-Western ridge. Along a short horizontal sharp snowy (cornices) ridge, then along a steep snowy slope, further along steep rocks above average difficulty of a 25-meter wall (piton protection), ascend to the Pre-summit Gendarme. From the gendarme, along the destroyed South-Western ridge, descend to a snowy saddle. 200 m behind the gendarme is a bivouac. From the initial bivouac 14-16 hours. From the bivouac, along steep rocks of moderate difficulty, then along a steep ice-snow (cornices) 250-300-meter South-Western ridge (piton protection), ascend to the Western Rtsy­vash­ki summit. From the bivouac 1.5-2 hours. From Western Rtsy­vash­ki, along a sharp snowy (cornices) arcuate 120-150-meter ridge with a deep saddle and a steep 60-meter ascent (piton protection), ascend to the Eastern (Main) Rtsy­vash­ki summit. From the Eastern summit, descend 120 m towards G­yul'­chi peak, first along a steep snowy, moderately difficult rocky ridge, then along the slope, further along a steep, narrow 40-meter ice-snow couloir to the ridge of the main massif. From here, along a sharp snowy (cornice) 100-120-meter ridge, approach the Black Gendarme. Overcome it head-on along rocks above average difficulty of a 40-meter wall (piton protection) and descend along rocks of moderate difficulty to a saddle below the rocky “saw”. Further, move along a sharp simple and moderately difficult, partly snowy 150-170-meter rocky ridge of the “saw” with numerous low gendarmes and a 30 m rappel from the last gendarme. Behind the “saw”, 120 m along a simple ridge, overcoming small gendarmes head-on, then 120 m along the edge of rocks and snow until exiting onto a snowy pad below G­yul'­chi summit rise. Here is a bivouac. From the previous bivouac 10-12 hours. From the pad, along a short snowy ridge (left — cornices), then 200 m along a steep and sharp (piton protection) ridge, ascend to G­yul'­chi summit. From Western Rtsy­vash­ki 7-9 hours. Descend from the summit along the ice-snow Eastern slope (see route 52). Duration of the route is 3-4 days. It is better to descend from the summit early in the morning due to avalanche danger.

Fig. 14.