Ascent passport.

1. Rock class.
2. Caucasus, Skalisty Range, Kionsky massif, section in KMGV 2.7.
3. Barzond-Tsagveri West (3337 m) — Central (3350 m) traverse.
4. 1B category of difficulty, first ascent.
5. Elevation difference: 700 m. Length about 2 km. Average steepness on the route is about 30°.
6. Hammered in hooks: rock 2/0, закладок 4/0, ice 0/0, bolted 0/0. Left on the route rock — 0; закладок — 0.
7. Team's walking hours — 8, days — 1.
8. Overnight stay: under the route, on the southern slopes — convenient.
9. Leader: Egorin Sergey Vladimirovich — CMS.

Member: Ermakov Sergey Anatolyevich — 3rd sports category. Coach: Egorin S.V. — CMS. All city: Vladikavkaz. Exit to the route: August 11, 1997.

Summit: August 11, 1997. Return to base camp: August 11, 1997. Organization: North Ossetian Republican Search and Rescue Service of the EMERCOM of Russia. Address: 362035, Vladikavkaz, pr. Kosta, 273, SORPSS.

Description of approaches to the route.

From the city of Vladikavkaz take a regular bus to the village of Kamunta — 2.5 hours.

From this village, the western part of the Kionsky massif is clearly visible to the south. Against the background of the sky, the heavily rugged ridge of Barzond — Tsagveri stands out, and the further path goes towards it.

From the village of Kamunta:

• Descend to the river flowing west from the Zgidsky pass.
• From the cattle pen, an old dirt road begins, leading to the settlement of Verkhny Zgid. Walk along it for about 1 hour.
• After that, turn left and start ascending to the south along the grassy slope.

The ascent goes in the direction of the summit Barzond — Tsagveri Central:

• Initially along steep grassy slopes.
• Then along the talus, sometimes large.

In 4–5 hours from the village of Kamunta — near the stream, a bivouac (height about 2700 m). As a rule, at this height from December to May there is always snow.

From the overnight stay site, the route — traverse — is clearly visible.

Description of the route.

From the overnight stay site, move west under the southern walls of Barzond — Tsagveri towards the Valavtsek pass (2698 m). Approaching the pass, cross over to the northern slopes of the Valavtsek pass, slightly to the right of the saddle itself. Here, the southern walls of the Barzond — Tsagveri massif turn, and the rock walls become western exposure. Continue along these rocks downwards to the shortest wall in these rocks. This place is located about 50 m before the black rocks (before the waterfall). The landmark is a small grassy ridge starting opposite this wall.

R0–R1: Approach the shortest place in the Western walls, and along the talus shelves exit to the lower part of the section. Along the rocks 2–3 category of difficulty, sometimes along the shelves, approach the upper part of the section, and along the wall 4 category of difficulty, 5 m long, exit beyond the wall's bend onto a large talus terrace. The entire section is 30 m.

R1–R2: Along the talus terrace to the right and upwards, until the walls limiting it on the left end, and a wide talus couloir leading to the summit Barzond-Tsagveri West (3337 m) appears. Ascend this couloir straight up, bypassing all rock outcrops along the talus, and 3 hours after the start of the route, reach the summit of Barzond — Tsagveri West.

R2–R3: From the summit, the further ridge along which the route goes is clearly visible. The descent to the East goes mainly along the talus, on the southern side of the ridge. Small rock outcrops are passed either directly along the ridge (1–2 category of difficulty) or bypassed to the right.

R3–R4: Along the long Western ridge, start ascending to the summit Barzond-Tsagveri Central (3350 m). Overcome the ridge's ups and downs directly or bypassing to the right along the rocks 1–2, sometimes 3 category of difficulty.

R4–R5:

• Ascend the pre-summit rise and from it descend in the direction of the summit along the rocks 2 category of difficulty.
• Further along the Northern talus slopes, ascend towards the summit (the summit tower is the leftmost).
• In 5–6 hours from the overnight stay, reach the summit Barzond — Tsagveri Central.

There is no easy descent from the summit Barzond — Tsagveri Central, so the descent path goes back through the Western summit with a rappel on the section R0–R1.

Barzond — Tsagveri

Centr. 3361

West. 3350