Bivuachnaya

In the center of the Karau­gom plateau, a low, technically simple snow-capped peak Bivuachnaya (4150 m) rises. It is connected to the Krasnoflotets peak, located in the Tsey ridge, by a low ice-snow saddle, which drops to the Central branch of the plateau with an ice fall.

The convenient rock platforms at the foot of the Western ridge of Bivuachnaya are used by climbers as a starting bivouac for ascents to the surrounding plateau peaks.

It is mandatory to take a tent on the routes, as it is often impossible to find a bivouac in the fog on the plateau.

83. Bivuachnaya via the Western ridge (the route is combined, 1B category of difficulty, fig. 20). From the village of Dz­in­aga (group of 4-20 people) ascend along the left bank of the Karau­gom river and the eponymous gorge along the road, then along the pack trail in the dense pine forest to a large green clearing with nartsian springs, located high above the Karau­gom glacier. Beyond the clearing, along the trail on the grassy crest of the left-bank moraine of the Karau­gom glacier, overgrown with grass and sparse pine trees, approach the platforms at its end. From the village of Dz­in­aga 3-5 hours. Here, descend onto the Karau­gom glacier and move along its left side to the beginning of a small ice fall (the broken part of the glacier). In a convenient place, cross to the left-bank moraine. Along it, approach the lake. From the lake, along the left side of the Karau­gom glacier, reach the lateral gorge of Gular­i. Here, on a green clearing, is a bivouac. From the village of Dz­in­aga 8-10 hours. From the clearing, ascend on the left side of the Gular­i gorge. Then cross the moraine, descend onto the Gular­i glacier, traverse it to the right, and approach the steep ice-snow slope of the couloir of the third, counting from the base, North-Western ridge of the con­for­s of the Western shoulder of the Karau­gom massif. From the Gular­i glacier, overcoming the bergschrund, ascend 150-200 m along the steep ice-snow slope or steep smooth rocks of medium difficulty to the right of it (possible rockfall - hook protection). Further, along the steep snow couloir and simple, местами medium-difficulty rocks (many "live" stones - hook protection) upwards to the North-Western ridge of the con­for­s. Along the ridge, reach the platforms. From the platforms, descend to the right onto the hanging glacier, traverse it (better under the crevasse) 250-300 m to the right. Then, along the rocks on its right side, ascend onto the osyp­naya saddle of the Western rib under the wall of the Western shoulder. From the saddle, along the unstable osyp, holding onto the upper rocks of the Western shoulder, traverse with a slight descent to the left side of the Central branch of the Karau­gom plateau above the ice fall. On the left above, on the rocks of the Karau­gom massif, there are platforms. From here, avoiding the large crevasses of the glacier on the left, reach the plateau. Along it, to the left and upwards (closed crevasses) - to the platforms at the base of the Western ridge of Bivuachnaya. From the clearing of the Gular­i gorge 8-12 hours. The path from the KSP of the Tsey region. From the KSP, exit onto the highway, turn left towards the Skaz­don river. Cross Skaz­don by bridge, then almost immediately - Tsey­don. Beyond the bridge over Tsey­don, turn left and along the old, destroyed, abandoned road, then along the trail in the forest on the right bank of Tsey­don, ascend along the gorge. Exiting the forest, the trail approaches a large stone near the right-bank moraine of the Tsey glacier not far from its tongue. From the stone, along the right trail, ascend onto the crest of the right-bank moraine of the gorge. The left trail leads to the tongue of the Tsey glacier. Along the trail on the crest of the moraine, move upwards along the gorge and, crossing the numerous branches of the Uil­pa­tinka river at the Lower Ice Bivouacs, along the crest of the moraine and grassy slopes, reach the Upper Ice Bivouacs. From the KSP of the Tsey region 2-2.5 hours. Further, along the crest of the moraine, approach the bar­an­ji lby to the right of the First step of the ice fall of the Tsey glacier. Along a good trail, ascend onto the bar­an­ji lby and exit onto the osyp above the ice fall. It is possible to ascend to the left of the bar­an­ji lby along the snow slope. From the osyp, traverse the Tsey glacier to the left and upwards under the ice fall of the Northern branch of the glacier (closed crevasses), approach the right side of its Southern branch and along it ascend to the right-bank moraine on the southern slopes of the Eastern ridge of the Khitsan peak. On the moraine, 40-50 m above the glacier, stands the Tsey hut. From the Upper Ice Bivouacs 2 hours. From the KSP of the Tsey region 4-5 hours. Passing by the hut upwards along the right side of the Southern branch 100-150 m, turn to the right into the first osyp­noy, possibly snow-covered, couloir. Along the trail on the osyp, then along the snow patch on the right side of the couloir, further along simple destroyed rocks on its left side, ascend onto the saddle under the Eastern ridge of the Khitsan peak - the Khitsan pass. From the Khitsan pass, descend, taking to the left (closed crevasses), onto the plateau of the Northern branch of the Tsey glacier, traverse it in the direction of the Uil­pa­ty peak. On the osyp under the slopes of the SKVO to the right of Uil­pa­ty - Uil­pa­tins­kie bivouacs. Not reaching Uil­pa­ty, turn left and along the right side of the Northern branch of the Tsey glacier (closed crevasses) along the southern walls and slopes of Uil­pa­ty, TsDSA, Kras­no­ar­me­y­tsa, and Dub­l peak, exit onto the upper snow plateau of the Northern branch. Here is a bivouac. From the KSP of the Tsey region 8-12 hours. A bivouac can be set up on a rock platform on the left side of the South-Eastern rib of the Southern Dub­l peak. Along the plateau, passing the South-Eastern rib of the Southern Dub­l peak, turn to the right and along the right side of the wide snow slope of the couloir, ascend in the direction of the Tsey-Karau­gom pass, located between the Bubi­s peak on the left and the Southern Dub­l peak on the right. Then, overcoming the bergschrund along the snow bridge, holding onto the right side of the wide, steep ice-snow slope (on the left - avalanches, rockfall, on the right - rockfall - hook protection), ascend 300-400 m along the rocks onto the Tsey-Karau­gom pass. To the left side of the pass, along the steep 200-meter snow slope of the Bubi­s peak, with a bergschrund in the lower part, descend onto the Karau­gom plateau (protection). Descent is possible from the right side of the pass, along the steep ice-snow slopes of the Dub­l peak, but here a wide bergschrund is often encountered in the lower part. From the central part of the pass, ice falls drop onto the Karau­gom plateau. From under the pass, traverse to the right the Central branch of the even snow Karau­gom plateau (closed crevasses) and exit onto the rock platforms at the base of the Western ridge of Bivuachnaya. On the platforms is the starting bivouac. From the Tsey-Karau­gom pass about 1 hour. The approach from the Northern branch of the Tsey glacier can be made through the Uil­pa­tinskiy pass (see route 103) or through the Son­guti pass (see route 99). The path from the Shovi resort. From Shovi, walk 20-30 minutes upwards along the automobile road of the Bubi­s gorge. From the end of the road, the pack trail goes to the left, along the left bank of the right stream, then turns to the right, crosses the stream, and steeply ascends 300-400 m along the forest slope in several serpentine turns. Further, it gently ascends along the steep forest slope high above the Bubi­s river and approaches the village - farm. From the village, the trail, trodden by animals, passes through fields with sparse forest, crosses several streams flowing into Bubi­s, and gradually disappears. Along the steep grassy slope, ascend onto the moraine, going to the left, and along it reach the meteo­sta­n­tsiya. From Shovi 4-5 hours. The descent takes 2-2.5 hours. From the meteo­sta­n­tsiya, approach the end of the moraine. Here, turn to the right, along the trail, traverse the steep grassy slope. Passing the stream of the Nameless glacier, exit into the hollow to the left of the left-bank moraine of the Bubi­s glacier. Having ascended along the hollow 300-400 m, cross to the right onto the moraine. Along the left-bank moraine, avoid the tongue of the glacier and 200-300 m above it, exit to the right onto the Bubi­s glacier. Along the plateau of the glacier, avoiding its broken part on the right, exit onto the median moraine. From the meteo­sta­n­tsiya 2-3 hours. From the moraine, three paths lead onto the Karau­gom plateau. The first, simplest, is along the Eastern branch, but it is dangerous due to possible ice fall-offs from the Bubi­s peak. From the median moraine, avoid the Central branch of the Bubi­s glacier to the right and the small ice fall under the ridge separating the Central and Eastern branches of the glacier. Beyond it, turn to the left and ascend (holding onto the left side of the Eastern branch and avoiding numerous crevasses) under the couloir on the left side of the saddle of the Main ridge. From the glacier, overcoming a simple bergschrund along the snow slope, ascend into the osyp­noy couloir. Along the osyp­noy, possibly snow-covered, 200-300-meter couloir and a short section of simple rocks, exit onto the Eastern saddle of the Shovi-Karau­gom pass of the Main ridge. From the moraine of the Bubi­s glacier 3-5 hours. The second, most difficult, path is along the Central branch. From the median moraine, approach under the right side of the Western branch. Along the Western branch, ascend halfway up the ice fall and exit to the right onto the rocks of the Southern ridge of the Bure­vest­nik-Karau­gom­skiy peak, separating the Western and Central branches of the glacier, 100-150 m above its base. From here, upwards along simple and medium-difficulty rocks of the ridge with several platforms. In the most convenient place, descend along steep rocks to the right, into the circus of the Central branch above its ice fall. Along the glacier, snow slope, then along simple rocks, ascend onto the Central saddle of the Shovi-Karau­gom pass. From the moraine of the Bubi­s glacier 4-6 hours.

• This path can be used to approach routes 85, 93, 95, 97-99, 103, 111, 114, 121, 123, 126-141, 205. The third, technically medium, path is along the Western branch. From the median moraine, turn to the left. Along the glacier, approach under the snow slope to the left of the Western branch. From the glacier, along the snow slope, ascend onto the rocks and along easy rocks with simple 2-3-meter walls ("live" stones), ascend onto the platforms at the upper inclined circus of the Western branch. From the rocks, holding onto the left side of the glacier, ascend 120-160 m along the steep ice-snow slope (protection) onto the Western saddle of the Shovi-Karau­gom pass (possible cornice) to the right of the Cheryshev peak. From the median moraine 4-5 hours. All saddles are located almost at the level of the Karau­gom plateau. The Eastern and Central ones exit onto the Central branch of the plateau, and the Western one - onto the Western branch. From the Western saddle, along the snow fields (closed crevasses) on the right side of the Western branch, descend to the confluence of it with the Central branch. Here, turn to the right and along the heavily broken glacier, ascend onto the plateau of the Central branch. Along the horizontal snow plateau (closed crevasses) of the Central branch, as well as from the Eastern and Central saddles, is a simple approach to the platforms at the base of the Western ridge of Bivuachnaya. From the platforms, cross the bergschrund along the snow bridge (protection) and along the snow slope, exit onto the Western ridge of Bivuachnaya. From here, along simple steep snow-covered rocks with small walls, ascend onto the gentle ridge of the peak. Further, along the simple long (600-800 m), gentle snow-covered rock, местами sharp snow (cornices - protection) Western ridge, approach the gen­dar­me. The gen­dar­me is bypassed on the right with a loss of height of 25-30 m (hook protection). Beyond the gen­dar­me, along slab-like simple snow-covered rocks of the Western ridge, ascend onto the peak of Bivuachnaya. From the starting bivouac 3-4 hours. Descent along the ascent path.