- Peak Nikolayeva (3815 m) via North Face (M. Anufrikov's combined route, Category III, Fig. 38).
The path from the Tsей area's KSP (group of 4–8 people) to the North Branch of the Tsей Glacier with the initial bivouac in the hut of the South Branch of the Tsей Glacier is described in route 83.
Cross the glacier (closed crevasses), passing under the northern slopes of Khitsan peak, and approach the right side of the three central rock spires on the icy slope of Peak Nikolayeva's North Face.
From the glacier, cross the bergschrund and ascend 180–200 m up a steep ice-snow slope to the right of the central rock spires (piton belay). Then move left onto a rock shelf on the third spire. From the spire, ascend 140–150 m up a steep ice-snow slope (pitons belay) under the North rock walls of the peak.
From here, move right and ascend an 8–10-meter snow-covered wall of moderate difficulty ("live" rocks - piton belay) onto a sloping ice-snow shelf. Continue traversing 100–120 m along the boundary between snow and rocks under the rock walls of the peak to the right and upwards. Then ascend a steep ice-snow slope (piton belay) to a shoulder plateau. The journey from the hut takes 5–6 hours. There's a cairn on the shoulder.
From the shoulder, ascend directly up simple, broken rocks in an internal angle. Then move right and upwards along simple rocks on a short buttress and a shelf under an 8–10 m wall. Overcome the wall directly, climbing rocks of above-average difficulty (key point of the route - piton belay), and traverse a slab to reach an internal angle. Ascend rocks of moderate difficulty in the internal angle ("live" rocks) to a plateau on the right side of the buttress.
Ascend 100–120 m along simple, broken rocks on the right side of the counterfort (rockfall hazard on the right in a couloir) up to a saddle on the North ridge of the peak. From the saddle, move right and ascend simple, steep, broken rocks on the 300–350-meter North ridge to Peak Nikolayeva. The journey from the shoulder takes 3–4 hours.
Descend via the southern slope (see route 193). Naumov A.F. Karauhom, Digoria, Tsей (Central Caucasus), M., "Fizkultura i sport", 1976.
PEAK NIKOLAYEVA