Report

On the first ascent of Songuti-khokh peak (4460 m) 5B cat. via the south-eastern wall by the team from Kharkov regional council of the "Avangard" sports society 1970

Brief information about the area and the object of ascent

Songuti-khokh peak (4460 m) is located in the Tsey region of the Central Caucasus, between the peaks of Uilpata (4646 m) and Ularig (4420 m), and is one of the main peaks of the large Tsey horseshoe, characterized by the presence of complex wall routes. In the Tsey valley, 12 routes of 5th and 6th category of difficulty have been classified. This area has significant glaciation (Tsey glacier, Uilpatinsky, Karaugomsky, etc.).

The main rocks composing the peaks of the Tsey valley are schists, granites, and gneisses. The weather in summer is unstable, with significant precipitation, frequent prolonged rains, low cloud cover, and fog. It is characteristic that the weather worsens in the second half of the day. The Uilpatinsky ridge separates the Tsey valley from Digoria with a high barrier, dissected by several latitudinal valleys, so strong winds of western and south-western directions are almost always present in the area of the ridge.

Approach to Songuti-khokh peak can be conveniently made along the Tsey valley and then along the Uilpatinsky glacier. The transition from the "Tsey" alpine camp to the glacier plateau takes 6-7 hours.

There are two routes to the peak:

4A category of difficulty along the ridge from the side of Uilpata peak;
5A category of difficulty along the eastern edge of Songuti.

The south-eastern wall of Songuti-khokh peak drops steeply into the upper cirque of the Uilpatinsky glacier, located away from the paths to all other objects in the Tsey valley and separated from the Northern cirque of the Tsey glacier by the ridge of SKVO. This probably explains the relatively less frequent visits by climbers to the Uilpatinsky glacier compared to the Tsey and Skaazsky glaciers. The south-eastern wall of Songuti-khokh peak is a powerful drop from almost the peak to the plateau, with a height difference of about 1000 m; the width of the wall at the base is 120-130 m with some narrowing towards the peak. In the lower part, the wall is monolithic and almost completely covered by the eastern edge, which excludes photographing the wall as a whole and observing it from the plateau. The wall can only be photographed in profile from the SKVO ridge, which is difficult. There are no routes passed on the wall, although attempts have been made previously.

Characteristics of the wall:

Height difference — about 1000 m
Width at the base — 120-130 m
Narrowing towards the peak — present
Availability for observation — limited due to the rising edge
Possibility of photography — only in profile from the SKVO ridge
Presence of passed routes — absent
Attempts of ascents — previously made

Organizational and tactical plan of the ascent

All participants of the ascent had good year-round preparation for the summer season, which included general and special physical training sessions held in the gym and outdoors. The training plan also included:

Cross-country skiing;
Orienteering;
Rock climbing.

With the start of the summer season, all participants went to the mountains, where they worked as instructors in the "Tsey" alpine camp. In addition to ascents related to work, several sports ascents of the highest category of difficulty were planned and completed.

From June 28 to July 3, Yu. Grigorenko-Prigoda, V. Tkachenko, A. Vselubsky, and E. Shataeva made an ascent of 5B category of difficulty to the Passionaria peak;
From July 20, V. Tkachenko, A. Vselubsky, E. Shataeva, and Yu. Grushko made an ascent to Uilpata peak via a route of 5B category of difficulty;
The first ascent of 6B category of difficulty to ChanchaKhi-khokh peak was made by Yu. Grigorenko-Prigoda and V. Shumikhin as part of the camp team from July 28 to August 1.

Thus, by the beginning of August, the group members were well-trained, had gained experience, and had developed techniques and tactics for passing complex sections and moving the entire team, with a rational distribution of responsibilities and interaction among participants.

The ascent to Songuti-khokh peak was planned for the beginning of August. Three days were planned for passing the wall, with one day for processing. Preliminary processing of the route and the presence of 6 people in the group allowed organizing the movement of group members and pulling up backpacks so that two people could constantly work on further processing the route while the other four passed the previously processed section. Additional ropes and a sufficient supply of pitons were taken for this purpose. This tactic of passing the wall allowed the main group to make the ascent almost continuously, without wasting time waiting for the processing of complex sections and organizing belays. The continuity and clarity of movement determined the high tempo of the ascent. No changes were needed in the planned tactical plan during the ascent.

Team composition

Leader:

Shumikhin Vladimir Sergeyevich, born 1939, Russian, non-party, CMS, mountaineering experience — 10 years, metallurgist. Home address: Kiev-142, Kapitanskaya 24, apt. 20, insurance certificate AT № 983542.

Participants:

Grigorenko-Prigoda Yuri Ivanovich, born 1935, Ukrainian, non-party, MS, mountaineering experience — 14 years, electrical engineer. Home address: Kharkov-82, Moskovsky pr., 316/3A, apt. 44, insurance certificate AT № 983543.
Tkachenko Vladimir Semyonovich, born 1939, Ukrainian, 1st sports category, mountaineering experience — 8 years, radio engineer. Home address: Kharkov-91, Stadionny proyezd 6/2, apt. 25, insurance certificate AT № 983546.
Shataeva Elvira Sergeyevna, born 1938, Russian, non-party, 1st sports category, mountaineering experience — 8 years, sports worker. Home address: Moscow, Novaya Sloboda 25, apt. 25, insurance certificate AT № 983545.
Vselubsky Arnold Iosifovich, born 1937, Jewish, non-party, 1st sports category, mountaineering experience — 8 years, electrical engineer. Home address: Kharkov, Saltovsky 605, microdistrict, № 9, apt. 246, insurance certificate A № 353747.
Grushko Yuri Konstantinovich, born 1938, Ukrainian, non-party, 1st sports category, mountaineering experience — 8 years, construction engineer. Home address: Kharkov 108, Garkusha st. № 1, apt. 64, insurance certificate C № 889303.

August 9. The transition from the "Tsey" alpine camp to the Volginsky bivouac on the Uilpatinsky glacier plateau took 6 hours.

August 10. The Tkachenko-Vselubsky rope team left the bivouac at 4:00 (the rest at 6:00) along the snowy slope to a steep couloir (60°), leading under the wall of Songuti-khokh. The couloir is rockfall-prone. Therefore, movement was along the right part (in the direction of travel) of the couloir — along the smooth rocks (200 m). Pitons were used for belays. Movement along the rocks was alternating, sometimes simultaneous, using rock outcrops for belays. A bivouac was organized on a ledge under the wall. It took 13 hours. The Grigorenko-Prigoda and Shumikhin rope team left at 17:00 for further route processing and returned to the bivouac already in the dark.

August 11. From the bivouac, the team moved up along rock ledges (100 m, 45°) with piton belays straight up to a clearly defined narrowing of the couloir. The couloir is very dangerous, it can be crossed until 6:00 and only one by one. The first person started cutting steps in the ice, which was covered with 10-15 cm of snow in some places. The location is complex.

Further, the path goes along a protruding massif in the lower part of the wall, which has a chockstone with a horizontal platform in the upper part. Along the chockstone (70°, 25 m) to the right, one ladder is hung. The entire further path along the wall to the bend towards the ridge is traversed by the first person without a backpack, in galoshes or Vibram boots. We leave the backpacks on a small ledge. A very difficult traverse (5 m) is made along the wall to the left, where a throw is made, and we exit to a vertical crack, first along it, then along the wall (90°, 10 m) with rare holds to a sloping ledge 25-30 cm wide. This ledge leads to an internal corner (80°), overlapped by an overhanging rock. We pass the rock on ladders, and continue climbing along the internal corner (section R5). There are steep sections with a small number of holds, where ladders are also used. After 40 m, a wide crack appears on the right, turning into a chimney (85°, 15 m), along which we exit to a massive chockstone. Here, four people can gather. Shumikhin and Vselubsky start pulling up the backpacks from this location, which go up without touching the wall. Since an overhanging monolith without holds, like "ram's foreheads," hangs over the chockstone, one bolt piton was hammered in for belay. Grigorenko-Prigoda moves left under the cornice on a pendulum. The cornice (100°, 6 m) is passed by climbing in galoshes using "walzen". The holds are minimal, very difficult climbing. One of the key sections of the route (section R6). Then straight up along an icy chimney (80°, 45 m) with three overhanging plugs. The chimney is passed on ladders, the cracks are small, careful belays are necessary. On the plugs, "walzen" is used, so the first person goes along the route on a double rope. The lower participants pass this section on jumar with étriers. The ropes do not touch the wall. The chimney leads to a snow-covered ledge. A good place for pulling up backpacks. A possible place for bivouacs.

From the platform straight up along a not clearly defined internal corner (75°, 20 m), which has a negative slope in the upper part. Difficult climbing. After the corner, to the right and up along the wall (80°, 35 m), with a small number of holds and cracks. The wall is vertical, passed by climbing and on ladders. Further, there is a ledge where two people can stand. The lower participants overcome sections R9-R10 on jumar with étriers. And again, the ropes do not touch the wall. From the ledge, an internal corner (vertical) (90°, 20 m) with overhanging rocks begins. The first person goes on ladders. The internal corner leads under overhanging rocks, bypassing them, using pitons as artificial points of support, to the left and up along the wall. Climbing is difficult. Along the wall, there is an exit to a gentle ridge, where a tent can be set up. There are ice and snow on the ledges. It took about 2.5 hours to prepare the site.

August 12. The ridge is a kind of ledge on the wall; from here, the path goes in the same direction, up along the rock wall of medium difficulty, which is overcome by climbing (sections R12-R14). From here, the towers on the ridge of Songuti and the peak of Uilpata are already visible. The peak of Songuti is closed by the wall rising above us and is not visible, although the overall steepness of the wall decreases from the ridge.

After 30 m of ascent, the wall is intersected by a sloping inclined shelf leading to the right and up. Along it, 10 m, then:

straight up along the wall (50 m, section R15) — climbing of medium difficulty. The rocks are strong, monolithic. The wall is passed with a backpack.
further path goes along a long internal corner (50 m). Directly in the corner, the rocks are strongly destroyed. It is better to go along its left wall.
the internal corner leads to a narrow ridge composed of loose stones.
exit to the upper part of the ridge to the right along a steep chimney (90°, 20 m, section R17) — a monolith, with a small number of holds, passed in opposition and using ladders.
exit from the chimney — straight onto the snow-covered roof of the wall, with a steepness of about 60°.
straight up and after 50 m, we find ourselves on the ridge of Songuti-khokh.
to the right along the ridge to the peak (130 m, easy climbing).

Descent from the peak along the route of 4A category of difficulty.

— The visible path along the south-eastern wall to Songuti-Khokh peak (to the right is the route of 5A category of difficulty).

Table

of the main characteristics of the first ascent route to Songuti-khokh peak along the south-eastern wall.

| Date | 10 August | R1 | | 11 August | R2 | | R3 | | R4 | | R5 | | R6 | | R7 | | R8 | | R9 | | R10 | | R11 | | R12 | | R13 | 12 August | R14 | | R15 | | R16 | | R17 | | R18 | | R19 | | R20 | | R21 | Total | | | 935 m (of which 795 m wall) | | | | | | | 36.5 h | 94 | 1 | 1 | | | | Average steepness | | of the route — 70° | | | | | | | | | | | | |

Route along the south-eastern wall of Songuti-khokh peak

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Contents

Report

Brief information about the area and the object of ascent

Organizational and tactical plan of the ascent

Team composition

Table

Route along the south-eastern wall of Songuti-khokh peak

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