2.8.37

Ascent Record

Russian Federation Championship in Alpinism among Veterans.
Kazbek Peak - 5033 m from the Karmadon gorge via the A.V. Pastukhov route, from the upper reaches of the Genaldon River.
Difficulty category - 2B.
Group composition - 10 people, including veteran climbers:

Gennadiy Sambolenko, Master of Sports, 66 years old, Viktor Meshcheryakov, Candidate for Master of Sports, 67 years old, Vyacheslav Kavchenko, 1st sports rank, 63 years old, Evgeniy Pas'ko, 2nd sports rank, 61 years old, Vladimir Lepikhin, 2nd sports rank, 60 years old.

Dates - from July 19 to August 1, 2006:

base camp (2400 m) - July 21
assault camp (4250 m) - July 26
summit (5033 m) - July 27
return to base camp - July 28

Expedition leader: Sergey Alekseyevich Raspopov, Master of Sports, instructor.
Senior coach, head of the coaching council:

Gennadiy Sambolenko, Master of Sports, instructor 344113, Rostov-on-Don, Dobrovol'skogo st., 22/3, apt. 38, mob. phone: 8-908-510-99-67, home phone: (863) 233-80-68.

Ascent leader:

Anatoliy Rud'ko, Candidate for Master of Sports, instructor.

Rostov Regional Organization "Federation of Alpinism, Rock Climbing, and Ice Climbing", 344029, Rostov-on-Don, Sholokhova ave., 31/6a, phone: (863) 242-35-10, fax: (863) 223-86-12.

Ascent to Kazbek (5033 m)

From July 19 to August 1, 2006, the Council of Veteran Climbers and the Rostov Regional Federation of Alpinism and Rock Climbing organized and conducted an expedition to ascend Kazbek from the Karmadon gorge, from the upper reaches of the Genaldon River. Sergey Alekseyevich Raspopov led the organization and conduct of the expedition. Kazbek Borisovich Khamitsayev provided significant assistance in Vladikavkaz. The expedition consisted of 15 people, including:

Masters of Sports,
veterans,
young climbers.

The expedition was led by a coaching council and instructors.

Brief Overview of the Area

The route to Kazbek from the Karmadon gorge was first traversed by military topographer A.V. Pastukhov in 1889 and is linked to the history of exploration in this region. On the evening of September 20, 2002, a major glacial catastrophe occurred in this area, resulting in casualties and destruction. Due to a collapse from the slopes of Jimaraihokh mountain, 13 hanging glaciers struck the rear part of the Kolka glacier, and a giant wave of ice, water, and rocks swept down the gorge, sweeping away everything in its path.

Even four years later, we saw evidence of the glacier's movement, with trees and slopes cut off 150-200 m above the gorge floor.

To transport cargo from the village of Tmenikau to the base camp near the upper Karmadon springs (approximately 10 km), five donkeys were hired in the village (at 500 rubles each). The donkeys helped us transport cargo only halfway, as far as the trail went. Beyond that point, the path was destroyed, and we had to descend to the river and navigate through rubble and rocky scree to reach the upper Genaldon River.

At the confluence of the Maili and Kolka rivers, near the thermal springs, we cleared areas, set up five tents, and established a base camp at an altitude of 2400 m. The air temperature was +10 °C. Nearby, 20 meters from the tents, were the springs, which were already cleared and functioning as hot baths ("Karmadon" means "warm water," with a temperature of ~50 °C).

To reach the Maili glacier from the base camp, we had to cross the Kolka River, which was fordable only early in the morning. At other times, we had to use an aerial crossing.

The path to the Kazbek plateau is blocked by the Maili icefall, which descends from the plateau from the northern slopes of Mailikhokh peak, from an altitude of 4300 m to 3200 m, in two grand steps, cut by crevices and ice formations. The Maili icefall can be circumvented:

first, via a snowy couloir,
then along the ridge of a peak located on the Kazbek plateau,
and finally, onto the lower part of the plateau - via snowy ascents in the upper part of the icefall.

Ascent Tactics

We began our ascent on July 25. Upon ascending the snowy couloir, we found a suitable location for an overnight stay in its upper part - behind a massive boulder to the right of the couloir, where there was a sloping ledge that required clearing and leveling with large rocks and fine scree. We prepared areas for four tents and established a comfortable bivouac. Nearby, there was water in a snowfield and on the rocks. Altitude: 3290 m.

The assault camp was set up on platforms protected from the wind by stone walls, on the scree-covered pre-summit ridge of the peak, on the edge of the Kazbek plateau. Altitude: 4250 m. Strong winds.

Before us, at an altitude of 4400 m, lay the plateau, with Kazbek rising at its far edge. During our reconnaissance and ascent, we observed that the weather deteriorated in the second half of the day, with everything becoming enveloped in swirling fog.

Moreover, numerous transverse crevices barred the direct approach to Kazbek. We marked the passages among the crevices with marker flags during our ascent to use them during our descent from Kazbek in the fog.

On July 27, the morning was clear but cloudy. We ascended to the plateau and then had to move to the right, beneath Kazbek's eastern peak, towards a pass, to avoid crevices and set up marker flags. Afterward, we returned and ascended towards the saddle between the peaks. The snowy ascent to the western peak from the saddle was made between rock outcrops, but we had to hang a safety rope in the upper part to ensure a safe exit to the summit. During the second rocky ascent, a rope was again necessary due to ice beneath the snow. The weather began to deteriorate, with fog rolling in, snow falling, and wind picking up. Before us lay the snowy dome of Kazbek's western peak, with the final 30 m to ascend.

Finally, on July 27, at 14:10, 10 participants stood at Kazbek's summit:

Vyacheslav Kavchenko - 1st sports rank, 63 years old
Anatoliy Rud'ko - Candidate for Master of Sports, 51 years old
Elena Melokhayan - 3rd sports rank, 39 years old
Anatoliy Popov - 1st sports rank, 39 years old
Gennadiy Sambolenko - Master of Sports, 67 years old
Evgeniy Pas'ko - 2nd sports rank, 61 years old
Vladimir Lepikhin - 2nd sports rank, 60 years old
Aleksandr Strelkov - badge holder, 32 years old
Viktor Meshcheryakov - Candidate for Master of Sports, 67 years old
Vladimir Grigorov - 1st sports rank (mountain tourism), 56 years old

Altitude: 5033 m. Swirling fog, strong gusts of wind, snow, and sleet. We spent less than an hour on Kazbek's summit, taking memorable group photos. We raised flags of:

Russia
Rostov
Don-TR
JSC "Rostvertol"

The descent from the summit to the assault camp was made in strong winds and fog, among crevices, using the marker flags we had set up during our ascent. At the assault camp, strong winds continued throughout the night, with snow and sleet falling. It was cold, with a temperature of -2 °C inside the tent in the morning. We continued our descent along the ridge, via scree-covered ledges and broken rocks, which led us to a rocky couloir descending to the lower part of the snowy couloir where we began our ascent. We then traversed the glacier in the approaching fog, orienting ourselves by cairns, but sometimes had to find our way through crevices by the voices of those who had found a passage and were below. After crossing the Kolka River on a left-in-place rope, we returned to base camp. Our goal - Kazbek - had been achieved.