105. Kariu via Northwest Ridge

Rocky route by V. Ivanova, 3A, fig. 2, 88, 139, 140.

Length: 2000–2500 m. Time: 8–10 hours.

Approach:

• From Vladikavkaz (group of 2–6 people), take a bus via TKM to Zintsar village. From Vladikavkaz – 2 hours.
• At the village, turn left, cross the Ardon River by bridge, and drive along a dirt road to Urs village, above which the ancient Tsamatskaya fortress is situated.
• From the village, turn left and ascend via a trail, to the right of the fortress, to a grassy pasture plateau (1–1.5 hours from Urs).

Attention: there is no water above Urs village!

Route:

• Across the pasture plateau, approach the right side of a narrow couloir-gully running along the South wall of the Northwest ridge of Kariu peak, 200 m to the right of a white vein.
• From the grassy slope, ascend 10-meter simple rocks to a grassy terrace on the South wall.
• Along the terrace trail:
  • 500 m to the right — up;
  • then up — left, 10 m via a chimney;
  • 200–250 m along a grassy ledge to a narrow couloir-gully.
• From here, ascend a flattening 300-meter, grass-covered narrow couloir-gully, exiting the wall up and right onto the Northwest ridge of Kariu peak (3–4 hours from the plateau).
• On the ridge, turn right and ascend a heavily jagged, with 5–10-meter drops, gentle simple 700–800-meter Northwest ridge:
  • First sentinel — bypass on the left;
  • Second — overcome along the ridge;
  • Third (small) — bypass on the left;
  • Behind it, approach the 4th sentinel "Stenka".
• Overcome sentinel "Stenka" "head-on" via a 25-meter (70–75°) wall of medium and above medium difficulty (piton protection) with an exit to a ledge.
• Along the ledge — 25–30-meter traverse left under overhanging rocks — exit to the shoulder of the 1st Northwest buttress of the 4th sentinel.

Check point — a cairn on the shoulder.

(1.5–2 hours from the Northwest ridge exit point.)

• From the shoulder, along a ledge on the left side of the sentinel, traverse to a couloir (with three rock "corks") of the second Northeast buttress of the 4th sentinel.

Ascend simple and medium difficulty rocks of the couloir for 25–30 meters to the Northeast buttress (protection). Then, traverse 40 meters along simple rocks to a saddle on the Northwest ridge under the 5th sentinel. Bypass it with a 60-meter traverse on the left along steep simple rocks (protection) and behind it, exit to a saddle on the Northwest ridge. From the saddle, approach the wall of the 6th sentinel "Ryzhy". Ascend 40-meter (70°) rocks of medium and above medium difficulty (piton protection) to a ledge. Here is the 2nd check cairn! 1.5–2 hours from the first cairn. Traverse 100–150 meters along the ledge on the left (protection) to bypass the top of sentinel "Ryzhy" and behind it, ascend steep (60°) simple and medium difficulty rocks to the ridge. Having traversed 50 m along steep (45–50°) rocks (piton protection) of the Northwest ridge and rocks of medium difficulty on its left side for a 70-meter ascent, reach the summit of Kariu. 2 hours from the second cairn. Snow is possible on the northern slopes of the ridge from November to May.

Fig. 139. Kariu from the south