65. Severnaia via the Eastern ridge

The route is a combined one by A. Meshcheryakov, category 3A, fig. 88, 89, 101, 102. Length 700–800 m, duration 7–9 hours.

From Vladikavkaz (group of 2–8 people), take a bus for 1.5–2 hours to the village of Kharisdzhin. From the village, walk 1.5–2 km upstream along the gorge road to the right tributary of Fiagdon - the Tsadzhiau River. Cross the river and turn right, ascending via a serpentine trail on the left bank until the gorge turns left to the south. Here, cross the Tsadzhiau River and follow the trail of an old overgrown road on the right bank to approach a mountain lake. The base camp is located on the lake's shore. The journey from the road takes 2.5–3 hours, and from the village of Kharisdzhin - 3–4 hours.

From the lake, follow the wide, even bottom of the gorge to reach the terminal moraine of the Tsadzhiau Glacier. From here, there are two options to ascend to the Eastern shoulder of the Eastern ridge of Severnaia peak.

First option:

• Turn right on the moraine and ascend via scree and easy, crumbling rocks on the right slope to the Southeast buttress of the Eastern ridge.
• Turn right here and ascend via easy, crumbling rocks and scree on the Southeast buttress to the Eastern shoulder of the Eastern ridge.

Second option:

• Proceed along the right moraine upstream through the gorge for several hundred meters, approaching an overhanging rock on the right. A base camp is possible under this rock. The journey from the lake takes 1.5–2 hours.
• From the rock, ascend upstream through the gorge and, bypassing the base of the Southeast buttress of the Eastern ridge, turn right.
• Ascend via a grassy slope and large scree to the first upper lateral cirque with a small, even corrie glacier. The journey from the overhanging rock takes 1.5–2 hours.
• Follow the snowy, even glacier upwards to the right, towards the saddle of the Eastern ridge, left of the Eastern shoulder.
• From the cirque, ascend via the steep, snowy, and crumbling, easy rocky Southern slope to the saddle of the Eastern ridge of Severnaia peak. The journey from the overhanging rock takes 2–3 hours.

From the saddle:

• Turn left and follow the crumbling, easy rocks of the wide, 300–400-meter Eastern ridge with four 20–25-meter simple rock ascents (with protection) to approach the wall of the Big Gendarme. The journey from the Eastern ridge takes 1–1.5 hours.
• Ascend 20–25 meters straight up via moderately difficult rocks on the wall of the Big Gendarme (with piton protection) to a ledge.
• Then, perform a 50–60-meter traverse along a narrow, possibly snowy ledge on the left side of the Eastern ridge (with piton protection), which leads to a wide snow-and-ice couloir descending from under the summit ascent of the Eastern ridge.
• Ascend 80–100 meters straight up via the right side of the steep (40–45°) snow-and-ice couloir along the rocks (with piton protection) to a saddle.
• Here, turn left and ascend via simple, steep rocks (loose stones, with protection) on the 80–100-meter ascent of the Eastern ridge to reach Severnaia peak. The journey from the base of the Gendarme takes 2–3 hours.

Fig. 102. Eastern ridge of Severnaia peak