Traversing Kozelskaya Sopka from northwest to southeast with ascent to Zub Kozelsky via the northwest wall – category 3A (Figure 4)
From Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, overnight stay in the Kozelsky Creek valley (see description for Zub Kozelsky – 1).
On the right side of the canyon, across the moraine-covered glacier, bypassing a rock massif on the right (in the direction of travel) lateral moraine, exit into a wide snow-ice couloir with a slope of 30–35°, descending from the false pass. Staying on the left (in the direction of travel) side of the couloir, exit to the false pass in 2.5–3 hours. Movement is in teams. In the upper part of the couloir – 5 ropes, alternate belay. It is advisable to wear crampons, as there are sections of dense firn and ice in the upper part.
From the false pass – ascent via a ridge leading to the western summit below a large gendarme.
Bypass the gendarme on the left in the direction of travel:
- 3 ropes
- step cutting
- piton belay (it is possible to drive pitons into the gendarme wall)
After bypassing the gendarme, exit onto a ridge leading to the western summit of Kozelskaya Sopka via a cleft (1 rope, belay).
Then, via heavily broken rocks – ascent to the western summit.
From the western summit, along a wide snow-covered ridge with small, straightforward gendarmes – exit into a Mulda below the central summit. One should proceed with caution, as there are many snow cornices on the northeast side of the ridge. Ascent from the Mulda onto the snow-ice dome of the central summit, slope 40–45°. 3 ropes, step cutting, piton belay. There is a control cairn on the central summit.
Descent from the central summit along a snow-ice slope onto a ridge between the central summit and Zub Kozelsky. Then, along the ridge (Attention, snow cornices!), bypassing a series of gendarmes on the right in the direction of travel, exit below the northwest wall of Zub Kozelsky.
Entering a short couloir on the right in the direction of travel – 8 m, exit to the left cleft. Ascent up the vertical cleft to a small rock ledge. The rocks are monolithic; there are no cracks or holds. Exit onto the ledge, where there is a crack for a piton (belay!). Then, ascent up the cleft under an overhanging plug – 8 m and exit onto a rock outcropping (piton belay). Control cairn on a piton. No more than 2 people can stand on the outcropping. From the rock outcropping, an inclined ledge goes to the right, making it tempting to traverse the wall. However, this should not be done, as the crack leads to a section of steep, unstable rocks made of volcanic tuffs, making the ascent hazardous and not recommended. From the rock outcropping, one should move straight up. There are no holds or cracks; the rock is very solid. This section is traversed with the installation of 2 expansion bolts and hanging ladders or stirrups on them (Key section of the route!).
Exit onto the sub-summit and then via straightforward rocks to the summit of Zub Kozelsky.
The entire ascent from the overnight stay to the summit takes 10–11 hours. Descent along the route is category 12.
Recommendations for Climbers
- Number of participants – 4–6 people.
- Initial bivouac – Kozelsky Creek canyon.
- Departure time from the bivouac – no later than 4:00 AM. The snow-ice couloir to the false pass is prone to rockfall. When moving along the ridge between the summits, beware of snow cornices hanging on the northeast side of the ridge.
- Special equipment for a group of 4: a) main rope 2 × 30 m; b) rock pitons – 6 pcs.; c) ice pitons – 2 pcs.; d) expansion bolts – 2 pcs.; e) drill – 1 pc.; f) ladders – 2 pcs.; g) carabiners – 8 pcs.; h) rock hammer – 2 pcs.; i) cordelette for loops – 5 m; j) crampons – 4 pairs.
