Passport

1. Russia, Kamchatka Peninsula, Ganal Range Number 3 KMGV
2. Main Peak (2062 m)

Route: "via the North-East wall"

3. Proposed — 4A category of difficulty. First ascent
4. Character of the route: rock
5. Height difference of the rock part of the route: 362 m. Length of the rock part of the route: 461 m. Length of sections: V category of difficulty: 70 m. Average steepness of the route: 63°
6. Left on the route: 1 hook, 1 friend
7. Team's walking hours: 11 h 40 min
8. Leader: Benedyk Ivan Nikolayevich, 1st sports category

Participants:

• Ryzhkov Alexander Alexandrovich, 2nd sports category
• Karpushin Pavel Vyacheslavovich, 2nd class

Karpushin Pavel Vyacheslavovich, 2nd class

9. Coach: Kalyuzhny Nikolay Alexeyevich — Candidate Master of Sports
10. Exit from Base Camp: 03:30, August 18, 2010

Exit to the route: 08:00. Exit to the summit: 19:40. Return to Base Camp: 01:00, August 19, 2010

11. Kamchatka Federation of Alpinism and Rock Climbing

VNkarpenko@yandex.ru

12. Responsible for the report: I.N. Benedyk, ivanbenedyk@yandex.ru, phone: 8-914-788-2032

GENERAL PHOTO OF THE SUMMIT

(view from the north-east)

The photo was taken on August 12, 1998 (slide). Shooting point #4. Height 1000 m. Distance — 3000 m. Camera: Olympus Stylus (Zoom)

• "Via the North-East wall", I. Benedyk, 2010
• "From the North-West", 3B category of difficulty. I. Korbuh, 1981

The photo was taken at the Yurichizh-Glavnaya pass, September 16, 2009. Shooting point #1. Height 1800 m, distance — 600 m. Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro I (Zoom)

The photo was taken from the eastern ridge of v. Yurchik, June 19, 2010. Shooting point #2. Height 1950 m, distance — 1300 m. Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro I (Zoom)

• "Via the North-East wall", I. Benedyk, 2010
• "From the North-West", 3B category of difficulty. I. Korbuh, 1981
• "Via the center of the Western wall", 5B category of difficulty. F. Faberov, 1991

PHOTO PANORAMA OF THE ASCENT AREA

¹

2. • v. Ptitsa. 2006 m — Advanced Camp
3. • v. Yuzhnaya. 1950 m — approach path

BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE ASCENT AREA

In the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula, within the system of the Great Eastern Ridge, lies a unique, compact region — the Ganal Range. Its length from northwest to southeast is 20 km, and from northeast to southwest — about 10 km. The maximum height is the Main Peak, 2062 m.

The area is characterized by alpine mountain structure, with wall height differences reaching 450 m. Despite the relatively low absolute height of the objects, winter here lasts nine months. The first frosts occur from early September, and snow falls from September 15-20. In December-February, temperatures reach -45 °C. Snow at the level of the base camp melts only by mid-June.

Most ascents in the area are made during the summer. The most suitable period for summer expeditions is from mid-June to the first decade of September.

From the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, it is convenient to reach the bridge over the Vaktan Malkinsky River — 144th km of the Milkovo highway (see the map-scheme of the area) by any vehicle.

To the right of the bridge, a forest road can be taken for another 5-6 km. Then, on foot or by high-clearance vehicle, another 5 km to the trail. The landmark is the ravine to the left. This is the first tributary of the Upper Malkinsky River along the way.

The further path goes through the ravine into the upper "Main gorge" — a hiking trail. Walk along the right side of the ravine upwards until you reach the terrace. Then:

• Cross the bed of a small stream at the border of the forest and bushes.
• The ascent to the upper valley will take 50-60 minutes.
• From this place, a panorama of all the main peaks opens up.
• From here to the Base Camp — 3 km.

Further, the trail goes along the right slope of the tributary flowing from the mountain Yurchik. After 400 m:

• Cross the tributary.
• Go in the direction of the main circus, to the cedar trees on the moraine cushions.

Here, near the left side of the gorge, is a good place for overnight stays — the main Base Camp at 7.

ascents along routes from the Main gorge. Height — 1000 m. Landmark — above the camp in the mountain ridge is a charming grassy pass.

Travel time from the city to the Vaktan Malkinsky River — 2.5 hours.

The walking part of the journey — 10 km — 3.5-4 hours.

Approach to the route. From the Base Camp, go northeast up the gorge, along the stony moraine to reach a large snowfield completely covering the bottom of the circus.

Walk along the snowfield to the end, and then ascend to the upper circus of g. Yurchik. Here, under the ascent to the pass, you can set up an Advanced Camp. Overnight stay, there is water.

From the Base Camp — 2.5 km, height — 1500 m, height difference from the Base Camp — 500 m. Here, the ascent to the beginning of the route — "from the North-West", 3B — is a good option for a preliminary, warm-up ascent.

On the day of the ascent. Ascent from the Advanced Camp to the pass point — the extreme lowering on the right in the saddle. The path to the pass will take about an hour, the height of the pass — 1800 m.

Then:

• Descend along a steep snowy couloir into the North circus with a loss of height to 1250 m
• Ascent to the beginning of the route

The transition from the Advanced Camp through the pass to the beginning of the rock part of the route — 3.2-4 hours.

ROUTE SCHEME IN UIAA SYMBOLS

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE BY SECTIONS

Section R0

From the rocks along the snowy couloir straight up, about 350 m, approach the beginning of the route — a protruding rock cape, turning above into a counterfort — the left edge of the "triangle". Climb onto the cape — here, on the scree plateau, is a convenient place for organizing the first station (height 1700 m).

Section R1 (beginning of the rock part of the route, photo #1)

From the site upwards and to the left through a "snatch" — a slab 46 m, 45°–60°. Insurance points — friends #3-5*. Station on a scree shelf** (friends #0, #4, #8).

Section R2

To the left and upwards 15 m. Exit to a wide, unexpressed counterfort and further along the counterfort upwards 40 m.

Sections R3-R4 (photo #2)

Further, the route goes along the destroyed slabs in the direction of the left edge of the "triangle". The path from station to station is best laid with deviations to the right and left to reduce the risk of the leader dislodging rocks into the zone of lower insurance stations. Section 90 m, 60°–65°, III-IV-. Insurance points — закладки and friends #0-5, hook leaves, 2 channels.

Section R5

• From the station 15 m upwards, bypassing the left edge of the "triangle"
• Upper station — a stone, channel

Section R6

Further — easy climbing along a wide bend in the wall upwards, slightly veering to the left, approaching under an overhang (to the right is a wide chimney-couloir — do not enter, rockfall hazard).

Under the overhang, the station will be protected from possible rockfall during further movement of the leader along

the scree shelf at the end of the section. Station — friend #3, horizontal and channel hooks.

Section R7

From the station through the overhang "on the snatch" straight up (climbing V−), exit to an oblique scree shelf. Along the shelf, to the right and upwards, and not reaching the end of the shelf, climb onto a small balcony to remove the rope from the scree. Station —

• channel
• two friends #0, #1.

Section R8 (Photo #3)

• Traverse to the right and upwards 12 m.
• Enter the inner corner (10 m)
• Climbing IV, IV+
• Not reaching the end of the corner, transition to the left onto the wall and upwards 8 m (V−)
• Completion on a narrow shelf

Insurance points — friends #1-4. Station — a ledge, hook, friend.

Section R9 (photo #4)

Further along the wall in the direction of the summit upwards 48 m, 75° (not deviating to the right towards the counterfort), tense climbing — V, V+ along a vertical crack and small separations in a monolithic slab. Insurance points — friends #0-5, hooks. Station — 3 friends #2-4 and a thin hook. In the station zone, a hook with a control note is installed (photo #5).

Section R10 (photo #6)

• From the station along a diagonal crack to the left and upwards 30 m in the direction of the destroyed inner corner-gutter (photo #5)
• Further, not reaching the corner, along its right side straight up 8-10 m. 90° V+
• Exit to a small triangular shelf, convenient for a station

Insurance points — friends #00-1. Station: channel, 2 friends #1, #3.

Section R11 (photo #7)

From the site along the inner corner upwards 8 m. Exit to the shoulder of the counterfort. Along the counterfort another 10-12 m upwards, in the direction of the summit to convenient ledges for organizing a station.

Insurance points:

• friends #1-3

Station:

• ledge
• friend #0

Section R12 (photo #8)

The last section 20 m, climbing IV, IV+ along smoothed rocks 65° with limited choice of cracks for insurance — exit to the pre-summit saddle.

Exit to the saddle:

• along the inner corner 5 m.
• 80°

The summit — a flat area 1.5 × 5 m, from the north-east is protected by large stones forming a natural wall, about two meters high, from the north-west — a three-meter rock — the summit point.

Descent from the summit along the route 3B category of difficulty "From the North-West"

• The team used friends of the following size range: #00 — for cracks 10-12 mm wide, #0 — 12-15 mm, #6 — 28-33 mm, #1 — 14-18 mm, #7 — 30-43 mm, #2 — 18-23 mm, #8 — 38-50 mm, #3 — 20-25 mm, #9 — 47-57 mm, #4 — 24-30 mm, #10 — 54-67 mm, #5 — 28-37 mm, #11 — 63-83 mm.

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Photo #3

Section R1

The photo was taken from the station of section R1 on June 17, 2010.

Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro I (Zoom)

Photo #2

Section R4

Approach to the left edge of the "triangle"

The photo was taken from the station of section R4 on July 6, 2009.

Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro 1 (Zoom)

Photo #3

Section R8

Inner corner

The photo was taken from the station (on the scree shelf) of section R8 on June 17, 2010. Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro I (Zoom)

Photo #4

Section R9

The photo was taken from the station of section R9 on June 17, 2010. Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro 1 (Zoom)

Photo #5

Exit to the station of section R10

The photo was taken from the rope of section R9 on June 17, 2010. Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro 1 (Zoom)

Photo #6

Section R10

View from the traverse to the station R10

The photo was taken by the leader on section R10 on June 17, 2010.

Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro 1 (Zoom)

Photo #7

View from above down from the station R11

The photo was taken from the station of section R11 on June 17, 2010.

Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro

Photo #8

Descent from the summit

The photo was taken from v. Glavnaya on June 17, 2010. Camera: Canon Power Shot Pro1 (Zoom)

• "Via the North-East wall", I. Benedyk 2010
• "From the North-West", category of difficulty 3B. I. Korbuh 1981 (descent route)

Footnotes

1. 1. • v. Palets. 2007 m — Base Camp. 1000 m — photo shooting point
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