Report on the First Ascent of the Route to Peak Kommunizma (7495 m) via the Left Part of the North Face

Climbing Passport

Pamir. Akademiya Nauk Range. The highest point of the former USSR. Peak Kommunizma (Ismoili Somoni) 7495 m. Claimed category: 6A (winter). First ascent. In terms of complexity and conditions, a normal 6B. Route type: ice. Elevation gain: 2500 m. Route length: approximately 5500 m.
Section lengths: I — 1400 m, II — 2700 m, III — 230 m, IV — 800 m, V — 200 m, VI — 165 m.
Average steepness of the main part of the route: 75°.
Number of pitons left on the route: total — 30.
Total number of ice screws used on the route: 240.
Total number of artificial anchors (AAs) used: 50.
Team's total climbing hours after processing the route: 4 hours.
Team:

Sergey Seliverstov (leader), Alexey Usatykh, Mikhail Danichkin, Andrey Erokhin, Maxim Cherkasov, Artur Usmanov, Viktor Filinov, Alexander Moroz.

Senior coach: Fedor Popov
First group:

Started climbing the route: January 27, 2020 Reached the summit: 14:00, January 31, 2020 Returned to Base Camp: 20:00, February 1, 2020

Second group:

Started climbing the route: February 4, 2020
Reached the summit: 12:00, February 8, 2020
Returned to Base Camp: 18:00, February 9, 2020

General view of the summit

Route Diagram

Route Description

From Base Camp, we ascend via the classic route. On the glacier, we turn left towards the left part of the north face. On the glacier, we put on crampons and rope up. We approach the bergschrund.

R0–R1. We set up a belay station at the bergschrund using ice screws. Vertical ice section. 15 m, 90°, 6. R1–R2. Easy ice, we move left. 230 m, 50–55°, 3. R2–R3. Snow-covered "ram's foreheads". Difficult to set up belay points. We continue moving left onto the ice. 50 m, 50°, 4. R3–R4. Up the ice. 100 m, 55–60°, 4. R4–R5. The ice becomes steeper and leads to a rock wall. 80 m, 60–70°, 5. R5–R6. Rock band. Challenging climbing. 20 m, 70°, 5. R6–R7. First crux. Vertical flowstone, местами очень тонкий, ИТО на бурах. 100 m, 85–90°, 6. R7–R8. Ice couloir. 100 m, 60°, 4. R8–R9. Second crux. Narrow ice couloir. 50 m, 80–85°, 6. R9–R10. 50 m, 70–75°, 5. R10–R11. Ice cascades with small steep walls. 150 m, 55–60°, 4. R11–R12. Rocks with ice. 50 m, 60°, 5. R12–R13. Ice. We emerge onto the "roof". 400 m, 50°, 4. R13–R14. Large Pamir Plateau. 1000 m, 10°, 1. R14–R15. Snow-firn slope. Crevasses and bergschrunds present. Some seracs need to be avoided. 1500 m, 30–40°, 2. R15–R16. From the Dushanbe-Kommunizma col to the "shovel". 400 m, 10–15°, 1. R16–R17. Snow-firn slope to the ridge. местами очень жёсткий. Firm snow on the ridge. Better to set up a belay. The ridge leads to the summit!

Descent follows the ascent route.

Team's Tactical Actions

January 10-11, 2020. Approach to the wall. Gear cache. Inspection and assessment of the route conditions. January 12-24. The team splits into groups of 4. Work is done in shifts. One group on the route, another on gear cache, the third group rests. We dug a cave at 5000 m under the bergschrund. Due to the impossibility of setting up a tent on the wall, we processed the route from the cave, returning there in the evening. During this time, we fixed 27 ropes, each 50 m long. We waited out bad weather for several days. January 24-25. All groups descended to Base Camp to rest. January 26. Danichkin's group ascends to Camp I. January 27. Danichkin's group completes the technical section and sets up Camp II at 6000 m. Total: 29 ropes on the wall and two on the "roof". Seliverstov's group ascends to Camp I. January 28. Danichkin's group ascends to 6200 m and digs a cave there. Seliverstov's group ascends to Camp II. Akimov's group is at Camp I. January 29. The first group sets up Camp III at 6950 m. The second group ascends to the cave at 6200 m. The third group is at Camp II. January 30. The first group attempts the summit but turns back due to cold. The second group ascends to Camp III. The third group is in the cave. January 31. Danichkin M., Erokhin A., Cherkasov M., Usmanov A., Filinov V., Moroz A. reach the summit! They descend to Camp III. February 1, 2020. The weather deteriorates. Everyone descends to Base Camp. February 4. The group consisting of Seliverstov S., Usatykh A., Moroz A. embarks on a second attempt. February 8. All three reach the summit! Due to unfavorable forecasts, they are forced to descend to the cave at 6200 m on the same day. February 9. Descent to Base Camp.

R1–R2