LENIN PEAK (7134 m) FROM THE NORTH VIA THE SPUR FROM LIPKINA PEAK.
Moscow – 1967
II. Preparation and Organization of the Ascent
In the autumn of 1966, the Moscow City Council of the "Burevestnik" Sports Association decided to conduct a complex high-altitude expedition to the Pamir using collective travel vouchers. A coaching council was formed, consisting of Honored Master of Sports Ovchinnikov A.G., Master of Sports Bozhukov, and Honored Coach of the RSFSR Radel V.A. The head of the organizational committee was Master of Sports Galkin V.T., under whose leadership the preparations for the expedition were carried out.
Training sessions were conducted according to a plan developed by the coaching council, three times a week, at the sports complexes:
- Bauman Moscow State Technical University (MSTU)
- Moscow State University (MSU)
- Tsaritsyno
- Khimki.
In the spring of 1967, all candidates passed the control physical standards. Based on the results of the physical standards and the amount of public work done, the composition of the expedition and the groups were finalized.
Before departing to the mountains, the materials on the ascents to Lenin Peak were studied.
Starting from July 28, the expedition conducted a two-week training camp at the "Ala-Archa" alpine camp, where the group made three ascents, spending two nights at an altitude of 4600 m and reaching a height of 4870 m.
On July 19, the expedition relocated to the valley of the Achik-Tali river under Lenin Peak. On a large green meadow (4360 m), they set up a base camp. From here, the entire massif of Lenin Peak is clearly visible.
When studying the northern slopes of the peak, the most logical and safe path from Lipkina Peak upwards to the rocky spur in the form of a "Paw" catches the eye, and further along it to the pre-summit ridge, which leads to the summit of Lenin Peak. The first ascenders from the north in 1934 also drew attention to this route.
"The route, which went along the right ridge of rocks, was steeper and more dangerous, but it shortened the path to the summit and led to the summit ridge at a height of about 6900 m".
In 1936, the alpinists of the Central Army Sports Club (CASC) attempted to ascend via the spur.
"The command of the campaign decided that from the camp at 6100 m, on the way to the summit, the detachment would not traverse the slopes of Lenin Peak to the left along the terrace, as the first ascenders did in 1934. This time we are climbing directly to the summit ridge along the western ridge of rocks. This short but steeper path must now be explored by scouts".
However, bad weather conditions and the heavy snow cover on the route did not allow for success.
No information was found in the literature about other attempts to ascend Lenin Peak via this route.
III. Reconnaissance and Tactical Ascent Plan.
On July 21, 1967, a group set out from the base camp to scout the route, acclimatize at an altitude of 6000 m, and make a supply drop:
- Nadbakh-Kiedessa B. — leader
- Bobrov V.I. — participant
- Zykov D. — participant
- Kravchenko V.B. — participant
- Kusov E.A. — participant
- Ivanov V.A. — coach
At an altitude of 4300 m, the group leader Nadbakh-Kiedessa B. fell ill and had to return to the base camp. Due to poor health and signs of impending altitude sickness, Zykov D. only reached a height of 5200 m. The remaining participants climbed to 6000 m.
At the base of the spur, they carved out a platform in the frozen scree slope. Here, they left 20 kg of supplies and equipment.
The group spent two nights at an altitude of 5200 m, where they also left some of the equipment.
They returned to the base camp on the morning of July 24.
As a result of the reconnaissance, the ascent route and the group composition were finalized. The route can be conditionally divided into three parts:
- The first part of the route coincides with the "usual" path of ascent to Lenin Peak — ascent from the Lenin Glacier through Lipkina Peak along snowy slopes towards the snowy terrace.
- The second part of the route goes along the rocky spur, the beginning of which coincides with the snowy terrace and is located to the right of the terrace. The "usual" route goes along the terrace, then along the rocky ridge to the eastern ridge, leading to the summit. The spur leads to the eastern ridge near the pre-summit ridge.
- The third part of the route coincides with the "usual" path of ascent — exit to the summit via the "comma". The chosen path is the safest and shortest of all possible options for ascending Lenin Peak from the north. The most avalanche-prone spot is the exit to the rocks of the spur, as it is necessary to cross the "throat" formed by the snowy terrace and the rocks of the spur.
The reconnaissance showed that the condition of the route is good: the rocks of the spur are bare and not prone to avalanches. From the snowy terrace, the entire path along the spur was visible, and possible bivouac sites were identified. From the right edge of the terrace to the rocks of the spur — 2.5–3 ropes. The final tactical plan for the ascent, approved by the expedition's coaching council, looked as follows:
- Day one: base camp (3600 m) – Lipkina Peak (5200 m)
- Day two: Lipkina Peak (5200 m) – start of the spur (6000 m)
- Day three: traversing the spur (6000–6800 m)
- Day four: pre-summit ridge – summit – descent to bivouac (6800 m – 7134 m – 6800 m)
- Day five: descent to the Lenin Glacier via the "usual" route (6800–4200 m)
- Day six: return to base camp (4200–3600 m)
- Day seven: reserve.
The departure from 5200 m was scheduled for 8:00. The task was set to pass the "throat" as early and quickly as possible and exit onto the rocks of the spur.
IV. Ascent Route.
On July 26 at 5:00, a group set out from the base camp (3600 m) to ascend:
- Ivanov V.A., CMS, leader
- Bobrov V.I., 1st category, participant
- Kravchenko V.B., PR
- Kusov E.A.
Rope team distribution:
- Ivanov – Kusov
- Bobrov – Kravchenko
It took 5 hours to traverse the pass through the ridge spur and the Lenin Glacier.
At the foot of Lipkina Peak, they organized a rest day (4200 m). At 12:30, after a long rest and a hearty lunch, they began the ascent to Lipkina Peak along scree slopes, transitioning into snowy-icy ascents. By 15:00, they had passed three steep ascents and stopped on a platform organized during the reconnaissance on the snowy plateau of Lipkina Peak (5200 m).
Slightly below, on the rocks before the third ascent, another group of the expedition (leader — Chyorny N., coaches — Ovchinnikov A.G. and Galkin V.T.) stopped, making an ascent via the "usual" route.
July 27. At night, the weather deteriorated. Snowfall began, a gusty wind blew, and visibility was limited.
At 7:45, they left their bivouac site and ascended along the familiar steep snowy-icy slopes to the start of the spur. They had to re-tread the path as the old tracks were covered in snow.
The snow, hardened by the morning frost, generally held well. In some places, deep loose snow was encountered, which took a lot of effort to traverse, and in some places, ice outcrops were encountered.
They climbed in crampons on their crampon-compatible jackets.
At 10:00, they reached the rocky outcrops below the spur, and by 12:00, via the "outcrops" and snow, bypassing the initial steep ascent (about 60°) to the left, they reached the 6000 m platform, where supplies had been left during the first sortie.
The spur is a heavily eroded rocky ridge with a steepness of 30°, consisting partially of low rocky outcrops up to 10–15 m, with paths to bypass them, and frozen small scree, which can be chopped with an ice axe; these scree slopes reliably hold ice screws. The rock is soft, and rock pitons practically do not hold. The color of the rock is yellow, red, and green. The spur is characterized by the following features:
- It consists of a series of ridges converging at the top
- It has several steps
- It drops steeply to the right towards the upper reaches of the Lenin Glacier
- To the left, it transitions into avalanche-prone snowy slopes lying between the eastern ridge and the spur.
After the 6000 m platform, they ascended along scree and rocks, partially covered with snow, sticking to the left side, 4–5 ropes up to a snowy shoulder, where they set up a bivouac at 14:00. The bivouac:
- was well protected from the wind by rocky outcrops
- was located at an altitude of 6150 m.
The weather improved somewhat.
July 28. The night was very cold. They set out on the route at 8:10. They ascended along the left ridge, which has several steps; after the step, the ridge usually begins with a wall up to 5 m. On one of the steps, a pre-war model tent was discovered. Altitude 6400 m. It was likely left by the reconnaissance group of CASC alpinists in 1936.
They climbed higher and reached soft green rocks; above these rocks, two to three ropes of the ridges converge towards extensive scree slopes of large stones, which lead to a snowy dome — the place where the spur and the eastern ridge converge.
The snow is dense and holds well; altitude 6800 m, time — 14:00.
Then, they descended about 100 meters down into a depression under the pre-summit ascent of Lenin Peak, where they set up a bivouac. The unknown part of the route was traversed.
July 29. They left the bivouac at 8:10 and stood at the control cairn of Lenin Peak at 12:00. Two hours earlier, a part of N. Chyorny's group, who had made an ascent via the "usual" route, had climbed here. After an unsuccessful attempt to install an automatic weather station on the summit, where it was supposed to be installed by air drop, the group began their descent. In total, they spent more than five hours on the summit. By 19:00, the entire group had descended to the tent.
July 30. They began their descent at 8:00 via the "usual" route. First, they climbed to the snowy dome at 6800 m, and then along its slopes to the rocky ridge. At an altitude of 6400 m, near the rocky ridge, they caught up with N. Chyorny's group, which had bivouacked on the opposite side of the 6800 m dome. They descended together along the rocky ridge to the snowy terrace (6100 m).
Then, their group:
- traversed the terrace,
- descended to the plateau of Lipkina Peak (5200 m).
Here, they took a long rest.
In the evening, both groups met again on the Lenin Glacier (4200 m), where they organized a joint bivouac.
July 31. In the morning frost, they traversed the Lenin Glacier and returned to the base camp at noon.
The route taken is more interesting and logical than the "usual" route of ascent to Lenin Peak.