3A+1

First ascent on p. "Metallurgov Urala" (5150 m) via the left eastern counterforce.

Peak "Metallurgov Urala" is located in the western part of the Trans-Alay Range in a spur extending towards Peak Sverdlova between the peaks:

• to the south - Avyk-Too (5285 m)
• to the north - p. N. I. Kuznetsova (5300 m).

The ascent was made from an intermediate base camp (3800 m), located on an old moraine covered with grass, near a small lake, in the upper reaches of the Kok-Kyik gorge.

The path from the base camp at 3800 m goes along the left (orographically) bank of the r. Kok-Kyik, along a grassy slope. After 40–50 minutes of walking, the path reaches the scree, and you need to turn right, bypassing the spurs of p. Kuznetsova.

After an hour and a half to two hours of walking, you need to cross a ridge coming from the summit (5150) of p. Metallurgov Urala. It takes 20–30 minutes to overcome the ridge. Behind the ridge, a flat black lateral moraine begins (orographically left of l. Kok-Kyik), along which, after 1.5 hours, you reach the beginning of the route.

Here is the first overnight stay on the moraine at an altitude of 4500 m. The travel time from the intermediate base camp (3800 m) to 4500 m is 3–4 hours.

The travel time from the first overnight stay to the beginning of the route is 30–40 minutes along the Kok-Kyik glacier. The exit to the left counterforce is via rocks of medium difficulty. Further advancement is possible only along the counterforce; after 3–4 ropes, an 8–10 m wall at an angle of 70–80° is encountered, requiring careful piton protection.

The travel time to the first control point is 1.5–2 hours.

The counterforce consists of:

• a series of gendarmes of varying height (up to 15 m) and steepness (up to 80°),
• separated by rocks of medium difficulty,
• with snow-ice bridges.

All gendarmes are passed head-on. Descending into the couloirs is impossible due to the risk of avalanches and rockfall.

After 3–4 hours, the counterforce is broken by a wide couloir, which departs from the central counterforce. The couloir is icy.