International Mountaineering Club 2003–2004

Reports on First Ascentions

in the area of Lake Sarez in Pamir

to the peaks of Rushan and Muzkol ranges

International Mountaineering Club

Address: Moscow, Luzhnetskaya embankment, 8, Russian Olympic Committee, office 330 Phone/fax (095) 725-45-28, e-mail: mak@roc.ru, http://www.clubalp.ru↗

Club President

Valery Vladimirovich Kuzin — First Vice-President of the Russian Olympic Committee

Head Coach

Yuri Viktorovich Baykovsky — Honored Coach of the Republic of Tajikistan

Report

I. Peak Table — 3 pages

II. Overview of the Sarez Lake area     a. Map of the Republic of Tajikistan — 4 pages     b. Description of the area — 5 pages     c. Road to Sarez Lake — 7 pages     d. Map of Sarez Lake — 8 pages

III. Reports on ascents to the peaks of the "Birombanda" area     a. Map and description of the area — 10 pages     1. "Olimp-2004" (5674 m) — 11 pages     2. "Poytakht" (5601 m) — 20 pages     3. "International Mountaineering Club" (5337 m) — 26 pages     4. "Obzornaya" (4424 m) — 35 pages

IV. Reports on ascents to the peaks of the "Shadau" area     a. Map and description of the area — 42 pages     1. "10 let MChS" (5250 m) — 45 pages     2. "USOY" (5120 m) — 53 pages     3. "Spasateley" (5050 m) — 60 pages     4. "Gornykh gidov" (5080 m) — 69 pages

Map of the Republic of Tajikistan

(Route from Dushanbe to Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, to the Sarez Lake area)

Description of the Sarez Lake mountain area

Road

You can reach Sarez Lake from Dushanbe:

• by helicopter from Dushanbe airport to the helipad on the Usoi dam;
• by car. Drive to the district center Rushan. The road to the Rogun turn has asphalt coverage. Further, the asphalt is practically absent, the coverage is badly damaged. From Rushan, it is 130 km to the kishlak Barchadiv on a difficult road. You need to cross several rivers. With high water, the road is sometimes flooded and washed away. The journey takes 2–3 days.

From kishlak Barchadiv, it is a 20 km walking distance. It takes approximately the same time to go up and down — from 6 to 10 hours.

At the beginning of the path (1 hour) and at the end (2 hours), there is no water.

In the middle part, the trail runs along the Murgab River.

The steepest section with a difference of 700 m is a long climb to the Usoi dam. The ascent consists of three stages.

Features of the area

Due to the possibility of a breakthrough of the Usoi dam, the Sarez Lake area is a strategic object and is closed to tourism. To visit it, in addition to a permit to enter the border zone of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, you need to obtain a special permit. As a rule, sports and tourist groups are not allowed to visit the Usoi dam area.

There are more than three dozen peaks in the area with heights of 4000–5900 m. The area is interesting for mountaineering ascents. You can make ascents via rock, combined, and ice routes of 2–5 categories of difficulty.

A major difficulty is the lack of trails along the coastline. It is best to reach various gorges in the area by boat, which is available to the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The approaches are characterized by a large ascent.

Birombanda area

Located on the right bank of Sarez Lake. The ridge stretches along the lake for 35 km and continues north to the kishlak Barchadiv. The area includes 10–15 peaks. The highest peak is "Radio Lyubiteley" (5857 m), where a radio repeater was installed in 2002 by climbers from Dushanbe (V. Khabibulin, A. Maskayev, I. Karatyschev). No other mountaineering ascents were made in the area until 2003.

Ascents can be made from the southwest, from the lake, and from the northeast, from the gorge.

There is practically no water in the area in the summer. All streams emerge near the lake shore. On the southwestern slopes, there is no snow in July–August. And in the northeast, there are glaciers and snow in the upper reaches.

The International Mountaineering Club team made all its ascents from the northeast.

From the МЧС house, take a boat (10 km) around the right-bank landslide slope and enter the gorge. Walk up the gorge along the middle talus for 5 hours. Establish a base camp at an altitude of 4700 m. From here, ascents are made to the peaks Olimp, Poytakht, and MAK. When ascending to Olimp, you can set up a storm camp at an altitude of 5000–5100 m up the gorge.

In the area, the rock formations are heavily destroyed.

Shadau mountain area

Named after the Shadau River and Lake. The area has water everywhere. There is significant glaciation on the northern slopes. There are complex routes.

From the МЧС house, take a boat (6 km) across Lake Shadau and reach the mouth of the river. Walk along the right bank of the river (in the direction of travel) along the trail for 3 hours. Cross the first right tributary (Khalifa Ilga river) and start climbing up to the right along the slope (2 hours).

Through a vaguely expressed watershed, enter the gorge and follow the Juftakhac river until you reach the grassy fields (to the right of the black moraine clearly visible from Lake Shadau). In the summer, a herd of yaks grazes on the meadow (without a shepherd):

• Be careful — yaks can be aggressive.

It is convenient to set up a base camp near the large stones next to the yak meadow. There is a stream.

The entire approach from the МЧС house to the base camp (4300 m) takes 5–7 hours. For the ascent to the peaks "10 let MChS", 5350, 5535, you can set up a storm camp in the upper part of the gorge, at an altitude of 4600 m (it takes 2.5 hours to walk).

From the base camp, the peaks 5000, 5050, 5350, 5535, and USOY are visible.

Information about Sarez Lake

History of the lake formation

On the night of February 5–6, 1911, a strong earthquake occurred in the central part of Pamir (currently on the territory of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region of the Republic of Tajikistan). As a result of the seismic impact, a giant landslide occurred in the valley of the Murgab River, which was named the "Usoi dam" in memory of the kishlak Usoi, which was buried by it. All the inhabitants of the kishlak died. The dam deposits blocked the Murgab River and caused the formation of a large lake.

Sarez Lake is located between the North Alichur and Muzkol ranges, at an altitude of 3239 m.

• Area: 86.5 km²
• Length: about 75 km
• Width: up to 3.4 km
• Average depth: 190 m
• Maximum depth: 550 m

The lake is primarily fed by glaciers. The range of level fluctuations is about 6 m. It freezes in late December — early January, and thaws in late March — May.

The average annual level of Sarez Lake rises by 0.2 m. From 1967 to 2001, it rose by 4.8 m. The excess of the lowest point of the watershed ridge of the Usoi dam above the lake is 41 m. In a high-water flood, it can decrease to:

• 32 m
• 35 m

The unique lake is a natural pearl, a scientific object, and at the same time, the most serious potential threat to the entire Central Asia. Scientists predict the inevitability of a lake breakthrough and the occurrence of a catastrophic mudflow along the Pyanj River. The destruction zone includes territories of:

• Tajikistan,
• Uzbekistan,
• Turkmenistan,
• Afghanistan,

where more than 5,000,000 people live, as well as all Russian border outposts located on the Tajik-Afghan border.

Until 1991, geologists and scientists from all over the Soviet Union regularly worked in the lake area. From 1991 to 2003, no scientific observations were practically conducted on Sarez Lake. Currently, a monitoring and warning station of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Tajikistan operates year-round in the Usoi dam area. The МЧС house is located between two lakes: Sarez and Shadau. In 2005, another house will be put into operation, located directly on the dam. A helipad is equipped next to it.

In 2003–2004, the International Mountaineering Club, together with "Centrospas" of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, organized two scientific and sports expeditions, during which:

• 8 first ascents were made
• The coastline of the lake was surveyed
• A rafting trip was made along the Murgab and Bartang rivers to the Pyanj River
• The first diver's dive was made in the lake
• Underwater video filming was performed.

No information about mountaineering ascents in the area before 2003 was found.

The road from Dushanbe to Sarez Lake:

• Takes 2–3 days by car
• Plus 1 day on foot

Base of "Centrospas" of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Tajikistan (former base of KSP Tajikistan)

Head: Colonel A. V. Pilkevich

Road along the Bartang River (from the turnoff from the Pamir highway to the kishlak Barchadiv)

Road along the Murgab River from the kishlak Barchadiv to Sarez Lake

20 km on foot with pack animals

Map of Sarez Lake

"Birombanda" area

Map of the "Birombanda" area

Muzkol range, Central and Eastern Pamir

International Mountaineering Club

August 13, 2004

Report on the ascent to the peak

"Olimp-2004"

height 5674 m

Central Pamir, Muzkol range

The proposed route difficulty is 3A cat. diff.

Ascent Passport

1. Area — Eastern Pamir, Muzkol range

    Republic of Tajikistan, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

2. Peak — "Olimp-2004". Height 5674 m

3. Peak coordinates: N 38°17.093′ E 072°42.198′ (measured by GPS)

4. Route — via Western ridge

5. Proposed — 3A cat. diff., first ascent

6. Route character — combined

7. Route characteristics: height difference — 950 m, route length — 1900 m

8. Used on the route: pitons — 30 (rock — 18, ice — 12)

9. Time taken — 13 hours

10. Participants: Vladimir Khabibulin (Candidate for Master of Sports, Tajikistan), Shoban Yaftaliev (3rd sports category, Tajikistan)

11. Date of ascent: August 13, 2004

    Departure from base camp — 8:00, August 12     Ascent to the summit — 9:30, August 13     Descent to base camp — 12:00, August 13

12. Organization: International Mountaineering Club "Centrospas" of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan

General view of the peak "Olimp-2004"

On the summit!

Route profile!

Section R2. Snow and ice couloir!

Photo on the summit. In the bottom left corner is the Moscow pass and the Western ridge

View from the summit to the West

Summit tablet

Route diagram in UIAA symbols to the peak "Olimp-2004" (5674 m)

Route description

to the peak "Olimp-2004"

The route starts from the 4700 m camp of the Bizangov glacier. We move up the glacier to the Moscow pass 5050 m. Not reaching 300 m to the saddle, there is a steep snow and ice couloir that bypasses the difficult-to-pass rock belt and allows you to reach the western ridge of the peak. In the couloir, periline insurance is required on a 200 m section. The average steepness of the couloir is 50°, sometimes up to 65°. After passing the couloir, a relatively simple rock and ice belt begins, which is passed with simultaneous insurance on a 200 m section. At an altitude of 5100 m, it is advisable to set up a storm camp for additional acclimatization and early ascent to the summit, as the snow on the northwestern side of the ridge is deep and loose, and it needs to be traversed early in the morning. The ascent should start at dawn, around 5:30 am, along the snow and rock ridge to the pre-summit gendarme, which is bypassed on the right with periline insurance along the rock and ice slope with a steepness of up to 50°.

Having bypassed the gendarme, we again reach the ridge and move to the rocky dome of the summit along simple rocks to an altitude of 5600 m. The ascent to the summit is rock and ice to the mark 5681 m (GPS) and 5674 m according to the topographic map. The ascent takes 4 hours to the 5100 m camp and another 4 hours to the summit. The descent should be made along the northwestern ridge, but slightly descending from the summit towards the Temurkul-Dzhilga river, and then traversing along the same slope, but along the snowy slope, bypassing the main gendarme. The further descent along the ascent path takes 6 hours to the 5050 m mark.

The entire ascent from the 4700 m camp takes 13 hours.

Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan

Dushanbe, Lohuti St. 26, Ind. 734013, Tel. 23-28-18, Fax 21-13-31. No. 24/1036 dated August 19, 2004

Certificate

Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, August 25, 2004

Issued to the team of the International Mountaineering Club (IMC), which made the first ascent to the peak with a height of 5674 m in the Muzkol range (Eastern Pamir, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Republic of Tajikistan) on August 13, 2004.

Team members: Vladimir Khabibulin (Candidate for Master of Sports, Tajikistan), Shaban Yaftaliev (3rd sports category, Tajikistan). Team coach: Yuri Baykovsky (Honored Coach of the Republic of Tajikistan). The peak was named "Olimp-2004". Location of the peak: N 38°17.093′ E 072°42.198′.

Head of the Control and Rescue Service of the Republic of Tajikistan, Head of "Centrospas" of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, Colonel A. V. Pilkevich

Minister of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, Major General M. A. Ziyoyev

International Mountaineering Club

August 11, 2004

Report on the ascent to the peak

"Poytakht" (Capital)

height 5601 m, Eastern Pamir, Muzkol range. Proposed route difficulty 2A cat. diff.

Ascent Passport

1. Area — Central Pamir, Rushan range

    Republic of Tajikistan, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

2. Peak — "Poytakht" (Capital), height 5601 m

    named in honor of the 80th anniversary of the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe

3. Peak location: N 38°17.150′ E 072°40.550′

4. Route — via Southern ridge

5. Proposed — 2A cat. diff., first ascent

6. Route character — combined

7. Route characteristics: height difference — 1000 m, route length — 1400 m

8. Used on the route: pitons — 30 (28 rock, 2 ice)

9. Time taken — 12 hours

10. Team members:

    Leader — Vladimir Khabibulin (Candidate for Master of Sports, Tajikistan)     Participants:     - Shoban Yaftaliev (3rd sports category, Tajikistan)     - Alexander Onishchenko (1st sports category, Tajikistan)     - Igor Loginov (2nd sports category, Russia)

11. Team coach: Baykovsky Yuri Viktorovich (Honored Coach of the Republic of Tajikistan)

12. Date of ascent: August 11, 2004. Time of ascent to the summit — 13:00

13. Organization: International Mountaineering Club "Centrospas" of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan

Peak "Poytakht" 5601 m. Photo from the Murgab gorge below the Usoi dam

Peak "Poytakht" 5601 m. Photo from Sarez Lake

Route to the peak "Poytakht"

Photo from the ridge of peak "Olimp-2004" from the East

On the summit

Photo taken towards the upper reaches of Sarez Lake to the South

Route diagram in UIAA symbols

Route description to the peak "Poytakht"

From the base camp at an altitude of 4700 m, climb up the gorge for 1 hour. Further, to the pass between the peaks Poytakht and MAK along the snow and ice slope for 2.5 hours. In the upper part, crampons are needed. In the upper part, the slope becomes more gentle. Bypassing the moraine on the right, turn right and walk along the ridge towards the peak for 300 m along the snow and ice fields with rock outcrops (sect. R1).

Along a steep snow and ice couloir, climb to the shoulder of the ridge (sect. R2). Along the ridge to the summit for 300 m (sect. R3).

Descent along the ascent path. The ascent takes 8 hours.

Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan

Dushanbe, Lohuti St. 26, Ind. 734013, Tel. 23-28-18, Fax 21-13-31. No. 24/1026 dated August 28, 2004

Certificate

Republic of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, August 25, 2004

Issued to the team of the International Mountaineering Club (IMC), which made the first ascent to the peak with a height of 5601 m in the Muzkol range (Eastern Pamir, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Republic of Tajikistan) on August 11, 2004.

Team members: Vladimir Khabibulin (Candidate for Master of Sports, Tajikistan), Alexander Onishchenko (1st sports category, Tajikistan), Igor Loginov (2nd sports category, Russia), Shaban Yaftaliev (3rd sports category, Tajikistan). Team coach: Yuri Baykovsky (Honored Coach of the Republic of Tajikistan). The peak was named "Poytakht" (Capital). Location of the peak: N 38°16.450′ E 072°40.960′.

Minister of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan, Major General M. A. Ziyoyev

International Mountaineering Club

August 15, 2004

Report on the ascent to the peak

"International Mountaineering Club"

height 5337 m, Central Pamir, Rushan range. Proposed route difficulty 4B cat. diff.

Ascent Passport

1. Area — Central Pamir, Rushan range, Republic of Tajikistan, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region

2. Peak — "International Mountaineering Club". Height 5337 m

3. Peak coordinates: N 38°16.450′ E 072°40.960′

4. Route — via internal corner of Eastern wall

5. Proposed — 4B cat. diff., first ascent

6. Route character — rock

7. Route characteristics: height difference — 630 m, route length — 950 m

8. Used on the route: pitons — 14, chocks — 63

9. Time taken — 14 hours

10. Participants: Alexander Onishchenko (1st sports category, Tajikistan), Igor Loginov (2nd sports category, Russia)

11. Team coach: Baykovsky Yuri Viktorovich (Honored Coach of the Republic of Tajikistan)

12. Date of ascent: August 15, 2004

    Departure from base camp — 9:00, August 14     Ascent to the summit — 12:00, August 15     Descent to base camp — 12:30, August 15

13. Organization: International Mountaineering Club "Centrospas" of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Civil Defense of the Republic of Tajikistan

General view of the peak from the Irkht bay

Start of the route

General view of the peak "MAK"

General view of the peak "MAK" from the East

View from the summit to the Irkht bay

on the bottom left is the shoulder 5150 m

On the route. Section R6

Route diagram in UIAA symbols

To the peak 5337 m

Route description to the peak 5337 m "International Mountaineering Club"

From the 4770 m camp, move towards the peak along the talus shelves for 300 m. The approach takes 30 minutes. The beginning of the route is a clearly visible internal corner at the base of the rock massif. Up the internal corner for 50 m (sect. R2). The rocks are destroyed. Use stoppers and eccentrics. Good insurance on the shelf.

From the shelf, move to the right and then up along the chimney with a plug in the upper part (sect. R3). (Attention — the rocks are destroyed). Good insurance on the shelf.

Along the internal corner (sect. R4), one rope of very difficult climbing (Key!). Use pitons, hexes, and friends. Further, 20 m internal corner (sect. R5) and 30 m wall of destroyed rocks (sect. R6). Use stoppers, hexes, and pitons. Insurance on the shelf.

50 m internal corner (sect. R7) with an overhang (second key section!). Climbing is difficult.

Use:

• stoppers
• pitons
• eccentrics

100 m up the wall (sect. R8) to the right under the cornice. Under the cornice is a convenient place for an overnight stay.

From the overnight stay, up along the internal corner for 30 m, turning into a wall for 20 m (sect. R9), exit to the shelf. Icicles hang from the shelf, 2–3 m long. Be careful! Icicles can:

• fall down on the insuring person;
• fall on the person climbing on the perlines.

Use stoppers and pitons.

50 m along the destroyed rocks, move to the right to the shoulder (sect. R10). From the shoulder along the ridge to the right towards the summit for 200 m along the destroyed shelves (sect. R11). Climbing is not difficult, you can go simultaneously. (Be careful, icicles can fall from the summit).

Along the wall to the summit for 100 m. The rocks are