Ascent Record

1. Ascent category — technical
2. Ascent area — D-3 Pamir, Rushan Ridge
3. Ascent route — first ascent from the north to the summit Ledovaya 5130 m
4. Ascent characteristics:
   • height difference — 530 m
   • average slope angle — 45°
   • length of difficult sections — 120 m
5. Pitons used:
   • rock — 23
   • ice — 1
   • bolt — 0
6. Total climbing time — 8 hours
7. Number of bivouacs — 1 (on the saddle)
8. Ascent made by a group of climbers from the Tajik SSR Sports Committee expedition
9. Surname, name, patronymic of the leader, participants, and their qualification:
   • Belyyntsev Vyacheslav Timofeevich, 2nd sports category, leader
   • Romanov Yury Alekseyevich, 2nd sports category, participant
   • Kozlov Pavel Vladimirovich, 2nd sports category, participant
   • Kapitanova Tatyana Vasilyevna, 2nd sports category, participant
10. Team coach:
    • Sogrin Sergey Nikolayevich, Master of Sports of the USSR
11. Ascent made in the period:
    • July 13–14, 1975 Ledovaya from the north

Description of the Ascent Route

From the expedition base camp (3500 m) to the saddle (4400 m) — 4 hours walking across grassy and talus slopes (see diagram). Overnight stay on the saddle.

July 14, departure on the route at 11:10 due to bad weather. From the saddle, move along the northern ridge of the summit, on snow and individual rock outcrops, in the direction of the first gendarme (fig. 1). Movement is simultaneous. The gendarme is bypassed on the right and below along a ledge on sheer rocks. Move 90 m along the ledges and with a slight gain in height with alternate belay through pitons and outcrops. Then turn sharply left upwards and exit onto the ridge. 40 m of medium-difficulty climbing, piton belay.

After exiting onto the ridge, move right onto the rocks. To the left remain the icefalls of the northern slope of the summit. About 80 m is traversed along steep snowy ledges with piton belay. Then move left onto steep snow up to 45° and move in the direction of the characteristic rusty gendarme (later possible ice!). Piton belay. From the gendarme 30 m upwards along a couloir turning into an internal angle with rimed ice, exit onto a small platform.

From the platform, move in the direction of the summit shoulder between steep rocky drops on the right and a snowy-icy slope on the left. Rocks of medium difficulty, piton belay.

After exiting onto the shoulder, a gentle snowy ridge leads to the summit. At 15:40, reach the summit.

Descent from the summit via the ascent route. At 19:10, reach the saddle. The ascent was made in complex meteorological conditions: wind, wet snow. Communication with the base camp was carried out by radio. The group evaluates the route as category 3B.

The group gave the summit the name — Ledovaya

Table of Main Characteristics of the Ascent Route

Ascent route — summit Ledovaya from the north.