4. 11.77. 4th ascent

Description of the ascent to Peak "Tajikistan" via the Kakhiani route

6B category of complexity.

The group consists of 4 people:

1. Getman Igor Samuilovich
   • CMS, born 1939, secondary technical education, member of the "TADJIKISTAN" society, has been involved in mountaineering since 1959.
2. Badygin Roman Mikhailovich
   • CMS, born 1935, higher education, design engineer, junior mountaineering instructor, has been involved in mountaineering since 1960.
3. Zubovas Konstantinas Vladimirovich
   • CMS, born 1940, higher education, architect, junior instructor, has been involved in mountaineering since 1961.
4. Shatkovsky Alexander Alexandrovich
   • 1st sports category, born 1941, higher education, electromechanical engineer, junior instructor, has been involved in mountaineering since 1960.

The team left the base camp, located on the Kishti-Jerob river at an altitude of 3850 m, on August 10, 1970.

The approach is made along the left side of the glacier to Peak Engels, then under the wall of Peak Engels, crossing the glacier to the left to the 5200 m saddle. After the 5200 m saddle, we enter the Zugvand glacier and, going down the glacier for 1.5 hours, approach the moraine under the wall of Peak "TADJIKISTAN". We arrived at the moraine late, around 21:00, where we set up a tent.

On August 11, at 10:00 am, the rope team Badygin-Getman, laden with pitons, ropes, ladders, and other equipment, set out to process the lower part of the wall. They crossed the glacier (photo 1) in 1 hour and approached the base of the wall. After passing the randkluft, the rope team found themselves in front of a steep snowfield. They ascended through the snow to an internal corner.

Route features:

• The snow leading to the internal corner is very dense, transitioning into ice.
• Before entering the internal corner, there is a 15-20 meter traverse to the right through the snow.
• The snow is very dense and steep, requiring step-kicking.
• Then movement upwards into the internal corner.
• The steepness is about 60°, then becomes even steeper.
• The snow turns into ice.
• Step-kicking is required throughout.
• Belay is through ice screws.

(Photo 2)

4-5 meters up the internal corner, with a steepness of up to 90°, then a transition to the left overhanging wall, which is passable thanks to a narrow ledge 2.5 meters long, and you exit to the top, where two participants can gather. This exit from the internal corner to the ledge, and movement along it, is very difficult due to the overhanging wall, and the only support for hands is the driven pitons.

This area is always in the shade and is quite cold. The entire transition is made with careful piton belay.

From a small platform, the rope team moves upwards through medium-difficulty rocks for 30 m, followed by steep rocks. Very complex climbing through a crack 12 meters long and a traverse along a ledge into a sheer internal corner 4-5 m high. After overcoming the internal corner, you find yourself in front of a sheer wall 6 m high. All these sections - the internal corner and the wall - are passed with careful piton belay using ladders. Having overcome the wall, we emerge onto snowy rocks at the boundary of the first snowy belt.

The total length to the edge (the boundary between snow and rocks) is 150 m.

There is a convenient platform 1 m by 1.8 m. The route processing ended here, and the rope team began to descend. At 17:00, they were already at the moraine, where they were met by the second rope team, which had been carefully observing the route processing.

On August 12, the entire group set out on the route at 7:00 am. Despite the fixed ropes hung the day before and the steps kicked in the ice, the pace of advancement was not very high due to the heavy backpacks weighing up to 22 kg. But by 12:00, the group approached the end of the last fixed rope.

Then Badygin went first with a lighter backpack. He is carefully belayed by Getman.

The rocky edge has a steepness of about 60°. The rocks are smooth, in some places covered with ice, which greatly complicates movement and requires careful belay.

We move along the edge to the left along the edge of the rocks for 70-75 meters. At the top, the edge connects to a snowy-icy ridge, to the left of which huge cornices overhang (photo 3). The last ones are Zubovas-Shatkovsky, who remove pitons and, along with the freed ropes and carabiners, pass them up to the front rope team.

The cornices are bypassed on the left. This was a very complex section. The rocks in this area are icy, and it was necessary to create artificial footholds using two ladders.

Further, the group finds itself in front of the base of a snowy-icy slope with a steepness of about 45°. Having passed along it for 60 meters (the first one goes on front-pointing with belay through ice screws in the direction of a solitary rocky outcrop). There, he exits onto rocks and securely fixes the rope. The remaining participants move along the fixed rope. There are excellent places for overnight stays here. There is also the 1st control cairn. We found a note from a group of Barnaul climbers led by Yu. Achkasov. We had a snack and prepared tea.

It's 14:00. We decided not to stop for the night and continue further.

Directly from these platforms, a steep wall begins. Initially, movement is along a slab, which is passed through a wide vertical crack 8-10 meters long. Further, a 6 m ledge to the left, and you find yourself in front of a crack.

The first to go without a backpack is Roman Badygin, carefully driving pitons for belay (photo 4). Then, through the crack to the right, using a ladder, he overcomes an overhanging internal corner. The crack leads to a 4-meter narrow chimney.

• The first one passes, barely squeezing into the chimney, and exits onto a ledge, from which they organize the lifting of backpacks for 20 m.
• The remaining participants passed this section using jumar ascenders.

Further movement:

• Upwards to the right through offsets - complex climbing 40 meters.
• In the upper part - 10 meters of horizontal traverse.
  • There are no ledges for feet.
  • The rocks are smoothed.
  • The traverse is mainly done by holding onto offsets with hands.
  • This is also a very difficult section.

After the traverse:

• You find yourself in front of an internal corner 2.5-3 m.
  • The corner is very steep, close to sheer.
  • Especially difficult is the exit from it upwards onto a small platform.
  • On the platform, there is ice and no holds.
• Badygin expended a lot of effort to pass this 60 m section.

From this platform, they organized the lifting of backpacks using a rope extension.

The platform is very small; there was nowhere to place the backpacks, so they had to drive pitons for them and hang them on these pitons.

The further path goes through a belt of destroyed yellow rocks, with many loose stones. Slowly, with great caution, the front rope team moves forward. There is nowhere to drive pitons. You can't pull the backpacks - rockfall is possible. Here, there are:

• an internal corner 10 m;
• a steep, destroyed ridge;
• another steep internal corner 20-25 meters;
• a small wall with a crack.

This section (total length 80 m) is passed quite slowly, as movement is with backpacks and very carefully.

Ahead is a snowy-icy ridge with large cornices. The only way out onto the ridge is under hanging snowy-icy caps. The first one puts on crampons and slowly moves forward, bypassing these cornices on the right. Steps and placements for pitons are kicked. The steepness of the snowy-icy slope is about 50°. After exiting onto the ridge - an approach under a steep wall. The length of the snowy-icy section is 60 meters.

Having reached the wall, we move to the left. 20 m below, along a talus ledge, there is a place for overnight stays. There is even space for 2 tents. There is also a control cairn. Time - 20:00.

After half an hour of work:

• cleared the platform,
• set up a tent,
• soon the "Febus" was burning cheerfully, promising a good rest after a tense day.

August 13. Rise at 6:45 am. Bad weather. Cold. No sun. Set out on the route at 9:00. Badygin moves upwards, belayed by Getman. Initially, 20 m along slabs with intermittent ledges. The holds are good, the rocks are strong, monolithic, but the steepness is close to sheer. At the top, an overhanging rock - a tooth with a crack, is visible. The crack is filled with ice. Very complex climbing. Movement is along the left part of the crack using 3 ladders, exiting to the right onto the tooth, along which you exit onto a platform. From this platform, the lifting of backpacks is organized. Passing this section took a lot of effort and time. The participants overcame this section using jumar ascenders.

The further route passes through a belt of strongly destroyed rocks. The rocks resemble glacier-rocks. Movement is carried out with maximum caution. A bolt piton is driven.

This section is more than 60 m. There is a great danger of rockfall. We pass the section one by one. Some uphold the rocks with ice.

Above, a snowy slope is visible, with small icy sections.

Destroyed rocks lead to the second snowy belt. Cornices are bypassed on the right, along the route, on a snowy-icy slope with a steepness of 55-60°. The exit onto the ridge is snowy. The weather has clearly deteriorated. It's snowing and very windy. The first one goes in crampons. The belay is piton on ice. The length of this section is 120 m. The snowy ridge leads under a wall. Ascent is 10-12 meters. A small ledge. Further, a very steep wall goes. Time 16:00. 2.5 hours were spent kicking a platform in the ice, but it's possible to sleep lying down. All participants, backpacks, and a tent are belayed. Ice and rock pitons were driven. The weather was bad the whole evening.

According to the plan, they were supposed to process part of the wall, but due to bad weather, it was necessary to postpone it. August 14. Set out at 8:00. The weather is clear, but it's noticeably colder. The wall begins immediately. Initially, 5 meters along steep ice under the rocks. The rocks are very destroyed, the wall has a steepness of up to 80°. Badygin passed the first rope without a backpack in one hour. The rocks are very steep, many sections are sheer. The second participant passes this section faster - in 35 minutes. The other two with three backpacks passed this section in 1.5 hours (Photo 5).

The further path is 2 m along an internal corner filled with ice, a traverse to the right 8-9 meters, and an ascent upwards onto a barely expressed ledge with snow. In this place, they pulled the backpacks for 20 m. The path along the internal corner presents significant difficulties, and the traverse to the right is also very difficult.

Further, a 10-meter snowy belt to steep, destroyed rocks. These rocks are bypassed on the right, along the route, for 30 m. Then a vertical groove, going to the left, very steep, icy. This is at the level of black, wet rocks with large icicles.

Layered rocks in the groove, sprinkled with snow. It's necessary to move very carefully, many loose stones. The groove leads under a huge internal corner (the left part of the wet, black wall).

The internal corner is filled with snow at the bottom. This is a snowy cornice. Therefore, the further path goes along the left wall, initially a traverse 10 meters to the edge of the left wall of the corner. The traverse is also very difficult:

• Steep ice on the rocks.
• Overcoming the left wall of the corner is very difficult.
• We use ladders and wedges.

The length of this section is 30 m. This is all a bypass of the overhanging part of the corner. The backpacks are pulled in this place. They nowhere touched the wall and were 3-4 m away from it.

Further, a non-steep wall 20 meters - destroyed rocks - and an exit onto a platform. A good place for overnight stay. There are other platforms nearby, visible from other groups.

They arrived at the overnight stay at 17:00. The rope team Zubovas-Badygin went to process the route, while the other two set up a tent and began preparing dinner. Having processed two ropes, the rope team descended to the overnight stay.

August 15. Departure at 8:00.

• Initially, 7-8 meters traverse to the right,
• you exit under the base of an internal corner 6-8 meters high,
• the internal corner is steep, but there are convenient foot ledges and good handholds,
• exit onto the ridge.

A very rocky ridge. The rocks are porous, with very sharp edges, the ridge has a steepness of up to 70°. In the upper part, the steepness increases. Many rock sections are filled with ice.

Along the hung ropes, the group quickly passed the ridge section, then 60 meters along rocks resembling glacier-rocks. Another 30 meters up, and a transition to the neighboring ridge to the right is planned. It's necessary to make the transition because ahead is a very steep wall with ice (Photo 6).

Horizontal safety ropes 90 meters long were hung, and the group found itself in the middle of the right ridge - very destroyed, with a steepness of 60-65°. Ascent along the ridge - 3 ropes, 60 meters each.

Of these, 120 meters are rocks of the "glacier-rock" type. Passing them is also difficult. The 3rd rope - the relief changes. Here are two very difficult sections:

• Internal corner 5-6 meters.
• Smooth wall with a crack 7-8 meters.

Then you exit onto a bend, and there are excellent places for overnight stay. Ahead, a wall is visible, very steep. They arrived on the platforms at 14:00. Had a snack, and the rope team Zubovas-Badygin went to process the route.

The sun did not illuminate the wall, and it was very cold. It was not целесообразно for everyone to go further together, as we would not have had time to pass this section before nightfall.

The rope team, having processed 120 meters of the rock route, descended to the overnight stay.

August 16. After the overnight stay, a snowy ridge 40 m long and with a steepness of 45° immediately follows. You find yourself at the base of the wall. Further, 15 meters to the right, a traverse along ledges bypassing the sheer wall, and before us is a large internal corner with a steepness of 80° with an overhanging upper part (Photo 7). Since the ropes were hung yesterday, the group began to pass the route without delay. The internal corner is in the shade, so it's quite cold. Having passed 50-55 meters, we reached a smooth slab. These are very difficult 55 meters. We moved with backpacks but quite slowly. We decided not to pass the slab.

Turned to the left and further ascended along the wall, all the time in the direction to the left. Here, the exit from the wall onto a small ledge is very complex. The overhanging part is 3.5-4 m. Here, they passed without backpacks.

After exiting the wall:

• Horizontal traverse along a ledge 10 meters.
• Further ascent upwards onto a rope 60 m.
• Passed a white rocky belt.
• The path to the right upwards along snowy rocks (rocks of medium difficulty) is visible.
• Transition into a snowy couloir through a horizontal traverse along snow 40 m (a convenient platform for overnight stay).

The snowy couloir is quite steep - 50-60°. Ascent is 45 meters with an exit to the left onto rocks, and you find yourself in front of an overhanging internal corner 6-8 m high. The most complex section, for the passage of which ladders are used. The backpacks are pulled, participants ascend using jumar ascenders.

After passing this section:

• Snowy-icy couloir 15-20 meters;
• Further, a traverse to the left 20 meters, bypassing smoothed steep glacier-rocks.

This section, along with the couloir, is overcome in crampons with careful belay.

After the traverse:

• 15 meters upwards to yellow destroyed rocks;
• Again upwards in the direction to the right along snowy rocks, a whole rope - 60 m.

Here, it's completely impossible to gather everyone together, and therefore the first participant, upon receiving the rope, immediately moves forward. From this place, a traverse to the left along yellow rocky offsets - an exit into a wide, steep, icy groove descending from the upper part of the wall. The length of this section is 60 m. The traverse along the yellow offsets is carried out along barely expressed inclined ledges 10-15 cm wide. In this place, the wall is very steep.

Having passed the traverse of this section, we begin the ascent along the groove on its right wall. Having passed 25 meters, we exit onto two small platforms. Further, a fairly difficult section is visible. We stop for the night.

The platforms are very small - about 50-60 cm.

• On one of them, they stacked the backpacks.
• On the other, after 3 hours of work, they equipped a sitting overnight stay.

Many pitons were driven, careful belay was organized, and they tried to warm up some water. This was successful. The weather is clear. Moon. Cold. They barely managed to sit out until morning. The night was almost sleepless.

August 17. In the morning, set out at 8:00. Ascent along the right side of the groove for 12 meters, crossing the groove to the left with step-kicking in the ice under the base of an inclined smooth slab with a steepness of 70°. This section is passed by Zubovas Kastis.

He passes the slab along a crack and exits to the left along icy rocks onto a small ledge, where they began to pull the backpacks directly from the overnight stay along the slab with a rope extension using a reepschnur. The backpacks were pulled for 50 m through the groove.

The influence of altitude is felt, as they are already above 6000 m above sea level.

The further path is along icy rocks to the left upwards under the base of an overhanging internal corner. Slowly, slowly, they move forward, not relaxing the belay for a minute. Here, under the large internal corner, which overhangs the entire wall, there is a decent platform. If you clear the ice from the internal corner, you can even set up a tent.

There are 40 meters to this place. The internal corner is a chimney, in the middle of which there is a large stone plug. The chimney is overcome using ladders. This is a very complex section. It's passed by Roman Badygin.

The passage of the chimney begins along the left side, with a transition inside the chimney under the plug, and an exit onto the plug from inside. The belayer, Zubovas, is very attentive.

The section is very difficult, and it's also very cold. From the plug, the further path is along the right overhanging side of the chimney, using artificial footholds. Ladders are constantly used. The total ascent height is 18-20 m.

The further path:

• Along destroyed rocks to a ledge,
• On the ledge, the reception of backpacks and the remaining participants was organized.

The rope hung for ascent using jumar ascenders did not touch the wall at any point. The distance to the wall reached 3-4 m. Blocks were used for lifting backpacks and participants.

Further ascent along an icy-snowy ridge (the first to go is Getman Igor in crampons), a traverse to the right with an exit to a cornice on the ridge. The total length of the section is 120 m, with a steepness of 45-50°.

After overcoming the cornice (1-1.5), they found themselves on a snowy ridge, where it's possible to organize an overnight stay.

Time 17:00. They left the backpacks and, without them, taking ropes, went to the summit. Ascent along a steep snowy slope with the overcoming of a bergschrund and movement along the ridge to a "gendarme" about 70 m high. According to the description of the first ascenders, the "gendarme" is bypassed on the left along a slope of 40-45°, but at this time of year, this snowy slope was largely icy, and the group overcame the "gendarme" head-on along destroyed rocks, exiting onto its left part.

Further along the snowy-icy ridge, two ropes, 60 m each, with a steepness of 40-45°, with an exit onto a more gentle part. They move carefully, as there are many small crevasses covered with snow.

Then, along an icy slope, an exit onto a wide summit ridge.

At 18:40, they reached the highest point of "TADJIKISTAN" - 6565 m. The weather and visibility are excellent. At 19:00, they contacted the observers via radio. Congratulations were received directly on the summit. The observers clearly saw them through a 60x telescope.

Around them, as far as the eye could see, snow giants towered. On the summit, they found a note from a group of Altai expedition, who were on the summit on August 16, 1970, having ascended via the Savvon route.

At 19:10, they began their descent. After 30-40 minutes, they descended to the ridge where the backpacks were left. They organized a very comfortable overnight stay and had plenty of tea. Via radio, they were informed that the group of Altai climbers led by Yu. Achkasov, who had passed the route, warned of a steep icy slope on the descent.

August 18. Set out at 11:10. Along a steep snowy-icy slope, bypassing crevasses and rockfalls, they move to the left. They organized two sports descents, 60 m and 30 m, with an exit onto a rocky ridge. Descent along the rocky ridge for 90 meters, and further, another descent on a rope 60 m long. And now they are on a gentle part of the glacier.

Movement along the glacier in the middle to the moraine. From the moraine, they turn to the right through a small ridge and descend along talus into a canyon. There is no trail to the shepherd's huts. Then, along the trail, they descend to Dridzh. In Dridzh, they descended at 19:00.

Conclusions:

Having passed the route, the group fully joins the opinion of the first ascenders - the Kakhiani group. The route is indeed maximally logical and relatively safe throughout. The overall steepness of the wall is 68-70°, with a length of 1500 m.

The steepness of the wall is reduced by several snowy-icy sections. The average steepness of the rocky sections is about 75°, including 450 m of the most complex walls, with a steepness of more than 80°.

The route is very diverse; there are dry, monolithic granite rocks and belts of destroyed rocks.

In total, over 6 days of rock climbing (the seventh day was the descent), 145 pitons were driven, of which:

• 5 were bolt pitons.

Photo #2

Photo #3