Ascent Passport 855

1. Ascent Class High-altitude and technical ascent
2. Ascent Region South-West Pamir, Shakhdarin Range
3. Peak, its height, ascent route Peak TGU, 6183 m, center of W wall
4. Assumed difficulty category 6B
5. Route characteristics:
   • Height difference 1240 m
   • Length of sections with 5–6 difficulty category 1018 m
   • Average steepness 78°
6. Pitons hammered: for belaying, for creating ITO
   • Rock 166 80
   • Ice 1 —
   • Bolts 1 28
7. Number of walking hours 100 h 30 min
8. Number of nights and their characteristics:
   • Seven, lying down, at bivouac No. 1
   • 2 uncomfortable nights
9. Full name of the leader, participants, and their qualification
   • Popenko Yuri Stepanovich MSMS (Master of Sports of International Class)
   • Aigistov Gleb Andreevich MS (Master of Sports)
   • Solomatov Boris Stepanovich MS (Master of Sports)
   • Silchenko Vasily Petrovich CMS (Candidate for Master of Sports)
10. Team coach Ilyinsky E.T.
11. Date of departure on the route and return: July 27, 1978, August 10, 1978

Table of main characteristics of the ascent route

Departure from bivouac No. 1 on L. Z. Zugvand at 6:00, work on the route started at 8:00, stop at bivouac at 21:30. Bivouac No. 1 was set up on a sloping shelf covered with sand at the end of section R11.

Departure from bivouac No. 4 for processing at 8:00, end of processing at 18:00. Night at bivouac No. 4.

Departure from bivouac No. 2 at 9:00, work on the route finished at 21:00. Night at bivouac No. 3, set up at the end of section R20. The site was laid out with stones.

Departure for processing from bivouac No. 3 at 8:00, end of processing at 20:00. Night at bivouac No. 3.

Departure from bivouac No. 3 at 8:00, end of work at 19:30. Relocation to bivouac No. 4 at the end of section R26. The site for the tent was made of stones over 3 hours.

Departure from bivouac No. 4 at 8:00, ascent to the summit at 18:55. Relocation to lake Rovnoye.

6. Explanations for the table of main characteristics of the ascent route

July 29. First day of processing.

Ascent up the firn slope to the ice bridge over the bergschrund, and bypassing the bergschrund to the right, and then ascent to the right-up under the wall. The slope is separated from the wall by a randkluft about 1 m wide (section R1). Transition to the wall. Further ascent starts along a large delamination, turning into a chimney. Above the chimney is a narrow shelf (section R2). From the shelf, movement goes straight up along the smooth wall to a wide shelf under an overhanging rock, along which there is a departure to the left under the overhanging external angle (section R2). The right edge of the huge angle is polished, the left has a number of small internal angles, along which the ascent is carried out upwards (section R3). Climbing is very difficult, mainly on friction, using ladders, the number of holds and cracks is limited. After 40 m, a narrow inclined shelf (1.5 m), where a belay point is organized. From the shelf, departure to the right-up to the edge of the external angle, along which the movement continues upwards using a ladder (section R4). Using a small ledge, a belay point is organized. Processing is completed.

July 30. Second day of processing.

Passed processed sections of the route on July 29. From the place of anchoring the rope, traverse to the left 7 m along polished sheer rocks and entry into the internal angle (section R5). A ladder is used. The internal angle leads to an osypnuyu shelf of stepped structure, interrupted by sheer walls and extending to the right-up (section R5). An inclined shelf with an unclearly horizontal surface, along which movement goes to the right under the slabs. Ascent along the slabs steeply to the right-up (section R6) to the base of the internal angle with an overhanging left edge. The path goes along the angle straight up under the rock cornice (section R7). 10 m before the cornice, the right edge of the angle becomes gentler to 75°, forming a slab, and the movement continues along it (section R7). Bypassing to the right a not very clear cornice, up again extends a sheer internal angle with two new cornices having an overhang of 1.5 m and 1.0 m (section R8). The cornices are overcome head-on using a ladder on ITO. The angle leads to a square (1.5×1.5) shelf, above which lies a slab of rusty color with a mouse cornice hanging over it (section R8). After passing 15 m along the slab, processing ends.

August 1. Start of ascent.

Passed processed sections of the route on July 29–30, R1–R8. From the point of anchoring the rope along the sheer wall, into which the slab turns, departure to the right-up 15 m, where the cornice overhang is the smallest (1.5 m). The cornice is overcome using a ladder. Climbing is very difficult – the number of holds and cracks is limited. Above the cornice is an internal angle, which leads to a rock ridge of stepped structure with a steepness of 50° (section R9). Further, the ridge turns into a ridge, running across a giant shelf, cut by couloirs, straight to the beginning of the main wall (section R10). The ridge is interrupted by several sheer walls and is largely covered with an ice-firn cover. Movement is alternating, in places simultaneous with belaying through outcrops. From the ridge, transition to a wall of stepped structure with destroyed rocks. After the wall, entry into a chimney, which leads to a sloping shelf covered with a thick layer of sand (section R11). Here a bivouac is organized.

August 2. Processing of the route above bivouac No. 1.

From the shelf, entry into an internal angle, which ends with a cornice with an overhang of 0.5 m. Above the cornice, a narrow inclined shelf leads to the right under a sheer wall. The wall is closed by a second cornice with an overhang of 2.5 m (section R12). Above the cornice is a shelf allowing to organize a belay point. From the shelf 3 m along the wall, entry into an internal angle with a small number of holds and cracks (section R13). Climbing is very difficult. Segmented cams are used. A ladder is continuously used. After the angle, again a wall, ending with a narrow shelf, where a belay point is organized (section R13). Again a 5 m wall, which is overcome by a podsak (a type of climbing aid), turning into an internal angle with heavily destroyed rocks. The angle is replaced by a 15 m wall with a polished relief, a small number of holds and cracks. This wall is overcome by very difficult climbing to the right along a crack by wedging (section R14). Processing ends here.

August 3. Passed processed sections of the route on August 2, R12–R14. Further, the path continues along a partially destroyed internal angle in the marble belt with two cornices having overhangs of 1.0 m and 1.5 m, respectively. Climbing is very difficult using a ladder and segmented cams. The angle leads to a steep wall with good holds and cracks (section R15). Further extends a heavily destroyed wall of stepped structure (section R16), ending in the upper part with two steep shelves. On the upper one, bivouac No. 2 will be set up. From bivouac No. 2, on the same day, processing of the wall upwards is carried out. First, a chimney filled with ice is passed, then a wall under an overhanging rock with an exit under a cornice made of marble with an overhang of 2.5 m (0–0.5 m). The cornice is overcome to the left-up using a ladder and cams (section R17). Above the cornice is a sheer wall with a small number of holds and cracks (section R17). Passage of this wall completes the processing of the route for the day.

August 4. Passed the section of the route processed on August 3, R17. From the point of anchoring the rope, the path goes along a steep, partially destroyed wall of stepped structure (section R18), which turns into polished slabs with a small number of holds and cracks (section R19). After the slabs, again a partially destroyed wall of stepped structure, leading to a slab belt (section R20), at the base of which bivouac No. 3 was planned. From the level of this bivouac, ascent starts along a crack with an exit to a shelf (section R21). From the shelf, the path goes up along a sheer wall with a crevice (section R21). Climbing is very difficult. The wall of the yellow belt is replaced by an absolutely smooth 20-meter wall of the black belt, covered with scales of delamination (section R22). The difficulty of climbing increases. The black belt is again replaced by a yellow one, which is overcome along an internal angle, leading to the next black belt (section R23). At the border of these belts, processing of the route on August 4 ends.

August 5. Processing of the route.

Along the sheer smooth wall of the black belt, ascent goes up under a rock cornice with an overhang of 1.5 m (section R24). Climbing is very difficult. Bolt pitons are used, as there are no holds or cracks on the wall. The cornice is passed straight head-on. Above the cornice, a sloping narrow shelf (4 m) goes under an overhanging rock to the right-up. From the shelf to the yellow belt again extends a wall with an overhang without a single hold or crack, which is passed using bolt pitons and a platform (section R25). After exiting to the yellow belt, departure to the left-up along a wall composed of shapeless blocks, some of which lie freely but quite firmly on their base (section R25). Further, the path goes along a wall of stepped structure, partially with sheer polished walls 4–7 m high under a rock awning (section R26). Here a planned bivouac No. 4 is expected. But its organization is a matter of tomorrow, and today processing ends here.

August 6. Passed processed sections of the route on August 4–5, R21–R26 to the place of bivouac No. 4. From it, along the first sheer wall, a wall of stepped structure with a section of polished rocks leads (section R27). Along the black wall, a crevice goes vertically upwards, starting 15 m from its foot (section R28). The lower part of the wall is covered with a large delamination like a shell. Passage of the delamination required great caution. Further, along the crevice, an exit to a small shelf was made. There is a belay point. Climbing was carried out using a ladder and cams. Here the rope was anchored, and processing of the route for the day was completed.

August 7. Processing of the route.

Above the shelf extends an absolutely smooth overhanging wall without a single crack with a cornice at the top 1.0 m (section R29). Passage is carried out on bolt pitons and using a platform. The smooth wall after the cornice turns into a stepped wall, which ends with a not wide shelf (section R29). From this shelf, exit to the right-up to a wide shelf, crossing the entire wall horizontally (section R29). Along the wide shelf, a traverse of 10 m under a section of the wall with delamination. Using the delamination for climbing, ascent begins upwards to the belt of yellow rocks (section R30). Climbing is difficult. A ladder is used, and in places where it is impossible to hammer a piton, cams are used. At the border of yellow and gray rocks, a layer of heavily destroyed rock is encountered, crumbling in hands, which significantly complicates the ascent. Along the wall of yellow rocks, departure steeply to the left-up 10 m to the belt of gray rocks (section R30). The rocks are heavily destroyed, climbing is difficult, requiring special caution. Along the gray rocks, departure to the right-up 15 m using a ladder to the next belt of yellow rocks (section R30). There, under the cornice, the rope is anchored, and processing ends.

August 8. Sections of the route R27–R30, processed on August 6–7, are passed. From the place of anchoring the rope, the path goes to the left-up along a slab of the yellow belt (section R31). Climbing is on friction, the number of holds and cracks is limited. Then the slab turns into a 10 m sheer wall, ending with a cornice niche (section R31). From the niche, a little to the left, exit to a sheer wall, along which water flows (section R32). As the sun sets, the water freezes, making passage complicated. Behind the wall, polished slabs are sought, from which departure is made to the left into a chimney with an icicle. Ascent along the chimney is 3 m, and then a traverse to the left along a shelf under a 25-meter wall (section R32). Having overcome it, you find yourself on the firn slope of the pre-summit ridge (section R32). The firn slope ends with a 5-meter ice wall, which is overcome head-on with step cutting (section R33). After overcoming the ice wall, exit to a polished gentle firn slope, along which ascent to the summit is carried out.

Descent on August 8–9 was carried out along lake Rovnoye in crampons, and then on August 10, ascent was made to the base camp at an altitude of 3800.

Team Captain Yu. Popenko August 14, 1978

Photo 2. Section R9.

Photo 3. Section R12.

Photo 6. Section R21–R22.

Photo 7. Section R24.