MINISTRY OF SPORTS OF KRASNOYARSK KRAI

KRASNOYARSK KRAI ALPINISM FEDERATION

Siberian Federal District Alpinism Championship

2018

High-Altitude Technical Class

Report

On the ascent of the Krasnoyarsk Krai team Kolesnikov K.I.—Smetanin N.A. to peak Zvezdny, 2265 m, via the center of the NE wall

First ascent via "Kvadrat"
Variant — 6A category of complexity

Ascent passport
Tactical actions of the team
UIAA scheme
Route description by sections
Profile of the ascent route via the center of the NE wall to peak Zvezdny, 2265 m
Photo of the route profile
Existing routes and variant (red) on the NE wall of peak Zvezdny
Route climbed by the duo Kolesnikov K., Smetanin N., August 10–11, 2018
Lower part of the route
Middle part of the route
Upper part of the route
Photos from the route

Ascent Passport

Region — Western Sayan, Ergaki ridge, p. 6.2
Peak — Zvezdny, 2265 m, via the center of the NE wall, first ascent — variant.
Assumed category — 6A category of complexity
Route type — rock climbing
Route characteristics:

Height difference — 590 m, total route length — 660 m. Length of sections with 6 category of complexity — 370 m, 5 category of complexity — 180 m. Average steepness of the entire route — 83°.

6. Equipment used on the route:

Camlots — 66, stoppers — 51, fiffes — anchor hooks — 39, about 141 on skyhooks, removable bolts — 57. Total belay points used — 354.

Number of climbing hours: 2 days of route processing.

August 7, 2018 — R0–R2 covered in 12 hours.

August 8, 2018 — ropes fixed to a large grassy ledge in 12 hours. August 10, 2018 — main ascent start at 5:00. Set up camp at 21:00 at section R10. August 11, 2018 — continued ascent at 5:00. Reached the summit at 10:54.

Total climbing hours including processing — 46 hours.
Team leader: Kolesnikov Konstantin Ivanovich CMS
Team member: Smetanin Nikolai Alexandrovich MS
Team coach:

Zakharov Nikolai Nikolaevich MSIC, HST

11. Date of departure to the route:

August 10, 2018, from the camp under the wall at 5:00, set up camp on the route at 21:00. August 11, 2018, continued ascent at 5:00, reached the summit at 10:54, plus 2 days of processing. Returned to the camp by Lake Svetloe at 14:00.

Ascent organized by — Ministry of Sports of Krasnoyarsk Krai

Tactical Actions of the Team

As part of the "Sayanskaya Vertikal — 2018" training camp, the duo Kolesnikov Konstantin and Smetanin Nikolai set a goal to make a first ascent to peak Zvezdny, 2265 m, via a new route, choosing an unclimbed central part of the NE wall, via the characteristic black square.

Understanding the technical complexity of the route, potential difficulties of the first ascent, and considering the additional complexity of climbing in a duo, team members organized a training process on the most challenging terrains of Krasnoyarsk Stolby and limestone grottos. They also developed equipment for climbing and belaying on monolithic and overhanging walls; this equipment was later used during the ascent and proved to be effective and reliable.

Great attention was paid to studying existing materials about routes passing nearby. Exhaustive consultation about the route of O. Khvostenko 6A category of complexity was obtained from climbers who had ascended it. Observation through binoculars allowed us to finally choose the route: we settled on the steepest and most monolithic wall, "Black Square," located in the central, lower part of the wall, about 100 m high. Since water was flowing intensively down the wall, we deviated to the left edge of the square.

Day 1, August 6 — approach to the route from the base camp by Lake Svetloe — 4 hours.

Setting up a storm camp under the wall.

Day 2, August 7 — processing the wall: covered two ropes on very difficult sections R0–R2 in 12 hours.

Descent to the tent.

Day 3, August 8 — further processing of the route in 12 hours, reaching the middle grassy ledge: covered 3 ropes, sections R3–R6.

Descent to the tent.

Day 4, August 9 — descent to the base camp by Lake Svetloe to replenish supplies and rest in the forest zone.

Day 5 — August 10, 2018, at 5:00, departure to the route from the storm camp under the wall.

Passing fixed ropes — 8:00.

At 10:00, reaching the storm boulder under the monolithic wall, section R8. "It's hot, we understand, we need to conserve water," — we started with 4 liters.

At 21:00, set up camp for the night, leaving a control cairn on the ledge, section R12.

Day 6 — August 11, 2018, at 5:00, continued the ascent.

At 10:54, completed the ascent, retrieved a note left by previous climbers, and left our own.

Descent via the 5A category route "Kant." Arrived at the camp by Lake Svetloe at 14:00.

Sections R0–R3 were climbed for the first time.

On section R4 and further, we noticed traces of O. Khvostenko's route.

On section R10, the wall was climbed directly up, without using a pendulum.

Further along the route, we didn't always see traces of the first ascent; our route is marked on a high-resolution photo, triangles and numbers of the ropes indicate the locations of belay stations. Since we were pulling our backpack and feared getting caught on overhangs, we set up stations with this in mind.

We consider the route we climbed to be a variant of O. Khvostenko's 6A category route.

The assumed category of complexity of this route is 6A. UIAA scheme.

Route Description by Sections:

№ section	Belay — stations	Route description by sections	Length, category
8	0	Movement upwards, entering an internal corner, moving up a chimney with a plug, 15 camming devices, 3 anchor hooks, 2 stationary bolts for setting up a station. Hanging station.	50 m, VI, 85°, A3
7	++	30 m left along the ledge to the base of the characteristic tooth.
6	0	System of internal corners, ledges, crevices: 3 fends, 2 stoppers, 4 anchors, 2 bolts, 2 stationary. Exit to a large grassy ledge.	50 m, V, 85°, A2
5	0	Internal corner is passed using a pendulum into the right corner: 2 anchor hooks, 8 fends, 2 stoppers, 1 stationary bolt for setting up a station.	50 m, V, 80°, А2
4	0	Evasion of a cornice to the left with an exit to the wall. Passing the wall on skyhooks — 14 pcs., removable bolts — 1 pc., stationary bolts — 2 pcs., for setting up a station.	15 m, VI, 85°, A3
3	0	Cornice, then the internal corner is passed using artificial aids on fends — 8 pcs., stoppers — 2 pcs., anchor hooks — 4 pcs., relief skyhooks — 5 pcs., hole skyhooks — 2 pcs., removable bolt — 1 pc., for setting up a station under the cornice.	30 m, VI, 85°, A2
2	0	Anchor hooks — 4 pcs. Hole skyhooks — 10 pcs., relief skyhooks — 10 pcs., bolts — 4 pcs., 2 stationary for setting up a station. The next section is a 30 m wall with an overhang.	35 m, 85°–91°, V A3
1	0	Hole skyhooks — 12 pcs., relief skyhooks — 10 pcs., bolt hooks — 6 pcs., 2 stationary. Continuation of the wall, steepness decreases. Station on a ledge.	30 m, V, 80°–92°, A3
0		Hole skyhooks — 32 pcs., relief skyhooks — 9 pcs., removable bolts — 8 pcs., 2 stationary. Long smooth wall with an overhang, main protection through bolt hooks. Wet cornice. Station on bolts.	60 m, VI, 85°–92°, A3
17	0	Rightwards, exit to a ledge that leads to the summit "Zvezdny" 2265 m.	20 m
16	0	Movement upwards through a chimney — 8 m, overhanging crevice — 10 m, overhanging internal corner, exit under a cornice, passing the cornice head-on through a crevice — 10 m, exit to the pre-summit ridge. Movement on camlots — 20 pcs., anchor hooks — 5 pcs., removable bolts — 3 pcs. Stationary bolts on the station — 2 pcs.	40 m, IV, 75°, A2
15	0	Overhanging corner — 5 m. Passed on camlots — 15 pcs., anchor hooks — 5 pcs., enter a chimney. Bolt — 1 pc.	30 m, VI, 80°, A2
14	0	Internal corner, ledges, cornice, which is passed head-on (overhang is 1 m). Use of anchors — 2 pcs., fend — 12 pcs., 1 camming device, bolt — 1 pc.	40 m, VI, 85°, A2
13	0	Vertical corner rightwards, wall — 5 m, traverse along a crevice turning into a ledge rightwards — 20 m into a corner, onto a ledge. Camming devices — 6 pcs., removable bolt — 1 pc., skyhook — 2 pcs. Set up camp here. Left a control cairn in a niche.	30 m, VI, 85°, A2
12	0	Upwards and leftwards, internal corner. Exit to a ledge under an overhang. Anchor hooks — 5 pcs., camming devices — 10 pcs., stationary bolts — 2 pcs.	30 m, VI, 85°, A2
11	0	Upwards along a slab to its top — 5 m, monolithic wall — 30 m, movement on skyhooks through holes — 15 pcs., protection on removable bolts — 6 pcs., relief skyhooks — 5 pcs.	35 m, VI, 88°, A3
10	0	Monolithic wall — 25 m, movement on skyhooks through holes — 15 pcs., protection on removable bolts — 3 pcs. Further rightwards — traverse under a cornice rightwards, entry into an internal corner, upwards along the corner to a ledge. Camming devices — 10 pcs., anchor hooks — 5 pcs., stationary bolt — 1 pc.	50 m, VI, 85°, A3
9	0	Movement upwards along a corner, exit to a ledge, top of a tooth. Camming devices — 3 pcs.	15 m, V, 85°, A2

Route Description by Sections:

Approach to the start of the route goes along scree.
Then along inclined overgrown slabs.
Further under the "Black Square," start of the route, 40 m to the right of the start of O. Khvostenko's 6A route.

The route starts and passes along the left edge of the "Black Square," with a cairn at the bottom. R0 60 m, VI, 85°–92°, A3

Hole skyhooks — 32 pcs.
Relief skyhooks — 9 pcs.
Removable bolts — 8 pcs.
2 stationary.

Long smooth wall with an overhang, main protection through bolt hooks. Wet cornice. Station on bolts.

R1 30 m, V 80°–92°, A3

Hole skyhooks — 12 pcs.
Relief skyhooks — 10 pcs.
Bolt hooks — 6 pcs.
2 stationary.

Continuation of the wall, steepness decreases. Station on a ledge. R2 35 m, V 85°–91°, A3

Anchor hooks — 4 pcs.
Hole skyhooks — 10 pcs.
Relief skyhooks — 10 pcs.
Bolts — 4 pcs.
2 stationary for setting up a station.

Next section — a 30 m wall with an overhang. R3 30 m, VI, 85°, A2 Cornice, then the internal corner is passed using artificial aids on fends — 8 pcs., stoppers — 2 pcs., anchor hooks — 4 pcs., relief skyhooks — 5 pcs., hole skyhooks — 2 pcs., removable bolt — 1 pc., for setting up a station under the cornice. Station under the cornice.

R4 15 m, VI, 85°, A3 Evasion of a cornice to the left with an exit to the wall. Passing the wall on skyhooks — 14 pcs., removable bolts — 1 pc., stationary bolts — 2 pcs., for setting up a station.

R5 50 m, V, 80°, A2 Internal corner is passed using a pendulum into the right corner: anchor hooks — 2 pcs., fends — 8 pcs., stoppers — 2 pcs., stationary bolt — 1 pc., for setting up a station.

R6 50 m, V, 85°, A2 System of internal corners, ledges, crevices: fends — 3, stoppers — 2, anchors — 4, bolts — 2, 2 stationary.

Exit to a large grassy ledge, optimal for a bivouac. R7 30 m left along the ledge to the base of the characteristic tooth.

R8 50 m, VI, 85°, A3 Movement upwards, entering an internal corner, moving up a chimney with a plug:

camming devices — 15 pcs.
anchor hooks — 3 pcs.
stationary bolts — 2 pcs. for setting up a station.

Hanging station.

R9 15 m, V, 85° A2 Movement upwards along a corner, exit to a ledge, top of a tooth. Camming devices — 3 pcs.

R10 50 m, VI, 85°, A3 Monolithic wall — 25 m, movement on skyhooks through holes — 15 pcs., protection on removable bolts — 3 pcs. Further rightwards — traverse under a cornice, entry into an internal corner, upwards along the corner to a ledge. Camming devices — 10 pcs., anchor hooks — 5 pcs., stationary bolt — 1 pc.

R11 35 m, VI, 88°, A3 Upwards along a slab to its top — 5 m, monolithic wall — 30 m, movement on skyhooks through holes — 15 pcs., protection on removable bolts — 6 pcs., relief skyhooks — 5 pcs.

R12 30 m, VI, 85°, A2 Upwards and leftwards, internal corner. Exit to a ledge under an overhang. Anchor hooks — 5 pcs., camming devices — 10 pcs., stationary bolts — 2 pcs.

R13 30 m, VI, 85°, A2 Vertical corner rightwards, wall — 5 m, traverse along a crevice turning into a ledge rightwards — 20 m into a corner, onto a ledge. Camming devices — 6 pcs., removable bolt — 1 pc., skyhook — 2 pcs. Set up camp here. Left a control cairn in a niche.

R14 40 m, VI, 85°, A2 Internal corner, ledges, cornice, which is passed head-on (overhang is 1 m). Use of:

anchors — 2 pcs.
fend — 12 pcs.
1 camming device
bolt — 1 pc.

R15 30 m, VI, 80°, A2 Overhanging corner — 5 m. Passed on camlots — 15 pcs., anchor hooks — 5 pcs., enter a chimney. Bolt — 1 pc.

R16 40 m, IV, 75°, A2 Movement upwards through a chimney — 8 m, overhanging crevice — 10 m, overhanging internal corner, exit under a cornice, passing the cornice head-on through a crevice — 10 m, exit to the pre-summit ridge. Movement on camlots — 20 pcs., anchor hooks — 5 pcs., removable bolts — 3 pcs. Stationary bolts on the station — 2 pcs.

R17 20 m, rightwards, exit to a ledge that leads to the summit "Zvezdny" 2265 m.