Ascent Passport

1. North Tien Shan, Trans-Ili Alatau, Malo-Almatinsky spur
2. Peak Abay (4010 m), via the Western slope couloir and the Northern ridge
3. Category 2A difficulty level
4. Route type — rocky
5. Route elevation gain — 1110 m Route length — 2255 m Length of sections: Category V difficulty — none Average steepness:

• main part of the route (sections 8–10) — 55 degrees
• entire route — 35 degrees

6. Pitons left on the route: total — 0, drilled — 0 Pitons used:

7. Team's moving time on the route: 2 hours 20 minutes
8. Participants:

Urubko Denis — 1st sports category Barbashinov Andrey — 1st sports category

9. Team coach:

Ilyinsky E.T. — Honored Coach of the USSR

10. Route start: September 12, 1994 — 08:20 Summit: September 12, 1994 — 12:40 Descent to base camp: September 12, 1994 — 16:00

View of Peak Abay from the West

Map-scheme of the ascent area

Ascent Description

Before reaching the Mynzhilki weather station, after the gorge narrows, when the road becomes flat and straight, turn left after 200 m. The scree couloir is very wide at the bottom, but then narrows, and is blocked by gentle low rocks that need to be bypassed on the right. After 400 m, the couloir is interrupted by a second rock step 60 m high, steep. It needs to be bypassed through a crevice on the left. Beyond it, go up to the right and up through a steep rocky-scree couloir to a saddle in the ridge north of the rocky tower of Peak Abay (4 hours). Then move to the right through a rock wall to the NE summit, and from it along the ridge to the SW summit — the highest point.

Route sketch in UIAA symbols