Category 3A route. Protocol №3 from 15.10.1962.

DESCRIPTION OF THE TRAVERSE ROUTE OF SYPUCHAYA PEAK VIA THE NORTH-EAST RIDGE

From the bivouac located on the North TEU glacier moraine, ascend the moraines towards the talus descending from the Round Tower of Sypuchaya peak. After 30 minutes, the talus is reached, and the ascent continues along its right side where the talus is coarser. Another 30 minutes of ascent leads to a col between a tooth-shaped gendarme and a red gendarme.

The path then bypasses the Tooth gendarme on the left, heading towards the second gendarme, which has a reddish hue. After 25 minutes, the col before the gendarme is reached. Here, it is necessary to rope up. The reddish gendarme is tackled head-on. The path to the gendarme goes through a cleft with careful piton protection, to a platform that is 15 m above the col. During the ascent, 2-3 pitons need to be placed. The rocks are monolithic. Further ascent is along moderately difficult rocks with careful piton protection. The time taken to ascend the gendarme is up to one and a half hours. Along the ascent path, on a small platform, a cairn is built. The ascent goes along the right side of the gendarme; the rocks are slab-like with good handholds. The gendarme is up to 80 m high. Descent: first along an inclined slab, then along the talus.

After descending, there is an exit to a "window," bypassing the third gendarme on the left. The gendarmes are bypassed along ledges without losing height. The ledges lead to a trough-like couloir ending with a "plug." Ascend this couloir to the ridge. The ascent time is 1.5 hours. The ridge consists of broken rocks, and it is possible to move simultaneously.

The fourth gendarme is overcome head-on in 1 hour. Alternate protection is required, and 1-2 rock pitons need to be placed. During the ascent, it is necessary to stick to the left side. On the 4th gendarme, a second cairn is built. Descent from the gendarme is to the right along a snow patch, then along moderately difficult rocks with alternate protection.

Further ascent is along a steep snow-ice slope (45°). 1-2 ice screws are placed here. In the upper part of the slope, switch to rocks and ascend a 4-meter rock with good handholds to a platform, from which the ridge is regained. The ascent time is up to 40 minutes.

The ridge ascent continues along snowy rocks, then along an inclined slab 10–15 m high, leading to the false summit along a severely broken ridge. On the false summit, a third cairn is built. The ascent time is an hour or slightly more. The false summit is composed of large stones on which a cairn is built.

After the false summit, descend along moderately difficult rocks into a 100 m deep depression. Beyond the depression lies the first grey gendarme. The ascent to the gendarme is complex and requires piton protection; two pitons need to be placed. The gendarme is ascended via a chimney; its height is about 20 m. On the gendarme, there is a 4th cairn. Descent from the gendarme is along inclined slabs with careful alternate protection. These slabs end with a vertical wall about 20 m high. The descent is made sitting on the rope; a piton with a loop is left. The wall ends with a negative angle of up to 10 m below. The descent takes about 1.5 hours.

After this, ascend to the second grey gendarme, on which the 5th cairn stands. The ascent to the gendarme is along slabs with alternate protection. The height of the ascent is up to 80 m.

The descent from the gendarme is initially straightforward, along broken rocks, then down a sheer wall about 25 m high with an internal angle. The descent is made sitting on the rope along the internal angle. An ice screw with a loop is left here.

The next group of gendarmes on the ridge is bypassed on the right along steep snow-ice ascents with piton protection. Step-cutting is necessary (or crampons).

Further path goes along snowfields and severely broken rocks. On the snowfields, towards the end of the season, ice exposures may be encountered, and crampons or step-cutting may be necessary.

After 10 hours, the summit is reached. Descent is made to the col between the TEU and Sypuchaya peaks. During the descent, there is an ascent head-on to a gendarme standing on the ridge. Alternate protection is necessary. On this gendarme, a 7th cairn with a note is left. Then, along a snowy slope from the col, descend to the North TEU glacier and return to the original bivouac. The entire traverse takes 12–13 hours. In the opinion of the first ascent group and the remaining five groups that have traversed this route, its category is determined as 3B.

The first ascent of the route to Sypuchaya peak was made from the northeast along the ridge by a group of climbers from the "Talgar" alpine camp on August 5, 1962, consisting of:

• Rapoport P.A. - group leader, junior instructor, 1st sports category
• Polakov S.I.
• Shunailov A.F.
• Laptev V.N.
• Aravin B.P.
• Syrtsov M.M. - all are climbers performing the norms of the second sports category.

Group leader (P. Rapoport)