Tyumen Regional Federation of Alpinism

Tyumen, phone: 89222621340 Web: www.tyumen-alp.ru ↗, E-mail: [email protected] Outgoing letter dated October 1, 2008, No. 56

Dear colleagues!

We ask you to review and take into consideration the report of the TRFA team, which made the first ascent of the route to the summit of Baylyan–Bashi, presumably category 4B. The report is attached.

President of TRFA T. T. Gainullin

Ascent Passport

Region — Northern Tien Shan, Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range, Ak-Sai valley, 1st tower.
Summit — Baylyan–Bashi 4700 m via the left couloir of the NW wall.
Presumed category — 4B.
Route type — combined.
Route characteristics: height difference from Korona bivouac — 700 m (4700–4000), route length — 800 m. Length of sections:
- category 3 — 420 m
- category 4 — 380 m Steepness of the most difficult sections — from 55 to 60 degrees, of the entire route — 50°.
Number of pitons used on the route:
- ice screws — 35 pcs.
- rock pitons — 5 pcs.
Number of climbing hours on May 8, 2008 (12 hours): from Korona bivouac (4000 m) to the start of the route via Ak-Sai glacier — (6:00–7:00) through the couloir to the ridge — (7:15–14:30) ascent along the ridge to the summit — (14:30–15:30) descent to Korona bivouac via the ascent route — (16:00–18:00)
Leader: Gainullin Timur Talgatovich, 1st sports category. Participants: Karpenko Alexey Alexandrovich, 2nd sports category. Tretyakov Boris Vladimirovich, 2nd sports category.
Team coach: Agafonov Alexander Alexandrovich, Master of Sports. Gainullin Timur Talgatovich, 1st sports category.
Ascent organized by — Tyumen Regional Federation of Alpinism.

Map of the area.

Route description by sections

Peak Baylyan–Bashi 4700 m. Route to the 1st tower via the left couloir of the NW wall, category 4B. Peak Kosmonavtov R3 300 m 40–45° 3 R2 190 m 55–60° 4 R1 190 m 45–50° 4 R0 120 m 40° 3 Ak-Sai glacier

Approach via the glacier in crampons, helmets, roped together! We enter the "Bear's Corner" and proceed along the NW wall of Baylyan–Bashi; the route is between Peak Kosmonavtov and the 1st tower of Baylyan–Bashi, an icy couloir with a bergschrund at the bottom. From below, the route appears as an icy corridor going left, i.e., the col is not visible from below; it is only visible on the fifth rope.

R0–R1 — depending on the time of year, this part of the route may be icy (winter) or heavily snow-covered (spring). Not very steep ice, 40°, under the bergschrund, which is not heavily damaged and requires minimal effort to overcome; simply choose the optimal section to cross it and move up the icy couloir slightly left of the "ram's foreheads".

R1–R2 — this section marks the beginning of the key part of the route, which consists of ice with an average steepness of 45–50°. R2–R3 — the slope steepness reaches 55–60°. This continues until the end of the couloir, i.e., to the col. R3–R4 — Exit to the summit via relatively easy rocky terrain. Sometimes pitons and fixed loops are used for protection.

General view of the route

General view of the route to Baylyan–Bashi 4700 m, category 4B. Photo taken from Peak Izyskatlya on May 7, 2008.

Team photos from the route

Section R0–R1. Second climber.

Section R0–R1.

Peak Kosmonavtov Route taken by the TRFA team Peak Baylyan–Bashi, 1st Tower, 4700 m. Denisov's Route, category 5A, 1970. Nekrasov's Route, category 5A, 1984.