Ascent Log

1. Climbing category — technical.
2. Climbing area — North Tien Shan, Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range, Ak-Sai valley.
3. Peak — Korona (Crown) — 6th tower, 4860 m, via the western wall (A. Glukhovtsev, 63), combined route.
4. Difficulty category — 5B.
5. Route characteristics:
   • Total length — 965 m.
   • Elevation gain — 760 m.
   • Average steepness — 65°.
   • Section lengths:
     • II — 120 m.
     • III — 250 m.
     • IV — 345 m.
     • V–VI cat. diff. — 250 m.
6. Equipment used:
   • Rock pitons — 68 (2).
   • Bolt pitons — 3 (0).
   • Protection gear — 129 (0).
   • Ice screws — 8.
   • 12 previously placed rock pitons and 2 bolt pitons were reused.
7. Total climbing time — 21 hours. Number of bivouacs and their characteristics:
   • 1st — comfortable bivouac on a horizontal ledge in a tent.
   • 2nd — on the summit tower's platform in a tent (4860 m).
8. Team leader: Kut'кина Natal'ya Ivanovna, Candidate Master of Sports. Team members:
   • Sergina Irina Valer'evna, Candidate Master of Sports.
9. Team coach: Tinin Yu. P.
10. Approach to the route: August 17, 2006. Summit: August 18, 2006. Return: August 19, 2006.
11. Organizing body: FАиS Moscow, alpinism club named after Yu. Vizbor.

Brief geographical description of the ascent object and approach to the route

The Korona peak (4860 m) is located in the Ak-Sai area, Kyrgyzstan (North Tien Shan, Kyrgyz Ala-Too Range). The Korona peak consists of 6 towers forming a "crown" in the upper part of the Korona glacier cirque. The path to the summit from the Ala-Archa alpine camp: * First, follow the road to the hotel. * Then turn left and follow the marked forest trail. * Exit the forest onto a gentle slope with a grassy trail featuring minor ascents and descents. * Follow the left (in the direction of travel) side of the Ak-Sai river to the waterfall. * Cross the stream and ascend to the Ratzek camping site on the Ak-Sai glacier moraine. (From Ala-Archa alpine camp to Ratzek camping site — 4–5 hours). * From Ratzek camping site, move to the left (in the direction of travel) moraine ridge of the Ak-Sai glacier and proceed along the ridge to a cairn built to human height. * Then descend to the glacier and, avoiding open crevices, proceed to the "Korona" hut located on the left (in the direction of travel). Time from Ratzek camping site to "Korona" hut — 2 hours. The route starts from the "Korona" hut. Descend to the glacier, cross it, avoiding open crevices, and, navigating around the spurs of the Izyiskatel' peak, reach the "Bear's Corner" bivouac site located on the left (in the direction of travel) on the glacier moraine. Then: * proceed directly under the western wall of the 6th tower of the Korona peak. Time from "Korona" hut to the start of the route — 1 hour.

Organizational and tactical ascent plan

To gain experience in team climbing and build cohesion, a training gathering was held in Crimea in the spring. Additionally, routes were climbed in the ascent area: * 2nd tower of Korona from the west from the Korona glacier, 2A category difficulty. * Traverse of towers 1–6 of Korona, 5A category difficulty. This allowed team members to fully acclimatize and adapt to the local weather conditions, as well as study the descent path from the summit. Descriptions and photographs of the route were studied, along with additional materials, and oral consultations were obtained from a group of climbers who had completed the route a few days earlier. A reconnaissance and observation of the route were conducted a day before the ascent, allowing for the determination of the optimal departure time and refinement of the tactical plan. Considerations included: * Potential bivouac locations. * Hazardous sections on the route (rockfall-prone areas). The ascent was conducted within the framework of alpine training sessions organized by the Vizbor alpinism club. Communication was maintained according to a schedule with the safety officer of the training sessions using YAESU VX-150 radios. Communication times: * 8:00 * 12:00 * 16:00 * 20:00

Tactical plan

August 17, 2006, 4:30 — departure from Korona bivouac. 7:30 — start working on the route. 18:30 — arrival at the bivouac site. August 18, 2006, 7:30 — departure from bivouac. 17:00 — reaching the ridge. 20:00 — summiting, bivouac on the summit tower. August 19, 2006, 7:00 — beginning descent along the ridge through towers 5, 4, and 3 of Korona peak. 12:00 — descent to the Korona glacier. 13:30 — return to the hut. Deviations from the tactical plan: * The R9 site was reached at 16:00, 2 hours and 30 minutes earlier than planned. * Due to deteriorating weather conditions (snow, poor visibility), a decision was made to stop for the night. The subsequent work schedule adhered to the tactical plan.

Equipment used during the ascent

• Main rope — 2 × 50 m.
• Auxiliary cord — 5 m.
• Ice axes — 2 pieces.
• Crampons — 2 sets.
• Rock hammer — 2 pieces.
• Rock pitons — 18 pieces.
• Ice screws — 6 pieces.
• Protection gear — 17 pieces.
• Slings — 9 pieces.
• Quickdraws — 15 pieces.
• Drill — 1 piece.
• Bolt pitons — 4 pieces. Bivouac equipment:
• Tent — 1 piece.
• Stove — 1 piece.
• Sleeping bag — 1 piece.
• Gas (220g) — 1 canister. Total initial backpack weight — 25 kg. Provisions:
• Freeze-dried cottage cheese — 150 g.
• Pasta — 4 servings.
• Dried fruits — 200 g.
• Tea.
• Sugar — 100 g.
• Smoked sausage.
• Lard — 150 g.
• Crackers — 100 g.

Route description by sections

Section R0–R1: ascent a steep snow-ice slope, overcoming a bergschrund — 120 m, 35°, II. Section R1–R2: ascent a narrow ice couloir — 50 m, 45°, III. Rockfall hazard! Section R2–R3: upward and right onto rocks to an inclined ledge — 50 m, 50°, IV. Section R3–R4: from the ledge across monolithic rocks to an internal corner — 20 m, 75°, V, 30 m, 65°, IV. Section R4–R5: across broken rocks to a large balcony — 50 m, 60°, IV. Rockfall hazard! Section R5–R6: along ledges to the base of a vertical chimney — 20 m, 55°, III. Section R6–R7: overcoming a wall — 5 m, 80°, IV, with a horizontal ledge upward and right (bolted) into a chimney, then up the chimney onto a wall to a narrow ledge — 20 m, 80°, V+. Section R7–R8: straight up the wall to a crack and up the crack — 20 m, 75°, V+, then across a broken internal corner and a couloir to a comfortable horizontal ledge — 30 m, 70°, IV. Section R8–R9: from the ledge across simple rocks to a bivouac site — 20 m, 50°, III. Section R9–R10: across simple rocks to the base of an internal corner — 25 m, 55°, III. Section R10–R11: up the corner to the right onto a wall — 30 m, 80°, V, and across steep broken rocks to a small ledge — 20 m, 65°, IV. Section R11–R12: across rocks of moderate complexity under a light-brown wall — 50 m, 65°, IV. Section R12–R13: up the wall to the left across monolithic steep rocks to an internal corner, then straight up to an inconvenient station on the wall — 50 m, 70°, V. Section R13–R14: upward and left across oblique inclined ledges of the wall on the left (in the direction of travel) side of the couloir to a small ledge — 50 m, 65°, IV. Section R14–R15: from the ledge upward and left across broken rocks to a large scree ledge with a large outcropping — 50 m, 50°, III. Section R15–R16: up the right side of an inclined chimney onto a wall to a ledge (carrot-shaped) — 20 m, 70°, V, 10 m, 70°, IV. Section R16–R17: straight up the wall, navigating around an overhanging section on the left, across a crack onto a smooth slab. Across a difficult slab (using artificial aids), then up an internal corner to a ridge — 50 m, 70°, V. Section R17–R18: up inclined slabs to a scree ledge — 50 m, 50°, IV. Section R18–R19: left and up across a simple wall and then across broken scree ledges to a small gap in the ridge under the base of the pre-summit tower — 50 m, 55°, III. Section R19–R20: right and up across a wall and then up a chimney — 40 m, 65°, V, to a large scree ledge with boulders — 10 m, 40°, III. Section R20–R21: across simple rocks to the summit — 25 m, 40°, III.

Route characteristics and UIAA symbol route diagram

Ascent timeline

Weather conditions:

• August 17, 2006, morning was cloudy and cold.
• Snow started in the afternoon.
• After 16:00 — poor visibility.
• August 18, 2006, and August 19, 2006, good weather resumed.

General route photo

Technical photo

Section R1–R2

Sections: R5–R6, R6–R7, R7–R8

Section R6–R7

Section R10–R11

Section R13–R14

Section R16–R17