Climbing Passport

1. Category — technical
2. Tian-Shan, Aksai gorge
3. Peak Svobodnaya Korea via the right part of the northern wall
4. Assumed — 5B category of difficulty, first ascent
5. Height difference 970 m, length — 1200 m, length of the wall part of the route — 1080 m, length of sections with 5th category of difficulty — 560 m, average steepness of the main part of the route — 70°
6. Pitons hammered: rock — 38, bolt — 0, chocks — 12/0, ice screws — 53/0
7. Climbing days (not including descent) — 1, hours — 17
8. Number of bivouacs and their characteristics — one, on descent, on a gentle scree ridge
9. Leader — Artamonov Alexey Vladimirovich — Candidate Master of Sports

Team members:

• Zolin Igor Pavlovich — 1st sports category
• Ivanov Alexander Vasilyevich — Candidate Master of Sports
• Yashin Igor Ivanovich — Candidate Master of Sports

10. Coach — Sobolev Sergey Sergeyevich — Candidate Master of Sports
11. Approach to the route — July 16, 1984

Summit — July 16, 1984 Return — July 17, 1984

General photo of the summit.

• first ascent route
• Myshlyaev's route, 5B category of difficulty
• route, 5A category of difficulty

Camera "Siluet-electro", lens "Triplet 69–3.4/40", shooting point #1, H = 3600 m, shooting time 17:00

Technical photo of the route. Shooting point #1, H = 3600 m, shooting time — 17:00. Camera "Siluet-electro", lens "Triplet 69–3.40/4".

Tactical Actions of the Team

The tactical plan for the ascent included:

1. 24-hour observation of the route immediately before the climb.
2. First day — start on the route at 2:00, pass the ice couloir and reach the counterfort by 8:00 (not later than 9:00). Move along the counterfort and reach the pre-summit ridge by 18:00.
   • Bivouac on the ridge.
3. Second day — ascend to the summit, descend into the Top-Karagai gorge, return to the camp.

In case of falling behind the movement schedule, a possible bivouac on the counterfort was considered, as well as an emergency descent via the ascent couloir in the morning hours (before 9:00).

Team Actions

After a 24-hour observation of the route, the group started from the bivouac at Koronskie nochyovki on July 16 at 1:30. At 2:30, they began working on the steep ice. The first six ropes on ice were climbed by the rope team Zolin—Artamonov, with Zolin leading. The technique used was "rope team following rope team." The next six ropes on ice were climbed by the rope team Yashin—Ivanov, with Yashin leading. At 8:00, the group reached the shoulder of the counterfort above the S-shaped couloir.

After breakfast, from 8:00 to 9:00, work on the counterfort continued. The movement technique remained the same. The first climber moved on a double rope. Artamonov led the first 6 ropes, Zolin led 4, and Yashin led the rest. At 17:00, they reached the ridge of Svobodnaya Korea. Given the advance on the movement schedule, excellent weather, and the good condition of the team members, a decision was made:

• To ascend to the summit without waiting for the allocated day,
• To organize a bivouac on descent.

At 18:00, the group ascended to the summit in independent rope teams. At 19:00, they stopped for a bivouac on the ridge before descending into the Top-Karagai gorge.

The next day, the group descended into the gorge and returned to the camp.

On sections R1–R19, fixed ropes were organized. The bivouac was set up on a gentle scree ridge.

There were no falls or injuries.

Route Diagram in Symbols

Route Description by Sections

Sections:

• R0–R1: Steep snow slope with increasing steepness (40–50°), leading to a bergschrund. The slope length is 120 m.
• R1–R7: Steep ice slope turning into a wide couloir in the upper part. The slope's steepness varies — from 55° to 70°. The length is 440 m. In the lower part, the ice is porous and wet. In the upper part, it's hard, and ice screws are hammered with difficulty.
• R7–R8: Ice ridge (80 m) with increasing steepness (average — 50°), leading to a rock wall covered with ice to the right of the 1st gendarme.
• R8–R9: Rock wall covered with ice, 20 m, steepness 75°.
• R9–R10: Ice ridge with a steepness of 60°, length 100 m, leading to the second gendarme.
• R10–R11: Rock wall covered with ice, 20 m, to the right of the second gendarme, steepness 75°.
• R11–R12: After the wall, first up the ice groove with a steepness of 65° and then up and to the right via an internal corner covered with ice to a convenient ledge at the top of the third gendarme.
• R12–R13: From the ledge, a rock wall leads up and to the left, heavily destroyed, with some ice. The wall's length is 40 m, steepness 70°.
• R13–R14: The wall turns into a steep (85°) internal corner, also heavily destroyed (20 m). The corner ends with a small ledge. From the ledge, up and to the left via a steep rock wall (85°, 20 m). The wall leads to the fourth gendarme.
• R14–R15: Traverse across the gendarme to the left. The gendarme is bypassed on the left via the right wall of a rock-ice couloir. The wall's steepness is 75°. The rocks are heavily destroyed.
• R15–R16: Above the fourth gendarme, there's an internal corner with a steepness of 70°, heavily destroyed, covered with ice. The corner ends with a small ice-covered ledge.
• R16–R17: From the ledge, up via a vertical crack 15 m.
• R17–R18: The crack leads to a heavily destroyed steep rock wall with some ice (30 m, 80°).
• R18–R19: From the wall, in its left part — exit via a vertical internal corner (10 m) to the western ridge of Svobodnaya Korea.
• R19–R20: Along a simple ridge (120 m) — approach to the summit tower. Then via steep monolithic rocks (50 m) and a wide 10-meter chimney — exit to the pre-summit ridge. Further 80 m along the ridge — to the summit.