Russian Mountaineering Championship, Ice and Snow Climbing Class 2015

Report

Team from Sverdlovsk Oblast First ascent to the right of the left triangle of the northern wall of Pik Svobodnoy Korei, 4777 m (Ak-Sai valley)

March 5-6, 2015

Ascent Passport

1. Class – Ice and Snow
2. Tian Shan, Kyrgyz Range, Ak-Sai valley (classification table number 7.4)
3. Svobodnoy Korei, 4777 m, to the right of the left triangle of the northern wall.
4. Proposed category: 5B, first ascent.
5. Route type – combined.
6. Route characteristics:
   • Elevation gain – 685 m
   • Route length – 1600 m
   • Wall section length – 300 m
   • Length of sections with 5-6 category difficulty – 200 m
   • Average slope – 30°
   • Average slope of the wall section – 64°
7. Pitons used:
   • Rock pitons – including ITO – 15/10
   • Chocks – including ITO – 3/3
   • Friends – including ITO – 20/8
   • Removable bollards – including ITO – 2/2
   • Ice screws – including ITO – around 100/0
   • Total – including ITO – 143/23
   • Pitons left on the route – 0
8. Team's total climbing time – 22.5 hours (to the summit); Approach – 1 hour; Descent – 8.5 hours; total – 32 hours.
9. Departure to the route – March 5, 2015, at 3:00 Summit reached on March 6 at 1:40. Return to Base Camp – March 6 at 10:00
10. Team leader: Anatoliy Gennadievich Syshchikov – CMS Second participant: Artem Vladimirovich Cheremnykh – CMS. Coach: Valeriy Nikolaevich Pershin – HMS
11. Person responsible for the report: Anatoliy Gennadievich Syshchikov, 8-963-275-60-92. Ascent leader: Anatoliy Gennadievich Syshchikov, 620057, Yekaterinburg, Zamyatin lane, 36-108, e-mail: a.syshikov@mail.ru, 8-963-275-60-92. Team coach: Valeriy Nikolaevich Pershin, 620144, Yekaterinburg, Frunze st., 78-32, e-mail: pershin.48@mail.ru, 8-912-256-26-57

Technical and Tactical Actions of the Team

According to the tactical plan, the route was climbed without prior processing and without stopping for rest or overnight.

The tactic for the two-person team was as follows: on simpler and more reliable terrain (ice), to increase speed, they moved simultaneously (the second climber simultaneously jumar-climbed and belayed the leader through a self-locking device " Grigri "). On more complex sections, they moved using the classic scheme (the first climber moved on a double rope, the second followed on fixed ropes with top-rope belay).

During the ascent, the leader changed several times. The choice of leader was made based on the predominant nature of the route section:

• Ice and mixed terrain – Cheremnykh led first;
• Rock sections and ITO – Syshchikov led first.

The two-person team had all the necessary equipment for climbing terrain of any complexity. Most frequently used were:

• Short ice screws;
• Medium friends.

On the route, the team worked autonomously, with radio contact with the observer every 3 hours starting from 9:00.

The combination of the above tactical actions allowed the team to achieve their goal and successfully complete the route. The route was climbed in poor weather conditions and in a very good time – just 22 hours to the summit.

Area Map

Pik Svobodnoy Korei. General view.

Route Profile Drawing

Main Wall Section of the Route

Route Description by Sections

R0–R1. Snow slope. 30°, 100 m.

• At the end of the section, cross an ice bridge at its narrowest part.

R1–R2. Ice slope 60°, 400 m.

• Reliable belay on ice screws.

R2–R3. Ice gully 60°, 120 m.

• Traverse left along the gully.
• Diagonal section with a potential for a significant pendulum fall.
• Necessary to clip into the rope protection through intermediate anchors.

R3–R4. Series of vertical internal corners 90°, 100 m. Climb internal corners from left to right. Approximately every 25 m, there are good ledges for footholds and features for anchor placement. Many vertical cracks; the terrain is quite rich. Camalots of all sizes and anchor pitons work well.

R4–R5. Ice groove 70°, 30 m. After the series of internal corners, swing right 1.5–2 m into an ice groove. Climb it straight up.

R5–R6. ITO A3 95°, 25 m. Rotten internal corner. Very soft, unreliable rock. In places, the rock is covered with 1–3 cm of ice crust. Problems with organizing belay. Two bollards were drilled.

Iron used:

• Medium and large camalots;
• Anchor pitons;
• Large stoppers;
• Removable bollards.

Weather started to deteriorate. Fog is rolling in. Snow is falling. From here to the ridge – powder snow avalanches.

R6–R7. Mixed terrain 80°, 100 m. Complex, tense mixed climbing. Belay on short ice screws (sometimes, due to insufficient ice thickness, ice screws were not fully screwed in; a loop of webbing was tied around the tube).

R7–R8. Ice 50°, 250 m. Exit into an ice couloir; initially, climb one rope length slightly left, then straight up to the ridge.

Reliable belay on ice screws.

R8–R9. Long rocky ridge. Rock climbing, category 3, rarely 4 difficulty. Simultaneous belay. Reach the summit.

UIAA Scheme

P. Svobodnaya Koreya, 4740 m Right of the left triangle of the northern wall, 5B category.

Equipment List

1. Dynamic rope 10 mm 60 m 1 piece
2. Static rope 10 mm 60 m 1 piece
3. Quickdraws with carabiners 40 cm 17 pieces
4. Carabiners 10 pieces
5. Anchor slings 3 pieces
6. Friends Black Diamond C3 №1, C4 №0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.75, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3 – 10 pieces
7. Friends Fixe Aliens (small) – 5 pieces
8. Chocks (stoppers) – set
9. Extractor – 1 piece
10. Rock hammers – 1 piece
11. Anchor pitons – 9 pieces
12. Drill set – set
13. Skyhooks with holes – 2 pieces
14. Relief skyhooks – 2 pieces
15. Ice screws – 14 pieces
16. Crampons – 2 pairs
17. Crampon hangers – 2 pairs
18. Crampon ladders – 1 set
19. Harness + 2 self-belay devices – 2 sets
20. Helmets – 2 pieces
21. Grigri belay device – 1 piece
22. ATC belay device – 1 piece
23. Jumars – 2 pieces
24. Jumar foot loops – 2 pieces
25. Headlamps – 2 pieces
26. Thermoses with tea – 2 pieces
27. First aid kit – set
28. Radio station – 1 piece
29. Clothing – 2 sets
30. Cameras – 2 pieces
31. Ice axes – 2 pieces

Photos by Sections

Section R1–R2

Section R1–R2

Section R2–R3

Section R2–R3

Section R3–R4

Section R3–R4

Start of Section R5–R6

Start of Section R6–R7

Start of Section R6–R7

Section R6–R7

Photo from the belay station on Section R6–R7

End of Section R6–R7

Belay station at the start of Section R7–R8

Summit Photos

No note was found in the control cairn on the summit. The team left their own note on an official "FASO" form. They then descended from the summit via the Barber route, category 5B.