44a

Ascent Log

1. Ascent category — technical.

2. Area of ascent: Tian Shan mountain range, Karakol gorge, Terskey Alatau ridge.

3. Peak, its height, ascent route — Peak Jigit 5170 m via the center of the North face.

4. Category of difficulty — 6.

5. Route characteristics: height difference — 1230 m, length of sections with 5–6 difficulty category — 1110 m, average steepness — 76°.

6. Number of pitons used: for belaying, for creating artificial footholds — rock — 81; ice — 17; screw anchors — none; placements — 89.

7. Number of bivouacs and their characteristics. July 23 — sitting, separate for 3 and 1 person. July 24 — sitting — 3 people, in a hammock — 1 person. July 25 — sitting on ice. July 26 — semi-reclining — 3 people, on a ledge — 1 person.

8. Surname, name, patronymic of the team leader, participants, and their qualification. Dusharin Ivan Trofimovich — captain — Candidate Master of Sports Sharov Oleg Yakovlevich — deputy captain — Master of Sports of the USSR Blokhin Vladimir Alexandrovich — participant — Candidate Master of Sports Kazaev Priy Viktorovich — participant — Master of Sports of the USSR

9. Team coach: Benkin Vladimir Samuilovich — Master of Sports of the USSR

10. Date of departure and return. Departure — July 23, 1980. Return — July 27, 1980.

www.alpfederation.ru↗

The ascent is dedicated to the memory of the pioneers of the route Slesov and Dzhioev

Table of main characteristics

July 23. We left the moraine bivouac at 5:00. It took about 3 hours to overcome the icefall and reach the «Kar» before the wall. We started working on the route at 8:00. On July 22, in the second half of the day, there was a strong bad weather, a lot of snow fell, the route was in the snow.

Section R0–R1. Steep snow-ice slope. A large layer of freshly fallen snow, lying on hard, icy old snow, greatly hinders movement. We reach the edge of the bergschrund.

Section R1–R2. Plumb ice wall with an overhanging snowy edge, icicles hang (10 m). Gusts of wind blow snow swept from the slopes into our faces. The 1st person climbs the wall with 2 ice axes. We pull up the backpacks.

Section R2–R3. Steep ice slope over 3 rope lengths with several small rock outcrops, rocks are covered with a crust of ice, the ice slope is sprinkled with a layer of snow no more than 3 cm thick, freshly fallen snow does not stay on the slope, we work alternately ahead. The weather, which was unstable in the morning, worsened sharply, the wind strengthened, and "graupel" began to fall. We approach under the overhanging wall of a large rock outcrop.

Section R3–R4. Exit onto a rock outcrop along a gutter filled with flow ice, to the left of the overhanging wall. Dusharin is ahead. Extremely difficult. The ice is chipped off in lenses, the thickness of the ice is not always sufficient for an ice screw, to use rock pitons, we have to chop a lot of ice. Graupel continuously flows from above. Exit right onto a narrow ledge for 2 people under a 3-meter overhanging wall (60 m). We pull up the backpacks. The weather does not improve. Time is 16:00. We organize a sitting bivouac in 2 places. 1 person and 3 people, using «Zdara» and a tent. Processed 40 m ahead. The bivouac is uncomfortable, the weather is bad, we rested poorly.

Accomplished:

• Processed 40 m ahead.
• Bivouac is uncomfortable.
• Weather is bad.
• Rested poorly.

July 24. 8:00. The duo Dusharin—Kazaev moves ahead along the rope. The weather is still satisfactory.

Section R4–R5. Rock wall, filled with ice and snow, bypassing the 3-meter overhanging wall on the left (20 m).

Section R5–R6. Snow-ice ridge (40 m). Left-upward, crossing the ice couloir with an exit onto the wall (20 m). In the couloir, the ice is smooth, passed only with the help of ice axes. The weather worsens, occasional snow.

Section R6–R7. Rock wall, filled with snow (10 m). Wide, niche-like inner corner, filled with snow (30 m). On the left wall of the corner, a short, inclined ledge, in the cleft above the ledge, 1st control cairn. We exchange notes.

Section R7–R8. Not clearly defined inner corner, with an overhanging right wall. The section is extremely difficult to pass. Many overhanging sections and small cornices, all holds are filled with ice (60 m). The corner is closed by an overhanging rock forehead, filled with ice. The section was passed by Sharov.

• 18:00: continue processing the further path and organizing a bivouac.
• Time 19:30: processed 70 m ahead.
• On the rock forehead, a sitting bivouac was organized for 2 people, with difficulty, we accommodated 3.
• 1 person settled in a hammock above.

July 25. We spent the night poorly. At 7:00, we began moving along the rope. The weather is normal, but very cold. The duo Dusharin—Kazaev moves ahead.

Section R8–R9. Inner corner with smooth walls, filled with ice, closed by a cornice about 1 m in size (20 m). Extremely difficult climbing. Loops were used for passage. Behind the cornice, a continuation of the inner corner (5 m). Rocks are in snow and ice.

Section R9–R10. Wall, filled with snow with sections of flow ice, the upper part of the wall is slightly overhanging (35 m). Rocks are quite jagged, but monolithic.

Section R10–R11. Smoothed wall, filled with ice (10 m). Exit into a blind chimney with smooth walls in the form of an inner corner (20 m). Walls are filled with ice. Movement along the left edge of the chimney-corner. The section is extremely difficult to climb. A ladder and loops were used.

Section R11–R12. Wall of crumbly rocks, filled with snow, with icy sections (15 m). Exit under a wide overhang. Traverse right-upward (10 m) under the overhang into a short inner corner. Movement along the left wall of the corner — the right wall is overhanging (10 m). Throughout the section, there is flow ice on the rocks, holds are smoothed, climbing is extremely difficult.

Section R12–R13. Wall with an overhanging section, rocks are icy (25 m). During the passage, loops were used. Exit onto a vertical wall in the form of a rock slab, cracks are filled with snow (30 m). The entire section R10–R11–R12–R13 is extremely difficult to pass. Backpacks were pulled up in stages until we reached the counterfort.

Section R13–R14. Steep counterfort, composed of large blocks with short steep walls, filled with snow with ice sections (180 m). Approach under the base of the rock tower. Time 19:00. Organizing a bivouac. A lot of ice was chopped, a sitting bivouac was organized, for the first time, we accommodated all together.

July 26. 8:00. We start moving. Clear. Cold.

Section R14–R15:

• Rock slab with ice sections, holds are smoothed, the structure of the rocks is like "ram's forehead" (20 m).
• On the piton, 2nd control cairn.
• Further, a wall of large blocks, filled with snow, the steepness in the upper part decreases (70 m).
• Exit under the base of the tower wall.

Section R15–R16:

• Inner corner (20 m) filled with ice and snow.
• Steep slab-like wall (10 m), cracks are filled with snow, rocks are smoothed, exit under a strongly overhanging wall.
• Climbing is extremely difficult, a loop was used for passage.

Section R16–R17. Under the overhanging wall, a traverse right-upward (10 m) to the exit into the inner corner, rocks are in snow. Inner corner:

• Walls are in the form of a slab, slightly overhanging
• Rocks are rough, without snow and ice (20 m). Exit along the corner right-upward to an even more overhanging wall with a cleft. Above the wall is a large cornice. Using the cleft, exit right beyond the bend (10 m). The entire section is extremely difficult, ladders and loops are used for passage, placements are very helpful. On section R15–R17, Dusharin—Sharov worked alternately ahead. Backpacks were pulled up in 2 stages.

Section R17–R18. Beyond the bend, a small inclined ledge, further, a wall of large blocks, filled with snow, leads to the top of the rock tower (20 m). From here, the ridge is finally visible, i.e., the top of the wall; until this point, the ridge was not visible due to the high steepness of the entire route. In the cleft on the top of the tower:

• 3rd control cairn.
• Note of the first ascenders under the leadership of I. Slesov in 1975 was retrieved. The top of the tower is a short ridge. Time 17:00.
• The duo Sharov—Kazaev very painstakingly construct a platform for the tent.
• Dusharin—Blokhin process the further path. By 19:30, we managed to hang 120 m. Accommodation:
• In the tent, we accommodated 3 in a semi-reclining position (this is already comfortable).
• 1 person settled on a ledge 5 m below.

July 27. 8:00. We start moving along the rope.

Section R18–R19. Rocks like "ram's foreheads" with ice and snow sections (15 m). Further:

• Left-upward along the rock gutter under the overhanging wall — exit onto a short rock saddle (25 m).
• In the gutter, rocks are tile-like, facing down, there is almost no snow.

Section R19–R20. Crossing a short (2 m) almost steep ice gutter, along the steep outer corner, exit onto a ridge (8 m). The ridge is composed of:

• Large blocks
• Individual short, but technically complex walls
• Strong snow filling (70 m). Climbing is difficult but comfortable.

Section R20–R21. Snow-ice saddle (10 m). Rock wall of crumbly rocks, filled with snow with ice sections (30 m). Climbing is unreliable, difficult to organize reliable belaying.

Section R21–R22. Steep snow-ice slope with rock outcrops, through a half-meter snow cornice — exit onto a ridge (40 m). The wall is passed. Time 12:00. Communication with observers and the path to the summit.

Section R22–R23. Snow ridge with cornices and rock sections (250 m) — exit onto the summit. 12:30 — everyone is at the summit, we exchange notes.

Descent via the 4A category route. We hurry down, the weather is worsening. A short snowstorm with thunder was about one hour. Through Kokbor Pass, at 17:00, we arrived at our observers.

Team captain Dusharin I.

An analogue of the observers' photograph, breakdown into sections according to the report of the pioneers. Profile and conditional scheme of the ascent to Peak Jigit via the center of the North face, 6th category of difficulty.