Description
Via the Northwest Ridge
First ascent to the peak "Pioneer", height 3923 m
(above sea level), Ugam Range (Western Tian Shan).
The peak "Pioneer" is located in a lateral ridge of the Ugam Range, which stretches from southeast to northwest from the peak Kergely. To the east of the peak "Pioneer" are the peaks "Obmanshivaya" and "Sypuchaya", and to the southeast is the peak "Koptau". The peak "Pioneer" has the shape of an inclined triangular slab. The northern ridge of the peak is not very difficult in its lower part (three to four ropes), but further advancement along the ridge is quite challenging due to its saw-like shape, which requires mostly upper movement. The western ridge is not very difficult, but the ascent to the saddle is icy, with a steepness of 55-60°. To the west of the peak "Pioneer" lies a nameless peak that is of no interest to climbers. From the intermediate camp, located near a lake on the moraine, we approach the northern ridge of the peak "Pioneer". Between the northern ridge of the peak "Pioneer" and the slope of the Nameless peak lies a couloir filled with snow. Early in the morning, it is possible to move directly up the couloir, as the snow is held by the night frost, and it is also possible to bypass the narrowest part on the right. Then we move directly up the couloir (in case of an avalanche, it is possible to take cover on either the left or right side). At the beginning of the couloir, the steepness is 25-30°, and after 150-200 m, the steepness increases to 40°. On the left, the northern ridge of "Pioneer" is clearly visible, and on the right are the destroyed rocks of the Nameless peak.
After 400-450 m, a rocky outcrop is visible on the left, which is bypassed on the left. It is possible to rest on the outcrop, as it is completely safe.
From the outcrop, a view opens up to a small cirque glacier located between "Pioneer" and the Nameless peak.
The rocky outcrop seems to block the exit from the cirque and serves as a threshold, over which avalanches spill over from the right and continue down.
Then we move along dense snow, first straight, and then veer to the left for about 400 m and enter the cirque of the glacier. From here, the western ridge of the peak "Pioneer" is clearly visible, with an icy saddle (steepness 55-60°).
In the cirque of the glacier, there are no visible crevasses, and the snow is very deep, with the ice axe not reaching the ice. In all likelihood, there is ice, but due to the early spring, it was not visible under the snow. Between the northern and western ridges, directly ahead, lies a shorter northwest ridge. We approach the northwest ridge along the snow to a small rocky wall with a ledge. The steepness of the snow slope to the ledge is 30-40°. A rock hook is driven into this wall, and we move along the ledge to the right along the destroyed rocks with hook protection. After 20-25 m, we approach an internal corner, with a steepness of up to 80° and a length of 3-4 m. After passing the internal corner, we emerge onto a second rock ledge, which ends with a small wall.
The wall is bypassed first to the left along the ledge, then along the snow with protruding rock outcrops, and we reach the ridge. Along the ridge, we move straight up to a small red wall. Protection is organized during movement through outcrops and hooks. The wall is taken directly head-on, and then along rocks of medium difficulty, we emerge again onto a snowy ridge with three to four rock outcrops. Further movement along the ridge requires caution. The snow is dry and loose, with occasional ice patches where protection can be organized through an ice axe. The length of this section is 150-200 m. Then we approach the first "gendarme". The ascent to the "gendarme" is made directly head-on, and then along the ridge, we approach the second "gendarme", which is bypassed on the left.
Then the path goes along a snowy slope to the northern ridge. At first, it is not very steep - 30-35°, and then up to 60°. We approach a small cornice. A trench is dug, and we emerge onto the northern ridge about 500 m from the summit. Then the path goes along the northern ridge, along easy rocks. On the summit, a "tur" is built from stones, and a note is left in an iron can. The time taken for the ascent from the intermediate camp to the couloir entrance is 30-40 min. From the couloir entrance to the rocky outcrop is another 1 h 10 min. From the rocky outcrop to the wall took 1.5-2 h. From the wall to the northern ridge - 7 h, and to the summit - 20-30 min. We reached the summit at 16:10. 12 rock hooks were driven along the entire route.
The descent from the summit is made along easy rocks, and then along slabs covered with small debris. The steepness of the slabs is not great - 10-15°.
We descend to the Nameless Pass, which leads to the neighboring valley, where the peak "Ob'edinennaya" is located. It was not possible to see the valley from the summit or the pass, as the weather began to deteriorate from 15:00. On the pass, a "tur" is left on a large gray stone.
The descent from the summit to the pass took 1 h 30 min.
The descent from the pass is made:
- to the north along the snow;
- then along a small moraine;
- after the moraine, again along the snow, with a small steepness - up to 30-35°.
After 10-20 min, the snowy slope turns into a couloir - very narrow and steep. It is necessary to bypass it on the left along relatively gentle slabs 10-15°. The slabs stretch for 2.5 ropes.
After the slabs:
- we descend along a snowy slope to the ancient moraine of the Kergely glacier;
- along the moraine down to the intermediate camp.
The descent from the summit to the camp takes 4 h. Protection is provided through shoulder and outcrops.
The total time taken for the ascent and descent is 16 h. The route corresponds to category 3A. The first ascent was made on May 8, 1962.
Group Leader
Participants:
- (Skuratovich E.N.)
- (Bashlykov Yu.N.)
- (Filippov V.K.)
- (Dyusimaliev M.T.)
Copy is true — Murudzinskiy