Ascent Passport
- Class — technical.
- Ascent area — Pamir-Alay, Alay Ridge.
- Peak — Popovich Peak, height 4800 m, via the North-Eastern ridge.
- Route characteristics:
- height difference — 800 m;
- length of sections 5–6 cat. diff. — 310 m;
- average steepness — 55°.
- Estimated difficulty category — 5B.
- Pitons driven:
- for belaying:
- rock: 75
- ice: 13
- bolted: —
- for creating ITD: —
- Total: 88
- II
- for belaying:
- Number of climbing hours — 30.
- Number of nights — 2.
- 1st night — on a rocky shoulder. Tent can be set up. No water.
- 2nd night — under a gendarme. There is a good site for overnight stay, next to which is an "ice tie".
- Team composition:
- Mozalevsky Igor Olegovich, leader, 1st sports category in mountaineering, 1st sports category in rock climbing;
- Kovalenko Alexander Vladimirovich, participant, 1st sports category in mountaineering, 1st sports category in rock climbing;
- Goroshko Alexey Nikolaevich, 1st sports category in mountaineering, 1st sports category in rock climbing, participant.
- Team coach — CMS Petrichenko Nikolai Nikolaevich.
- Senior coach — MS USSR Saprykin Vasily Danilovich.
- Route entry — August 6, 1977.
- Return to camp — August 8, 1977.
R1–R2. — route via the North-Eastern ridge (5B) (first ascent, current volume) R3–R2. — route via the North face (5B) (first ascent by NI, August 1977)
Area map
- group route
- base camps
Route profile photo
General view of the route to Popovich Peak via the North-Eastern ridge
Brief description of the approach to the route:
Popovich Peak is located in the Alay Ridge of the Pamir, in the Cosmonauts horseshoe. The route to Popovich Peak via the North-Eastern ridge is clearly visible on the moraine of the Cosmonauts glacier from the overnight stays. A rocky ridge with an average steepness of 55° descends from the summit of Popovich Peak into the upper reaches of the ice cirque between the peaks of Tereshkova, Bykovsky, and Popovich.
The approach from the overnight stays on the moraine to the cirque glacier passes through the icefall. The icefall is overcome in the central part. Movement on crampons with simultaneous belaying. Exit to the cirque plateau through a 40 m ice wall alternately. 11 ice screws are screwed in on the section. Then move right to the rocky spur of Popovich Peak. Crevasses are bypassed on the right. The ascent to the base of the ridge passes along a snow-ice slope 30–45° steep, turning into a scree couloir (4 hours).
Brief explanation of the table
R0–R1. Bergschrund is overcome with alternate belaying along a scree bridge. Then a 40 m ascent along an ice groove alternately. The groove is fired upon by stones. This section is recommended to be passed:
- before sunrise;
- in the second half of the day when the slope is in the shade.
(1.5–2 hours, 2 pitons, ice screws.)
R1–R2. The groove leads to a destroyed crest. The crest is bypassed on the left along the way. After 15–20 m of ascent along the couloir, exit right onto the ridge. The length of the section is 40 m, climbing is easy, movement is alternate.
R2–R3. Ascent along a rocky ridge, climbing is of medium difficulty. Belaying through ledges and pitons. The length of the section is 160 m, average steepness is 50–60°. 7 pitons are driven on the section.
R3–R4. The ridge leads to a rocky shoulder. The length of the section is 40 m, climbing is easy. There is a site for overnight stay on the shoulder. (No water, 4 hours from the start of the ridge).
R4–R5. Ascent along the wall of a rocky ascent. Steepness is 60°. Climbing is of medium, above medium difficulty. (Length 40 m, 4 pitons.)
R5–R6. Move up the wall in the direction of a rocky "blade" visible against the sky. Climbing is above medium difficulty. Average steepness is 60°. The length of the section is 40 m. (6 pitons.)
R6–R7. Along a rocky wall 40 m, exit to a ledge under the "blade". Climbing is very difficult. Steepness of rocks is from 70 to 95°. Holds are smoothed. The first climber moves in galoshes without a backpack. The section ends with an overhanging wall 5 m. The wall is overcome on ladders. On the ledge under the "blade" a control cairn is built. (9 pitons, pulling backpacks.)
Table of technical characteristics
Route — Popovich Peak via the North-Eastern ridge. Difficulty category to the summit 5B.
| Designation | Average steepness in degrees | Length in m | Terrain character | Difficulty conditions | Rock condition | Weather | Rock pitons | Ice pitons | Bolted pitons | Time of exit and stop for bivouac | Bivouac conditions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R0–R1 | 60° | 40 | Broken bergschrund, ice groove | Ice is sometimes covered with snow | Cold t=-3 – -5°C | 11 | Exit at 11:00. Start of movement on section R0–R1 at 6:00 | ||||
| R1–R2 | 45° | 40 | Couloir, rocky ridge | Rocks are heavily destroyed | Cold t=-3 – -5°C | 2 | |||||
| R2–R3 | 50–60° | 160 | Rocky ridge | III–IV | Spur, rocky walls 3–4 m | Cold t=-3 – -5°C | 7 | Change for overnight stay at 19:00 | No water. Tent can be set up. | ||
| R3–R4 | 45–50° | 40 | III | Cold t=-3 – -5°C | |||||||
| R4–R5 | 60° | 40 | Rocky blocks | IV | t=-2°C | 4 | Start of movement at 8:00 | ||||
| R5–R6 | 60° | 40 | Rocks like ram's foreheads | V | Limited cracks and holds | t=-2°C | 4 | 1 | |||
| R6–R7 | 60° | 40 | Smoothed rocks | V | Smoothed | t=-2°C | 3 | 3 | Pulling backpacks | ||
| R7–R8 | 50–60° | 40 | Rocks smoothed, fragile holds | IV | t=+5°C | 3 | 1 | ||||
| R8–R9 | 50–60° | 40 | Separate overhanging sections 30 m | V | Many live rocks | t=+5°C | 5 | 2 | Pulling backpacks | ||
| R9–R10 | 55° | 30 | IV | t=+5°C | 4 | 1 | |||||
| R10–R11 | 45° | 20 | Rocky ridge | III–IV | Fragile holds, sandy ridge | t=+5°C | 1 | ||||
| R11–R12 | 50–60° | 40 | Chimneys, ridge | V | t=+5°C | 5 | |||||
| R12–R13 | 55° | 40 | Ridge | IV–V | t=+5°C | 3 | Pulling backpacks, change for overnight stay at 19:00 | Convenient ledge. No water. | |||
| R13–R14 | 45–50° | 40 | IV | t=-2°C | 4 | Movement started at 6:00 | |||||
| R14–R15 | 50–60° | 40 | III–IV | t=-2°C | 4 | Cold climbing | |||||
| R15–R16 | 50° | 40 | Chimneys, slabs | IV | Ice, snow | t=+3°C | 6 | ||||
| R16–R17 | 55° | 40 | Ridge | III–IV | Destroyed rocks, live rocks | t=+3°C | 4 | ||||
| R17–R18 | 50–60° | 60 | III–IV | t=+3°C | 4 | ||||||
| R18–R19 | 60° | 30 | Wall | IV | t=+3°C | 4 | 2 | Pulling backpacks | |||
| R19–R20 | 50–60° | 40 | III–IV | t=+3°C | 2 | 1 | |||||
| R20–R21 | 40 | Sandy ridge | III–IV | t=+3°C | 2 | 1 | |||||
| R21–R22 | 40° | 120 | III–IV | t=+3°C | Group ascent took 30 hours | ||||||
| Total: | 75 | 13 | 11 | Group ascent took 30 hours |
R7–R8. Bypass the "blade" on the left. Then along a heavily smoothed crest, descend to a saddle under the 1st gendarme. Climbing is difficult. The gendarme is bypassed on the right. Belaying through ledges and pitons. Exit to the 2nd gendarme. (Length 40 m, 5 pitons.)
R8–R9. The 2nd gendarme is bypassed on the right. The section is very difficult. Initially, a 5 m ascent along a smoothed crest, then an 8 m descent along an overhanging wall to an inclined ledge (flowstone ice). From the ledge, exit to a smooth slab, steepness 60°. Traversing the slab, exit under an overhanging internal corner with black rocks. Along the corner, exit on ladders (overhanging section — 5 m, live rocks in the corner). Exit to a wide ledge under the pyramid of the 3rd gendarme. Climbing on the section is extremely difficult (length 40 m, 5 pit 5, pulling backpacks.)
R9–R10. From the ledge along the left wall of the overhanging internal corner, and then along the corner, exit to inclined scree ledges. (Live rocks in the corner.) Climbing is difficult, a ladder is used (length 30 m, 6 pitons, pulling backpacks.)
R10–R11. From the ledges right up along simple rocks, exit to a wide hollow. Climbing is easy. The length of the section is 20 m.
R11–R12. From the hollow along the wall left up, ascend along the wall into an internal corner-chimney with an overhanging left wall. Climbing is very difficult, a ladder is used. There are very few places suitable for driving pitons, holds are fragile. Then exit to a smoothed "sandy" ridge. Along the left side of the ridge, exit to the summit of the tower of the 4th gendarme, which from the hollow looks like a huge stone block. (Length 40 m, 5 pitons.)
R12–R13. From the summit of the 4th gendarme along the smoothed ridge, move in the direction of the summit tower. The ridge is "sandy", heavily smoothed. There are practically no places for driving pitons. Climbing is very tense. After 40 m — a site for overnight stay. Next to the site is an ice tie. From the overnight stay on the shoulder — 11–13 climbing hours. 3 pitons are driven.
R13–R14. From the overnight stay along rocks of medium difficulty, ascend to the summit of the 5th gendarme. (Length 40 m, 4 pitons driven.)
R14–R15. From the summit of the 5th gendarme, move along the ridge under the ascent of the summit tower. The ridge is "sandy", climbing is difficult and tense. (Length 40 m, 4 pitons driven.)
R15–R16. The ascent of the summit tower is a vertical section of the wall 100–120 m with separate overhanging sections. The structure of the rocks is "sandy", there are practically no reliable places for driving pitons. From the saddle of the ridge under the summit tower, an inclined descent 40 m to the left. Initially along a couloir turning into a chimney, and then traversing along slabs to a convenient ledge under a steep ridge (6 pitons).
R16–R17. From the ledge, ascend upwards. Cross the ridge from right to left, a steep couloir, exit to its left side. Rocks are destroyed, holds are fragile, climbing is of medium difficulty. (Length 40 m, 4 pitons.)
R17–R18. Then up along simple scree rocks, belaying through ledges. Move in the direction of the yellow rocks of the summit tower. Exit to a wide scree ledge. Climbing is of medium difficulty. (Length of the section — 60 m.)
R18–R19. From the ledge, ascend along the wall of the summit tower. Move from left to right into a hollow with a single ledge. Climbing is very difficult. (Length of the section — 30 m, 6 pitons, pulling backpacks.)
R19–R20. From the hollow right up along rocks of medium difficulty, exit to the pre-summit ridge (length 40 m, 3 pitons.)
R20–R21. A small gendarme on the ridge is bypassed on the right. Then move along the left side of the ridge. Climbing is of medium, in places above medium difficulty, holds are fragile. At the end of the section, exit to the ridge through a 5-meter wall leading to the summit (length 40 m, 3 pitons.)
R21–R22. Along the ridge and along the ledges on its left side, exit to the summit. Climbing is medium, belaying through ledges. (Length of the section — 120 m, 8–9 hours from the overnight stays under the 5th gendarme.)
Possible descent routes:
- Descent (240 m) to the saddle between the summits of Popovich and Bykovsky. From the saddle, a sport descent (40 m) into a scree couloir. Along the couloir, descend into the valley of the Levinskaya glacier. Then through 2 passes, return to the camp on the moraine of the Cosmonauts glacier (14–16 hours).
- Descent via the North face of Popovich Peak. From the summit, descend 20 m to a snow-ice saddle. From here, descend down by rappelling in 10 ropes and 2 sport descents along an ice slope into the cirque glacier under the peaks of Popovich and Nikolaev. From here, 1.5 hours to the overnight stays on the moraine. The entire descent takes 8–9 hours.
Note:
Descent towards the Cosmonauts glacier from the saddle between the summits of Popovich and Nikolaev is objectively dangerous due to a large number of "live" stones. On sections R6–R7, R12–R13, R18–R19, and R21–R22, the first climber is belayed with a double rope. The first climber moves in galoshes without a backpack.
