Ascent Log

Ascents

Ascent category — technically challenging

Ascent area — southern spurs of the Alay Ridge, Lenin Peak area

Ascent route — center of the northeastern wall of Peak 50 Years of Uzbekistan, elevation 4650 m

Ascent characteristics:

• Wall height difference — 1012 m
• Average steepness — 72°
• Length of main sections:
  • 4th difficulty category — 48 m
  • 5th difficulty category — 608 m
  • 6th difficulty category — 359 m

Pitons used:

• Rock pitons — 234 pcs
• Ice screws — 13 pcs
• Bolts — none

Time spent on the wall — 62 hours

Number of bivouacs and their characteristics: 5 bivouacs;

• 29.07 — sitting
• 30.07 — sitting
• 31.07 — semi-reclining without water
• 01.08 — semi-reclining
• 02.08 — lying down

Team name: Instructor team of "Dugoba" alpine camp

Team leader, members, and their qualifications:

• Team leader — Oleg Ivanovich Shumilov — Master of Sports of the USSR
• Members:
  • Vladislav Nikolaevich Ovsyannikov — Candidate for Master of Sports
  • Anatoly Nikitovich Semenov — Candidate for Master of Sports
  • Valery Yakovlevich Vekolyar — Candidate for Master of Sports
• Team coach — Vladimir Sergeevich Erolov — Master of Sports of the USSR

Dates of departure and return: departure — July 26, 1974, return — August 4, 1974

www.alp-federa­tion.ru↗www.alp-federa­tion.ru↗

Orographic diagram of the "Dugoba" alpine camp area

Table

Main characteristics of the route through the center of the northeastern wall of Peak 50 Years of Uzbekistan

Detailed Description of Route Characteristics

The route begins from the moraine under Peak 50 Years of Uzbekistan, near a lake on the moraine. The lake offers comfortable bivouac sites at an elevation of about 3750 m. It takes 2–2.5 hours to walk from the "White Glade" bivouac sites to the lake.

The route proceeds from the lake along the moraine for 30 minutes, gradually transitioning into a snow-ice slope.

Section R1. Across a snow-ice slope with a steepness of 30–40° and a length of about 200 m, movement is simultaneous in ropes. A hidden crevasse is suspected under the slope. We start the route at 14:00. The weather is poor, with periodic fog, visibility not exceeding 150–200 m, and snowfall. We plan to bivouac on the wall today, July 29, 1974.

Section R2. The snow-ice slope becomes steeper, up to 60°, with ice covered by a thin layer of snow and rock fragments protruding from under the ice. The section is 2 rope lengths long and features a 5 m wide bergschrund, which is crossed using a thin snow bridge with careful alternate belaying. The section is technically challenging. From the bergschrund, we move toward the wall, approximately 150 m to the right of the central couloir, where water flows and rocks frequently fall.

Section R3. We ascend a 10 m monolithic rock wall with a steepness of 70°, using lower belay, to reach inclined slabs. It's snowing, and the rocks are slippery, making this section extremely difficult. We switch to "Vibram" boots and decide to progress by setting up complex fixed ropes.

Section R28 Descent via sport climbing last.

Section R29 This is the same as Section R26 from the previous day.

Section R30 From the ledge, 8 m up steep 60° slabs to a narrow ledge, moving on fixed ropes with backpacks.

The detailed description continues for all sections up to R71, detailing the terrain, steepness, movement techniques, and challenges faced during the ascent and descent.

List of equipment used by the team:

• Titanium carabiners — 35 pcs
• Steel carabiners — 16 pcs
• Titanium pitons:
  • universal — 35 pcs
  • channel-shaped various — 30 pcs
  • petal-shaped — 10 pcs
  • titanium ice screws — 6 pcs
  • screw-type ice screws — 3 pcs
• 2-step ladders — 2 pcs
• 3-step ladders — 4 pcs
• Main ropes 12 mm — 5 pcs, 40 m each
• Cut-off boots — 3 pairs
• Loops from main rope — 10 pcs, 3 m each
• Vibram boots — 1 pair
• Rock hammers — 2 pcs
• Crampons — 4 pairs
• Ice axes — 2 pcs
• Belay harnesses — 8 pcs
• Reepschnur, loops:
  • 4 pcs, 1.5 m each
  • 4 pcs, 5 m each

The team had 35 bolt pitons and 3 bolts on the route but completed the wall without using bolt technique. The entire route was traversed in rubber boots despite unfavorable weather conditions for the ascent.