Climbing category — technical

Climbing area — Gissar Range, Igizak area

Peak, its height, route — p. Yuzhnaya Bivachnaya, 3500 m, 3350 m via West wall. Proposed cat. dif. — 3A, first ascent. Route characteristics: height difference — 500 m, average slope — 60°. Pitons: rock 25. Number of walking hours — 8 h. Number of nights and their characteristics — none. Surname, name, patronymic of the leader, participants and their qualifications:

1. Lavruhin V. — leader, Master of Sports of the USSR
2. Ben Reid — expert, USA
3. Carlos Bukler — expert, USA

Team coach: Efimov S. — Master of Sports of the USSR

Date of departure and return — August 16, 1978

Yuzhnaya Bivachnaya

Hills of valleys of the summit

Approach to the route

From "Zelyonaya Polyana" bivouac, go upstream along the stream flowing from the cirque of Bolshoy Igizak peak for 30 minutes until reaching the ridge that separates the Bolshoy Igizak gorge and the gorge leading to Bolshoy Igizak pass.

The gorge leading to the pass is on the left. Enter it and pass to the left of Bivachnaya peak and the next peak on the ridge, "Srednyaya Bivachnaya".

The next peak on the ridge is "Vostochnaya Bivachnaya"; head towards its western slopes.

The approach to the start of the route from "Zelyonaya Polyana" bivouac takes about 2 hours.

Brief explanation of the table

Even from the approaches, as soon as the view of the peak opens up (at 500–700 m), a deep crack — a crevice — is visible on the western slope of the peak, running from the foot up to the middle of the route. The route starts at the base of the crevice. The route begins on a 70° wall — 10 m (R0–R1) towards the crevice to a ledge convenient for belaying. Upon closer inspection, the crevice turns out to be mostly an inside corner and only occasionally turns into a crevice. The general direction from then on is up the inside corner. From the ledge, 30 m of challenging climbing (R1–R2) on a wall with small holds, slope 75°, uses 5 chocks. 80 m of medium-difficulty 70° rock (R2–R3) lead to a steep 85° wall 5 m high with a deep crevice on the right.

To the right of the wall, there's a spall; through it, 5 m (R3–R4) to a wide, comfortable ledge; from the ledge, to the left, along the inside corner 35 m (R4–R5), we enter the inside corner (the last challenging 40-meter section); we move to the left 7 m (R5–R6) towards a large 2×3-meter detached rock; from it, to the right, along small ledges 5 m (R6–R7) into the inside corner; up the 75° corner 25 m (R7–R8) straight up to reach ledges — climbing is challenging; further along rocky, heavily dissected terrain: chimneys, walls, ridges, ledges — towards the summit 50° 500 m (R8–R9). The ascent itself takes 5 hours.

Descent:

• from the summit eastwards to "Kulai Dzhavonon" glacier, cat. dif. 1A, and further
• along the slopes of "Bivachnaya" to the base camp.

Route characteristics:

• Rock on the route — granite, non-brittle;
• Lower part of the route up to exiting the inside corner — challenging climbing, use of rubber footwear is recommended;
• Rope used by the group — 2 pcs., 40 m each;
• Chocks were used instead of pitons, but piton belaying is also possible — large and medium.

Table of main characteristics of the route to "Yuzhnaya Bivachnaya" peak via West wall — cat. dif. 3A.

Compiled by Lavruhin

Section R0–R1

Sections R2–R8