Ascent Passport

1. Ascent class: Rock.
2. Ascent area: Pamir-Alay, Gissar Ridge, Varzobek area, Pily.
3. Peak: Krylya Tadzhikistana, its height is 3650 m, ascent route to the Central peak via the southern counterfort.
4. Expected difficulty category: 4A.
5. Route characteristics:
   • Height difference: 550 m.
   • Average steepness: 50°.
   • Length of sections: 1300 m, 2370 m, 3130 m, 430 m, 540 m, 6 m.
6. Pitons driven:
   • for belaying:
     • rock: 19
     • ice: –
     • bolt: –
   • for creating artificial anchoring points (ITOs):
     • rock: –
     • ice: –
     • bolt: –
7. Number of travel hours: 7–8.
8. Number of overnight stays, their characteristics: –
9. Surname, name, and patronymic of the leader and participants, their sports qualification:
   1. Loremi Evgeny Olegovich — CMS (Candidate for Master of Sports).
   2. Minasyan Georgy Stepanovich — II sports category.
   3. Shirman Natan Karlovich — II sports category.
   4. Chuvashov Viktor Vladimirovich — II sports category.
   5. Maslov Yuri Mikhailovich — II sports category.
10. Team coach: Rizaev Leonid Mukhamedovich — MS (Master of Sports).
11. Date of departure and return: August 24, 1984.

Description of Approaches

The ascent to the Central peak of Krylya Tadzhikistana is made from the Panoramka river cirque. The approach to the route from the mouth of the Siam river along the Panoramka takes about 4 hours.

The group made the ascent from a bivouac located near a lake under Varzobskaya Pila. In this case, it is necessary to cross a grassy spur separating the lake from the Panoramka river valley and, without losing height, move along fairly steep grassy and scree slopes under the Krylya Tadzhikistana massif.

The approach to the route from the lake takes about 3 hours.

From the Central peak of Krylya Tadzhikistana to the south, into the Panoramka river valley, a powerful counterfort drops. Its lower part is strongly inclined and does not present particular technical difficulties. The upper part of the counterfort is separated from the lower by a kind of "Mirror" — a huge, strongly smoothed, monolithic white marble slab.

The main feature of the upper part of the counterfort is its great steepness, from 70 to 85°, and complex rocks with a limited number of cracks for driving pitons.

Route Description by Sections:

R0–R1. Along a short, scree-filled couloir and then traverse left along a narrow, in places strongly narrowing, ledge under smoothed slabs. The length of this section is 300 m, average steepness 30–40°. The section is not technically challenging.

R1–R2. Upwards to the right along inclined, smoothed slabs to an inclined, scree-filled ledge 40 m. Rocks of medium difficulty. Along the ledge left upwards to the base of a wide, steep chimney, and along its right side 40 m, steepness 60–70°. Rocks of medium difficulty. Further 80 m along relatively simple inclined slabs with a steepness of 55–60°. Straight up a rather complex 10-meter wall with a steepness of 75–80° and then along simple, ruined rocks 25 m to an internal corner.

R2–R3. Along the internal corner 40 m, 60–65°, exit to the top of the counterfort. Along a gentle, short ridge 20 m, 30–35°, exit to giant, smoothed slabs.

R3–R4. Along strongly smoothed white marble slabs — the "Mirror", the lower part of which is fairly gentle, but as you ascend, the steepness increases, 100 m to the left part of the "Mirror". Control cairn.

R4–R5. Then upwards along the left edge of the "Mirror" 35 m to a steep, smooth wall. The section is not difficult, steepness 45°.

R5–R6. The key section of the route. Along the left part of the wall 30 m to a series of small, 50 cm² ledges. Difficult. Then along the wall with small holds and a small number of cracks for driving pitons. In the upper part of the wall — traverse left 7 m along a narrow, inclined ledge and then exit to the ridge. The section is complex, its length is 40 m, steepness 80–85°.

R6–R7. Along a gentle ridge through a series of blocks, exit to the summit. The section is not difficult, its length is about 80–100 m.

Descent from the summit to the east via category 2B complexity. The ascent takes 7–8 hours.

Table of Main Route Characteristics

Upper part of section R0–R1 and beginning of section R1–R2 "Mirror". Section R3–R4