Ascent Certificate

Technical category. Ascent area — Fann Mountains, Artuch valley, Aurongdag peak, height 4573 m, route via the northeast face. Route category 5B.

Route characteristics:

• height difference — 980 m;
• average slope — 74°;
• length of sections with 5B category difficulty – 520 m.

Pitons hammered:

• rock — 112;
• ice — —;
• bolt — —;

Total: 112 pitons. Number of climbing hours — 16. Number of overnight stays — 2 (on ledges). Team:

1. Azarev I.A. Candidate for Master of Sports, instructor — team leader;
2. Savchuk V.A. — participant; Candidate for Master of Sports, instructor;
3. Yakovlev V.S. Candidate for Master of Sports, instructor — participant;
4. Kharinyak I.V. Candidate for Master of Sports, trainee — « — »;
5. Kuzmuk V.V. Candidate for Master of Sports, trainee — « — »;
6. Pomazuev V.V. Candidate for Master of Sports, instructor — « — ».

Team coach — Ovcharov V.V. Departure to the route — June 27, 1977. Return to base camp — June 30, 1977.

Route to the northeast face of Aurongdag peak.

Route Description

The route begins 60 m to the right of the black stream at the base of a wide inner corner. From the snow patch along gentle, smoothed rocks of the "sheep's forehead" type — 60 m, slope 70°. Climbing is of medium difficulty.

Then move up a steep vertical wall, 80°, for 20 m to a narrow vertical crevice. Climbing is difficult, rocks are smoothed. Up the narrow vertical crevice of the inner corner — 20 m. Slope 90°, rocks are smooth, practically without holds, climbing is very difficult. Then along the overhanging part of the inner corner with a slope of 95° – 10 m. Climbing is extremely difficult using ladders. Exit from the inner corner to the left onto a wall — 10 m, slope 85°, climbing is difficult, and then again into the inner corner. Along the inner corner to the overhanging cornice — 30 m, slope 85° along smooth walls. Climbing is very difficult. Few cracks for hammering pitons. Under the cornice, exit left onto a ledge. Along a cleft overhanging in the upper part up to 90°, exit to a wide ledge. Climbing is difficult, loose rocks. Here on the ledge is a control cairn.

From the platform, move up to the right along an oblique crevice and then up along steep, destroyed rocks to a short shoulder, steeply dropping to the left and down towards a grey-black couloir. Average slope 80°, length 40 m.

From the short shoulder, the route continues straight up under a sheer wall — 20 m, slope 85°, and then to the left to a large ice couloir. Climbing is difficult.

Then up to the right along a slab — 20 m to a ridge, slope 75°. Traverse left along a wall — 15 m, slope 80°, climbing is difficult.

Then up to the right along a slab — 50 m, slope 75°. Pass a short wall in its right part.

Then up to the left, crossing destroyed slabs — 40 m, slope 70°. Along an inclined inner corner, 75°, 60 m — exit to a ridge. Climbing is difficult. Along the ridge up to a shoulder — 60 m, slope 60°.

Along the shoulder, traverse to the right to a cleft with a plug — 40 m, which is the beginning of a steep counterfort. Bypass the chimney with a plug along the wall — 8 m, slope 85°, and exit straight under the wall — 15 m.

Along the ledge, move left and then straight up a steep (90°) wall — 7 m, exit to steep, inclined ledges to the ridge of the counterfort — 40 m.

Along the ridge of the counterfort — 40 m, slope 60° — exit under a wet wall, climbing is medium. Along the wet wall — 30 m, slope 75°, then along destroyed rocks — 60 m — exit under the base of the summit bastion. Here is a platform for an overnight stay.

From the overnight stay, the route passes along the summit bastion, initially straight up, then to the right under the wall. The wall — 10 m — is passed along a cleft.

Then the route goes in the direction of a large niche with an overhang — 40 m.

The overhanging wall in front of the niche is passed in its right part using ladders.

From the niche, traverse left — 40 m along a sheer wall to a not very wide flake. From here, straight up along the wall, crossing a stream of water, to a ledge — 40 m, slope 85°.

From the ledge — 40 m — exit to the summit ridge. Then along the summit ridge — exit to the summit.

From the summit, descent via the 3B route.

TABLE OF MAIN ROUTE CHARACTERISTICS