Ascent Logbook
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Technical category.
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Pamir-Alay, Zeravshan Range, Fann Mountains, northern part.
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Peak "Bodkhona", 5138 m, 5B category via the Northwest Counterfort, G. Gulnev 67.
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Route type: rock.
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Route elevation gain: 1440 m (by altimeter); route length — 2940 m; length of sections with V category complexity — 250 m; VI category — 130 m; average steepness: main part of the route — 55–60 degrees (up to Gulnev's shoulder); total route — 45 degrees.
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Pitons left on the route: 0.
Pitons hammered on the route:
- Bolt pitons: 2*/1*
- Rock pitons: 8* + 10/2
- Chocks: 2* + 4/5
- Ice screws: 12
* previously hammered pitons reused. (Used for belay points) / (Used for direct aid)
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Team's total climbing hours: 44 hours, 4 days.
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Overnights:
- 1st (overnight bivouac) — platform on the counterfort spur.
- 2nd (overnight bivouac) — comfortable platform on a shelf.
- 3rd (overnight bivouac) — comfortable platform on Gulnev's shoulder.
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Team leader: Lebasov Evgeny Mikhailovich, 1st sports category.
Team members:
- Shiriaeva Elena Nikolaevna, Candidate for Master of Sports.
- Tulaev Denis Nikolaevich, 1st sports category.
- Drakin Andrey Valentinovich, Candidate for Master of Sports.
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Coach: Novoselova Galina Vladimirovna, 1st sports category.
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Departure to the route: 6:00; August 15, 2005.
Reached the summit: 10:30; August 18, 2005. Returned to Base Camp: 17:00; August 19, 2005.
Photo #1 (panorama of the area). Photo #2 (peak Bodkhona, 5138 m)
Photo #3 (route climbed by the team, Gulnev G., 1967)
Ascent Graph
to peak Bodkhona via NW counterfort, 5B route by Gulnev G.
Route Description by Sections
The route is categorized as rock climbing. However, it's no secret that the Fann Mountains have experienced frequent summer precipitation over the past few years. The team ascended after 4 days of bad weather and heavy snowfall. Therefore, the route had a lot of snow and verglas, especially on the main part of the route (up to Gulnev's shoulder). The upper part of the route was completely covered in snow. When moving from Gulnev's shoulder to the summit and back, all participants wore crampons and carried ice axes. Often, they encountered ice. The route can be considered mixed.
Recommendations:
- 5–6 ice screws for belay and anchor points.
- Crampons — mandatory for all participants.
| R0 | -- | The route starts from the left part of the NW counterfort. Approach to the start along the glacier at 15°–20° alongside rocks. |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | 49 m, 40°–70°, IV | Movement along scree shelves, small chimneys, and walls. Exit into a small wet grotto. |
| R2 | 20 m, 60°, IV | 10 m up and left along a small wall, 10 m up and right — exit onto a large diagonal shelf visible from below. |
| R3 | 40 m, II | Along a large scree shelf to its right edge (to the end). |
| R4 | 25 m, 90°–70°, A1–V+ | Upward is a cleft with two pitons, 7 m V+ 90° A1. Then exit onto a diagonal (20°), small (2 × 2), very slippery shelf. From it, 10 m up along slabs. Traverse right 1 m. Slight descent onto a small shelf under the wall. From R15, the route goes along the right part of the counterfort. |
| :--: | :--: | :--: |
| R5 | 25 m, 60° III–IV | Upward along the wall to a scree shelf. |
| R6 | 45 m, 60° III–IV | Movement along broken rocks up and left. |
| R7 | 35 m, 45° III–IV | Wall, then ridge. There's a place for an overnight stay. From here on, every 2–3 ropes, there are cleared areas for overnight stays for 3–4 people. Not everywhere is there water (snow). |
| R8 | 55 m, 20°–60° II–IV | Along the wall to the right — bypassing an overhang through an internal angle. Then to the right along a 30 m, 20° shelf. |
| R9 | 15 m, 50°–90° III–V | Exit onto a large 70 × 20 m shelf, along it to the right. |
| R10 | 50 m, 50° III | Around the corner to the right. Along scree corners 50 m. At the end, there's a shelf, possible overnight stay. No water. |
| R11 | 30 m, 40°–60° III–V | It's not recommended to go left along the shelf. 10 m up along the wall, then to the right past a chimney along a narrow shelf around the wall's bend. 2 meters above, there's a piton, we set up a belay station there since ropes often don't reach. |
| R12 | 20 m, 25° I–III | On the slab along a narrow shelf up and left, exiting onto a large diagonal shelf. To the right is a wall of a buttress, to the left is a place for a tent and a control cairn. We stop for the night at 19:30. A note from July 28, 2005, was found, left by a group of climbers from St. Petersburg FACL led by Rubtsov E.R. |
| R13 | 25 m, I | Along the shelf to the right under the buttress wall. |
| R14 | 25 m, 80° VI | Up the buttress wall through a system of parallel clefts — exit to the right onto the buttress shoulder. Climbing is difficult. Complicated by snow and verglas filling the clefts. Used an ice axe during the ascent. Crampons recommended. There's a loop on the shoulder for a belay. |
| R15 | 8 m, 80° IV 20 m, 80°–90°–20° V 40 m, 60°–70° IV–V | From the shoulder up 8 m, there are pitons. Then left, traverse onto a shelf. The route transitions to the northern part of the counterfort. Along the shelf, traverse left along the buttress wall to an internal angle filled with ice. Movement only in crampons and with tools (mixed ∼ M6). 2–3 ice screws needed for belay. To the left, there's a trail of pulled-out bolt pitons. Belay on a bolt. |
| R16 | 40 m, 50°–80° IV | Left and up through an ice-filled couloir with deep snow along rocks to the next ice couloir. Then up to a small wall, which is bypassed to the right. After it, there's a belay under a red wall. |
| :--: | :--: | :--: |
| R17 | 40 m, 60°–70° III–V | Along shelves first to the right, then to the left. |
| R18 | 45 m, 40°–60° I–IV | Along a shelf, then over the ridge to the right, then another 15 m. Good platform, followed by a 5 m descent to a saddle with a rappel loop to the right. On the saddle, there's ice. We stop for the night at 16:00. Part of the team goes to fix ropes. |
| R19 | 25 m, 70°–90° | Rappel to the right from the saddle. There's a platform for 2–3 people. |
| R20 | 45 m, 70°–30° V–II | Straight from the platform up a 15 m chimney. Then to the right 35 m between the wall and slab. And 7 m rappel to the right. |
| R21 | 50 m, 70° IV | First diagonally up to the right, then up to the left. |
| R22 | 25 m, 60° III | To the left onto a saddle, crossing an ice slope. On the saddle, there's a platform for 2–3 people. |
| R23 | 50 m, 40°–100° II–VI | Along the saddle through rocks to ice. Along the ice, we approach under the bastion wall. Upward through an internal angle with small clefts. Clefts are completely filled with snow. Everywhere is verglas. Movement exclusively in crampons and with tools. There's a bolt along the way to the right. Exit onto a narrow shelf under an overhanging wall. Pitons. 2 m left under a destroyed internal angle. Direct aid on chocks 5 m. Exit onto diagonal slabs. To the left is a chimney with a plug. Climbing is difficult. Exit through the chimney with direct aid onto ice 5 m. Shelf. Possible overnight stay for 1–2 people. |
| R24 | 40 m, 40°–100° IV–VI | Upward along an angle filled with ice. To the left, there's a piton. Under an overhang, there's a bolt filled with ice. To the right, there's a shelf with snow. |
| R25 | 40 m, 70° IV–V 70 m, 50°–60° III | Upward through a chimney, exiting onto a shelf. From it to the right along the wall, then easy climbing, shelves, walls. Through an internal angle, exit onto Gulnev's shoulder. Good spot for an overnight stay. We stay. Snow. Control cairn. Inside, two notes. One is a memorial to G. Gulnev. The second: from August 5, 2005, 21:00, FASIL St. Petersburg led by Nagaev R.R. Moshnikov 6A. |
From the platform straight up along the wall. Along the snow, approach to rocks with ice and snow. Through rocks with ice and snow, movement up and right, then left onto a saddle (to the rappel loop). From the loop, exit onto ice at 35°–45°. Simultaneous movement up and right since there's a lot of snow. We move left and up to a saddle in the right part of a large bastion. The bastion is bypassed on foot along the right side through snow and ice, transitioning into a narrow shelf with elements of climbing. Then left and up to the top of the bastion. Traverse along rocks to a saddle. Along a narrow shelf down, then up to the summit rise along a wall with clefts. Along a scree couloir, approach under the summit wall. The wall is 10 m. Climbing is difficult. The team leader changes the note. A note from a group of climbers from FACL St. Petersburg led by Rubtsov E.R. was found, date not indicated. Descent to Gulnev's shoulder via the ascent route.
| R26 | 1000 m, 70°–20° III–I | Descent from Gulnev's shoulder begins immediately after returning from the summit. Through rocks along rappel loops for 7 ropes. There are many loops, and they're frequent. The last rappel leads through a bergschrund onto snow at 10°. We cross the glacier to the right and down 100–150 m and through crevasses exit to rocks on the right bank. We descend alongside rocks 40 m to a piton on a rock. Two rappels along loops under overhanging ice, and we're on snow. Along the lateral moraine and ice, we exit to wooden overnight stays (start point). |
Photo #5 (passage of section R14)
Photo #6 (passage of section R23)
Photo #7 (passage of section R4)
Photo #8 (passage of section R15)
Photo #9 (path to the summit from Gulnev's shoulder)
Photo #10 (last technically difficult section before reaching the final technically difficult section before the summit)
Photo #11 (route condition before the ascent)