V. Paykhamber, 3B, via Western ridge (A. Lopatko route, '73)
Night stay — at Murtnые lakes or 1 hour higher on the moraines of Lake Paykhamber (there is water), opposite v. Fagitor.
From Murtnые lakes, left of v. Fagitor to l. Paykhamber and along it to the snowy saddle between v. Chinal and the 1st gendarme of the western ridge of Paykhamber. Climb the snowy slope (bergschrund!) to the saddle. From Murtnые lakes, 2–2.5 hours.
The 1st gendarme is passed on the left via a narrow rock ledge 30 m, then up a steep, crumbling wall 5 m — exit to the ridge and further along the ridge.
2nd gendarme — left along rock ledges on a steep wall, with some overhangs (60 m).
3rd gendarme — to the right of the saddle along an indistinct internal corner 20 m and further along the ridge to the next saddle.
4th gendarme — to the right of the saddle along poorly defined rock ledges 40 m, then traverse to the crevice between the ridge and a rocky spur with a large overhanging rock. Here is a ledge for descent 30 m to a wide, scree-covered saddle between the 4th and 5th gendarmes.
From the saddle, traverse the scree slopes to the ridge leading from the 5th gendarme to the "Nizhny" pass on the south side of the Paykhamber ridge. From this lateral ridge, ascend to the main ridge via a scree gully and then along a scree slope — to the saddle between the 5th and 6th gendarmes. Here is a control cairn. From the start of the ascent along the ridge — 4 hours.
6th gendarme — to the right along a vaguely defined internal corner 30 m, then along rock ledges to small walls, up and to the right onto the ridge and then to the saddle before the 7th gendarme. From the control cairn — 1.5–2 hours.
7th gendarme — from the saddle, up and to the right along a steep wall 30 m, into a narrow chimney 5 m (clearly visible). After the chimney, up and to the left along a ledge 10 m, then 10 m up, along a ledge to the right 40 m and 20 m up a crevice.
Alternative bypass of the 7th gendarme: to the right via a snowy gully and then up along crumbling rocks before the 8th gendarme.
8th gendarme — from the saddle, traverse to the right 15 m along a vague ledge with overhanging rocks, then up along a poorly defined internal corner 20 m and then up and to the left 15 m onto the ridge. Difficult section. Further, 1 rope length of simple ascent below the wall, under the large spurs of the 8th gendarme. From here, along an inclined rock ledge up and to the right 20 m. Then 5 m up along a crumbling internal corner and further 20 m along an inclined ledge up and to the right onto simple rocks, and along them — to the saddle before the pre-summit wall. From the control cairn — 7–8 hours.
Pre-summit wall — left of the saddle along a steep, smooth internal corner 20 m of complex climbing. Further along simple rocks and scree slopes — to the summit.
Descent along the eastern ridge, along the boundary between the snowy slope and rocks, then 60 m along the left side of a steep ice ridge to a snowy saddle (ice screws). From the saddle, 40 m down a steep snowy slope to the Zamok glacier. Along the upper part of the glacier — to the icefall, which is passed on the left. After the icefall — along the right side of the glacier to the moraine and onto the Paykhamber glacier. From the summit — 3–4 hours.
