I. Climbing category: combined technical 2. Climbing area: Fann Mountains 3. Белый Барс, 4505, via N. Ridge 4. Proposed difficulty category: 5A 5. Route characteristics: height difference 900 m, sections 5–6 cat. diff. 240 m 6. Pitons hammered: for belay 42, for artificial holds II, including 50 rock, 2 ice, 1 bolt, total 53. 7. Total climbing hours: 21 hours 8. Number of nights: 1, semi-reclining 9. Petrov Andrey Evgenievich — leader, 1st sports category, instructor Averyanov German Petrovich — Candidate for Master of Sports, instructor Dudakov Sergey Nikolaevich — 1st sports category, instructor Maltsev Igor Viktorovich — 1st sports category, doctor 10. Team coach: Master of Sports of the USSR Fyodorov Alexander Sergeevich II. Group departure: August 19, 1979 Return: August 21, 1979

View of Kidzal and Белый Барс peaks from Аллоро peak (see area diagram).

Белый Барс (4505), N. ridge, First ascent.

The ascent route was planned the day before. Technical difficulties during the ascent to the Горб could only be in the lower part. The main difficulty was the pre-summit wall. And that's how it turned out.

Ascent at 5:30 AM. Departure at 6:30 AM. We ascend via scree and snow to the Анзак pass and approach the route at 7:15 AM. We rope up.

0–1. Via broken rocks, we reach under a beak-shaped rock overhang. In the center, there's a нависание cut by a crack, but it's filled with ice. We descend 20 m to the right along a scree shelf to an almost vertical, and higher up, somewhat gentler — not very distinct internal corner. 50/45°.

1–2. Up the corner and then along steep, smoothed slabs like "бараньи лбы" along the crack, difficult climbing 50 m. The last 15 m of rocks are covered with ice, very difficult climbing leads to a wide scree shelf. 50/70°. 7 pitons, two loops with carabiners as holds.

2–3. Along scree shelves and broken rocks of the very wide ridge here, 80 m towards the rock tower, then bypassing the tower to the right along shelves 80 m. 160/45°.

3–4. Left-upwards via rocks of medium difficulty (loose stones!) in the couloir, ascent to the tower's summit. Belay on выступы. 60/65°. We build a cairn. Time 8:30 AM.

4–5. Along the ridge upwards to "бараньи лбы" and overcoming them via smoothed rocks — exit under the wall. 30/50°. 1 piton.

5–6. The wall is 25 m — climbing above medium difficulty and difficult, few holds, but rocks are monolithic. 25/65°. 2 pitons.

6–7. Further via simple and medium difficulty rocks, separated by scree shelves, 120 m to the left part of the second rock tower.

7–8. Left along a steep shelf 30 m, we exit onto the tower's ridge, and then right along the ridge, sharp and steep, consisting of smoothed slabs — to the tower's summit. 60 m of climbing above medium difficulty. 90/60°. 4 pitons, loop with carabiner.

8–9. The tower's summit consists of several huge boulders. We bypass the tower's ridge to the right, then descend 10 m and further along the sharp ridge to the "палец". Total 30 m.

9–10. Difficult climbing to the right of "палец" and then exit along the sharp ridge-blade, dropping vertically on both sides. 12/75°, 1 piton.

10–11. Along smoothed slabs of the steep ridge 30 m, further the ridge becomes gentler and after 100 m leads to the Горб summit. 30/60°, 100/40°. 3 pitons.

11–12. Before exiting onto Горб, unexpectedly, a difficult нависающая wall appears, which we can't bypass. We pass it in its lowest part — 6 m of very difficult climbing. 6/100°, two pitons, two ladders.

12–13. On the площадка at the initial part of Горб's summit ridge, we build cairn 2. Snow on the slabs. We have a snack. The weather worsens — haze hangs in the air, wind. Distant peaks gradually disappear. (As we later found out, the dry rain season began, during which visibility in Dushanbe was up to 500 m, and haze rose up to 3.5 km vertically). The weather change doesn't hinder the ascent, but it becomes alarming, and we don't linger.

The path along the ridge, consisting of smooth monolithic boulders, looks not simple; besides, according to our observations, the descent at the end of the ridge has нависания. Therefore, we look for descent paths towards the saddle.

At 11:30 AM, along shelves to the left of the ridge, we organize:

• Sport descent 40 m.

Here, a small but convenient площадка; from here:

• Steep rappel 40 m.

At the end — transfer to a narrow, inclined scree shelf and:

• Sport descent along a steep, oblique shelf-crack 40 m down towards the saddle.

Here, a good выступ; leaving a loop — almost steep rappel into the eastern couloir descending from the saddle.

160 m:

• Sport descent — loop on выступ;
• Rappel — 2 pitons, loop;
• Sport descent — piton, loop;
• Rappel — выступ, loop.

13–14. Via snow, slabs covered with ice crust, and broken rocks at the end — 70 m to the saddle. Steepness is not great, but climbing is tense; we organize перила. 70/55°, 5 pitons.

From the saddle, we see a direct descent from Горб above us. It looks more complicated — the transfer would likely have to be done in mid-air.

14–15. Along the broken ridge 40 m, belay on выступы.

15–16. Via rocks of medium difficulty to smooth slabs without holds, covered with a thin ice crust. Climbing is very difficult, few cracks for pitons, and they're mostly filled with ice; at the end, exit onto snow. 40/65°, 4 pitons.

16–17. Via snow 80 m upwards along the ridge (cornices!) and then 20 m to the right, descending, we bypass to the right the reddish жандарм. At the foot of жандарм, a good spot for the night. However, there's still time, and we continue moving. 80/35°.

17–18. We bypass to the right a жандарм resembling a tooth and after 15 m exit onto the saddle. Ice is slightly covered with snow. Via ice 15 m, further 25 m via difficult rocks to a площадка for two. We organize перила. Rocks up to 75°, not firm. 40/65°, two ice screws, 5 pitons.

18–19. Traverse left-upwards, bypassing snow under which are rocks covered with ice. Smooth slabs are covered with gravel and drop off below with a wall. Climbing is extremely cautious! Then slabs sprinkled with rock debris. местами ice. There's nowhere to hammer pitons, and for belay, we have to hammer a bolt. 40/60°, 3 pitons, 1 bolt.

19–20. Further movement towards the right edge of нависающие rocks of the western ridge of the summit. Steep, monolithic, smoothed rocks, climbing mainly on friction, few holds. This is the key location of the entire route. Average steepness 70°, местами up to 80°. To the exit onto the saddle of the ridge is 80 m. The first person has to move (in galoshes and without a backpack) bypassing snow islands covering the rocks, and then the rope straightens. The rest follow along перила. 80/70°, 9 pitons, 1 chock.

20–21. Exit onto the pre-summit ridge from the saddle — difficult exit via a two-meter нависание (ladder), then 10 m of difficult climbing to the couloir and further via couloir left 30 m onto the ridge 15/80°, 3 pitons, 30/60°. Перила.

21–22. Via rocks of the ridge of medium difficulty and simple 100 m to the summit. Belay on выступы. 100/40°. Time 8:30 PM. Haze envelops the surrounding peaks.

We begin descent along the Southern ridge (4A cat. diff.). After 100 m, we find a convenient spot for the night under the ridge.

We lay out the площадка, chop ice for tea and soup, have dinner, and go to sleep.

August 21, 1979. We continue descent along the Southern ridge. Movement is mainly with alternating belay on the ridge. Before the last жандарм, we turn right and via an scree couloir, interrupted by small rock falls on which we organize sport descent, exit onto scree. Via scree, we descend into the gorge leading to the Омский pass. Further down along a noticeable trail to the Арг river and then to the base camp on the Тепа clearing, where we arrive by 2:00 PM.

The route along the N. ridge to Белый Барс peak is combined, logical, technically diverse, and tense. The group unanimously rated it 5A cat. diff. Among routes in this area, it is second only to the route on Арг peak via the NW ridge 5A cat. diff. (among 5A routes) in technical difficulty, but favorably differs in the variety of techniques used.

It's worth noting that we passed the route in ideal weather conditions and, apparently, with a minimum amount of snow. A few days later, snow fell, and the key section became very difficult to pass.

53 pitons were hammered, including:

• two ice screws,
• one bolt.

Route length — 1320 m, height difference — 900 m, average steepness — 52°.

Also used:

• three loops with carabiners,
• one chock.

Table of main route characteristics

Climbing hours 14.5; night semi-reclining. Roman numerals indicate the number of artificial holds.

Conclusions, recommendations

• The route is logical, combined, diverse in relief character, and extensive.
• Corresponds to 5A cat. diff.

Comparisons with 5A cat. diff. routes passed by participants in this area: in difficulty, it's overall similar to Сахарная Голова via the NE ridge and Арг via the NW ridge. Much more complicated than the traverse of Дутандон 3 peaks.

2. The route is generally objectively safe.
3. The route was passed at the end of summer and in favorable weather conditions. Considering the northern exposure, it should be expected that at other times, there will be significantly more snow and ice.
4. A good assortment of pitons is necessary on the route, including швеллерные and ice pitons. закладные устройства are of little use.
5. On difficult sections, the first person should climb without a backpack and in galoshes.
6. The optimal group size is 4 people.
7. A night on the route should be planned.
8. Descent along the Southern ridge (4A cat. diff.) is the simplest.