Description

of the ascent route to the "Yuzhnaya Matcha" peak via the ridge from Matcha Pass.

Group composition: Zhelonkin E.F. (leader), Egorov L.A., Pavlovsky E.S., Sofronov I.D.

The double-peaked Matcha summit is located in the Turkestan Range, north of Matcha Pass. It rises 600 meters above the pass. Its height is approximately 4600 meters. North of the Matcha peaks, conditionally referred to as "Yuzhnaya Matcha" and "Severnaya Matcha", lies a three-peaked summit in the Turkestan Range, followed by the Kshemysh-bashi peak.

The ascent route to "Yuzhnaya Matcha" peak chosen was the climb along the ridge from Matcha Pass.

A group of alpinists from Arzamas-16, consisting of Zhelonkin E.F. (leader), Egorov L.A., Pavlovsky E.S., Sofronov I.D.,

left the base camp at Matcha Pass on July 18 at 8:00 and reached the summit by 13:00. The group returned to the base camp by 17:00 the same day.

The path to the summit from Matcha Pass follows a heavily serrated ridge, where 4 major pinnacles can be conditionally identified, although there are many other pinnacles ranging from fairly large to individual needles.

The route is purely rock (July 1969). There's a lot of climbing on severely deteriorated rocks of moderate difficulty. The first pinnacle is bypassed on the left via scree and snow.

The second pinnacle is climbed on its left part via inclined smooth slabs. Here, piton protection is necessary. The third pinnacle is climbed on its left part.

After the third pinnacle, there's a fairly difficult ascent on the ridge (slick slabs). Before starting it, there's a cairn. An additional rock piton was hammered in here.

The path then continues along the ridge. Movement is simultaneous, with more complex sections requiring alternating movement with protection via outcrops and flexures.

The fourth pinnacle is overcome head-on, on its left part. Descending from the pinnacle requires overcoming a 3-meter sheer wall.

The summit is another pointed rise in the ridge. To the north, there's a steep descent to the saddle between Yuzhnaya and Severnaya Matcha peaks.

The descent from the summit was made via a couloir between the ridge ascent and the 3rd pinnacle, down to the Zeravshan glacier.

At the summit, a note from a "group of Kyiv residents" led by Blinder, dated August 5, 1968, was found. They had ascended via the ridge from Matcha Pass and rated the route as Category 3B.

In our group's opinion, the route's nature and technical difficulty are similar to:

• the ascent of Chegem-bashi peak, Category 3A;
• Tyu-tyu-bashi traverse, Category 3A;
• Irik-chat traverse, Category 3A;
• Adyr-su-bashi from the south, Category 3A (Central Caucasus);
• the ascent of Semenov-Tian-Shansky peak, Category 3B (Kyrgyz Ala-Too).

The group suggests classifying the route as Category 3A.

Ascent via the descent route taken by our group is also possible. It is somewhat shorter but, in the group's opinion, also warrants Category 3A.

Recommended equipment for a 4-person group:

• 30 m rope - 2;
• Rock pitons - 6;
• Hammers - 2.

Double-peaked Matcha summit.