Ascent Passport

1. Ascent class: technical

2. Ascent area: Pamir-Alay

3. Peak Admiralteets (5090 m) via the "Stolb" from the North

4. Complexity category: 6A

5. Route characteristics:

   route length — 750 m; average steepness of the route — 82°

6. Pitons driven:

   • rock: 120
   • bolt: 14
   • chocks: 135
   • ice screws: 9

7. Number of climbing hours: 75 h

8. Number of nights: 4

9. Full name of the leader, participants, their qualifications:

   leader — Mikhail Mikhailov MS; participants:

   • Andrey Molotov — ZMS
   • Alexander Chernov — 1st sports category
   • Andrey Puchinin — MS
   • Vitaly Akimov — 1st sports category

10. Team coach: Ervand Ilyinsky — Honored Coach of the USSR

11. Entry onto the route — July 27, 1998

    Return from the route — July 31, 1998

12. Organized by: CSKA Almaty

Team Tactical Actions

The team worked on the route, guided by the tactical ascent plan. According to the plan, the first rope team worked with the main task of passing the designated section of the route and securing the movement of the entire group with ropes. Ropes were used throughout the ascent to the summit. The first climber in the rope team always worked on a double rope. The ascent was made with one preliminary day of processing. The movement schedule and work were distributed as follows:

Processing day. July 26, 1998. The team left the base camp and approached the start of the route. On the same day, the Puchinin-Akimov rope team processed 80 m of ice slope, and then 40 m of heavily broken rocks of 3-4 cat. diff., and reached a small ledge.

Day 1. July 27, 1998. Departure at 6:00. The previously processed ropes were passed, and then the Mikhailov-Molotov rope team began further processing of the wall. On this day, 112 m were passed. Rocks of 5-6 cat. diff., 37 m of which were passed using artificial aids A1, A2. Overnight stay in a hanging platform.

Day 2. August 28, 1998. Departure at 7:00. Puchinin-Akimov worked first. The rope team passed 104 m of internal corners, 74 m of which using artificial aids A1-A2. After lunch, they were replaced by the Molotov-Mikhailov rope team, who passed another 118 m of 5-6 cat. diff., including 34 m using artificial aids and 8 m with an overhang of 100°. The group stopped for the night at 22:00. Overnight stay in a hanging platform.

Day 3. August 29, 1998. Departure at 7:00. The Chernov-Akimov rope team worked first. On this day, 145 m were passed, including 40 m using artificial aids A1-A4, and the "matchbox" cornice was passed, where the control cairn was located. A note from a group from Krasnoyarsk was retrieved. The group stopped for the night at 22:00. Overnight stay in a hanging platform.

Day 4. July 30, 1998. Departure at 7:30. The Akimov-Puchinin rope team worked. A section of 70 m was passed, an internal corner, and then an overhang of 95°. Then they were replaced by the Mikhailov-Molotov rope team, who passed another 60 m of 5-6 cat. diff. with sections passed using artificial aids A1-A2. At 23:00, the team reached the ridge. Control cairn, a note was retrieved.

Day 5. July 31, 1998. Departure at 8:00. 150 m — rappelling down to the glacier, and then descent along the Kara-Suu valley to the base camp, which took 8 climbing hours.

Weather conditions during the ascent were unfavorable, with 4 out of 5 days having precipitation. The tactical plan was mostly executed, the team followed the route exactly as planned and on schedule. There were no falls or injuries during the ascent. Radio communication with the observation group was stable and was carried out according to schedule.