Ascent of the LPI team on Ak-su North peak, 5217 m, cat.6B, July 1988

Ascent Passport

1. Class — technical
2. Pamir-Alay, Turkestan Range, Ak-su gorge
3. Ak-su North peak, 5217 m, via the left bastion of the North face (Kavunenko route)
4. Sixth category of difficulty, repeat ascent
5. Elevation gain — 1617 m, route length — 2230 m, length of sections with 6th cat. difficulty — 500 m, 5th cat. difficulty — 920 m. Average slope of the main part of the route — 81° (3630–4560 m), most difficult sections — 89° (3630–3760 m), 87° (4020–4370 m)
6. Pitons used (total/for climbing), * — previously driven pitons used

• rock pitons: 179/58

• ice screws: 36/18

• bolt pitons: (10*+2)/11

• chocks: 219/95

• Participants: Pronin Mikhail Mikhailovich, Candidate for Master of Sports; Barikhin Igor Adolfovich, Candidate for Master of Sports; Dobrovolsky Alexander Stanislavovich, Candidate for Master of Sports

• Coach: Lurie Vadim Rafailovich, Master of Sports

Summit: July 29, 1988. Return: July 30, 1988.

Preparation for the Ascent

The North face of Ak-su peak caught our attention last year. We conducted a gathering in this area, had the opportunity to assess the features and level of complexity of the upcoming ascent, took photos of the routes, studied reports of teams Kavunenko, Popov, and Golubtsov, who climbed the face in 1984–1986, and received consultations from participants of Moshnikov and Kaurov's ascents.

It was clear that any route would require a full arsenal of modern technical means — skyhooks, friends, platforms for wall bivouacs, etc. By the start of the season, all necessary equipment was manufactured and tested during joint training sessions on rocks.

All team members:

• systematically trained throughout the year,
• participated in rock climbing competitions,
• led the training of athletes in the LPI alpine section.

The team composition was formed with a reserve to have the opportunity to choose and replace participants before the ascent. Before heading to the wall, the team conducted a training gathering in the same area, and all participants climbed 3–4 routes of varying difficulty levels, including 5B cat. difficulty on Iskander peak and peak 4600 m.

In 1988, a significant part of the North face of Ak-su presented an increased danger due to rockfall. The routes of Moshnikov and Popov were exposed to fire at any time of day, and under the route of Vedernikov, rocks had dug a crater several meters deep.

Only two safe corridors remained on the wall — in the area of the left and right bastions.

Having chosen the route and finally determined the team composition, we developed a tactical plan that provided for:

• a five-day ascent in case of good weather,
• a seven-day ascent under normal conditions for this area, when it rains daily after two o'clock.

Bivouac sites and food supplies were planned for both scenarios.

The team composition was formed so that each member could work as the first on any terrain.

The set of equipment taken on the route ensured:

• movement on a double rope for all participants,
• the possibility of bivouacking on a platform at any safe section of the wall.

The team had reliable radio communication with the camp, and observers were equipped with good optics.

Description of the Route by Sections

July 24, 1988. Approach from the base camp to bivouacs on the glacier under the Ak-su wall. Overnight stay on the moraine a hundred meters from the wall. It's dangerous to approach closer — rocks fly all night. The approach takes 4 hours.

July 25, 1988, first day. Ascent in crampons up the snow-ice slope to the start of the route. Order of movement: Fedorov — Pronin — Dobrovolsky — Barykhin.

Section R0: Crossing the bergschrund via an ice bridge and ascent up steep ice to the base of the wall.

Section R1: Vertical crack, at the end — exit to a ledge via a small overhang (aid climbing).

Section R2: Left-up along a ledge to the base of a large overhanging block.

Section R3: Up through an internal corner. The wall is smooth, cracks are filled with ice.

Section R4: The overhanging part of the block is climbed via a crack filled with ice. From the belay point, the first climber stands on the head of the second, then — aid climbing to the bend. Friends and large chocks are used.

Sections R5–R8: Exit to the upper part of the block, from there — left-up along smoothed faces to red rocks, then up via aid climbing to a narrow diagonal ledge, going left-up along a smooth slab towards snow patches under the overhanging monolithic wall.

Section R9: Smooth rock slab, filled with ice. Climbed via aid climbing using shortened ice screws and petal-shaped pitons. Exit to a ledge under the overhanging monolithic wall. This was the first bivouac site of the Kavunenko team.

Sections R10–R12: Movement vertically up along the boundary of a large red block, adjacent to the monolithic wall on the left.

After crossing an overhang — a pendulum swing left into a destroyed internal corner, at the end of the corner — exit through an overhang to a ledge.

Date: July 26, 1988, second day.

Order of movement: Fedorov — Barikhin — Dobrovolsky — Pronin.

Sections R13–R14: From the bivouac, ascent up a smooth wall right-up under the base of an overhanging chimney, which is climbed in the lower part via aid climbing, and higher — via free climbing, and leads to the start of a 300-meter "mirror".

Sections R15–R16: Up through a crack left of a 20-meter spall, further — no terrain — a smooth wall with micro-footholds approaches an отвес cliff crack. Key point of the route.

• The first climber stands on the shoulders of the second at the start of the crack.
• Movement via skyhooks and petal-shaped pitons.
• Belay via bolt pitons.
• At the exit from the crack — traverse left.

Sections R17–R19: Barikhin works as the first. The smooth wall is climbed via narrow cracks under diagonal overhanging blocks, movement via aid climbing and free climbing, predominantly using small chocks, pitons, and on section R19 — bolt pitons.

Section R20–R21: Exit through a crack to a narrow ledge and along it left — into an internal corner. To the right of the corner — an overhanging face, under it:

• Dobrovolsky and Pronin hang a platform for bivouacking,
• Barikhin and Fedorov process two more ropes to the end of the internal corner.

The corner is filled with ice, climbing is extremely difficult. By nightfall, those processing descend to the platform.

July 27, 1988, third day.

Section R22: After passing the processed ropes — traverse left to bypass a black cornice closing the internal corner. Climbing via small cracks. Higher, at the level of the cornice, a layer of ice appears on the rocks; when bypassing the lower edge of the ice groove, two bolt pitons are used:

• Barikhin climbs the section first.
• After entering the ice groove, he is replaced by Pronin.

Section R23: Entry via pendulum swing right into the ice groove and up 150 m to a belt of cornices.

• Ice is frozen, scales off in lenses.
• Steepness in the upper part increases to 75°.
• Movement via ice axes in crampons, belay via ice screws.

Section R24: Pendulum swing right to bypass cornices, then — ascent via internal corners and walls, filled with a thin layer of ice. The section is extremely difficult, alternately using aid climbing on ice and rocks. In the corners under the cornices, there is brought enough ice for belay via ice screws.

At the end of the section:

• exit to the top of the bastion bypassing a small snow cornice,
• there is a ledge suitable for bivouacking,
• behind the corner to the right — an even more convenient site, but it is hit by stones from the ridge, although it seems safe here,
• there is water.

The team of Fedorov and Barikhin processes three more ropes up along the edge of the bastion.

July 28, 1988, fourth day.

Order of movement: Fedorov — Barikhin — Dobrovolsky — Pronin. Sections R25–R27:

• Smoothed faces, alternating with steep walls.
• Ascent along the edge of the bastion towards the ridge.

Sections R28–R29:

• Bypass of a rock tower standing on the ridge.
• A vertical chimney leads to a steep couloir with loose rocks, bypassing the tower on the left.
• Exit to the ridge along a 40-meter wall, partially overhanging, filled with ice.

Section R30–R31: Movement along the ridge towards the summit tower, bypassing small gendarmes on the left. Bivouac on the ridge under the wall of the summit tower. On the ridge:

• Dobrovolsky works as the first,
• processing of two ropes of the summit tower in a team with Fedorov.

July 29, 1988, fifth day.

Order of movement: Dobrovolsky — Pronin — Fedorov — Barikhin. Sections R31–R33:

• Traverse along a ledge left,
• then — up through the wall. Difficult climbing via cracks, using large chocks. After four ropes — exit through a crack to a small ledge.

Section R34: Bypass of a small vertical smooth wall via an internal corner on the right. Climbing is extremely difficult, on micro-footholds.

Sections R35–R36: Movement along the ridge, a series of ledges and walls. At the end — traverse left into a pothole under a cornice.

Section R37: Steep ledge, filled with ice, climbed in crampons via ice axes, at the end — traverse left and exit to the edge of the summit tower.

Sections R38–R39: Movement up along the edge with alternating elements:

• walls,
• couloirs. Completion: exit to a horizontal pre-summit ridge and movement along it to the summit.

The team spent about an hour at the summit, began descent at 17:00 via the ascent route.

The start of the descent — from the saddle of the pre-summit ridge, approximately 100 m from the summit. Three diagonal rappels to the start of section R38, then eight rappels exactly along the ascent route to the bivouac under the summit tower.

The descent took 4 hours 30 minutes.

July 30, 1988, sixth day.

Descent along the ridge to the saddle between Ak-su peak and peak 4600 took 6 hours. A total of 6 rappels were made.

Descent from the saddle to the glacier took 3 hours, 9 rappels were made.

By nightfall, the team returned to the base camp in full.

Tactical Actions of the Team

When choosing the tactics for climbing the route, we had some freedom due to the platform, which allowed us to bivouac anywhere, however, the increased rockfall danger of the wall required planning the ascent to pass dangerous sections in the first half of the day and setting up bivouacs in protected areas — under overhangs or on the ridge.

The ascent took place in good weather, and we could work 10–13 hours daily, so we stayed within the schedule of our tactical plan with some reserve, and where reasonable, we опережали it.

• On the first day, we managed to pass sections R0–R7 in the morning hours and enter the zone that rocks would overfly.
• Following the recommendation of previous climbers, we planned the first bivouac at the end of section R9, but when processing the next sections, we found a site better and safer and bivouacked two ropes higher, which allowed us to gain a time reserve for passing the most complex part of the route — the "mirror" — on the second day.

The "mirror" was the most time-consuming part of the route for the first climber, so in the middle of the second day, we changed the lead — Barikhin went instead of Fedorov. By evening, we passed the "mirror" to the end and hung the platform on the most convenient site for this, R20, where water wasn't dripping and rocks weren't flying. At the same time, a time reserve remained for processing two difficult ropes of section R21. This ensured that on the third day, we could pass the ice groove in the first half of the day (in the evening, it gets hit by stones).

• On the third day, we again changed the lead — Pronin climbed all the ice.
• At the entrance and exit from the groove, we successfully used a pendulum swing.
• We climbed ice using ice axes attached to hook-on stirrups. This method doesn't tire hands or legs.

The most tricky sections of the route were where ice technique alternates with rock technique — this is the exit from the groove R24, the slab R9, and the ledge under the summit R37. Here, as aid climbing, ice axes attached to stirrups were also used.

When exiting to the edge of the bastion (sect. R25), we managed to avoid a "bivouac-trap" — a very convenient place for a tent next to a stream and protected by a cornice, but not on the side from which rocks fly. We witnessed several hits, and had to bivouac in less convenient areas separately.

On the third and fourth days, we approached the planned bivouac sites quite early and managed to process 2–3 ropes. This allowed us to save time on the 5th day, climb lightly from the 4th bivouac to the summit, and return to the same site in daylight.

Radio communication throughout the ascent was stable, observers kept the team in view at all times, and there were no failures or injuries.