Passport

1. Technical class

2. Pamir-Alai, Turkestan Range, Lyaylyak gorge

3. Peak Ak-Su (North) 5217 m

4. Difficulty category 6A

5. Elevation gain 1510 m, length 2080 m, including 1550 m of bastion

6. Average slope 68°.

   Average slope of steep section 72°.

7. Pitons driven:

   Rock	Nut	Ice	Bolt removable	Friend
   16/3 +2*	75/17 +1*	204	9 +5*	12/8

8. Climbing hours — 50.5 Days — 5.5

9. Overnight stays — all on platform

10. Leader: Gennadiy Kiriyevskiy — Master of Sports Alexey Vashlyaev — Candidate for Master of Sports Valeriy Ragozin — 1st class

11. Coach — Gennadiy Kiriyevskiy — Master of Sports

12. Start of climb — August 20, 1999 Summit — August 25, 1999 Return — August 27, 1999

Route description by sections

R0 — crossing the bergschrund in the left part via a snow bridge. R1 — movement up the left part of the ice river and gorge, "ram's foreheads" are covered with a layer of ice.

R2 — up ice streams between rock outcrops, very cautious, ice is fragile.

R3 — ice fragments fall from above, stay as close as possible to the left part of the ice river, ice is soft, very difficult passage of a series of vertical ice boards. Before traversing right, get as close as possible to the rock walls. Overnight stay under an overhanging wall.

R4 — early ascent, traverse right to the ice river flowing from the ice angle, exiting to the rock angle, covered with a layer of loose, thin ice.

R5 — the angle is climbed using artificial technical aids (ITO), climbing is extreme, protection points on the left in a crack for nuts.

R6 — up the ice stream for 20 m under a cornice, belay station. Traverse left to the ice chimney via "ram's foreheads", foreheads are overhanging, covered with ice, difficult, climbing on ITO, protection on short ice screws.

R7 — the ice chimney turns into an ice stream, ice is thin, cautious. Crampons slip, protection on short ice screws. Exit via ice streams to the left part of the river under an overhanging angle on the left.

R8 — pendulum left into the angle, up under the rusty wall, mixed terrain, on the wall there are holes for 10 mm bolts. The angle is filled with ice, water flows from above, but the overnight stay on the left is dry. If possible, on wet rocks, processing a single rope.

R9 — in the morning, an ice flow in the angle, ITO, friends and large nut sizes, steep. At the top, on an ice ledge, belay station.

R10 — under a big overhang, traverse right to the ice gorge. Difficult traverse, descend 2 m down to get a hold on the ice. Protection on ice screws, screwed in 1/3. Up via ice "snouts". Chisel out ice under nuts from cracks. Very difficult — 3 m.

R11 — up ice streams. Ice is thin. Cautious. Up closer to the destroyed rock wall.

R12 — between "ram's foreheads" via ice "snouts". Small pendulums: from snout to snout. Movement right, up. After 50 m:

• straight up to a steep ice slope. Ice is hard;
• after 50 m, press left to the rock;
• belay station on ice screws.

R13 — through a small overhang up to a powerful ice outcrop. Very hard ice, up to a rock "sail", under it traverse right 15 m and up an ice "snout" under a rock cornice. Then left via ice gullies into the angle.

R14 — up the angle, filled with thin ice, 50 m up to the ridge. ITO. Difficult. Overnight stay at the top.

R15 — up the ridge left, through a small cornice, free climbing. R16 — up the ridge. R17 — via snowy rocks, exit to a ledge. R18 — left along the edge, holes for sky-hooks and right to a gap, rope retrieval, straightening of rappel.

R19 — on an inclined plate in crampons, enter right into the angle, cornice above. Climbed on the left by free climbing up.

R20 — inclined plate, on it 15 m via a narrow crack and traverse right around the angle to a loop, from it rappel 10 m to a wall, leading to the ridge to the summit, from the ridge the first rappel loop for descending to the base camp.

R21 — along the ridge to the summit, bypassing a gendarme on the left. Protection via outcrops.

Technical and tactical actions of the team

Due to rescue work, namely providing first aid and descending a climber from the wall to the base camp from the Belarusian team working on the Troshchinenko route (our entire team participated in the rescue work), we had to slightly alter the tactical plan of our group: postponing the start of the climb by three days. Despite the psychological and physical difficulties our team endured, we were well-prepared to tackle the previously planned route.

For safety reasons, the start of the climb was set for 4 am. The bergschrund and gorge were passed before the sun illuminated the upper part of the north wall, thus protecting ourselves from falling rocks and ice fragments from above. The gorge was filled with ice, and to organize protection points, cracks had to be cleared of ice. The section was climbed in crampons with the aid of ice axes, screws, and nut placements.

The first part of the route — ice sections. Climbing with ice axes and screws.

Belay stations on three screws, interconnected.

There was a tactically well-thought-out work of our group (triplet of climbers):

• the second belays the first;
• the first organizes belay for the second;
• the second sets up double rappel for the third.

In general, there was a mobile work organization for the first and the entire team.

The second part of the route went through rocks filled with ice, so-called mixed terrain. We used all available climbing equipment. Ice axes, screws, and crampons became dull instantly, the ice was thin. To better, faster, and more competently pass these sections, it was necessary to:

• sharpen ice axes for the first climber;
• replace screws — after each rope length.

At the same time, almost throughout the entire route, after 12 pm, we were accompanied by snowfall turning into snow rivers flowing through us, and after 3 pm, thunderstorms would start. Everything seemed to be ringing, including, it seemed, us. The weather was not kind to us, and this spurred us to move quickly. Judging by the time taken for the difficult sections, we planned to climb the ridge in one day and reach the summit. But bad weather made its adjustments. Already in the first half of the day, a real blizzard began and caught us on the ridge. Here the wind force increased, snow fell from all sides, even from below. But the most terrifying thing was the accompanying thunderstorms. Thunderstorms stopped and started again. On the ridge, they raged furiously. The thunderstorm battered us badly. We had to wait it out. As unfortunate as it was, the day was lost. Bad weather pushed us back a whole day from the summit.

The presence of a platform allowed the team to work until 18:00–19:00. The platform was secured on three bolts and additionally insured with nut placements. All points were interconnected.

Having clothing made of "Gortex" fabric and a sufficient amount of gas for hot meals and drying clothes allowed the team to work all day, regardless of the surrounding weather conditions, which, as you might have gathered from the above, left much to be desired.

The qualification of the participants allowed for a leader every day. Two hot meals with a daily "pocket" snack and an excellent selection of products helped the team work efficiently on the route. The main first-aid kit was with the second participant.

The team climbed the route smoothly, competently, without failures or injuries, according to the tactical plan.

Route scheme

R0–R1 — Movement up the left part of the ice river and gorge, "ram's foreheads" are covered with a layer of ice.

R2 — up ice streams.

R3 — ice fragments fall from above, stay to the left. Difficult passage of a series of vertical ice boards.

R5 — the angle is climbed using ITO.

R5 — the angle.

R8 — pendulum left into the angle under the rusty wall.

R12 — between "ram's foreheads" via ice "snouts".

R13 — through a small overhang up to a powerful ice outcrop.