I. First Ascent Category

2. Pamir-Alay, Turkestan Ridge, Ak-Su gorge.

3. Pik A. Blok, 5229 m, via Central Bastion.

4. Proposed category 6B, combined, first ascent.

5. Route elevation gain — 780 m. Route length — 945 m. Length of sections with 5–6 difficulty category — 730 m. Average steepness of the route — 65°. Average steepness of the bastion wall — 75°.

6. Pitons driven:

7. Team's travel hours — III, days — 9.
8. Overnights:

1, 2 — on the glacier under the wall; 3–7 — four in a hanging tent, one in a hammock; 8 — four in a tent, one on a ledge.

9. Team leader: Klineckii Evgenii Fedorovich CMS.

Team members:

• Bashkirov Vladimir Leonidovich MS
• Zybin Alexander Nikolaevich CMS
• Kavunenko Vladimir Dmitrievich IM
• Mikhailov Sergei Vladimirovich CMS

10. Coach: Kavunenko Vladimir Dmitrievich.

11. Approach to the route — July 3, 1986. Summit — July 11, 1986. Return to camp — July 12, 1986.

12. Organizing body: MGS DSO "Spartak".

Team's Tactical Actions

July 3. In the morning, Zybin — Klineckii rope-team went to fix the lower ice part of the route. They climbed 4 ropes on hard ice. They fixed the rope handrails at the beginning of the rock part. From 15:00 Bashkirov — Mikhailov duo worked ahead. Kavunenko brought some gear up for further processing. They climbed 2 ropes on rocks. Weather is fine, hot. Strong ice melting, in the evening, falling ice was noticed from the lower part of the bastion to the right of the route.

July 4. Klineckii — Zybin duo climbed a large cornice and processed 1.5 ropes of the upper ice belt. It was decided to stop further processing due to the possibility of the lower part of the route being shot with ice. During the work, there were no ice falls along the route. Weather is fine.

July 5. Bashkirov — Mikhailov duo with a load passed the handrails and, continuing processing, reached the first overnight stay under the bastion. Kavunenko — Klineckii — Zybin removed the handrails and set up an overnight stay under the bastion. The first rope-team climbed another half rope from the overnight stay. Weather is fine all day.

July 6. Klineckii — Mikhailov duo climbed 30 m of difficult ice climbing in a chimney and approached a cornice. In the second half of the day, Bashkirov — Zybin rope-team climbed above the cornice and reached a small ice ledge via an overhanging upper part of the chimney. Convenient belay stance. Weather is fine.

July 7. Mikhailov — Klineckii rope-team climbed 35 m of rock (difficult climbing, diverse protection). Bashkirov — Zybin climbed another 30 m of rock with an overhang. Weather is deteriorating, cloudy.

July 8. Klineckii — Mikhailov climbed a rope on artificial aids, bypassing a large cornice "Ласточкин хвост" ("Swallow's Tail") on the left, then Mikhailov climbed another 30 m via free climbing on smooth slabs to the overnight stay under the "nose". Good belay points were made for a hanging overnight stay under the "nose". Since a large number of handrails were set and the group was on schedule, to make the group's work more efficient, it was decided to cancel the second rope-team's ascent and extend the first rope-team's work time. The second rope-team took on the main load the next day. The day's tactical plan was fulfilled. Weather is deteriorating, snow and graupel.

July 9. The group ascended to the second overnight stay and removed the handrails. Bashkirov — Klineckii rope-team continued processing the wall above the overnight stay. Bashkirov climbed 45 m bypassing the "nose", then Klineckii, climbing a small wall on "skyhooks", entered a crack turning into a chimney. Regelation ice reappeared. Cloudy, snowing.

July 10. Bashkirov — Klineckii rope-team, having climbed the chimney, reached a narrow long ledge. Mikhailov — Kavunenko — Zybin trio approached the ledge and removed the handrails. From the ledge, Klineckii — Bashkirov, having climbed another 30 m, reached overnight stay #3 on a wide sloping ledge at the base of a large internal corner. Excess gear and ropes were successfully thrown down (landed on the glacier), overnight stay was set up. Weather is fine, slightly cloudy.

July 11. Mikhailov — Zybin rope-team worked ahead. Having climbed 2 ropes of difficult climbing, the group reached the pre-summit broken rocks and then the summit. At 16:00, they began descending via the 10-3 ridge. Cloudy, snowing.

UIAA Scheme M 1:2000

P. Piramidalnyi

R21–R22 section.

Fig. 15. View of the route from overnight stay #2 (photo 11). Taken on July 14, 1986 at 12:00, T-43 lens (F=40).

Fig. 16. R20–R22 section (photo 12). Taken on July 15, 1986 at 9:30, T-43 lens (F=40).

Fig. 13. View of the route from R13–R14 section after the first snowfall (photo 9). Taken on July 14, 1986 at 15:00, T-43 lens (F=40).

Fig. 14. R20–R21 section (photo 10). Taken on July 15, 1986 at 9:00, Mir-1 lens (F=36).

Fig. 11. R4–R6 section (photo 7). Taken on July 12, 1986 at 12:00, Mir-1 lens (F=36).

Fig. 12. View of the route from R13–R14 section (photo 8).

R10–R11 section.

Fig. 8. UIAA Scheme