Agency for Physical Culture and Sports of Krasnoyarsk Krai
KRAEVAYA FEDERATSIYA ALPINIZMA
Russian Championship in Alpinism 2008
Class of Technical Ascents
Report
On the ascent of the Krasnoyarsk Krai team to Peak Odessa 4810 m via the center of the northwest wall.
Voronov's Route, 6B category of complexity
Third ascent, variation
Coaches: Zakharov N. N. Balezin V. V. Team Captain Gunkо V.
Ascent Passport
- Region – Pamir-Alay, Turkestan Range, Karavshin valley, 5.4.3.23a
- Summit – Peak Odessa 4810 m. Center of NW wall (Voronov 88)
- Assumed – 6B, third ascent, variation
- Route character – combined
- Route characteristics: elevation gain 1000 m, route length – 1350 m. length of 6B cat. sl. sections 1050 m, 5B cat. sl. – 180 m. average steepness – 70°
- Left on the route: total – 22 pitons, including 14 bolt pitons (7 of them on stations) and 8 anchor pitons (all on stations, used for descent) Used: old stationary bolt pitons – 25 (mostly on stations), including 0 for ITO, removable bolt pitons – 0 Total ITO used – 180 pitons + about 400 ITO on "fifis" and skyhooks
- Number of climbing hours – 93. Days – 10 + descent – 1.
- Leader: Gunkо Vladimir Sergeyevich MS Participants: Arkhipov Vladimir Alekseyevich MS Litvinov Andrey Dmitriyevich MS Mikhalitsin Alexander Ivanovich MS Tsygankov Viktor Anatolyevich MS
- Team coaches: Balezin Valery Viktorovich MSМК Zakharov Nikolay Nikolayevich MSМК, ZTR
- Departure date: On the route – at 7:00 on February 2, 2008 On the summit – at 17:00 on February 11, 2008 Return to Base Camp – at 20:00 on February 12, 2008
- Ascent organized by – Agency for Physical Culture and Sports of Krasnoyarsk Krai administration.
2008 year
Peak Odessa 4810 m on February 11, 2008
View of the route from the left
Peak 1000-th Anniversary of Baptism of Rus. Bivouac #3.
1000th Anniversary of Baptism of Rus 4507, v. Asan 4230, "4810"
Pamir-Alay, Turkestan Range, M 1:100000.
Brief explanation
This year, Central Asia experienced an anomalously cold winter:
- In Bishkek, frosts below -20–25 °C lasted for more than two months.
- In Tashkent, an absolute minimum temperature was recorded over the last 100 years: -25 °C.
- In Osh, frosts below -20 °C persisted for over a month.
Therefore, it was very cold in the mountains as well. The caravan was able to reach the confluence of Ak-su and Kara-su, at an altitude of 2300 m, only by evening on January 26 (moreover, in many places where the trail went along steep slopes, it was necessary to clear the path with ice axes in very hard firn, as horses simply slid down on it). A steep ascent and deep snow followed, and that's where the base camp was established.
Therefore, it took twice as long and three times as far to reach the wall compared to the summer. By January 31, equipment and supplies were carried to the route; to save weight, a tent was not taken up - a platform (3800 m) was hung at the beginning of the route, and the team spent the night there during the carry. After a rest day in the base camp, the ascent began on February 2.
Voronov's route initially goes with a considerable inclination to the right for about 10 pitches, then with an inclination to the left for 14 pitches, especially in the upper part, and then again to the right. We decided to somewhat straighten it and make our own variation. The new variation bypasses:
- At the beginning of the route – 1.5 pitches directly
- In the middle part – 3.5 pitches (the most difficult part of the route)
- In the upper part – 10 pitches with a direct exit to the summit
In total, 15 new pitches were added, which is just under half of the entire route, including 8 new pitches out of 24 in the main section (sections R0–R24), which is 33% of the main part of the route.
Voronov's route was climbed in 1988, the second ascent was made in 1999 by a team from Moscow: Shchepachkov – Antonov, in 12 days, as part of the Russian Championship in the technical class, followed by an unsuccessful attempt by a team from Irkutsk in 2005 (we retrieved their note from the control point on the second bivouac), so our ascent was the third.
The terrain was very poor, in some places it was almost non-existent, and only thanks to the use of anchor pitons, we were able to hammer just 14 bolt pitons for insurance, mainly on new sections (on the variation) and half of them on stations, while on other sections we managed with old ones.
According to the unanimous opinion of all participants in the ascent, the route to 4810 m in winter turned out to be unexpectedly more challenging than the ascent to Ak-su in winter, and the conditions were more severe and colder.
We took a minimum of supplies and equipment:
- food and gas for 10 days
- 6 ropes in total, including dynamic ones
- one four-person platform
Ascent days.
| Section # | Bolt pitons (st.+free) | Anchor pitons | ITO (fifis, skyhooks) | Total pitons | Section | Cat. sl. / Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 1 | 10 | +3 | 24 | R11 | VI, A4 50 m 85° |
| 10 | 2 | 11 | +2 | 30 | R10 | VI, A4 50 m 85° |
| 9 | 3 | 4 | 1+1 | 25 | R9 | VI, A3 50 m 80° |
| 8 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 21 | R8 | VI, A3 45 m 85° |
| 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 12 | R7 | VI, A2 50 m 75° |
| 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10 | R6 | VI, A2 50 m 80° |
| 5 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 17 | R5 | VI, A3 45 m 75° |
| 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 18 | R4 | VI, A3 50 m 75° |
| 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 16 | R3 | VI, A3 45 m 80° |
| 2 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 10 | R2 | VI, A2 40 m 75° |
| 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 8 | R1 | VI, A2 45 m 65° |
| 0 | 4 | 4 | 7 | V+, A1 50 m 50° |
| Section # | Bolt pitons (st.+free) | Anchor pitons | ITO (fifis, skyhooks) | Total pitons | Section | Cat. sl. / Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 2 | 6 | 16 | R24 | VI A2 45 m 75° | |
| 22 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 20 | R22 | VI A2 45 m 75° |
| 21 | 2 | 8 | +2 | 20 | R21 | VI, A3 45 m 75° |
| 20 | 3 | 8 | +1 | 20 | R20 | VI, A3 45 m 80° |
| 19 | 2 | 8 | 1+1 | 17 | R19 | VI, A3 45 m 75° |
| 18 | 2 | 6 | 1+1 | 15 | R18 | VI, A2 45 m 75° |
| 17 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 16 | R17 | VI, A2 45 m 75° |
| 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 17 | R16 | VI, A2 50 m 75° |
| 15 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 15 | R15 | VI, A2 50 m 75° |
| 14 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 20 | R14 | VI, A3 50 m 80° |
| 13 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 16 | R13 | VI, A2 45 m 80° |
| 12 | 3 | 8 | +2 | 25 | R12 | VI, A3 50 m 85° |
| Section # | Bolt pitons (st.+free) | Anchor pitons | ITO (fifis, skyhooks) | Total pitons | Section | Cat. sl. / Characteristics |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | ||||||
| 31 | 1 | R31 | III, 25 m 50° | |||
| 30 | 2 | 2 | R30 | IV, 45 m 40° | ||
| 29 | 1 | 5 | R29 | V, 45 m 60° | ||
| 28 | 1 | 1 | R28 | III, 30 m 35° | ||
| 27 | 2 | 5 | 5 | R27 | V+, A1 50 m 65° | |
| V+, A2 15 m 80° | ||||||
| 26 | 3 | 4 | 5 | R26 | −V, 15 м 65° | |
| 25 | 4 | 1 | R25 | IV, 50 m 45° | ||
| V+ 15 m 80° | ||||||
| 24 | 1 | 5 | R24 | IV, 35 m 45° |
Peak Odessa 4810 m. Technical photograph of the route: Red line — Voronov's route; Yellow — our variation. The photograph is taken in summer from the ridge of v. Asan.
Kuangа. Automatic overload.
Kuangа. Manual overload.
Jumar. Reclipping.
Jumar.
Ventur.
Bachmann knot.
Munter hitch.
Descent on a figure 8.
Descent on a descender.
Putting on a harness.
Self-belay, harness.
Rope management, coiling.
Using fifi.
Note from the summit
Moscow team: Sklyadnev and Shtefan. Reached Arminium 4810 m. Descent via 6B. Good luck on the routes. Retrieved Gunkо's note from October 16.
V. Gunkо on section 2–3. Taken from station, point 2.
V. Gunkо on section 3–4. Taken from station, point 3.
Beginning of section 3–4. Taken from station, point 3.
Section 5–6. Taken from station, point 5.
Beginning of section 6–7, pendulum traverse to the right. Taken from station, point #6.
Upper part of section 6–7. Taken from station, point #6.
Movement on the rope, transfer to the second bivouac, sections 5–7. A powder avalanche is coming from above.
Upper part of section 7–8. Taken from the bivouac.
Passing a corniche on section 8–9. V. Gunkо.
V. Gunkо, at the beginning of section 9–10. Taken from station, point 9.
One of the most difficult pitches, section 10–11. Taken from station, point 10.
A. Litvinov. Section 11–12. Taken from station, point 11.
A. Litvinov traversing into an inner corner. Section 12–13. Taken from station, point 12.
Upper part of section 12–13, approach to a ledge where the third bivouac was set. Taken from a bolt piton at the top of the section.
V. Tsygankov on the rope. Transfer to the 3rd bivouac
V. Tsygankov at the beginning of section 17–18. Taken from station, point #17.
V. Tsygankov at the beginning of section 15–16. Taken from station, point #15.
Movement on the rope on sections 13–15. Snow is falling, the edge of the platform is visible below. Taken from above.
Section 19–20. At the top of the section, slightly higher and to the left of a huge corniche, the 4th bivouac will be organized. Taken from point #19.
V. Gunkо at the beginning of section 21–22. Taken from point #21.
Section 20–21. Taken from the bivouac site, point #20.
Team on the summit, p. Pyramidalny in the background. V. Arkhipov, V. Gunkо, A. Litvinov, V. Tsygankov. Photo by A. Mikhalitsin.
Team on the summit: V. Tsygankov, V. Gunkо, V. Arkhipov, A. Mikhalitsin. Photo by Litvinov.
