PASSPORT

1. Technical class

2. Pamir-Alay, Turkestan Ridge, Karasu gorge (tributary of Karavshin river)

3. Peak "4810 m" via the center of the northwest wall

4. Proposed 6B category of difficulty, first ascent

5. Height difference 1210 m, length 1546 m

   Length of sections with 5B-6B category of difficulty is 1140 m. Average steepness of the main part of the route is 78° (3600-4660). Sections of 6th category of difficulty: 90° (3600-3860, 4350-4460), 85° (4150-4210), 80° (4000-4120, 4530-4560), 70° (3900-3980)

6. Pitons hammered:

   Rock pitons	Bolt pitons	Chocks	Holes for sky hooks
   34+2X	29+5X	396	38+1X
   18	18	155	39

   X — use of previously hammered pitons and holes for sky hooks

7. Team's climbing hours: 50 hours, 7 days

8. Overnights on rock ledges: 1st on 4 people, 2nd, 3rd (all overnights separate), 4th on 6 people

9. Team leader: Krytsuk Aleksey Georgievich MS

   Participants:

   • Moshnikov Anatoliy Ivanovich MS
   • Kaurov Vladimir Olegovich CMS
   • Pleskachevskiy Viktor Semenovich CMS

10. Coach: Beylin Yuriy Iosifovich MS

11. Approach to the route on July 4, 1988

    Summit on July 10, 1988

    Return on July 10, 1988

Photo 2. Profile of the wall on the left. Taken on July 19, 1990 at 18:00 with a "Smena-simvol" camera from the wall of peak 4507. Height 4350 m.

Photo 3. Profile of the wall on the right. Taken in 1989 with a "Praktica" camera, "Pentagon" lens, focal length 26 mm. Distance to the wall is 300 m. Shooting point is on the Everest at 3900 m.

Photo 1. General photo of the peak. Taken on July 2, 1988 at 15:00 from point #1 (3500 m, distance 1.5 km), "Zenit-E" camera, "Helios 44-2" lens.

Legend:

• Solid line — team's route
• Dotted line — M. Sitnik's route (1986)
• Dash-dotted line — A. Voronov's route (1988)
• Dots — A. Rusyaev's variant (1988)

Tactical actions of the team

During the ascent, the team worked based on a tactical plan. According to the plan, a pair worked ahead, with the main task being to pass the planned section of the route and secure the movement of the entire group with ropes. One of the participants from the second pair carried equipment and prepared a bivouac with their partner. The leaders in the first rope team typically changed in the middle of the day. The work on the wall was distributed among the sections as follows:

Ropes were used on the wall sections of the route. Each day began with passing the section processed the day before (these were sections: R0-R5, R7-R14, R17-R20, R23-R25, and the first five ropes on section R49-R51), allowing the leader to warm up and prepare for work.

The first in the leading rope team always worked on a double rope and provided top rope for the second as they climbed the ropes. The second rope team worked similarly. With this movement scheme, the group's speed was entirely determined by the leader's work. Timely replacement of the leader and delivery of hot drinks and food to the leading rope team throughout the day allowed maintaining a relatively high pace.

To organize three overnights on the wall, platforms were specially laid out on ledges, requiring considerable effort. Due to the lack of water and snow at the intended first overnight location, 8 liters of water were taken on the route. To save time, water, and fuel for cooking, an autoclave with thermal insulation was used.

The tactical plan was largely executed; the team followed the planned route and timeline. Due to bad weather on the first day, processing had to continue on the second day. The departure on July 6 was delayed due to heavy snowfall at the beginning of the day. In the upper part (sections R38-R50), the team had to use the left variant of passage indicated in the tactical plan, as moving to the right would have put them above the participants of A. Voronov's group from Leningrad, who were moving along a parallel route, which was not feasible due to rockfall danger in the upper part.

The team was observed throughout the ascent by coach Yu. Beylin and members of the rescue team led by B. Barulin using 12x binoculars.

Radio communication was stable and occurred at least twice a day.

There were no falls or injuries during the ascent. The descent was via the north ridge (M. Sitnik's route, 1986).

Photo 14. Moshnikov — Kaurov rope team on section R10-R11.

Photo 16. Kaurov — Krytsuk rope team on section R17-R19.

Photo 8. Krytsuk — Pleskachevskiy rope team working on section R4-R5.

Technical photography of the route

July 1989, "Zenit" camera, "Mir-1V" lens (f=36 mm), distance 0.3 km, height 3800 m, shooting point 13.

Photographic materials of the route

Taken during the passage of sections from points marked on the technical photography of the route (except #7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16), with "Zenit" and "Lomo-compact" cameras, "Helios" and "Pentacon-auto" lenses (focal lengths 35 mm, 58 mm, 135 mm).

Photo 7. Passage of section R3-R4. Kaurov is in front.

Photo 9. Same as photo 8.

Photo 6. Technical photography of the beginning of the route. Taken from point #6 (3800 m, distance 400 m), July 6, 1988 at 17:00. "Zenit-E" camera, "Helios 44-2" lens 58 mm.

• Total: 36/18, 396/155, 39, 34/18

• Climbing hours: 50

• Total for July 9, 1988: 6, 162/54, 5

• Climbing hours: 12

• Total for July 6, 1988: 12/10, 198/47, 9, 8/2

• Climbing hours: 11

• Total for July 5, 1988: 2/2, 140/30, -, 1

• Climbing hours: 5

• Total for July 4, 1988: 4/4, 13/9, 6, 10/9

• Climbing hours: 5

Route description by sections

R0-R1. Smooth wall with sharp brittle holds. Bolt ladder made by a team from Odessa in 1987 (first 15 m).

R1-R2. Wall with a slight overhang, leading to a cornice with a flake, and thus, small chocks.

R2-R4. Along the flake to the right and up under the overhang, in the middle part — a pendulum to the right.

R4-R5. Several meters to the right of the giant internal angle, up through hanging layers along a wide quartz vein. On the belay station — a bolt, on the bolt — the first control cairn (visible from the start). Rocks are heavily destroyed.

R5-R6. Pendulum to the right onto slabs with layers. Water flows. Up to a niche formed by a giant layer and the wall, here — a belay station.

R6-R7. From the niche — to the right and up, then through hanging layers of the upper part of the internal angle — to a small ledge, where the first overnight is located.

R7-R9. From the overnight — straight up through a small destroyed internal angle onto a slab. Pendulum to the left, exit under a cornice.

R9-R10. Cornice — artificial aids.

R10-R12. Gentle monolithic slabs with polished holds. Free climbing to the left and up towards a wide quartz vein. Limited number of belay points.

R12-R17. Along the quartz vein — tense free climbing, in the upper part — a pendulum to the right to a flake leading to a large ledge, where the second overnight is located.

R17-R19. From the ledge — to the left and up, back towards the wide quartz vein, then — to the left edge of the system of cornices crossing the wall.

R19-R20. From under the cornices — to the left and up. Free climbing alternates with pendulums and artificial aids along flakes. Small chocks.

R20-R21. Movement to the right and up towards the ledge of the third overnight. Very polished slabs. Free climbing alternates with artificial aids on "heavenly hooks".

R21-R22. The relief becomes richer. Movement towards the base of a crack leading to the ledge of the third overnight.

R22-R23. On the ledge — a bolt piton. On the piton — control cairn #2.

R23-R24. About 7 m from the ledge straight up — free climbing. Then — traverse to the left and up towards a large flake. On the upper part of the flake on a ledge — a belay station.

R24-R25. System of pendulums and traverses with free climbing to the left and up to the base of a chimney.

R25-R27. Chimney is passed mainly with free climbing.

R27-R30. Through a system of internal angles and ledges to the left under the base of a smooth wall with a crack.

R30-R35. System of vertical walls cut by cracks, passed using artificial aids and free climbing. Monolithic rocks with minimal holds. Cornices are encountered.

R35-R38. An ice-filled chimney leads under a wall ending in a cornice.

R40-R43. Slab with an overhanging crack, tense climbing, cornice is passed directly, artificial aids.

R47-R48. Crack passed with artificial aids on an overhanging slab. Exit to the ledge of the fourth overnight, located 15 m from the ridge.