V. Ak-Oyuk V. gr. Altai Section I. route No. 1. R16–R25?

Passport

1. Altai. Katunsky ridge, Akkem lake area.
2. V. Ak-Oyuk V. gr., height 3880 m.
3. Proposed 2B cat. complexity (report is submitted to change the category of complexity adopted in KTMGV of this route, 1B, which is clearly underestimated).
4. Height difference 950 m, length 1480 m.
5. Leader: Drakin Andrey Valentinovich CMS Participants: Alshakov Valery Borisovich III rank, Voevoda Alexander Kuzmich III rank, Mokhova Valentina Mikhailovna I rank, Vasin Viktor Anatolyevich III rank
6. Entry to the route and return January 15, 1993.
7. Travel hours (from the base camp on Akkem lake and back) 11 hours.
8. Organization. West Siberian Regional Search and Rescue Service.

Ak-Oyuk V. ridge.

Route Description

From the base camp on Akkem lake, move to the right along the trail leading to the plateau under the Ak-Oyuk peak. Approach the Eastern ridge along the plateau, bypass the first rocky ascent of the eastern ridge on the left. Time — 2 hours.

Climb to the Eastern ridge via the middle talus (1 hour). Tie up on the ridge, put on crampons. There are three gendarmes in the lower part of the ridge:

• The first two are bypassed on the right.
• The third one is climbed head-on. First, a 7–8 m rock wall of moderate difficulty is overcome, then, along the narrow ridge of the gendarme, exit to the snowy slope of the Eastern ridge.

Movement is alternating. The Eastern ridge is mostly snowy:

• In the lower part, the slope is 25–30°.
• In the upper part, it is 35–40°.

There are steeper sections on the ridge. Short sections of ice 20–30 m are exposed in the middle part of the ridge. Ice axes are necessary for belay. The key section of the route is the last 50–60 m of the Eastern ridge:

• Snow slope steepness increases to 45–55°.
• Movement is in three steps, with thorough belay.
• It is advisable to use snow anchors for belay.

The steep snowy crest ends with a snow cornice 2.5–3 m high and 90–95° steep with overhanging top. The cornice is overcome:

• Using ice axes as artificial footholds,
• Or, if the snow is soft enough, by cutting a hole in it.

Time — 5 hours.

After passing the cornice, move left, up the snowy couloir to the summit — 15–20 minutes.

Descent is via the ascent route. Through the cornice — rappel down the fixed rope with subsequent pulling out of the ice axes. Time — 2–3 hours.

Recommendations: for belay it is necessary to have:

• 2–3 ice screws
• 2 snow anchors.