Ascent Record

Region — Altai, Katunsky ridge.

Summit — Jara Zimerman peak (Altai-Czech Friendship).

Route — combined.

Estimated category of difficulty — 2B.

Elevation gain — 500 m.

Distance — 900 m.

Technical equipment used:

• ice axes
• rope
• crampons
• ice screws
• Jumars
• ice tool
• rappelling device

Climbing time — 6–7 hours from bivouac.

Leader — Gerasimov V.B., instructor cert. No. 1251 dated April 15, 1991.

Climbers:

• Radek Jaros (Czech Republic)
• Radek Kokor (Czech Republic)

Ascent date — August 10, 2007.

Organizer — Federation of Alpinism and Rock Climbing of the Altai Republic.

Approach

Departure from Base Camp (2600) — at 07:00. From Base Camp, we ascend along the stream to the beginning of the Zapadny Tekelu glacier, bypassing a small lake on the left. Then we ascend onto the glacier tongue and move in crampons until the glacier turns left. Travel time from Base Camp to the glacier turn — 1 hour. The glacier slope is 10–15°. At this stage, the glacier is open, without crevasses.

After the turn:

• the glacier slope steepens to 30°;
• the glacier becomes covered — crevasses are possible.

This 300 m section is traversed in a rope team. The glacier flattens again, and the lower part of the northeast ridge of Jara Zimerman peak (Altai-Czech Friendship) comes into view on the right, marking the start of the route. Arrived under the route at 09:00.

Route

• Left slope of the ridge — heavily broken rocks, rockfall-prone slope.
• Right lower slope of the ridge — icy. We traverse this section on ice, slightly below the ridge, bypassing the broken rocks on the right. Slope 40–45°. Distance 240 m. Protection — alternating. Time — 1 hour 30 minutes. (Corresponds to section R0–R1: 240 m, 40–50°).

The second stage involves traversing between the ice-snow ridge and the broken rocks. Ridge slope — 30°. Distance 300 m. Simultaneous movement. Time — 1 hour 30 minutes. (Corresponds to section R1–R2: 300 m, 30–40°).

The third stage — a pre-summit tower with large crevices, big rocks, and presence of snow and regelation ice. Protection — alternating. Traverse in crampons. Section length — 180 m. Time — 1 hour. (Corresponds to section R2–R3: 180 m, 30–40°).

From 13:00 to 14:00 — at the summit. Descent from the summit via the ascent route.

Kara-Oyuk