ASCENT PASSPORT.
I. Rock class.
- Altai, Mensu gorge.
- Belukha Eastern, via the pillows of the south-eastern slope.
- Proposed — Category III, first ascent.
- Height difference: 700 m, length: 1200 m, average steepness: 40 °.
- Movement hours — 8 hours.
- Overnight stays: 2 on approach, on the route — none.
- Leader — Kuznetsova Tatiana Yurievna — II sports category.
Participants:
- Obednin K.A. — I sports category
- Afanasiev A.E. — Master of Sports
- Coach — Zakharov N.N. — Honored Coach of the RSFSR.
- Departure to the route and return: July 17, 1993.
II. Gathering of the Krasnoyarsk Regional Sports Committee.
a — Belukha East 4506 b — Belukha West 443.5
Photo of the general view from the Katunsky glacier.
Map of the area M 1:200000. Schematic map of the area M 1:100000.
Description of approaches and route.
The route begins from the Zavortny Eastern plateau cirque. The firn accumulations of the Eastern plateau are the sources of the Big Berelsky and Mensu glaciers. Approaches to the route from these gorges are accomplished in 1 day. From the Katunsky and Akkemsky gorges, where gatherings are more common, approaches take 2 days. From any side, the approach represents a technical difficulty of level 2-6 category.
It is more convenient to make an overnight stay before the assault on the Eastern plateau near the Berelsky saddle. The Zavortny cirque is the upper zone of glacial mass accumulation of the western part of the Eastern plateau at the beginning of the main effluent icefall to the Big Berelsky glacier.
At the entrance to the Zavortny cirque, paths diverge to popular routes to Belukha East: left, to the TKT pass — route 36, category 10; right, to the saddle between Belukha and peak Berelsky — route 36 via the East ridge; in the middle — two routes of category 3A, first ascents of this year via the South-East slope: via the left part and via the pillows.
The beginning of the route is located at an altitude of 3800-3900 m.
Section 0-1. Snow slope starts with a steepness of 35 °, in the upper part — 45 °. The length of the section is 500 m. Avalanche danger is possible.
Section 1-2. Pillows of the icefall flowing from the pre-summit field of the Eastern ridge. Length 500 m. There are 2 sections of exposed ice.
Section 2-3. Flat field, summit ascent with steepness up to 50 °, 200 m. Snow cornice with an overhang of up to 2 meters. Piton belay.
Descent is via the ascent route.
Leader Kuznetsova T.Yu.
