Peak Aktru, via the East ridge from Bolshoy Aktru glacier, cat. III

From the camp... From the moraine lake, move along the edge of the Bolshoy Aktru glacier along the slopes of Stazerov Peak. The glacier is heavily crevassed, so move in rope teams until the couloir between Stazerov Peak and the large gendarme on the East ridge of Aktru Peak. Climb the couloir through the ruined rocks on the left-hand side of the couloir and reach the lowest point of the East ridge (2–2.5 hours).

Follow the easy ridge to the large gendarme (control cairn) and continue in the direction of the summit until the pre-summit rise. The snowy-icy rise is the key section of the route (time 2–2.5 hours).

Before the snowy-icy rise, there is a gendarme with a 5-meter rock wall (set up belay). The snowy-icy ridge goes up like a sickle. Move along the left part of the ridge. In the lower part, there is snow on the ridge, which turns into an icy rise 120–160 m long and 30–40° steep.

Move with careful piton belay. After the rise, there is a simple snowy ridge 300–400 m long, leading to the summit of Aktru.

Descend via the SW ridge onto Bolshoy Aktru glacier following route 2A. When descending the snowy slope, move in rope teams — 2 closed bergschrunds. Move in rope teams on the glacier until the moraine lake due to the presence of closed crevasses.

Author: S. Kostryulev, Bratsk, Nemtsev S. Yu. et al.