Passport

1. Altai, Severo-Chuysky Range, Karakbak gorge, 1.2
2. Peak Barda Vizbora via the right counterfort of the North face, elevation 3390 m.
3. Proposed — Category 3B difficulty, first ascent.
4. Route type — combined.
5. Elevation gain: 920 m; length — 2100 m.

Average slope of the route — 25–30 degrees. Length of Category 5 difficulty sections — 15–20 m. Average slope of the main part of the route (up to the ridge) — 35–45 degrees, length — 1240 m, elevation gain — 700 m.

6. Number of pitons used on the route:

ice: 6, rock: 5.

7. Team's travel time: 9:40 h from the glacier to the summit;

12:40 h from the glacier to the glacier; 14:50 h from the advanced base camp to the advanced base camp.

8. No overnight stays.
9. Climbing pair: Barnov Sergey Ivanovich, 1st sports category;

Komissarov Dmitry Alexandrovich, 3rd sports category.

10. Coach: Drakin Andrey Valentinovich, 1st category (№68).
11. Departure from advanced base camp: 6:10 AM, July 12, 2001.

Descent to the glacier: 7:20 AM, July 12, 2001. Start of the route: 8:00 AM, July 12, 2001. Reach the top of the counterfort: 1:35 PM, July 12, 2001. Reach the summit: 3:50 PM, July 12, 2001. Descent to the glacier: 8:00 PM, July 12, 2001. Return to advanced base camp: 9:00 PM, July 12, 2001.

12. Organization:

joint training sessions by Tomsk Alpine Federation and ZS TPSS.

Peak Barda Vizbora via the right counterfort of the North face, shot №2

Peak Barda Vizbora via the right counterfort of the North face, shot №1

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From the advanced base camp, located near the last confluence of the Karakbak river, move along the left orographic bank to the moraine rampart blocking the glacier valley between Peak Barda Vizbora and Peak Zhukova. Ascend the moraine rampart and traverse the medial moraine of the glacier. Approach the right northwestern counterfort of Peak Barda Vizbora via the glacier. The approach from the advanced base camp takes ~1–1.5 hours.

Movement on the route.

From the glacier, move towards the right part of the right counterfort on ice (simultaneous movement, protection via ice screws in the upper part). The counterfort becomes significantly steeper in its upper quarter, with a large sérac in the right part; it's better to traverse left. From below, the counterfort is ascended via its right part (a pronounced rib), climbing grade 2–3, protection:

• simultaneous;
• alternate;
• chocks;
• slings;
• rock features.

Then, above a snow "tie", move left, then along a less pronounced rib — towards the wall in its left part, climbing grade 2–3, protection simultaneous and alternate, slings, rock features. Caution: the rocks are unstable!

Two 20 m ropes on the wall lead to a niche; here and further, protection is alternate. Slings, pitons, chocks.

From the niche — traverse left for 15 m to a rib with a small tooth (sling) and an inclined slab on the left. From the slab, one can traverse left and down (descent and 5 m pendulum) into a narrow couloir with chockstones, bypassing the challenging section of the route on the rib (the left couloir wall is heavily damaged).

Route variations:

• Rib variation: preferable, climbing grade 4–5, 15–20 m, 2 pitons, 3 chocks. The rocks on the rib are less unstable, but it's psychologically more challenging for those who prefer climbing internal angles.
• Couloir variation: after descending — 20–25 m, grade 3–4, 2 pitons, 3 chocks.

Both variations take approximately the same time.

After the wall — ~40 m of climbing grade 2–3 on steep rocks, partially very unstable. Protection is alternate, rock features, slings. Then 60–80 m of grade 2, unstable rocks, protection is alternate, sometimes simultaneous. Above the counterfort lies a small snow-ice platform.

From it, 3 ropes of 50 m on a snow-ice ridge lead to the crest:

• First rope 30°–40°
• Second — ~50°
• Third — 30°–40°

Movement is alternate, protection via ice screws.

Along the crest to the summit, 800–900 m on snow alongside rocks. Caution — cornices on the left! Movement is simultaneous.

Descent — along the crest towards Peak Rossiya XX veka on snow and ice down to the glacier below Peak Barda Vizbora.

Route safety assessment.

The route is not avalanche-prone; the middle and lower parts are rockfall-prone. Avalanches are possible on the descent; try not to undercut the slopes. Ice from crevasses, if it falls, goes past the counterfort.

The route to Peak Barda Vizbora via the right counterfort of the North face is combined, approximately Category 3B difficulty.

View from the glacier