Pik Tamma

Approaches to the summit are possible:

• from the Aktru valley with an ascent to the Maashay pass
• from the Maashay valley with an ascent to the same pass from the east
• along the Maashay ridge, traversing it to the east
• from the south from the Karagem valley

The most logical and at the same time simple path to the summit is the path from the Aktru valley, the second in difficulty is the path from the Maashay glacier, the most difficult is the path to the summit from the west along the ridge, as the ascent and traverse of this ridge are difficult.

The ascent from the Aktru valley is initially done by the usual route. They go to an overnight stay on the moraine by the lake, then cross the glacier to the first ascent. When reaching the first ascent, they go left, taking direction towards the visible lowering in the South-Aktru ridge — this is the Maashay pass. After passing a bit, another ascent begins with a steepness of about 35° and a height of around 100 m.

After passing this ascent, a steady ascent begins with a steepness of up to 25°. Bergschrunds are encountered along the way. The largest one is at the bend at the top, where the slope gradually flattens out and reaches 8–10°.

To the right of the pass point, there are rocks with a cairn on them. The time it takes to move from the overnight stay by the lake on the moraine to the pass point is 3–4 hours and strongly depends on the state of the glacier and snow.

Further movement is along the snow to the left, traversing a complex ascent to the right. After passing the ascent, one should not go directly to the ridge, as huge cornices overhang from the left. After descending from this ridge, climbers find themselves in a snow corrie about 15 m long. Here, one should be wary of unpleasant crevices located without any pattern.

The ascent from the corrie to the ridge, which forks:

• to the left — to the Burvestnik summit;
• to the right — to Pik Tamma.

In terms of difficulty, they are approximately the same. After reaching the ridge, they go to the right to the highest point, which is a snowy peak. The cairn is located a bit lower on the rocks. The time it takes to move from the pass point to the summit is 1.5 hours.

The descent is done along the ascent route and takes about three hours.

The path from the Maashay valley can go through the Maashay pass with an ascent to the summit along the above-described route and a traverse of the summit from west to east.

To traverse from the Maashay valley, one passes through a cirque glacier (almost horizontal, devoid of any crevices), approaches under the slope of the northern wall of the Maashay summit, then, crossing to the right branch of the glacier, goes to the right to the visible lowering between Pik Tamma and the Bars summit. At first glance, the path seems more complicated than to the Maashay pass, but in reality, the difficulty of the routes is practically the same.

The glacier in this place is heavily torn, and passing it strongly depends on the state of the snow at the time of the climbing season. The most difficult time for passing this section is the end of summer, as the steepness of some sections reaches 45°, and movement in crampons with piton protection is necessary.

The path goes:

• initially to the right,
• then to the middle of the ascent,
• passes through the center,
• to the exit to the Karagem plateau — again goes to the right.

This path cannot strictly determine the route, as the state of the ice and crevices changes every year. In any case, the path is not dangerous, no ice falls are observed, and it is quite passable. The time it takes to ascend from the right branch of the glacier to the Karagem plateau is 3–4 hours.

The ascent to Pik Tamma from the Karagem plateau does not present particular difficulties and goes:

• initially along a snow slope with a steepness of up to 35° in the direction of the rocks (about 150 m long),
• further along the rocks of tile-like structure, destroyed, in some places reaching a steepness of up to 60°.

Movement along the rocks is with alternating protection, takes 1.5–2 hours. The cairn is built not far from the summit, on the very last rocks. The descent from the summit is described above.

ASCENT SCHEDULE FROM THE MAASHAY VALLEY.

• Time to move to the right branch of the Maashay glacier — 2 hours.
• Exit under the slopes of the route — 1 hour.
• Exit to the Karagem plateau — 3–4 hours.
• Ascent to the summit — 1.5–2 hours.
• Descent to the alpine camp — 5–6 hours.

The time for the full traverse is 10–15 hours. The material was compiled by: B. Soustin, G. Andreyev.