Ascent Passport
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Climbing area: Karakoram
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Ascent class: High-altitude
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Peak: Hidden Peak (8068 m) via NW wall couloir (Japanese couloir)
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Route difficulty category: 5B
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Route characteristics:
- elevation gain from base camp 2918 m
- length of sections with 5th category difficulty 400 m
- average steepness (6500 m – summit) 50°
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Pitons driven For belaying Rock 12 Snow 45 Ice 18
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Climbing hours: from Base Camp to summit 29 hours (excluding route preparation and acclimatization time)
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Camps: Total 3 intermediate camps: C1 – 5800 m, C2 – 6500 m, C3 – 7400 m. All camps were bivouac type.
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Team members: Terzyul V.A. HMS — team leader Goryunov N.V. MS Pugachev S.A. MS Evchev M.A. CMS up to 7800 m Kovalev S.V. IMS up to 6500 m Pestrikov V.V. MS up to 6500 m
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Coach: Gorbienko M.M. HMS
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Departure to the route July 20, 2003 Summit ascent July 23, 2003 Return July 27, 2003
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Organizing body: FAIS of Ukraine based at the Odessa mountaineering club
Route profile. View from the first camp C1.
Ukrainian Public Fund for Alpine Development, phone (044) 477-92-30, (0642) 55-56-61, E-mail: opal@lep.lg.ua
Brief characteristics of the route and team actions
The route to Hidden Peak via the Northwest wall couloir (classic route) is a snow and ice route with rock sections approximately at 7400 m, in the Japanese couloir (at 7800 m) and above. There was a significant amount of snow in the couloir, and it was in good condition. Pure ice appeared after C2.
The primary means of belaying due to the route's condition were snow and ice screws.
The team consisting of: Terzyul V.A. — team leader, Pugachev S.A., Goryunov N.V., Evchev M.A. departed on July 20 from the base camp established at 5150 m.
On July 23, 2003, the group reached the summit of Hidden Peak (8068 m). M. Evchev was unable to reach the summit due to health reasons.
The descent from the summit followed the ascent route. On July 27, the group returned to the base camp. The ascent was made without oxygen (one oxygen tank for medical purposes was carried to C1). S. Kovalev and V. Pestrikov participated in the first and second acclimatization climbs. On July 15, during the second acclimatization climb at 6100 m, V. Pestrikov was caught in a serac fall and fatally injured.
From 6800 m, Japanese couloir (downward view)
8000 m