8.6.1.12

Ascent Passport

Khibiny mountain range. Ganeshinga Cirque. Classification table section number: #8.6
Name of the peak: Vudyavrchorr 1067 m, route name — «Molotok».
Proposed — 5A cat. difficulty, first ascent.
Route type: rock.
Route elevation gain: 390 (by altimeter).

Route length: 490 m.

Section length:
- V cat. difficulty — 124 m.
- VI cat. difficulty — 65 m.
Average steepness:
- main part of the route — 73.2°
- whole route — 63.6°
Pitons left on the route: Total — 5; including bolted — 0

Pitons used on the route:
- stationary bolted 0, including for aid climbing 0
- removable bolted 2, including for aid climbing — 1
Total artificial climbing placements (aid climbing) used — 48.
Team's travel time: 23 hours, 3 days.
Leader: Pankov Maxim Anatolyevich, Candidate Master of Sports.

Participants:
- Andreev Arkady Borisovich, 1st sports category
- Sidorenko Sergey Vasilievich, 1st sports category
- Orlov Vladimir Alexandrovich, 2nd sports category.
Coach: Shumilov O.I., Master of Sports; Tinin Yu.P., Master of Sports.
Departure for the route: July 26, 2003. Reach the summit: July 28, 2003. Return to base camp: August 22, 2002.

General photo of the Summit (November 2002). View from Ganeshinga Cirque.

Route «Left rib» — 3B
Route «Molotok» — 5A
Route «Ladder» — 5B
Route «Avalanche couloir» — 2A

Route profile (left)

Hand-drawn route profile

Mechanical points on the route

R0 R1: 4 chocks R2 R3: 4 pitons, 5 chocks, 4 friends R4: 3 pitons, 7 chocks, 3 friends R5: 3 pitons, 4 friends R6: 3 pitons R7: 7 pitons, 2 chocks, 4 friends (including 1 piton for aid climbing) R8: 30 pitons, 2 chocks, 3 friends, 2 removable bolts (including 30 pitons, 2 chocks, 3 friends, 2 removable bolts, 1 skyhook for aid climbing) R9: 10 pitons, 2 chocks (including 8 pitons, 1 chock for aid climbing) R10: 5 pitons, 2 chocks R11: 3 chocks Scale 1:2000

Route Description

Approach to Ganeshinga Cirque, under the north-eastern wall of Vudyavrchorr. R0–R1: Ascend a steep snowfield under the cliffs. 30 m. 30° II cat. difficulty. R1–R2: Up the chimney 50 m, 40° III+. Danger of rockfall from the right couloir. R2–R3: Along the scree ledge to the right under the overhanging wall 50 m, 35° II. Control cairn #1. R3–R4: Up a series of internal corners, under a vertical wall. 20 m, 70° V; 10 m, 80° V; 7 m, 60° III+. R4–R5: Traverse right 10 m, 70° III+; then up the internal corner 15 m, 80° V; then up the wall 10 m, 70° IV and to the sloping ledge 7 m, 80° V. R5–R6: Along the sloping ledge to the right 30 m, 45° III under the wall; up the wall 10 m IV+; along the sloping ledge 7 m 45° II. R6–R7: Along the terrace to the right under the wall 20 m 35° II; up the wall 10 m, 80° III+. Large ledge, control cairn #2. Possibility to organize an overnight stay. R7–R8: Up and to the right through a series of internal corners. 15 m, 80° V. Bypassing the cornice on the right along the wall to the crack 5 m, 85° A1 VI. Up the crack 20 m, 80° V+; 7 m, 65° IV to a comfortable ledge under a huge internal corner. R8–R9: Key section of the route. Up the wet internal corner under the cornice 35 m, 90°–95° A2–A3 VI. Through the cornice up the crack 5 m, 90° A3 VI. Removable bolt. Traverse right under the overhanging wall 5 m, 90° A3 VI. Up the overhanging wall 5 m, 90° A3 VI. Semi-hanging belay. Removable bolt. R9–R10: Up the wall to a comfortable ledge 10 m, 80° A2 VI. R10–R11: Bypassing the vertical corner on the right, along the diagonal crack (12 m, 75° V), further up the wall and to the right to the exit onto a sloping ledge 25 m, 90° V+; along the ledge 10 m, 35° II. R11–R12: Up the internal corner 30 m, 80° IV. Up the vertical internal corner 7 m, 90° V. Exit to the summit.

Control cairn is laid out with stones on the plateau. Rocks on the route are partially smooth, section R8–R9 is done on aid climbing, on wet rocks; many cracks for thin pitons. Pitons of all types and chocks — friends, stoppers go well. The level of free climbing required for the route is 6A. In polar day conditions (summer) it is possible to climb the route in a duo in alpine style.

Descent from the summit: along the western slope to Geografov Pass, then through the pass to Maly Vudyavr Lake, or through the Avalanche couloir.

Emergency exit from the route: Via the ascent route, into the couloir.

Note from the control cairn. On July 22, 2003 at 16:00 a group of climbers from St. Petersburg completed an ascent to the summit of Bolshoy Vudyavrchorr via the route: «Left rib» 3B cat. difficulty. Group members: Leader Varzhametin L.L. Kasiev A. Sorokin A. Petrov Yu. Weather is excellent. Good luck to subsequent climbers!