Ai-Petri (Main Peak) via South Ridge, Category 3B

R0–R1 To the right of the main couloir, ascend leftwards and upwards along an inclined ledge to the beginning of the south ridge. Access the south ridge via an 80-meter wall with very difficult rocks.

Climb an 8-meter smooth wall by free climbing until a crack, then ascend using ladders and hooks.

R1–R2 Continue rightwards into an internal corner, 7-8 meters, to a protruding cork, under which it is possible to set up an anchor.

The protruding cork is overcome with the aid of:

• ladders,
• hooks,
• wooden wedges.

Then, ascend 13-15 meters straight up along a crack that transitions into a crevice near a dried bush. This is a very challenging section. From the bush, ascend the crevice, then along an internal corner to access an inclined ledge. The ridge is 5-8 meters away. Here, it is possible to set up an anchor using a large pine tree.

R2–R3 Continue along the ridge (rocks of medium difficulty, section length is 175 meters). Then, overcome 25 meters of medium-difficulty rocks along the ridge, bypassing the first and second sentinels on the left. Ascend a couloir to a saddle between a boulder and jagged peaks. The summit is 60 meters away.

Route length is 700 meters:

• difficult rocks — 80 meters,
• medium rocks — 180-200 meters,
• easy rocks — 320 meters. The ascent takes 6 hours.