Alupkinskaya Wall — 1. "Compromise"

Alpinism Written by Kopteva, March 23, 2011 1:25

Photo by Sergey Bolkin. It impresses. Not with the presence of many rated routes, not with technically "beyond" relief, not with a loud, famous name, not at all. The wall is attractive because climbing it is guaranteed to be a separate, vivid adventure.

• Grand scale.
• Remoteness.
• Perhaps one of the most serious elevation changes on the Southern Coast of Crimea (YSC).
• And most importantly — you will be the first, because there are very few routes here.

Long approach and even more interesting descent (well, for Crimea, of course), absence of civilization, water, possibility to "get out" at the slightest inconvenience to a bar on the coast.

And what prospects!

• Intact bastions.
• Impressive elevation changes.
• Everything you want from 1st to 6th category.

Only your experience, imagination, and creativity. What could be better?The idea of the first ascent on "our" bastion of Alupkinskaya Wall belongs to Alexander Lavriinenko, and I decided to implement it with Anna. The route was climbed on March 13-14.

From the Yalta-Sevastopol highway to our camps under the wall — 2 hours 30 minutes. I think guys who know where to go and have planned their load properly will make it in an hour and a half, or two at most.

Attention! Water.

I recommend taking an empty container with you and filling it up at the spring under Shaan-Kaya. Carrying everything from below is a dubious pleasure.

Description

R0–R1

At the start of the route, there is a complex cairn. It's hard to miss it, as it's the only monolithic spot. 15 meters above the ground, two "teeth" rise. We really wanted to climb straight between them, but reason prevailed and we went around this "beauty" from the left. Station on a tree. Bolted. 45 m. V, (f 5c)

R1–R2

From the tree, left and up. Careful climbing on loose blocks to the "football field", 15 m. V (f 5b – 5c)

Be careful! Live rocks!

35 m. move to a small pine near a rocky outcrop. Station on a bolt and a tree. II category difficulty.

R2–R3

From the station, 40 m. traverse along a scree shelf to the right, II category difficulty. Station at the base of an internal corner on a tree and a hook.

R3–R4

Up the internal corner straight up. Be careful! Loose blocks! Go beyond the bend and along scree shelves to the right to a pine. 50 m (20 m VI category difficulty, 30 m III category difficulty.)

R4–R5

From the pine, left and up along a scree couloir to approach the buttress leading to the bastion. Station on two small pines. 45 m III category difficulty.

R5–R6

From the station straight up along the buttress to a horizontal shelf. 50 m V category difficulty.

R6–R7

From the shelf, left and up along loose slabs to reach a pine. 40 m. V category difficulty. Here the light went out. We were very lucky with the weather, but not with the shelf. We found such a... one.

R7–R8

From the station, left and up along an internal corner and then to the right along a system of walls to reach a shelf. 45 m. V category difficulty.

R8–R9

Up the internal corner to reach scree shelves to the right of a grotto. Further along a system of walls and internal corners, ascend to a shelf. 50 m. V category difficulty. (15 m. V category difficulty., 15 m. III category difficulty., 20 m. V+ category difficulty.)

R9–R10

From the station, along a system of cracks, exit to the base of a fairly large internal corner, along it left and up to a shelf with a deciduous tree (there will be pines on the way, but you don't need to go there). Station. 45 m. V+ category difficulty.

R10–R11

From the station, left and up along an internal corner to a shelf. Go around a huge block from the right. Between it and the main wall, exit to a shelf. Further along a system of walls and shelves, exit to a mulda under the summit tower. Bolted. 50 m. VI category difficulty.

R11–R12

From the station, traverse left along a shelf for 20 m.

R12–R13

Up the left crack for 20 m, then left and up to a small shelf, then to the right along a slab into an internal corner, along it under an overhang (go around it from the right) and exit to a shelf. Further along simple rocks, exit to the yayla. 50 m. VI, A2–3 (30 m VI, A2–3, 6B 20 m. II category difficulty.)

Thread of the upper, most interesting part of the route.

Length 520 m (not elevation gain!). A couple of moments of tense climbing 6a–6b, the rest — V. The most "interesting" last rope. There are 20 meters of aid climbing with underclimbs.