Arfen-Cher-Burun - 1. "Mirazh" Route 6A, VI, A

First ascenders: S. Streltsov - A. Lyapunov (1992)

The section from Sevastopol to Balaklava is a sheer coast, in some places up to 200 m high. The area is heavily eroded. There are no cliffs suitable for climbing.

Mt. Arfen-Cher-Burun, East wall. Arrows at the bottom indicate the route start

To the east of Balaklava, the picture changes dramatically. About 5 km from Balaklava, along the coast, a 235-meter vertical rocky peak rises straight from the sea. This is a spur of the Arfen-Cher-Burun massif. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the foot of the wall by boat from Balaklava. Having a reliable floating craft is mandatory, as the first rope is started directly from the boat.

Some desperate local climbers (S. Streltsov, Sevastopol) swam under the wall on an inflatable mattress with all their gear and started the ascent from it. They tied their shoes, as the most delicate part of their gear, to their heads to keep them dry.

The first route on Arfen-Cher-Burun was climbed in 1992 by S. Streltsov and A. Lyapunov (Sevastopol) over three days. The route goes up the center of the wall and has a difficulty of approximately 6A, A3 ("Mirazh").

A second route was attempted by climbers from Kiev in 1995. They climbed about 100 m, after which they descended, leaving fixed ropes on the wall. Now it can be said that the ropes were left "forever", as they are still hanging there.

The summit of Arfen-Cher-Burun is an exotic destination for Crimean mountaineering. It is visited extremely rarely.

Mt. Arfen-Cher-Burun, South wall. Line of the "Mirazh" 6A route