Ascent Passport

1. Class: Rock
2. Region: Crimea, Batiliman
3. Peak: Kush-Kaya
4. Route: via South-West ridge (classic)
5. Difficulty category: 2B
6. Route characteristics: elevation gain — 380 m, length — 460 m. Average slope — 56°
7. Pitons used: rock — 12 pcs.
8. Movement time — 2 hours, descent via trail — 0.5 hours.
9. Ascent leader: Lebedev Nikolay Petrovich, 3rd class, participants: Vorobyev Mikhail Yuryevich, badge holder, Feklistov Mikhail Mikhailovich, badge holder.
10. Coach: Eremin Oleg Yuryevich, 2nd class.
11. Ascent completed on November 9, 1974.
12. Organisation: SK SPI

Approach from the right of the "Africa" wall up and to the right along the upper rock belt via a couloir, through a gap to a balcony with a tree under the chimney start. Alternative approach: from the belay anchor (gray slab with a large cornice) along a ledge left-up, then 20 m via cracks to a huge terrace under yellow overhanging rocks. Under the wall left and up a small couloir to a tree under the chimney.

R0–R1. Up the chimney 20 m under an overhang, move left and 15 m via cracks to a ledge in a yellow inner corner. R1–R2. Through a bend left and via dissected rocks 25 m straight up to a large pine tree. R2–R3. From the pine tree left via a couloir 70 m to exit into a cirque. Turn right and go 70 m to a gap in ridge 103. From the gap 10 m to a pine tree under a smooth slab. R3–R4. 5 m up the smooth slab, then right 20 m to exit onto ridge 103 and along it 60–70 m to a large terrace with a tree. R4–R5. From the terrace a gently sloping wall with good holds leads 20–25 m to a tree. From the tree left and via cracks 35–40 m to a large ledge under the next "cap". From the ledge via a crack "on tension" exit onto the "cap", then right-up to a diagonal crack and along it to its end. R5–R6. Straight up under a cornice and around it on the left via an inner corner 50 m to the summit. Left variation: Traverse 7 m left across a slab, then 25–30 m via two trees up and via a crack exit onto simple rocks, leading through 25 m to the summit. Right variation: 20 m right across smooth slabs, overgrown with grass cracks, then up onto slightly disintegrated steep rocks, traverse right to a sloping inner corner, leading to the summit.

Required equipment:

• rope — 40 m
• stoppers — 7–8 pcs.