Merdven-Kaya — 3. “The Evil One”

Difficulty: 3B V. Year of route creation: 2008. Length: 220 m. Time to complete: 3–5 hours. Route description: Passes through the left part of the SW wall. The approach starts from where the dirt road goes under Hergiani Rock. Up the trail, bearing right, bypassing the rock, then through a couloir with some simple climbing, exit onto a large inclined grassy ledge. Up the ledge to the left. The start is along a steep corner from a small tree. Landmark — a bush in a diagonal crack.

R0–R1, 45 m

Up the inner corner to a dry tree, then along an inclined inner corner up to the left. Move along the left edge of the corner. Station on a juniper in the corner.

Climbing:

• 10 m IV
• 35 m III

R1–R2 50 m

From the tree, continue up the corner to the left, climbing is not difficult. In the upper part, the corner is blocked by a “cork”, it is bypassed on the right, then traverse left, and up onto a horizontal ridge. Station on personal anchors.

Climbing:

• 30 m II
• 10 m IV
• 10 m II

R2–R3 40 m. Up and to the right, along an inclined inner corner. Station on a tree in the upper part of the corner. III

R3-4 20 m. From the tree, 8 meters up and left, along simple rocks, then through a 5-meter corner, exit to a juniper. Station. II+

R4-5 20 m. From the station up and left, in the direction of a chimney — a crack. Station before the chimney on personal anchors. III

R5-6 45 m

Up the chimney, sometimes inside, sometimes on the outside. Insurance is not always organized.

In the upper part, the chimney opens into a large inner corner. Exit to the yayla along the corner.

• 25 m V
• 20 m III