Mor­cheka — 21

Author: Ana­to­liy Ge­ni­ush, Sev­astopol

The route was ascended in the classic alpinist style from bottom to top. The total time spent on the ascent was approximately 5 full working days (about 45 hours). The total length is approximately 260–280 m, 6 ropes of 45–60 m (the 6th rope is not counted).

Currently, it is one of the most complex and interesting routes on the wall. One can even speak of its uniqueness, which lies in the fact that, with a complexity comparable to the "Machombo" route, it is completely new from the ground to the yayla. Only 15–20 meters of the entire path were not a first ascent. And it is quite logical: there are only 22 bolt hanger hooks on the route, and even those are more than needed.

Section R0. The route starts from a large pine tree 10 m to the left and below the start of the "Brov'" route.

Difficult climbing, initially between the wall and the pine tree, leads to a shelf with "live" stones.

Bel­ay is done using pitons or the pine tree.

Sec­tion R0–R1. From the shelf, move left to the mirror of the wall to a bolt hanger hook 2 m of climbing. Fur­ther — aid climbing. To the left of the bolt, a crack goes up, along which movement is done on pitons 5 m, then a transition to the left 1 m to a nut, and movement along another crack up and slightly to the right to a bolt hanger hook 7–8 m — predominantly on small stops, sometimes on pitons. After 3 m, another bolt hanger hook, then to the left and up 4–5 m to a powerful bolt.

Sec­tion R1–R2. From the large bolt, return to the right 2 m and move straight up along a slightly overhanging blind crack (skyhook, medium nuts, pitons). Pitons go poorly, and after a meter, it is necessary to exit on an unreliable piton. Fur­ther movement is done on medium-sized nuts along parallel cracks until exiting through a bend onto a few meters, then:

• 3 m of climbing to a shelf, on which a small stop lies;
• climbing to the left and up another 2 m to a vertical crack (piton);
• another 2 m of climbing up and to the left lead to a 3-meter slab under a small overhang.

Climbing is difficult. On the right part of the slab, there is a vertical crack with rough edges. Along it, using small stops, ascent 2 m under the overhang on its right part. The overhang is bypassed from the right on pitons, and fur­ther:

• 7–8 m of initially difficult, and then medium-complexity climbing;
• exit to the 1st point of the "Brov'" route.

The length of the rope is 50 m. An intermediate point can be made on a large bolt 30 m from the ground.

Sec­tion R2–R3. 1 m to the left of the point, a crack begins, overgrown with grass. Along it, movement is done by difficult climbing up and slightly to the left 15–18 m to a bolt. Belay is done using medium nuts and pitons. Steepness −65°

Sec­tion R3–R4. From the bolt, exit to the left onto a relief skyhook, on it exit to the last step of the ladder, and slightly to the right, a small stop can be placed.

From it:

• a tall climber can reach up to a pocket on the left above, where an unreliable "carrot" can be hammered into the ground;
• a shorter athlete needs to hammer a piton lower and to the left.

From the "carrot," another 1.5 m to the left and up, a usual good piton is hammered. At this place, the route converges with my route from '86.

Fur­ther:

• 3 m up to a powerful bolt;
• from it, very difficult climbing 8–9 m to the right and up under the dissected part of the "Brov'" overhang.

These 8–11 m were not a first ascent.

Sec­tion R4–R5. A 2-meter vertical slab under the overhang is climbed using bolt pitons.

Fur­ther movement is done through the overhang, the overall protrusion of which reaches 1.5 m:

• From the bolt, one can reach the left channel;
• Fur­ther movement is done on nuts to the top of a monolithic flake, on which a hanging belay can be made.

A very strong climber can climb the overhang using free climbing (7в–7с).

Below the top of the flake, 1.5 m away, a descent bolt is hammered. For convenience, it with this point, it is better to transfer to 3–4 m to the left onto a shelf and make it on nuts.

The length of the 2nd rope is about 45 m.

Sec­tion R5–R6. The 3rd rope begins from the top of the flake with very difficult climbing to the left and up 4 m along indistinct grooves to a pocket, into which a channel or a thick piton can be hammered. There is no support for the legs. Belay is done using a friend, an eccentric.

Fur­ther:

• 3.5 m of traverse to the left on bad pitons to a ledge,
• from which 2–3 m up climbing to a bolt (unreliable for belay),
• from the bolt through a piton, exit to the beginning of a large flake with a crack,
• along the flake up and slightly to the right 6–7 m of not very difficult climbing under a small overhang.

From the overhang begins a smooth slab.

Sec­tion R6–R7. Exit onto the slab on a relief skyhook, from the last step, reach a powerful bolt. From the bolt, reach down to a hole for a skyhook. A shorter climber may need a "fishing rod" (extension) to place a skyhook.

On the skyhook, exit to the last step, and fur­ther very difficult climbing (can be done on relief skyhooks) 3 m to the next bolt. Steepness — 65–70°. From the previous bolt, about 6 m.

Fur­ther up along a crack that goes to the left and up 5 m to a small shelf at the beginning of a flattening. Movement and belay are done on small stops and pitons.

Sec­tion R7–R8. From the shelf:

• easy climbing up and to the left along an inner corner 6–7 m to the top of a flake,
• then easy climbing to the right and up along an inclined shelf, exit to the third point after 8 meters.

The belay point is on a shelf on nuts. If desired, one can crawl 3–4 m higher to the right and organize a belay on a point of the "Brov'" route on 2 powerful bolts.

Sec­tion R8–R9. The next, 4th rope is the most complex and longest on the route.

• From the point on nuts, 1 m up, place a nut, and pendulum traverse to the left 6–7 m along a smooth slab without holds.
• Very difficult climbing (using a pendulum) to reach a crack under a flake, hammer a piton into it, and through it exit onto a small flake. Steepness: −60–65°.
• Along the flake, climbing to the right and up 2–3 m into a weakly expressed mul­da under a vertical wall.
• In the right part of the mul­da, there is the last crack before a smooth section of the wall. Here, a piton is hammered.
• Fur­ther — aid climbing until the end of the rope.

Sec­tion R9–R10. From the piton, movement is done to the left and up on a relief, then a holey skyhook to a bolt after 3–4 m.

A dan­gerous place (!) due to a more gentle relief below. Instead of a holey skyhook, one can use their own bolt with a short removable sleeve (multiple uses).

Steepness: 85–90°.

From the bolt on a skyhook, transition 2 m to the left onto a short crack-shell. One can use:

• a nut and a piton,
• better — an anchor.

11.5 m higher — another such shell under small stops and pitons.

The next 4–5 m — the key section of this rope and the entire route.

1.5 m higher than the shell, a small anchor piton can be hammered into a crack 2–3 cm long. From it, 1.5 m to the left, hang a relief skyhook, on which exit to the last step of the ladder.

Steepness: 80–85°.

From this position:

• a climber can reach up to a humming flake and hammer a "carrot" or a large channel with an eye (for taller climbers) into its lower part;
• a climber shorter than 185 cm will have to hang another, less reliable relief skyhook and reach the flake from it.

To the bolt of the last reliable belay point — about 6 m from here.

Impor­tant: one should not hammer pitons strongly into the flake — a crack may appear in it, and passage may become prob­lematic.

Fur­ther movement:

• 2 m up along the flake,
• transition to the right onto the next, strong flake, where a sufficiently reliable belay can be made (piton, nut).

The transition is done on a short thick piton, hammered into a hole on a slab between the flakes.

From this flake, one can reach the next, slightly humming and filled with earth. Here, one can:

• hammer 1–2 "carrots" of medium reliability;
• place a medium, slightly unreliable friend.

Fur­ther, it is necessary to reach a small oblique ledge, under which a piton is hammered. From it, exit to a hole of a round cross-section, into which one can hammer:

• a shortened "carrot";
• or a V-shaped piton 3–4 cm long,

from which one reaches the bolt.

Sec­tion R10–R11. From the bolt up to a pocket, into which pitons and nuts are hammered.

Fur­ther:

• To the next pocket slightly to the right — movement is done on pitons.
• From this pocket — on a holey skyhook, exit to a bolt.
• From the bolt — movement on skyhooks through holes to the next two bolts.
• From them — again on skyhooks to another bolt.

Steepness: −85–90°.

After the bolt — a pocket into which reliable small nuts are placed.

From the pocket, using a tiny flake on the left:

• Movement on skyhooks 3 m up and to the left to a crack.
• Along the crack up 2–3 m on pitons and nuts.

At the end of the crack, reliable nuts can be placed.

Fur­ther — transition to the right and up to a large pocket with grass. On the transition, a bolt is hammered. Here, one can make an intermediate belay.

Sec­tion R11–R12. From the bolt into the lower part of the pocket, a large skyhook is hung, on which exit to the last step and reach two small pockets slightly higher than the large one. Here, a large stop and a medium hex fit well.

Fur­ther through a piton, exit to the right and up to two pockets:

• Into the larger pocket from above, a half-meter anchor piton of exceptional reliability is hammered;
• From it, movement on skyhooks up and slightly to the left 5 m to a bolt.
• Steepness 65–70°.
• The distance between the holes is large.

From the bolt, very difficult climbing (or on unreliable relief skyhooks) 3.5 m to the left and up to the top of a weakly expressed flake, slightly above which a reliable non-standard steel "carrot" is hammered (left).

2 m higher on the left, a steel Cassini channel of exceptional reliability is left. On these pitons, a hanging or semi-hanging belay is made. Between them, reliable small and medium stops fit.

Sec­tion R12–R13, the 5th rope begins with an exit onto a relief skyhook on the right. From it, reach the bolt.

From the bolt, again, tall height is needed to reach a hole for a "carrot" or a channel.

Fur­ther — free difficult climbing 6 m under an overhang, studded with "fantik" pitons. Under the overhang, one can place:

• a medium hex;
• an unreliable friend.

Sec­tion R13–R14. From the beginning of the overhang, 8–9 m of the route coincide with Yu. Lishaev's "Brov' po bashne" route.

2 m of movement along hammered pitons (the 1st one wobbles!), then to the left into a small flake, a unreliable piton is hammered. After it — a "carrot" fits well, working due to its position. After it — a reliable large stop.

Fur­ther:

• again exit onto old pitons;
• above — it is recommended to use one's own anchor pitons;
• movement on holey skyhooks up and to the left until short cracks appear (2–3 m);
• here — the last pitons hammered by Lishaev before the traverse to the left.

Sec­tion R14–R15. 0.5 m above them, a reliable steel "carrot" is left, and behind it — a forged Cassini piton.

In the next pocket on the right above, a small stop is left, after which — exit into a large pocket with an inclined grassy shelf. Here, a channel with a sling is left.

Above the pocket, on the transition to the right — a bolt piton. One can make an intermediate belay.

From the bolt — movement to the right and up from pocket to pocket, the relief is rich in places for medium and large nuts. Steepness 65–70°, movement is predominantly on "ladders".

4 m not reaching the bush — transition to climbing above medium complexity to the bush on the right part of the route.

Sec­tion R15–R16. From the bush, movement is done to the left and up along a crack on nuts 3 m to a bolt. Friends and eccentrics are used, reliability is not high.

From the bolt, traverse to the left 3 m, then from a skyhook, exit climbing onto a shelf with flattening. Here, for belay, large nuts and a "korob" are needed.

Sec­tion R16–R17. From the shelf, traverse to the left 3 m along a smooth slab at 40°, on friction, then 7–8 m of easy climbing up and to the right to a tree, on which the last, 5th point is made.

Sec­tion R17–R18. The last, 6th rope goes with climbing of medium complexity — to the left, then up 15 m, exit over a bend, and fur­ther easy climbing up along a slope to a large flat stone on a grassy slope, slightly higher and to the left of which one can organize a belay for the second using a large loop between two stones. Here, the route ends.

Note: 22 bolt pitons are hammered on the route, of which 4–5 pitons are "extra" (unnecessary), hammered for various purposes (descent, re-clipping, etc.). This number does not include bolts on the 1st and 3rd points of "Brov'," as well as 2–3 bolts on the 2nd rope in the area of convergence with my route from '86.

Urgent request to subsequent climbers:

• Do not spoil the route by hammering your own bolts. This is the worst offense in the alpinist world.
• Do not pull out left pitons and do not leave your own without extreme necessity. This is the same rule of etiquette.
• If possible, do not hammer pitons where nuts can be used.

Let's preserve at least partially the structure of the relief in its original form and not complicate the movement for future climbers. Look at how beaten the lower ropes of "Machombo" are!

Before heading out on this route, it is recommended to have experience climbing "Skay-vay" and "Brov'".