Crimea. Mshatka-Kaya "Boomerang" Route, 4A

On June 17, 2012, a group of three people - Gostev Kirill (Yalta), Odoyev Vladimir, and Leontyeva Ekaterina (Sevastopol) - made an ascent to the summit of Mshatka-Kaya via a new route. The route was named "Boomerang" and was estimated to be approximately 3B/4A (classified as 4A). It was done almost a year and a half ago, but it was only recently that the necessary paperwork was completed and the information was shared online. We are sharing the information with you:

• from the ascent passport
• UIAA scheme
• description.

Mshatka-Kaya Peak (650 m), "Boomerang" Route.

Difficulty category: presumably 3B/4A (classified as 4A)

Route Characteristics:

length — 300 m (7 ropes); length of sections:

• II grade — 75 m;
• III grade — 160 m;
• IV grade — 10 m;
• V grade — 55 m; average steepness of the route is 70–75°. One rock hook was left at the R3 belay station. Climbing time — 8 hours, descent on the same dayalp.org.ua

New route on Mshatka-Kaya "Boomerang"

• From the road, near the alpine camps, 200 m up the trail
• Then via simple rocks to the counterfort
• The start of the route is near a tree, where the "Filatovskaya" route begins

Mshatka-Kaya Peak

via the left part of the massif "Boomerang" 3B/4A cat. diff.

Route Description:

R0–R1

Bypass the overhanging rocks on the left part of the counterfort from the left and move up along the internal corner 10 m to the right to a small juniper bush. Bypass the bush from the left. There is an old bolt on a slab to the left, a meter from the bush.

From the bolt, move slightly left and up the slab on friction 5 m to the start of a gully, in the middle of which ivy grows. From the ledge at the start of the gully, move up and to the right along a crack in the slab (there is old marring). The crack ends - move a bit to the right to the next thin crack, and move up (careful climbing on friction).

Further:

• The crack turns into a deteriorated, flattening internal corner;
• Move along it, veering left, to a small tree;
• At the tree — a belay station.

Protection: cams, nuts 10 m, IV+; 45 m, III

R1–R2

From the tree, move left and up, bypassing slightly overhanging boulders, then up along gentle walls to the base of a small 4-meter chimney - a gully. At its base — a belay station on personal anchors. The section is straightforward, but there are quite a few loose rocks.

• Move from the tree left and up
• Bypass slightly overhanging boulders
• Climb up gentle walls to the base of a 4-meter chimney - a gully
• Set up a belay station at the base of the chimney on personal anchors

The section is simple, but there are quite a few loose rocks. 45 m, II

R2–R3

Move up in a chimney-gully 4 m. At the top, it slightly overhangs. A difficult exit to a flattening, destroyed groove. Move along the groove for a few meters, then move left into a chimney, bypassing a large flake on the left. Initially, move along the right wall of the chimney, then for a few meters in a chimney stance, and then move to the left wall of the chimney and move up. The chimney ends with a small ledge. At the ledge, a belay station on personal anchors.

At this station, a rock hook was left, slightly below and to the left of the hook there are "hourglasses" where you can place a nut.

Protection:

• cams
• nuts
• anchors

5 m, V; 40 m, III

R3–R4

Crux pitch! From the station, move up and to the right along a thin groove (careful climbing along the groove and slab to the right on friction) to overhanging brows. Under them, traverse right 5 m. Then move up along an internal corner to its end. It leads to a very narrow and small ledge, covered with earth (for orientation: the ledge is 7 meters above and to the right of a small pine tree growing on a smooth slab). At this ledge, a semi-hanging belay station on personal anchors (nuts).

Attention!

• There are loose rocks in the internal corner.

Protection: cams, nuts, anchors

50 m, V

R4–R5

From the station, traverse 3 m to the right, then up along a wide internal corner. After the corner, traverse three meters to the right, to a counterfort. There will be a depression, resembling a small grotto, on the right side of which there is an old hook. Belay station in the depression on personal anchors.

Protection:

• nuts
• anchors, 20 m
• II–III

R5–R6

From the depression, traverse right a couple of meters and then up along grooves, slightly left to a large ledge with a pine tree.

In the upper part, the last 10 m, this pitch merges with the fifth pitch of the "Filatovskaya" route.

Protection: nuts, cams

45 m, III

R6–R7

This pitch is the same as the final pitch of the "Filatovskaya" route.

• Up and to the right along a gentle wall into an internal corner
• Up along the corner and then left and up along gentle rocks to reach the plateau

20 m, III; 20 m, II

Source of description: risk.ru