Chelebi — 8

Author: Alexander Lav­ri­nen­ko, Odessa

Che­le­bi, Crimea. Descriptions of alpinist routes

The Che­le­bi massif is located in the western part of the Main ridge of the Crimean mountains, between the "Bai­dar­skie vo­ro­ta" pass and the Il'­yas-Ka­ya mountain. Relative height 200 m, absolute height 600 m above sea level.

Despite the relatively low height, 5 routes of 5th and 6th category of difficulty pass through the central part of the wall. The routes are very popular (e.g., Bershov's route, there are several ascents per day).

Descent from the wall is possible both from the left and the right. The left path (if looking towards the sea) is shorter:

• Follow the yayla along the cliff towards the Bai­dar­skie vo­ro­ta for about 600–700 m.
• Near the descent couloir, there is a group of trees.
• Down the steep scree, then right along the wall.

List of routes

1. Sus­lov's route "Strelka" 5B

2. Kруг­lov's route "Lunokhod" 1999 6A

3. Ber­shov's route 5B

4. ? "Dne­pro­pet­rov­sky" 6A

5. Ver­ba's route 6A

6. "Kamin" 4A (left variant — 5A)

7. right wall of "Kamin" 5A — a dangerous route through a "ruin".

8. Po­po­v — Shel­kha­ko­v's route "Zub" 5B 1999

9. "Kuri­na­ya la­pka" 4B

7–12 — routes on the right part of the wall, start as in "Dvoika"

10. "Flay down"

done top-down.

11. "Dvoika" 2A
12. Pav­lov's route "Bol'shoi Kar­niz" 5B, start as in "Dvoika"

Route descriptions

In the route descriptions, I used the French classification for free climbing difficulty, as it is the most widely used in the CIS. Sections of ITO are evaluated according to the American system, i.e., the complexity depends on the number of unreliable points, not on the steepness of the rock.

Verba's route 6А

The route passes through the center of the overhanging South wall.

R0–R1:

• Follow a small internal corner to a ledge.
• From the ledge, climb up a thin vertical slit 10 m, ITO, A2.
• Further up and left through broken rocks, then along a ledge with ledges to a grotto.

Belay station. There is a good bolt. 30 m, 75°, V+A2

R1–R2:

• Climb up an overhanging slit. Strongly overhanging, but climbing is possible.
• There are pitons, 2 bolts.
• After 35 m, the steepness decreases to 90°, here climb left up to the grotto.

Belay station. Bolt and 2 pitons. 45 m, 100°, 6a+A2 (clean climbing 7a)

R2–R3:

• From the grotto, traverse right into an internal corner.
• Up the corner, then left to a ledge.
• From the ledge, traverse under the overhang right 5–7 m.

Belay station on 2 bolts. 35 m 90° 6b A2

R3–R4:

• Up the wall 5 m, then through an internal corner to a ledge with a tree.

Belay station. 30 m 80° V+

R4–R6:

• From the station, up the slab 15 m V, further through simple rocks 45–50 m to the yayla.

Ascent time: 4–7 hours. There have been several free climbing ascents.

2004 information: "Once again, a cornice on Verba's route on Che­le­bi collapsed. This time, the remains that survived after last year's collapse fell off. Now the vertical internal corner (between the cornice and the main wall) ceased to exist. The station under the cornice was probably also destroyed. But even if the route became impassable (temporarily), it is still possible to deviate to the "Dne­pro­pet­rov­sky" route from the upper cave. By the way, there is a good climbing rope there."