Characteristics of the Region
The peak "Layub" is located in the Western Caucasus where the Gagrinsky Range adjoins the Main Range. The area is relatively undeveloped in terms of alpinism. There are two classified routes in the region: – to peak "Smidovich" (3445 m) — category 3A difficulty – to peak "Layub" (2998 m) — category 2B difficulty
The following peaks are of interest: – "Tsyndyshka" (3134 m) – peak "Kardyvach" (3041 m) – "Tskhvoa" (3241 m) – "Agepsta" (3263 m)
Preliminary assessment indicates: – traversing peak "Kardyvach" from the northwest corresponds to category 3 difficulty – traversing the "Tsyndyshka" massif from the Chernorechensky Pass — category 3B–4A difficulty
The nature of the routes is combined (rock and snow). The snow line is at an altitude of about 2.5 thousand meters in summer and drops to 1.5 thousand meters in winter. The forest zone reaches an altitude of 1.9 thousand meters.
The region is close to the cities of Krasnodar, Armavir, and Sochi, making it convenient for developing alpinism in the Krasnodar region. Based on the above, the regional alpinism section considers the development of this area to be an important task.
Approach to the Initial Bivouac
From Adler to Lake Ritsa — by bus. From Lake Ritsa to the settlement Avtahara — 4–5 hours walk along a snowy road. Overnight stay here.
Departure from Avtahara at 4–6 am to pass the southeastern slopes on the way to the Kutatehu-2 pass earlier. It takes 1.5 hours to reach these slopes from the settlement on foot.
Then: – Ascend along the clearly defined ridge directly in the direction of travel. – The slopes are snowy, with an average steepness of 25–30°. Most of the path is traversed in zigzags.
After ascending to the ridge — descend to the right to the Kutatehu-2 pass.
The journey from the foot of the ridge to the pass takes 3–4 hours. From the pass, descend directly down the snowy slope with a steepness of 25°. Two ropes are used for group safety. Then, the slope has a steepness of about 25°, descending towards the forest while following the riverbank.
Upon entering the forest, turn left and traverse the slope; after the gorge narrows, descend to Lake "Kardyvach". The lake's shore offers a convenient and safe place for a bivouac.
Main Route
From the overnight stay, after walking 15–20 minutes downstream along the "Mzymta" river — cross via a snow bridge to the avalanche deposit (using ropes for safety).
The steepness of the deposit in the lower part is 15–20°. Upon entering the couloir (section R2–R3), the steepness increases to 30°, and under the rocky outcrop — to 45°. Bypass the rocky outcrop (R3–R4) from the right; the ascent to it (R4–R5) is steep, with two ropes traversed in three pitches. After reaching the rocky outcrop, the slope becomes gentler, at 25–30°. Ascend along the right side of the cirque (R5–R6) to a steep rise before reaching the saddle; the ascent to the saddle (R6–R7) is 200 meters along a steep firn slope. After the saddle, ascend to the right towards the summit along simple rocks and snowfields. The journey from the camp to the summit takes 5–6 hours.
The descent from the summit to the saddle follows the ascent route (R8–R10), then to the right — one rope descends into the cirque (R9–R10), directly through the cirque (steepness 15–20°) to the rocky gate (R10–R11), beyond which the slope steepness increases to 30–35°. Descend to Lake "Upper Kardyvach" (R11–R12). Cross the "Upper Mzymta" river to the left orographic bank (since the northern slopes of peak "Layub" are prone to rockfall), bypassing the "ram's foreheads" — descend into the valley (R12–R13). Then, a long, gentle descent to the bivouac. The descent from the summit takes 2–2.5 hours.
Route Assessment
The route was traversed by a group of instructors and climbers from Krasnodar, totaling 6 people, led by Master of Sports, senior alpinism instructor S. Ya. Kisel. The group believes that the route's complexity and length correspond to category 1B difficulty. For comparison, a similar category 1B route is the ascent to peak "Lokomotiv" in the Adylsu region.
The route is safe for mass ascents and can be used as a qualifying peak for beginner climbers.
Participants of the ascent: – Master of Sports, senior instructor Kisel S. Ya. – junior instructor, 2nd sports category Akhtyrsky O. A. – junior instructor, 2nd sports category Makarov I. V. – trainee, 2nd sports category Pogasyan F. L. – trainee, 2nd sports category Mazurov O. N. – 2nd sports category Kroha V. P.
The description is based on the materials from the ascent to the summit on May 1, 1968.
Description of the Ascent to Peak "Layub" via the Northwest Ridge (Southwest) Category 1B, Height 2000 m (Photo № 1)
From the base camp near Lake "Kardyvach", the path to peak "Layub" follows the right orographic bank of the "Mzymta" river. Immediately after the lake, the snow cover begins. We walk upstream along the gorge for 3 hours. Upon reaching the slopes of peak "Smidovich", we turn left and, in rope teams, ascend the snowy slopes of moderate steepness into the North Cirque. From the North Cirque, we ascend snowy slopes of 35° with kinks to the "Layub" pass 1A. The journey from the slopes of peak "Smidovich" to the "Layub" pass takes 2 hours. From the "Layub" pass, along the northwest slope of moderate steepness, we reach the ridge, which has snow cornices on the north side of the wall. Cautiously, with ice axe and rock protection, bypassing the cornices, in rope teams, we move towards the summit. The ascent to the summit involves two rocky outcrops of simple and heavily weathered rocks, each 30 meters. The summit is the end of a rocky ridge with a snow cornice facing northeast over its wall. The journey from the pass to the summit takes 1–1.5 hours. The descent follows the ascent route. From the "Layub" pass, we descend via the usual path to the base camp. The entire route to peak "Layub" via the northwest ridge and return to the base camp takes 8–10 hours. The group believes that the traversed route to peak "Layub" via the northwest ridge deserves a category 1B classification in winter conditions.
Leader — Kisel S., 1st sports category. Participants: – Litvinov V., 1st sports category – Pogasyan F., 3rd sports category – Kirichenko A., badge holder
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