Peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny)

Route: via the south-eastern wall

Difficulty category — 3B cat. dif. (rocky)

Leader: V. Babkin

Western Caucasus, Arkhyz, Orlyonok gully, Orlyonok mountain spur

Section in KMGV — 2.1.

E-mail — ZHUR58@RAMBLER.RU

Report

On the first ascent of the climbing route to peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny) Via the south-eastern wall, category 3B (rocky). At the climbing competitions “Kubok Pobedy” by NP “Klub severnykh puteshestvii ‘Sauk-Pai’” (class “First ascents”) in May 2013.

Region: Karachay-Cherkess Republic Mountain country: Western Caucasus Gully: Orlyonok gully Ridge: Orlyonok mountain spur Peaks: Peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny) Route: via the south-eastern wall Difficulty level: 3B cat. dif. (rocky) (approximately) Prepared by: V. Babkin, S. Zhuravlev May, 2013

Description of the peak

3010 (Orlyonok Centralny) is one of the main peaks of the Orlyonok mountain spur, the far western spur of the Sofiysky ridge. The Orlyonok mountain spur is a watershed between the Psyish river valley (to the west) and the Orlyonok river valley (to the north-east). It is located within the North Caucasus Federal District of the Russian Federation, in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, in the Arkhyz mountain region.

Peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny) is a prominently expressed peak of the Orlyonok mountain spur, located in the south-western part of the Orlyonok gully, opposite the nodal peak of the Orlyonok gully — Kara-Djash (3171.0).

Peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny) is easily identifiable from the upper cirque of the Orlyonok gully as one of the highest peaks of the Orlyonok spur. The peak does not have an official name, so it has a conditional tourist-climbing name, Orlyonok Centralny, derived from the name of the gully in which it is located.

Description of the route

The route "Via the south-eastern wall" is a sports rock climbing route of category IIIB.

The route is short but technically very challenging, oriented towards sports groups of experienced climbers improving their skills on rocky terrain.

Equipment

To complete the ascent, a sports team of 2 people will need the following special equipment on the route:

Personal (standard):

• Crampons
• Ice axe for approaches

Team equipment:

• Main rope 10 mm — 2×60 m
• Rock hammer — 2 pcs.
• Rock pitons — 16 pcs.
• Ice axe — 1 pc.
• Chock stones — 12 pcs.
• Friends — 6 pcs.
• Ice screws — 0 pcs.
• Quickdraws — 16 pcs.
• Slings — 10 pcs.

For the leader, rock shoes are necessary!

Approach

The ascent starts from a bivouac in the lower cirque of the Orlyonok gully.

Approach to the lower cirque: from the Taulu meadow, cross the Sofiya river via a bridge and ascend the Orlyonok gully — initially along a logging road, then along a well-defined trail.

The cirque is clearly expressed:

• in winter and spring off-season — snowy;
• in summer — overgrown with high-altitude vegetation.

The height of the cirque above sea level is 1600 m. The ascent from the Taulu meadow to the cirque takes 1.5–2 hours.

In the lower cirque of the Orlyonok gully, there are convenient places for tents with:

• water (streams);
• firewood;
• dry areas freed from snow by the end of April — beginning of May.

Approach to the start of the route:

In the panorama of the cirque, peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny) is not immediately visible; it is necessary to ascend to the upper cirque of the Orlyonok gully and pass under the slopes of peak 3226. Then (to the right along the path) ascend a snowy (or scree in summer) slope to the watershed ridge of the Orlyonok spur in the saddle between peaks Severnye Zubki and Orlyonok (Vostochny). From the watershed ridge, descend to the south-eastern wall of peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny).

Technical part

The location for organizing a belay station is on a grassy ledge in front of the south-eastern wall. Then, along a grassy inclined ledge, approach the eastern wall. The wall is well-defined, easily identifiable by a crack running from top to bottom along the entire length of the wall bastion. The first station is convenient, on a ledge to the left of the crack. The entire ascent along the wall goes to the left of the crack (do not enter the crack — it is heavily destroyed and rockfall-prone!).

Difficult climbing begins immediately after organizing the first station. 180 m of the rock bastion require the first climber not only to have a high level of rock climbing skills but also to wear rock shoes.

Key sections of the route — the route has two key sections:

• The first key section is in the center of the first rock section — a 25-meter section of extremely difficult climbing. Climbing on minimal holds on a monolithic wall with few places for intermediate protection. The rock micro-relief is smooth and dense. At the same time, despite the wall's steepness, the movement goes along dense rocks, and micro-holds are reliable.
• The second key section is on the second rock section — passing an overhang when exiting onto a rock balcony. Passing the overhang requires the leader to have power climbing skills. The section is short — 2 m, but the cornice overhangs by 0.5 m from the wall. In the absence of power climbing skills, the use of artificial climbing techniques is recommended.

Passing the second key section concludes the main technical part of the route.

Exit onto a rock shelf. On the shelf, there is a convenient place for organizing a station. The first ascenders have installed a control cairn. Then, descend to the western rock shoulder along несложными ска­лам. After descending to the western rock shoulder, for trained climbers, the path to the summit does not present significant difficulties — it is a ridge with a series of ledges, walls, and slabs of varying steepness (2+, 2− cat. dif.), leading to the summit of 3010 m (Orlyonok Centralny).

The summit is prominently expressed. The cairn is easily found. Descent: after completing the route, descend along the western ridge to the western rock shoulder, then along a narrow scree couloir under the base of the eastern bastion of peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny). An alternative descent route is possible via a traverse to peak 3031 (Orlyonok Vostochny) and then down the north-eastern slope into the upper cirque of the Orlyonok gully.

Recommendations for instructors

Due to the accessibility and orientation of the route, it can be recommended for independent sports groups of experienced climbers conducting guided or training ascents, having a high level of rock climbing preparation.

Time required to complete the route for a sports team of experienced climbers (SS-2):

• 12–14 hours.

Passport

1. Section number according to KMGV — 2010 — 2.1.

Western Caucasus, mountain region — Arkhyz, mountain spur — Orlyonok

2. Name of the peak: 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny)

height: 3010 m

3. Route: “Via the south-eastern wall”
4. Difficulty category: 3B
5. Character of the route — rocky.
6. Height difference of the route: 550 m
7. Length of the route: 617 m
8. Length of sections of the highest difficulty category:

1 cat. dif. — 1 section — 80 m, 2 cat. dif. — 2 sections — 400 m, 3 cat. dif. — 1 section — 15 m

4 cat. dif. — 4 sections — 90 m, 5 cat. dif. — 3 sections — 32 m, 6 cat dif. — 0 sections — 0 m

9. Average steepness: 80 degrees.
10. Number of pitons used:

Used in total on the route:

• Rock pitons — 6
• Chock stones — 21
• Stationary pitons — 0
• Artificial climbing aids — 0
• Removable pitons — 0

Left on the route:

• Total — 0
• Including stationary pitons — 0

11. Exit to the route — 3:30, May 5, 2013.

Reached the summit — 14:00, May 5, 2013. Returned to BL — 17:30, May 5, 2013.

12. Team's total climbing hours: — 15 hours.
13. Leader: Vyacheslav Babkin (CMS, instructor-methodologist 3rd category, Yekaterinburg).

Participants: A. Mashikhin (2nd sports category, Nevinnomyssk).

14. Coach: Zhuravlev Sergey Vasilyevich, rank — CMS, instructor-methodologist 1st category. Western Caucasus. Arkhyz. Orlyonok mountain spur. Peak — 3010 m (Orlyonok Centralny). Route: “Via the south-eastern wall” category 3B (rocky). Scheme in UIAA symbols

Western Caucasus, Arkhyz, Orlyonok gully, Peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny) Route: “Via the eastern wall” 3B (rocky) (table of natural obstacles on the route)

Total

Length of the route — 617 m. Average steepness — 80°. Character of relief — rocky. Sections:

• 1 cat. dif. — 1 section — 80 m
• 2 cat. dif. — 2 sections — 400 m
• 3 cat. dif. — 1 section — 15 m
• 4 cat. dif. — 4 sections — 90 m
• 5 cat. dif. — 3 sections — 32 m

Number of pitons and chock stones used: 6/21. Left on the route: 0/0.

Western Caucasus. Arkhyz. Orlyonok mountain spur. Peak — 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny). Route: “Via the south-eastern wall” category 3B (rocky)

Photo from the watershed ridge. May, 2013.

Western Caucasus. Arkhyz. Orlyonok gully. Peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny)

Route:

• Via the south-eastern wall
• Category 3B (rocky)

Photo profile of the wall with the route marked. Photo from the watershed ridge, separating the valleys of rivers Psyish and Orlyonok

Western Caucasus. Arkhyz. Orlyonok gully. Peak: 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny). Route: “Via the south-eastern wall” Difficulty level: Category 3B (rocky). Section R0–R1. Start of the technical part of the route.

Section R10–R11

Exit to the summit of Orlyonok Centralny

Western Caucasus. Arkhyz. Orlyonok gully. Peak 3010 (Orlyonok Centralny). Route: “Via the south-eastern wall” Category 3B (rocky)

Photo of the pre-summit ridge. Section R10–R11. Photo from the saddle of the western ridge