Ministry of Land Reclamation and Water Management of the RSFSR NORTH CAUCASUS STATE INSTITUTE FOR DESIGNING WATER MANAGEMENT AND LAND RECLAMATION CONSTRUCTION

SEVKAVGIPROVODKHOZ

• Address: 357500, Pyatigorsk, Kirov Ave., 78
• Phone: 29–38
• Teletype: 148
• Account: 38704
• Bank: Pyatigorsk branch of the State Bank
• Date: March 21, 1986
• Number: № 1814/UT

USSR Sports Committee Mountaineering Department to V.N. Shataev Moscow, G-270, Luzhnetskaya Nab., 8

On submitting a report on the first ascent

On behalf of the Presidium of the Stavropol Regional Mountaineering Federation, I am submitting for consideration by the Classification Commission of the USSR Mountaineering Federation a "Report on the first ascent to the peak of the XXVII Congress of the CPSU via the North couloir and Northwest ridge".

The route was traversed during a planned event of the Regional Federation in February 1986.

Please inform us of the decision regarding the classification.

Attachments:

1. Report in 1 copy.
2. Protocol of preliminary review and evaluation of the route in 1 copy.

Head of the Public Rescue Team of the Regional Mountaineering Federation E. Zaporozhchenko

tg, 3, 20.03.1986

PROTOCOL

of preliminary review and evaluation of the route of the first ascent to the peak named after the XXVII Congress of the CPSU by the Classification Commission of the Stavropol Regional Mountaineering Federation.

The Classification Commission of the Stavropol Regional Mountaineering Federation reviewed the submitted materials on the ascent to the peak named after the XXVII Congress of the CPSU (3280 m) via the North couloir and Northwest ridge, made on February 20, 1986, by a group consisting of: E. Zaporozhchenko - leader, G. Perkon, I. Uvarov, V. Neporozhny, I. Belokurov, A. Rabotenko, V. Kovalenko, A. Rodionov - participants, within the framework of a year-round mountaineering event of the Regional Federation, in commemoration of the solemn event - the opening of the XXVII Congress of the CPSU, and resolved: to assess the nature and novelty of the said route as a winter snow-rock first ascent, and the complexity - 1B cat. diff.

______ March 1986 Chairman of the Classification Commission V. Tretyanov Commission members, MS USSR V. Popov PMS USSR I. Damianidi Head of the Public Rescue Team of the Stavropol Region E. Zaporozhchenko

The Classification Commission cannot consider the evaluation of the classification route.

1. The route is not sufficiently outlined by the commission
2. The name "XXVII Congress" does not correspond to the significance of this political event for the Soviet people.
3. The Stavropol Mountaineering Federation should pay attention to attempts by some outside groups to assign political names to peaks and force the Classification Commission to consider and classify routes to peaks with unsuitable names.

Received 1/08-86

The unnamed peak 3280 m is located in the middle part of the Northwest spur of the Sofiyskiy ridge between the peaks "Nadezhda" (3349 m) and "9 sentyabrya" (3251 m). The peak 3280 m is a nodal point (see diagram) for the ridge branching off to the east, which in turn has two well-defined powerful counterforts - lower (2960 m) and upper (3156 m, see photo 1 and 2).

There are classified routes (for summer conditions) to the peaks "Nadezhda" and "9 sentyabrya" with difficulties of 1B and 3A cat. diff.

From the "Ledovaya ferma" base camp (photo 3), the peak is not visible, being obscured by the aforementioned counterforts. However, it is clearly visible from the Pshish river valley, as well as during ascent to the opposite slope at absolute elevations above 2300 m (during the first ascent, the conditions for photography were unfavorable).

From the base camp (1920 m absolute elevation), the path goes in the direction of the "Stolichny" pass, as far as the mouth of a wide couloir with "ram's foreheads" in its upper part, with a northern exposure. The couloir is situated between the Northeast ridge of the peak "9 sentyabrya" and the Western face of the 2960 m counterfort.

In winter, sunlight practically does not penetrate into this steep, snow-filled couloir, making it safe from avalanches. In fact, this determines the winter route, as other options appear to be avalanche-prone. The absolute elevation of the couloir's exit onto the slope is 2200 m. In winter, it takes about 3 hours to reach this point (there is always a lot of snow here, even in relatively snow-poor winters for the Caucasus).

The beginning of the route.

DESCRIPTION OF THE ROUTE

Section R0–R1. Through snow, sticking to the left part of the couloir, straight up. Closer to the "ram's foreheads", under the snow, as well as on the "foreheads" themselves - ice. On February 20, 1986, the ice section was about 30 m long. Crampons (or detour to the left via rocks). The length of the entire section is about 300 m, 45°.

Section R1–R2. Above the "foreheads", the couloir widens. In undulations, through snow, to the right - up to a snowy ascent with a steepness of up to 50°, leading to an inclined mulde (covered by winter snow - a glacier). Approximately 400 m, average steepness - 40°.

Section R2–R3. Through snow in the middle part of the inclined mulde, in the direction of the saddle formed by the ridges descending from the peaks 3280 m and "9 sentyabrya". Closer to the saddle, the snow becomes denser. Average steepness: L = 500 m, about 35° (1 cat. diff.).

Section R3–R4. From the saddle, to the left-up, the Northwest ridge goes, leading to the peak, in places sharp, composed of granite-gneisses, covered with ice. Its average steepness is 35°. Individual low-height gendarmes are overcome head-on; detours are possible, both to the left and to the right. Movement is mostly simultaneous in rope teams. In two places, for large groups, it is necessary to organize belays (photo 4), L = 300 m.

For 1080 m of ascent from the start of the route, of which about 800 m is through loose winter snow, the group spent about 5 hours.

Descent is via the ascent route (photo 5). Subsequent groups also traversed the route from the base camp to the base camp within a daylight period.

The summit cairn was built for the first time. The first ascent was made within the framework of a mountaineering event of the Stavropol Regional Federation, supervised by the Regional Committee of the Komsomol and the Central Committee of the Komsomol, and was dedicated to the XXVII Congress of the CPSU. The first ascenders and subsequent groups petition for the peak to be named after the XXVII Congress of the CPSU.

Compiled by Photos: I. Dvornikova Pyatigorsk, March 1986 E. V. Zaporozhchenko