LVOV REGIONAL COUNCIL OF SDSO "BUREVESTNIK"

REPORT ON THE ASCENT TO THE SUMMIT OF WESTERN DOMBAY-ULGEN (4038 m) VIA THE CENTER OF THE WESTERN WALL

(CAUCASUS. Area from Marukh Pass to Nakhar Pass)

Team of the Lvov Regional Council of SDSO "Burevestnik"

SENCHINA S.V. — captain, CMS BOLIZHEVSKY V.K. — coach, MS NIKOLAYCHUK O.L. — CMS UFIMTSEV V.D. — CMS ONYSKO O.S. — 1st sports category

Lviv, 1977

Description of the route

August 2, 1977. Ascend at 4:00. Depart at 4:50. The ascent initially goes up a steep scree, then a steep snowfield. The first two climbers wear crampons, making it easier to kick steps in the hard snow for the rest of the group. It takes about 40 minutes to reach the wall. The cliff base under the rocks is snow-covered in some areas. We start ascending the wall at 5:30. Initially, a difficult exit via very smooth rocks resembling "ram's foreheads" (0–1), followed by a rocky counterfort. Climbing is very challenging; nonetheless, the teams work independently:

• Nikolaychuk — Senchina
• Bolizhevsky — Onysko — Ufimtsev

The first climber goes with a lighter backpack. We move quickly as the lower, more gradual part of the wall is sometimes hit by falling rocks and ice from above. By 11:00, we reach the base of the sheer rocky belt in the middle section of the wall (3–4). We rest and snack here. Having covered 280 m, we face the most challenging part. We redistribute the first climber's load among the rest.

Nikolaychuk starts ascending via an internal corner composed of large, smooth blocks. Climbing is extremely difficult, and protection requires driving in many pitons as the cracks are thin and shallow. However, using a double rope gives the first climber more freedom of movement and confidence in the reliability of the protection. The others prepare jumar clamps for the subsequent ascent via the fixed ropes. The first team takes two hours to complete this section.

The subsequent path goes via less steep, smooth rocks covered in ice. Climbing here requires maximum caution from the first climber as any loss of balance could result in a fall. It's necessary to chip away ice from ledges and handholds using an ice axe and clear cracks for piton placement. After 35 m, the rocks become cleaner and more pronounced. To our right, we see a narrow ledge under an overhang, which can accommodate the entire group. We initially planned to set up our first bivouac on a small snowfield 30 m to the left of this spot, but now we see it's being hit by falling rocks and ice fragments, is littered with debris, and is being showered with water from above. The ledge, although narrow, is well-protected by a cornice above. The weather is good, with no signs of deterioration. We can bivouac separately, without a tent. 16:00.

We spend the rest of the day improving our bivouac site:

• We collect water in all available containers, as a stream flows from a chimney to our left.
• We survey the further route.

Our ascent should continue via the chimney to our left.

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ASCENT ROUTE TO THE SUMMIT OF WESTERN DOMBAY-ULGEN VIA THE CENTER OF THE WESTERN WALL.

now serves as a "water pipe". There are no other possibilities for passing the overhanging rocky belt above us; it's too monolithic. We go to sleep (i.e., sit down) hoping that the chimney will dry out overnight and the water inside won't turn into ice.

August 3, 1977. The night passed calmly. In the morning, we take a long time to loosen up our stiff legs. We prepare tea. Fortunately, we collected water the night before; the rocks are completely dry, and there's no water now. The first team traverses via faint, interrupted ledges to the chimney (5–6). The chimney is completely dry. The start of the chimney overhangs, but climbing is still possible, although extremely difficult (6–7). After 15 m, the chimney widens significantly, and we have to climb up its left slab-like wall (7–8). Inside the chimney, huge blocks hang, weakly attached to the wall and threatening to collapse. Therefore, we have to climb close to the outer edge of the slab. Free climbing is almost impossible; we have to use ladders, and the cracks for piton placement are shallow. At the end of the slab, the first climber, Ufimtsev, has to drive in a bolt for reliable protection. There's a small inclined platform here where two people can stand. Above this, the ascent continues up a steep wall composed of large blocks. It's already noon. Water starts dripping from above:

• first in individual drops,
• then more intensely.

To our left, rocks are falling down a huge internal corner. Small ice fragments sometimes hit our route, fortunately not very dangerously.

As we anticipated, there's no possibility to set up a bivouac here. By 17:00, Nikolaychuk completes the wall passage (8–9) and descends, removing unnecessary pitons and straightening the rope path along the way. On the section (7–8), Ufimtsev is the first to descend. The rope passes inside the chimney, which now acts as a large-diameter water pipe. It's impossible to pass this "water pipe" in one go as the rope is secured to intermediate pitons. Volodya makes a selfless decision to remove all pitons from the chimney, thus saving his teammates from getting wet, as the rope now runs outside along the wall. We change Ufimtsev into dry woolen clothes and try to dry his wet clothing in the last rays of the setting sun.

Throughout the day, we used all possible means to expand our bivouac site. We either built up from outside or removed rocks from the wall. Sitting is now much more comfortable, and our legs no longer dangle. August 4, 1977.

At 6:30, we begin ascending the previously processed section (7–9) using the fixed ropes. Each climber ascends with the help of two jumar clamps using the "harness-leg" method, with their backpack attached to the harness carabiner ("Isseemit method"). We move a prusik knot along the second fixed rope. The ropes, wet from the previous evening, are slightly icy but not too difficult to climb. The ropes hang quite freely, about a meter to a meter and a half from the wall.

We complete the processed section in 2 hours. The route continues via an internal corner that slightly overhangs at its upper part. The gap inside the corner is filled with ice. We alternate between free climbing and using ladders.

Three cams of different sizes, which we brought with us, prove very useful here:

• One of them had to be left on the route as it got stuck too tightly in the gap and couldn't be retrieved.

When exiting this 25-meter corner (9–10), we had to drive in a bolt. Another 15 m of slab-like steep rocks, and we reach a gentle slab where three people can stand. The slabs continue further. This 55-meter section (10–11) ends at a yellow overhang (about 5 m high), above which we planned to set up a bivouac.

The slabs in the second half of the day are flooded with water flowing from a snowfield above the yellow overhang. Both the climber and the belayer are effectively under a waterfall, with no way to hide. Climbing is extremely difficult. Free climbing is combined with using artificial technical aids on completely smooth sections. Two bolts are driven into the slabs here, and one (for protection) into the yellow overhang. Around 18:00, the wall becomes foggy, but it's very warm, and water continues to flow down the wall. Only by 21:00 do we all gather on a narrow ledge above the yellow overhang. Again, we don't risk bivouacking on the snowfield 30 m to our left (rocks are falling from above, it's damp and cold); instead, we clear the ledge under the overhanging rocks from ice and rocks and settle in for a sitting bivouac. This time, we're in a tent.

It gets very cold at night, but inside the tent with the stove on, it's even hot, and by morning, we're completely dry.

August 5, 1977. It's very cold in the morning. Frost grips the wall. The sky is densely overcast, but the clouds gradually clear, promising a sunny day.

The further route goes up and to the right from our bivouac site via very steep but not sheer, destroyed rocks. The first rope is still challenging, but subsequent ones are significantly easier. We ascend along a faintly marked edge towards the summit mulde. The wall becomes more gradual; the rocks on section (12–13) are monolithic but have many ledges. For a while, we climb in independent teams. After a short traverse across a snowfield (13–14), the wall rises again in a sheer step, where water flows at the most accessible spot. Thanks to good ledges, this step is passed with free climbing, although it's extremely difficult. We then continue in independent teams via simpler rocks with small patches of snow. On section (16–17), the rocks become stronger and more complex, but our pace doesn't slacken. Evening approaches; it's time to find a bivouac site. Finally, around 20:00, we reach the western edge, the right edge of the wall's "triangle". Here, on a wide ledge, we can set up a tent. We find a control cairn left by V. Sukharev's group, who pioneered a direct route via the western edge in 1973. We leave our own note. August 6, 1977.

It was very cold at night, with strong wind gusts shaking the tent.

We depart at 7:30. Everything around is frozen. The strong wind is still blowing, but the summit is near. After two ropes of not very difficult rocks, we approach a sheer, narrow chimney cutting through the edge's sheer rise. The lower edge of the chimney overhangs. The first climber passes the chimney without a backpack; the others have to ascend outside the chimney via a fixed rope.

The further path along the pre-summit ridge (19–20–21) doesn't pose any technical challenges.

We reach the summit at 11:30. At 12:00, we radio the camp to report the completion of the ascent and begin our descent from the summit via Sasorov's route through TsDSA peak and then along the western ridge. We arrive at the "Alibek" alpine camp on August 7, 1977, at lunchtime.

Control cairns are left at all our bivouac sites along the route.

Photo 6. Passing the chimney (6–7) and slab (7–8).