Northwest wall of Черной Незнакомки (photo from under the wall) — the route of our team — the route of A. Naumov's group

86. Inguri via the Southwest Edge (a combined route, V. Sycheva, category 4B difficulty, fig. 5, 18). On the right side of the broken Middle Plateau of the Inguri glacier (m. 89) (closed crevasses, avalanches on the right, icefall collapses) approach the Southwest slopes of the Inguri summit. 120–150 m from the Western ridge of Inguri, turn right and ascend 350–400 m up the broken ice-and-snow slope. Having passed to the right of the base of the Southwest Edge, behind the gendarme turn left and ascend 120–150 m to a scree area on the Southwest Edge. From the Upper Inguri Plateau 4–5 hours. Here, turn right and ascend 120–150 m up simple, heavily destroyed rocks of the Southwest Edge. 40 m up to the left of the corner, ascend a wall of above-average difficulty to a wide ledge. From the ledge, 40 m up steep rocks of average difficulty to an ice-and-snow slope. Then 100–120 m up and to the right along a steep ice-and-snow slope with rock outcrops to the shoulder. From the shoulder, 40–50 m up a wall of above-average difficulty on the left side of the Southwest Edge (key location) to the Southwest Edge. By the wide, snow-covered Southwest Edge, reach a plateau (cairn). From the glacier 6–8 hours. From the plateau, 200–220 m up rocks of average difficulty of the wide South Edge to a 20-meter ascent, which is overcome by a wall of above-average difficulty. Then 100 m along simple and average difficulty snow-covered monolithic rocks of the Southwest Edge to a 15-meter wall, pass it head-on through a cleft. From the wall, 60–80 m up and to the right along a snow-covered inclined ledge, bypass the pre-summit ascent and ascend steep rocks of average difficulty on the left side of a narrow 40–50-meter couloir to the Southwest ridge. Along the simple 60–80-meter ice-and-snow (cornices) Southwest ridge, ascend to the summit of Inguri. From the initial bivouac on the Upper Inguri Plateau 12–14 hours.

(the route is combined, Mt. Melia, 4A cat. dif., Fig. 5). From Vakhušti (milestones 82–85) along the snow and ice (cornices) Northern ridge-slope, having passed an ice crevasse, descend to a saddle. From the saddle, along the snow and ice slope approach under the first "saw-tooth" pinnacle of the Southern ridge of Inguri peak. Along a simple couloir bypass the pinnacle from the left and ascend behind it onto a snow saddle (cornice). Further along the boundary of the snow and ice slope, along the rocks on the right side of the Southern ridge bypass II–IV "saw-tooth" pinnacles. Then along the snow slope 60–80 m up to the site of a rocky "island" on a wide snow and ice saddle of the Southern ridge. Make a bivouac on the site. From "Aylama" alpbase 7–8 hrs. From the site along the ruined and jagged rocks of the 250–300-meter Southern ridge, bypassing or overcoming head-on 10–12-meter pinnacles along steep rocks of above average difficulty, exit onto a pinnacle-tower. Further 250–300 m along the jagged Southern ridge of average difficulty, overcoming head-on 5–8-meter pinnacles and bypassing the last large pinnacle of the second "saw" along steep rocks on the right, exit onto a saddle under the Pre-summit pinnacle. Along a steep smooth plate of above average difficulty 20–30 m up. Then along the rocks of average difficulty bypass the pinnacle's summit on the right and along the sharp snow (cornice) Southern ridge descend onto a sharp snow and ice (cornice) ridge. Having passed the saddle, traverse a steep snow and ice slope to the right onto the Southeastern counterforce and along simple snow-covered rocks of the Southeastern counterforce ascend onto Inguri summit. From Vakhušti summit 5–7 hrs.

85. Vakhushti via the Western slope (ice and snow route, category 2B, fig. 5, 18). From the middle plateau of the Inguri glacier (m. 89) (avalanches, ice falloffs), turn right and ascend to the right of the Lower rocky outcrop along the steep 60–80-meter ice and snow gully of Vakhushti Western slope. Then 400–500 m along the gentle ice and snow Western slope (closed crevasses, belay) to the right side of the large ice fall above the rocky outcrop located in the center of the Western slope. Go around the outcrop with the ice fall along the steep ice and snow slope on the right (avalanches, belay) with a traverse through the ice and snow 25–30-meter couloir (stones, pitons) and come out to a small rocky outcrop. From the outcrop, along the 40–60-meter ice and snow ascent (piton

Fig. 18.

82. Va­khushti via East Ridge (combined route, cat. 2A, fig. 5, 18).

From the starting bivouac on the upper plateau of Koruldashi Glacier (point 72) ascend a simple destroyed rocky slope to reach the first pinnacle of Vakhushti's East Ridge and traverse it on the left (belay) 20 m along the snow-rock boundary. Then ascend simple rocks of the East Ridge. Pinnacles:

• traverse the second sharp pinnacle on the right along the ledges;
• traverse the third pinnacle on the right along the ledges. Further, ascend the heavily destroyed, partly snowed simple rocky East Ridge, traverse a 3-meter wall on the left to reach the «saw».

83. Va­khus­hti via South­east ridge (com­bi­ned route, cate­gory 2A, fig. 5; 18). At the first stream (m. 89) turn right and ascend via the trail on its right bank to a snowfield. From the snowfield, ascend via scree and easy bro­ken rocks on the south­east slopes of the South­east ridge to the ridge of Vakhushti peak, to the left and above its grassy slopes. From here, follow the gen­tle, wide, scree South­east ridge to a nar­row ridge, which is avoided via a 30-meter ledge on the right (pro­tec­tion). Be­hind it, as­cend via steep, easy, bro­ken rocks to the south­east ridge (pro­tec­tion). Fur­ther, 30 m via steep, easy, bro­ken rocks on the left side of the south­east

84. Vakhushti via the Southwest Ridge (combined route, category 1B difficulty, Fig. 5, 18). Without reaching the Vakhushti pass (pic. 89), turn right and, bypassing rocky gendarmes on the right along the scree, ascend to the Southwest Ridge of Vakhushti. From here, ascend along the scree and easy, heavily damaged, snow-covered (cornices) rocks of the southwest ridge to the snowy, scree-covered southern shoulder. From the shoulder, there is a small descent along the wide, snow-covered (cornice) southwest ridge to a connecting ridge. Further, ascend along the easy, gently sloping, snow-covered (cornices) rocks of the southwest ridge to the summit of

Fig. 15.

73. Aylama via the III Bastion of the South Face (combined route, Sh. Margiani, 5B cat. dif., fig. 5, 15, 16). From the ledge at the top of the Left Edge (point 72):

• 150 m up a steep snow-ice slope.
• Having overcome or bypassed the bergschrund via difficult rocks on the left, ascend 80–100 m up a steep snow-ice couloir along the rocks on the right side of the III Bastion.
• Then turn left and up:
  • 40 m via difficult rocks of the wall,
  • then 40 m via moderately difficult rocks.