PASSPORT

Ascent to the summit of peak Borovikov (4880 m) via NE wall, category 5B difficulty Central Caucasus, Bezengi gorge. Elevation gain 1800 m Route length 3040 m Average slope 42° Route character combined Section lengths:

• 5 — 285 m
• 6 — 50 m Team's moving hours – 32; days – 3

2. Mizhirgi East

Summit: V. Mizhirgi East, 4927 m. Route sections: R0, R1, R2, R3.

Ascent Description

TO THE SUMMIT OF V. MIZHIRGI VIA THE N. RIDGE. Completed by the MGS DSO "Trud" gathering group. July 27 – August 1, 1962. The Mizhirgi peak (5027 m) is located in the Bezengi region of the Central Caucasus, at the center of one of the most complex ridges — Koshtan-Tau — Dykh-Tau. The north ridge ascending to the eastern summit of Mizhirgi from the Cheget-Mizhirgi glacier was first climbed by a Pelevin group in 1952. The ridge drops off towards Krumkol with a vertical rock wall, and towards Dykh-Tau with steep and avalanche-prone slopes. In the lower third, its steepness is around 70°, the remaining part is an icy ridge (40–60°) with several steps in the form of rock cliffs. The key sections of the route are the ridge exit and the pre-summit wall. The route is classified as 5B category difficulty. The MGS DSO "Trud" gathering group completed this ascent from July 28 to 31, 1962, with the following team members: Cheremisov V. 1st sports category — leader Tkachenko A. 1st sports category — participant Petiforov V. 1st sports category — participant Daruga V. 2nd sports category — participant

Ascent Description

Technical Data

1. Climbing Area Central Caucasus, Bezengi gorge
2. Peak
   • East Mizhirgi 4950 m
   • West Mizhirgi 5050 m
3. Route
   • Ascent to the North Edge via the wall of the lower rocky bastion (first ascent)
   • Along the North Edge to East Mizhirgi via Pelevin's route
   • Ascent to West Mizhirgi

68. Traverse of the Eastern and Western Mizhirgi peaks with ascent to the Eastern Mizhirgi via the North-Eastern counterfort - 5B cat. diff. (A. Timofeev, V. Zhirnov, V. Ivanov, L. Kadykov, A. Pepin, and G. Chunovkin - July 29 - August 4, 1960; Fig. 23, 24). The route from the Bezengi alpine camp to the medial moraine of the Mizhirgi glacier above the first stage of the icefall is described in route 18. The moraine is used as a bivouac. From the bivouac (with crampons!) traverse the glacier to the foot of the North-Eastern counterfort of the Eastern Mizhirgi peak and ascend a 250 m ice-and-snow slope to the left side of the counterfort. Ascend 80 m up and to the right along moderately difficult snow-covered slabs, then ascend a small snow slope to the foot of the counterfort wall. Ascend 80 m up and to the right along the wall ("live" rocks!) with piton belay, then 70 m straight up the counterfort (artificial aids!) to a ledge (control cairn on the ledge). From the ledge, ascend 60 m up a snow slope on the right side of the counterfort, then 25 m up and left along a chimney to the counterfort. From here, ascend 25 m along a rocky, then 20-25 m along a snowy counterfort to the foot of the first gendarme wall. Ascend 35 m straight up the wall to a ledge, then traverse 15-20 m along an internal corner. From the corner, traverse 20-25 m along the wall to the right to a ledge below a crevice, then ascend 20 m up the crevice to a smooth wall. Ascend 30 m up and to the right along the wall to an external corner, then 30 m up the corner, followed by a traverse to the right with a descent behind the gendarme to a snowy col on the ridge (piton belay!). Ascend along the snowy ridge to the foot of the second gendarme. From here, ascend a snowy slope on the right side of the ridge, then descend to the right without reaching the gendarme, to a wide snowy ridge-slope. The ridge-slope is used as a bivouac. The total time from the initial bivouac is 12-14 hours.

U. Mizhirgi. North wall. Routes 5B cat. sl. (general directions). Route of the first ascent. ¹

U. Route description. Order of passage

The tactical plan for passing the route provided for processing the lower, most dangerous part of the wall, about 250 m long, and this had to be done before the sun heated the upper glaciers, i.e., before 10–11 am. During the observation, several recorded avalanches and collapses occurred in the middle of the day. July 19 — we went out to process at 3 am by the light of lanterns, taking only ropes and hooks with us. It's snowing a bit from above, and a few centimeters of snow have already fallen. We're nervous — the first meeting with the wall. We're a bit shivery from sleep, but it's not cold. We cross a long avalanche cone with several branches, all pitted with pits, crevices, and approach the wall. All the rocks are snowy, damp, quiet, but there are clearings in the fog and we can hope for improvement.

Ascent Passport

1. Type of ascent — snow and ice.
2. Region of ascent, ridge — Main Caucasian Ridge from Ortokare peak to Gestola peak, North spur.
3. Peak, its height, ascent route — Mizhirgi Eastern, 4918 m, via the northern wall, via "cascades" (Shevchenko route).
4. Anticipated difficulty category 5B
5. Route characteristics: height difference — 1400 m, average steepness — 49°, length of 5B difficulty sections — 657 m.
6. Pitons hammered: for rock protection — 18, ice screws — 89, chocks — 16.
7. Number of climbing hours — 29.
8. Number of nights and their characteristics: 2 bivouacs.
9. Group composition: Ovsyannikov Yu.N., Master of Sports — leader, Zhuravlev V.V., Candidate for Master of Sports — participant, Karataev V.A., Candidate for Master of Sports — participant, Lebedev V.G., Candidate for Master of Sports — participant.

The Western ridge - category 4B difficulty (G. Pro­kudaev, I. Kor­zun and V. Na­u­menko — July 1936). The path from the Bezengi alpine camp to the initial bivouac under the Sella pass see in the description 42. From the bivouac site across the glacier (in crampons!) in the direction of the snowy couloir descending from the saddle between the Pik Pushkina and the Unnamed 4880 m. Bergschrund bypass along the avalanche chute and behind it 80–100 m up the icy-snowy couloir (rockfall!). At a large rocky "tooth" to the right — exit to the rocks of the Southern counterfort of the Unnamed 4880 m and up to the right along the moderately difficult rocks to the ridge of the counterfort. Further movement along:

• moderately difficult rocks,
• simple rocky sections,
• snowy slopes,
• ledges,
• small 2–4-meter walls (insurance!),

Photo. General view of the ridge of Mt. Mizhirgi, taken from the second terrace of the unnamed glacier.

1. Geographical Location and Ascent Routes

The summit of West Mizhirgi (4928 m) is located in the North Array between Pushkin Peak and East Mizhirgi, to which it is connected by ridges; in addition, a steep rocky ridge runs south from West Mizhirgi to Sella Pass and a spur runs north into Mizhirgi Gorge. The ascent directly to the summit is possible via several routes:

• along the northern spur from Mizhirgi Gorge (5B);
• from the saddle between Pushkin Peak and West Mizhirgi (4B);
• from Sella Pass along the southern ridge. The route from Sella Pass was traversed by Swiss mountaineers (Saladin's group) and in 1953 by a "Burevestnik" group led by Honored Master of Sports K.K. Kuzmin during the traverse of Bezengi Wall - Dykh-Tau, but until 1957 it was not classified as an independent route.

2. Approaches

Moscow Alpinism Championship 2010. Technical Climbing Class

Ascent Report

Teams of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute Climbers' Club

On Mt. Mizhirgi (3) 5025 m. Route via the S ridge, 5A category of difficulty, L. Salandina, 1934, 27.08.2010

Moscow 2010 Passport

1. Caucasus. From Kitlod Pass to Gezivts Pass (north of the Main Caucasian Range) 2.5
2. Mt. Mizhirgi (3) 5025 m., 2.5.107 via S ridge, L. Salandina route, 1934.