Ascent Passport

1. Ascent category — technical.
2. Ascent area — Central Caucasus, "Bezengi" alpine camp, Dumala valley, Koshtan-Krest ridge.
3. Ascent route — Oktyabrenok peak (3890 m) via the north face (first ascent).
4. Characteristics of the ascent:
   • route length 1460 m,
   • height difference 900 m,
   • average slope of the route 60°,
   • average slope of wall sections 76°,
   • length of difficult sections 610 m.

Peak Oktabrenok via NW wall — 5B (3890) The transition from the "green camps" of Dumala gorge via l. Ululu-Auz to the big rocky island, to the left of the buttress of p. Pioneer, takes about 1 hour. Ascent through the bergschrund and then up the steep snowy slope (50%) about 5–6 ropes to the right of the rocky island - the shoulder of p. Pioneer with an exit to its summit. Here is a safe place to spend the night and a good observation point. From here:

• 2 ropes up to the right of the rocky tongue with an exit into the couloir
• 60 m of easy and moderate difficulty rocks along the couloir
• The next 80 m of moderate difficulty path should be traversed, rising gradually above the couloir by 8–25 m, partially using rocky ledges. Insurance from the start of the entrance to the couloir is only крючьевая [hook] and very strict. Movement along the right wall of the couloir at a height of up to 25 m is quite reliably protected from falling stones and possible ice falls from the left glacier. The bend of the buttress of p. Pioneer protects from falling stones from the right. It is from the bend that the dangerous sections begin, requiring clear, quick work, the section of transition to the lower part of the wall of p. Oktabrenok. On the day of reconnaissance and processing, the group worked on the route for 6 hours. The ascent path was processed up to the angle of turn of the right wall of the couloir. 120 m of rope were hung. 10 hooks were hammered.

7. Traversing the Kostan-krest ridge from Pik Mira to Tютюнбаши with an ascent to Pik Mira via the Northern counterfort - 4B category of difficulty (A. Naumov, E. Varfolomeev, I. Kudinov, E. Sokolovsky, V. Shutin, and V. Shutov - July 22-24, 1961; Fig. 36). The path from the "Bezengi" alpine camp to Pik Mira is described in route 106. From Pik Mira, descend west along a 150-180-meter sharp snowy ridge (cornices!) and 80-meter steep rocks (sporting descent) to the saddle between Pik Mira and Truda. From the saddle, traverse 200-250 meters along a heavily jagged rocky-snowy ridge (cornices!) with 3-5-meter rocky and small snowy gendarmes, which are overcome along the ridge. After a 7-10-meter drop, ascend along a sharp snowy ridge, then along a slope that transitions into a 60-80-meter sharp snowy ridge with small rocky outcrops over 150-200 meters. Continue along rocks of medium difficulty and a snowy ridge to ascend to Pik Truda. From Pik Truda:

• descend 25-30 meters along rocks of medium difficulty,
• then ascend to a small gendarme,
• from it, make a 40-meter sporting descent to a saddle. Further:
• traverse along rocks of medium difficulty with many small gendarmes, which are bypassed along shelves or overcome directly along 2-5-meter walls and 35-meter slabs (hook!) - descend into a drop. In the drop - a bivouac. From the Truda pass - 10-12 hours. From the drop:

P 22.03.

Description of the ascent route to Peak Mira (4400 m) via the North Counterfort - Category III difficulty. The starting point of the route can be found in the description for Gerta-bashi peak from Ullu-Auz glacier via Category 1B route. From the overnight stay in the Trud pass hollow:

• to the base of the North Counterfort of Peak Mira;
• from the plateau through the bergschrund and 30-35 m up the ice-snow slope to the start of the rocks;
• 30-40 m up the cleft to exit onto the left side of the ridge;
• further, 30-35 m up rocks of moderate difficulty to reach the first rocky ascent;
• 25-30 m up the snowy ridge, bypassing the rocky headland on the right, and up the snowy slope to below the second rocky ascent;
• up rocks of moderate difficulty to reach the sharp snowy ridge, with rocky outcrops in its middle and end sections suitable for belaying;
• the snowy ridge gives way to a steep icy slope, with rocky outcrops on the left;

103. Traverse of the Koshtan-Krest ridge from the peak of Kankashev to Gerty-Bashi with ascent to the peak Kankashev via the Eastern ridge — 5A cat. diff. (A. Naumov, E. Varfolomeev, I. Kudinov, E. Sokolovsky, V. Shutin, V. Shutov — July 16–21, 1961; fig. 34, 35). The path from the alp camp "Bezengi" to the Eastern summit of peak Kankashev see in description 102. From the Eastern summit:

• descend 60 m down simple monolithic rocks to the snowy ridge in the failure. From the failure:
• ascend simple destroyed rocks of the ridge to the Western summit of peak Kankashev. From the Western summit:
• descend to the west first over simple rocks,
• then by sports descents over slabs and steep rocks of medium difficulty to a simple snowy ridge. Further:

1. Kapkasheva peak

Komisan pass ↓ route 4A 4–5 Pikh XXVII Congress to ZSShS-SB glacier

Peak Kankosheva via NW Edge — Category 4A

From the overnight stay behind the moraine of the Dumala glacier, the glacier is crossed towards the northwest (right) ridge of Peak Kankosheva. The exit to the ridge is on the right, bypassing the first large "gendarme" along the ice-snow slope (30–40°) and across the scree into the gap behind the "gendarme". Further movement is along the ridge:

• on its left side, along the ledges;
• using outcrops and rock pitons for belaying (2–3 ropes). The further path is strictly along the ridge. The rocks are of medium difficulty, with short complex walls encountered in places. After 3–4 ropes, the ridge turns into a narrow sharp "knife-edge", movement is possible:
• either to the right of the ridge along the slab, holding onto the sharp ridge,
• or astride the ridge — 1–1.5 ropes. The ridge abuts against a sheer wall 10–12 m (the key point of the route). To the left, the wall is dangerous to bypass due to heavily destroyed needle-like rocks; to the right, stones and avalanches come down the couloir. The wall must be overcome head-on. The upper part of the wall overhangs, with no holds. It is advisable to use ladders to overcome the wall. Another 2 ropes of difficult climbing lead back to the ridge, which goes:

Peak Kankosheva via NW ridge - 4A

Route description. The route starts from the moraine fields below KOSHTAN Pass; a snow-ice slope with an angle of 30 to 40° on the right - a total of 3 pitches over 40 m leads to a gap in the ridge behind the final ascent of the ridge. Then, exit onto the ridge via moderately difficult rocks and then easy, broken rocks - 2 pitches. Belays via outcrops. Along the ridge, 2 pitches on rock and ice, to the right. The rocks are slab-like, moderately difficult. Exit to the first ascent is 0.5 pitches via slabs and ice (pitons). Steepness is 45°. The ascent is a 60° wall with cracks, climbed directly from the left - 1 pitch or bypassed on the right - 1.5 pitches on ice with piton belays on rock. Ice steepness is 40-45°. Exit up and left onto the ascent via steep slabs resembling "sheep's foreheads" - 0.5 pitches. No outcrops, few handholds. Overnight stay possible at the ascent. Total of 4 hours from the start of the route. Then, the ridge ascent continues - moderately difficult rocks with outcrops, steepness 40-45°, total of 2-2.5 pitches. Then, a 5 m triangular wall is bypassed on the right, belays via outcrops. Steep slabs are climbed via ledges and cracks (pitons). Then, the ridge becomes steeper with 2-4 m walls bypassed on the right and left via ledges and slabs covered in ice. Yellow blocks - pylons cross the ridge and are bypassed on the right via wall ledges in traverse with exit onto the ridge - 2.5-3 pitches. Total of 3 hours of climbing.

Description of the ascent route to peak Kankosheva 3920 m via the Eastern edge (from KOSHTAN pass) – 3A category of difficulty.

From the overnight stay behind the moraine - into the moraine gap, exit to the Ullu-Auz glacier. Cross the glacier in the direction of the KOSHTAN pass. From the glacier - along the talus and snowfields, exit to the plateau below the KOSHTAN pass. From the plateau - along the snowy slope, passing the bergschrund on the right. Reach the KOSHTAN pass (replace the note in the cairn on the pass). From the pass - right and up along the wide snowy ridge. The first gendarme is bypassed on the left along the snow. The second - first a 10-15-meter traverse to the right, then 10 m straight up the plate and 30 m along the rocks of medium difficulty - exit to the gendarme's saddle. From the saddle - a 40-meter traverse along the ledges on the left side of the gendarme with an exit to the shoulder of the South counterfort. Along the steep rocks of medium difficulty 30 m up to the gendarme. Further - 50-70 m along the sharp snowy ridge - exit below the walls of the third gendarme. First, bypass it on the right along the boundary of ice and rocks to a 12-15-meter ledge. From the ledge - 50 m up the plate, then a traverse into a 70-80-meter couloir, which leads to the saddle. From the saddle - up a 15-meter cleft to the gendarme. From it - down to the ridge after 20–25 m. Further - up along the simple rocks of the ridge. The fourth gendarme is ascended straight up (40 m), then - bypassed by a 60-70-meter traverse on the left along the ledges and rocks of medium difficulty through the South counterfort with an exit beyond the gendarme to the saddle below the rocky ascent of peak Kankosheva. From the saddle - straight up 15 m along the difficult rocks of the counterfort. Further - 40 m along a 4-meter cleft - ascent to the Eastern peak of Kankosheva.