Report

On the ascent of the KCR team to the summit of Semenov Bashi 3602 m

via the counterfort of the North-Eastern wall. Presumably 3B cat. dif. Second ascent. Semenova E. A. — 3rd sports category, leader Semenov M. A. — CMS, participant Alpclub — "Gornoye Bezumiye"

2. Caucasus

General view from the south. Arrows indicate ascent routes. Semenov-Bashi, 3602 m

Via the central bastion of the southern wall. Cat. 3A

From al "Alibek" up along the trail leading to the training slopes of Semenov-Bashi peak. From the rocks up along the grassy slopes in the direction of the southern wall of Semenov-Bashi peak to the large snow circus under the wall. From "Alibek" - 3 hours. Along the snowy slope with a steepness of 25-30° up to the central bastion of the Southern wall (the start of the route is to the right of the red arrow drawn on a light 8-meter rock). Along the rocks first up, then to the right, crossing the couloir, exit under the wall. Along the wall up to a large shelf. Control cairn. From the shelf to the right-up along the system of inner corners, shelves, and ridges - exit to a loose mulda and along it to the "roof". Along the easy rocks of the roof - exit to the Eastern ridge and along it to the left to the summit. From the start of the route 6-8 hours. Descent via route 1B (see below). Recommendations:

• Group size: 6 people
• Initial bivouac: under the Southern wall

ASCENT PASSPORT

1. Ascent class — rock climbing
2. Ascent area — Western Caucasus (from Marukh pass to Nakhar pass)
3. Peak, its height, ascent route — Semyonov-Bashi peak 3602 m via the central bastion of the southern wall
4. Expected difficulty category — 3A
5. Height difference — 1100 m
6. Pitons driven (rock anchors for belaying) — 4
7. Number of travel hours — 5
8. Participants — Abarbarchuk Georgy Samuilovich, CMS, 2nd sports category. Boyko Viktor Viktorovich, CMS, 3rd sports category.
9. Date of team's departure on the route and return — July 8, 1981

Brief Description of the Approach

From the "Alibek" mountaineering camp in the direction of the "73" pass, follow the trail through the stream under the waterfall and then along the stream from the slopes of v. Semenov-Bashi up the trail to a steep grassy slope. Having passed it, exit to the left ridge of the upper moraine. Follow the trail on the moraine for about 500 m and then traverse left along a steep grassy-scree slope to the ridge of large and medium scree in a small hanging valley, going from the saddle between v. Semenov-Bashi and v. Maly Semenov-Bashi. Possible bivouac site, water available.

Brief Description of the Route

From the bivouac, follow the medium and large scree (at the beginning and middle of the season, along a snowy slope) 500 m in the direction of the saddle between v. Semenov-Bashi and v. Maly Semenov-Bashi and, 150 m before it, turn right onto a ledge. Along the 0.5–2 m wide ledge (1–2) 400 m to a snow-scree couloir, leading left of the "Lopata" gendarme. Up the couloir 100 m and, bypassing the gendarme on the left, 50 m along the ridge to a 35-meter wall with a vaguely defined internal angle, steepness 50–60°. Up the wall straight with piton belay (possible rockfall) to a sharp ridge. Then traverse 5 m to the right into an internal angle of slab-like structure, steepness 40°, and up it 35 m (pitons), exit to the ridge. Further along a gentle ridge 60 m — exit under the black wall. From here, traverse along a ledge to the right 40 m to a wide scree southern slope of the summit and along it 300 m to the right-up to a notch. Then 100–120 m along the ridge (route 1B cat. dif.) to the summit. Descent via route 1B cat. dif. Control tour is installed on the ledge when bypassing the "Lopata" gendarme. Here is also a convenient place for a forced bivouac.

Table of Main Characteristics of the Ascent Route

1. Ascent to Semenov-bashi peak (3608 m) from the southwest — 1b category of difficulty (Fig. 10)

From the “Alibek” alpine camp along the trail through the stream under the waterfall to the bivouac site. From Dombay plain 2.5–3 hours. From the bivouac:

• along the stream up the trail to a steep grassy slope;
• after passing the slope, exit to the left ridge of the upper moraine;
• further along the talus — to a wide couloir divided by a ridge into two parts. Up the ridge and through heavily destroyed rocks — exit under the ridge of the forepeak (in the couloir, it is possible to ascend to the left of the ridge, but the path is more rockfall-prone!). 50–60 m below the ridge — traverse to the right and through a gentle wall (15 m) along the shelves — exit to the forepeak. From the forepeak — descent into the gap (insurance, piton!) and along the destroyed rocks of the ridge (50–60 m) — exit to the summit. From the bivouac to the summit: 5–6 hours. The entire path is rockfall-prone! Descent along the ascent route to Dombay — 6–7 hours.

Recommendations for Climbers

South-east, 1B cat.

From Dombai clearing or h/c "Alibek" along the trail and grassy slopes and talus exit under Khrustalny pass, traverse steep spurs of the eastern ridge of Semenov-Bashi peak. Place for a bivouac — 3–4 hours. From the bivouac:

• Along a gentle slope in the direction of Khrustalny pass and, 100–150 m before the pass, left up a branched couloir.
• Up the couloir to the eastern ridge. Rockfall hazard!
• Then left along the ridge to the summit. Gendarmes are bypassed mainly on the right, downhill.
• At the beginning of summer — snow cornices on the north.