Ascent Passport

1. Caucasus, Kazbek region, Kauridon gorge, KMGV section number - 2.8.
2. Pik Pamyati Karmadontsev; 3933 m, via North-West buttresses of North-East ridge.
3. Proposed category: 2A; first ascent.
4. Route type — combined.
5. Route elevation gain — 700 m. Route length is about 2000 m. Length of sections with 4th category difficulty is 10 m. Average slope:

• main part of the route is about 50°.
• entire route is about 30°.

Photo 1. General view of peak 3933 m (“Pamyati Karmadontsev”). The first ascent route is marked. Photo taken from the middle part of the Kauridon gorge. MACLUTAE 1:400000 Photo 2. Panoramic view of the area. Routes marked:

• number 1 – to Kaydzhany Mal. via North ridge, category 1B;
• number 2 – to Kaydzhany Severnaya via North ridge, category 2A;
• number 3 – first ascent route to peak 3933 m (“Pamyati Karmadontsev”). Also marked:

Ascents to Peak "3850" 3B cat. (in North Ossetia it is called Peak "3944"). The summit is located in the northern spur of the Lateral Ridge of the Caucasus. The spur branches off from Peak Spartak (4677 m) on the Kazbek firn plateau and includes the following peaks from south to north:

• Unnamed (Peak Ordzhonikidzevskaya Railway — 4007 m)
• Peak Iriston (4000 m)
• Chach-khokh (4100 m)
• Peak "3850"
• South Kaidzhani (3916 m)
• North Kaidzhani (3969 m) Climbers ascending the Kaidzhan–Chach-khokh traverse have twice reached the summit. In January 1959, D. Shevchuk's group ascended Peak "3850" as an independent ascent object from the east; however, the route from the east remained unclassified (approximately 1B cat.). The first ascent of the northern ice-rock rib of Peak "3850" was made by a group of climbers from the North Ossetian Sports Society "Spartak" under the leadership of T. Khakurinov on October 3, 1965. Following the pioneers, a group from the SO Council "Spartak" under the leadership of G. Eputaev ascended the route.