СОАН

Technical ascent description of category 5 difficulty level to the summit of SOAN (4750 m) in the Fann Mountains via the North-Eastern wall.

Ascent Passport Ascent class - technical Ascent area - Pamir-Alay, Fann Mountains Peak, its height - SOAN, 4750 m, northeast wall Estimated difficulty category - 5.5 Route characteristics: height difference - 1300 m, section length - 5-6 km, tr. - 645 m, average steepness of main sections - 72° Pitons driven: for belaying; for creating ITO. Rock - 183, stoppers and eccentrics - 42, bolted - 4 Number of climbing hours - 42

Description of a technical ascent category 5Б to the summit of SOА (4750 m) in the Fann Mountains via the North Face.

Ascent Passport Ascent class: technical Ascent area: Pamir-Alai, Fann Mountains, Levyy Zindon gorge Ascent object: SOAN via N wall of NW ridge, height 4750 m Difficulty category: 5B Route characteristics: height difference 1400 m, length 2400 m, length of sections VIk/tr: 430 m, average steepness of the wall 65–70°, ridge 30°

Description of a technically challenging route, category 5B, to the summit of SOAN (4750 m) via the northern wall of the northwestern ridge in the Fann Mountains.

Ascent Passport Ascent class - technically challenging Ascent area - Fann Mountains, Levyy Zindon gorge Ascent route, peak, its height - Mt. SOAN, 4750 m, north face of the north-west ridge Proposed difficulty category - 5B Route characteristics: height difference - 1400 m, route length - 2400 m, length of sections 5-6 cat. diff. - 390 m, average steepness: walls - 65-70° ridge - 30° Pitons driven:

Description of the route to the summit with a challenging ice ascent and relatively straightforward rock sections, including recommendations for necessary equipment.

From leaving for the route to descending to the glacier, the group spent 13.5 hours on the route, including rest on the ridge, at the summit, and on the col. Time breakdown by sections: Leaving the bivouac on the right moraine of Chimtarginsky Pass Approaching the bergschrund 1.5 hours Ascending ice to the rocky ridge 4.5 hours Ascending rocks to the pre-summit ridge 3.0 hours ascending the ridge to the summit

### Route Description to the Summit via the Northeast Ice Ridge Details the ascent and descent with technical specifics.

It seems logical to avoid these walls and go around them, even though the ice in the upper part is steep, because the rocks here are heavily destroyed and climbing them is not pleasant. After reaching the ridge, it is necessary to change into shoes with rubber soles, as trekking boots do not hold at all on the limestone rocks that make up the summit rocks. The first two ropes along the ridge pass through heavily destroyed rocks, with short walls in some places. We come to a 30-meter wall, which we climb through a crack in the middle part. The crack can be approached via an inclined rock-ice platform. After the crack, there is a platform, and on it, another rope of rocks leads to the beginning of the ice ridge running from the northeast to the summit dome. After climbing just over 5 ropes, it is necessary to change back into crampons and ice axes, as the route continues on ice to the summit. The lower part of the ice ridge is a system of muldas and vertical ice walls up to 4-6 m high, bounded on the left by rocks that drop down steeply to the southeast, and on the right by a steep (up to 60°) ice-snow slope of the pre-summit ridge. After 80 m, we reach a relatively gentle part of the ridge. Now there is also snow and ice on the left, with a mulda below. We ascend along this ridge, moving simultaneously, to the pre-summit plateau, and from there to the summit. The length of the upper part of the ridge is about 120 m. The pre-summit plateau is a wide rock bowl filled with thawed ice, with talus shelves on the left. It is possible to spend the night here. It takes 15-20 minutes to reach the summit from here. The descent from the summit is in the direction of the pass between the peaks Zindon and SOAN.

Description of the 4A category difficulty route to Soan peak (4750) via the eastern wall with a detailed analysis of the path and technical difficulties.

PIK SOAN (4750) via "poske" 4A cat. dif. The peak SOAN is separated from the Zindon summit to the south by a ridge, from which a descent is possible to the east, to the Pravy Zindon glacier, and also a descent to the west, into the Levyy Zindon river valley. To the north, Pik SOAN is separated by a wide ridge, gently descending to the terminal moraine of the Pravy Zindon glacier and connecting Pik SOAN with a double-peaked summit. On the left (when viewed from the Pravy Zindon glacier) peak of this double-peaked summit, an ascent was made and it is rated as 3B cat. dif. (Pik Chaplygina). The descent from the ridge to the west is apparently difficult due to "ram's foreheads" that drop off in its lower part into the Levyy Zindon valley. The eastern wall of Pik SOAN is approximately 500 m of sheer cliffs made of marbleized limestone and a steep ridge above them.