Panorama of the Researchers Glacier www.alpfederation.ru

3. Climbing Conditions and Tactics

The West Kok-Shaal-Tau region, like the entire Tian Shan, is characterized by:

• heavily fragmented rocks,
• ice collapses,
• an abundance of dry, powdery snow. In connection with this, it was necessary to prepare for overcoming rockfall-prone areas and for extensive ice and snow work. The weather in this region is not very stable. Often, in the second half of the day, it deteriorates, and clouds envelop the peaks of Chon-Tarasu, Dankov, and nearby peaks.

Ascending Peak Maly Tourist via the Northwest Ridge (Category 3B)

We leave the base camp, located on a sandbar in front of the tongues of Gl. Researchers and Chon-Turasu, at 10:30. Moving along the sandbar alongside a stream running near the tents, we approach the tongue of Gl. Chon-Turasu and begin to bypass it from the left (north) along the same stream. To our left are:

• heaps of enormous old moraines
• moraines lying on dead ice The stream disappears into the stones, and we come to a depression located between the scree slopes of the ridge between Pik Skalisty and Pik Maly Tourist to the north and the modern terminal and lateral moraines of Gl. Researchers to the south (old lateral moraines are absent). A large stream with clear water flows along the flat bottom of the hollow. The stream is not deep, and we cross it several times via stones. Soon the stream turns right, while we continue moving along the hollow. At 12:30, we ascend to a rampart (its upper part is covered with calcite boulders) blocking the hollow and enter a flat and almost horizontal gravel area about 150 m long and 30–50 m wide. After climbing the next rampart (from here, it's easy to ascend to the glacier's surface), we enter a second almost horizontal area. The area stretches for 400–500 m and ends under a powerful monolithic buttress descending from the ridge's bend before Pik Maly Tourist. The lower part of the area is silted, with a small lake. The lake is fed by:
• one large stream,
• several small streams from the slope of Pik Skalisty. The buttress descending from the ridge's bend cuts into the glacier (as do several other buttresses located higher along the glacier) and deflects it to the south. At the same time, it "dumps" the glacier's lateral moraine closer to its middle. This explains the formation of such large depressions and the absence of a lateral moraine on the glacier.

Russian Mountaineering Championship

High-Technical Class

2022

Report

on the ascent to the peak Korolyova, 5816 m, via the center of the North Face 6B cat. diff. (tentative), first ascent by a combined team from Krasnoyarsk Krai and Perm Krai