90. Missestau via the West Couloir and the South Ridge — Cat. 3A (A. Germogenov, M. Afanasiev and N. Nikolaev — July 1931; Figs. 25, 31). From the Bezengi alpine camp, follow the trail along the left moraine of the Bezengi gorge up to the Misseskozh hut, then continue along the trail on the moraine. 30 minutes later, from the large stone with the inscription "VCSPS – 1935", turn left and climb up the grassy slopes and scree to a wide scree couloir. Ascend the couloir on its right side (beware of falling stones from the left walls!). Bypass the "ram's foreheads" in the upper part of the couloir on the left and ascend via the scree to the right lowering of the West Ridge of Missestau. At this point, the ridge drops steeply on the south side to the icefall of the hanging glacier flowing from the North Ridge of Dykhtau. On the south side of the ridge are the "Russian Bivouac" sites. Water is available 25–30 m higher up the ridge. From the Bezengi alpine camp — 5–6 hours. From the "Russian Bivouac":

• 20–30 m up the ridge, then 120–150 m along the horizontal ledge on its right side — exit onto the glacier.
• Cross the glacier (in crampons), bypassing crevices on the right — exit to a wide snow couloir descending from the col of the South Ridge of Missestau.
• On the right side of the couloir (beware of rockfall and avalanches!) — 250–300 m ascent.
• From under the "ram's foreheads" — traverse to the left side of the couloir and ascend it to a rocky angle.
• From the angle, via a steep, sharply narrowing ice-and-snow couloir (loose rocks, rockfall, piton belay!) — ascent to the col of the South Ridge of Missestau, left of the rocky tower of the South Gendarme.
• From the col, traverse left and via easy rocks on the ridge — exit below the pre-summit tower, which is bypassed on the right along a wide snowy rock ledge. It is also possible to ascend the tower directly along the ridge.

For «Russkie nochevki» (Russian bivouac) see description 90. From «Russkie nochevki» 20–30 m up the Zapadny (West) ridge, then 120–150 m along the horizontal ledge on its right side — exit to the glacier. Across the glacier (crampons!), bypassing crevasses on the right — exit to a wide snow couloir descending from the saddle of the Yuzhny (South) ridge of Missestau summit. On the right side of the couloir (stonefall! avalanches!) 100–120 m up, then traverse across the main couloir and along the first, steeper and narrower, couloir branching left 220–250 m up (piton belay!). At the end of the couloir along the wall 70–80 m up-left (difficult climbing! piton belay!) — ascent to the Zapadny (West) ridge.

Missees-Tau via North Ridge, Cat. 4B

From the base to the bivouac sites at the turn of the glacier under the base of the SE ridge of Brnoe Peak – 2.5–3 hours. Rounding this ridge from the left, ascend the grassy slope, then along the stream bed into the moraine-filled cirque of the glacier flowing from the South cirque of Brnoe Peak. Here, near the moraine lake, there are bivouac sites. Up the glacier tongue. The icefall is bypassed on the right along the boundary with the rocks (provided there is snow), or via rock-and-scree ledges. For training purposes and safety, it is recommended to traverse the icefall through the center, roped and with piton belays. The initial bivouac is in the South cirque, from the sites at the turn – 3–4 hours. An alternative initial bivouac is possible on the last snow col in the Brnoe–Missees-Tau ridge, the ascent to it from the cirque takes ~1 hour. In its lower part, the broad North ridge of Missees-Tau is covered with a glacier, which has several rises and ends in drops on the west and rock walls on the east. The second rise leads to a rock "island", from which a snowy ridge goes left, ending in rocks on the eastern wall (routes Cat. 5A and 5B also lead here). Move 30–40 m left of the right edge of the ridge, reaching the col of this ridge. At the left end of the ridge, on the boundary with the rocks, there is a bivouac site. A safe place to spend the night during a thunderstorm, protected from the wind, is in the bergschrund under the col. From the plateau – 3–4 hours.

Description of the first ascent to the summit of Misses-Tau via the eastern wall. The ascent was made from July 15 to 19, 1958, by a sports team from the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, led by Master of Sports B.A. Garf, consisting of Benkin - 1st sports category, K.P. Dobrynin - 2nd sports category, K.I. Smirnov - 3rd sports category, V.M. Spiridonov - 1st sports category, V.I. Shakhvatov - 1st sports category. July 15, 1958. The group departed at 10:00 from the base camp of the sports team of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, located at the confluence of the Mizhargi River and the Cherek Bezengiysky River. The path goes along the left orographic bank of the river and the Mizhargi glacier to the Cheget-Mizhyrgi glacier and further along the left edge of the latter to the end of the left-bank moraine. The journey takes 4 hours. Overnight stay on a green meadow near a stream, 100 meters below the "ram's foreheads." July 16. We depart at 5:00. The ascent to the upper cirque of the Cheget-Mizhyrgi glacier goes via несложным baраньим лбам. The upper part of the cirque is bypassed to the right along the snow. The path from the overnight stay to the wall takes 2 hours. The ascent up the wall begins from the lowest point of the wall, near the characteristic reddish rocks. Crossing the crevasse from ice to rocks is done via a snow bridge.

Misses-Tau via W wall, 5A (via left skyline of W wall)

From the base to the sites on the glacier bend under the SE ridge base of p. Brno — 2.5–3 hours. From here:

• along the edge of the 3rd branch of the Mizhirgi glacier (Cheget-Mizhirgi) to the icefall;
• ascent to the upper circus by “ram foreheads” and moraine slopes to the right of the streams. On the moraine ridge of the upper circus — the initial bivouac site, from the bend — 1.5–2 hours. From the bivouac along the moraine slope and snow (ice) exit to the glacier plateau under the E wall. Across the plateau to the left along the rocks to the scree from the wide couloir descending from the square “gendarme” on the saddle between Misses-Tau and Dykh-Tau. 40–50 m to the right of the couloir:
• up along the destroyed rocks (rockfall hazard!) 40 m,
• then along the slabs with shelves 80 m — exit to the lower part of the oblique couloir (shelves), separating the left buttress from the wall.

PASSPORT

of the ascent made in the Leningrad Alpine Championship 1976.

1. ASCENT CLASS — technical.
2. ASCENT AREA — Central Caucasus, Bezengi alpine camp, Mizhirgi gorge.
3. ASCENT ROUTE — Mises-Tau peak (4320 m) via the right counterfort of the eastern wall. First ascent. (Approximately 5B category of difficulty.)
4. ASCENT CHARACTERISTICS: route length 1730 m; height difference 1000 m; average steepness of the route – 53°; wall sections – 70°;

Ascent of Misses-Tau via the right counterforter of the East face, 5B cat. diff. (Climbing report)

From the base to the campsite at the turn of the glacier under the base of the SE ridge of p. Brno — 2.5–3 hours. From here, along the edge of the 3rd branch of the Mizhirgi glacier (Cheget-Mizhirgi) to the icefall. Then:

• Ascend to the upper cirque via "ram's foreheads" and moraine slopes to the right of the streams.
• On the moraine ridge of the upper cirque — the initial bivouac site, 1.5–2 hours from the turn. From the bivouac, ascend the moraine slope and snow (ice) to the glacier plateau under the E wall. Across the plateau, move left along the rocks towards the debris from the couloir between the left and right counterforts of the E wall. Up the avalanche cone to the throat of the couloir. Via "ram's foreheads" to the right, 15 m under the wall — a shelter. 65–75 m up and to the right on smoothed, partially grass-covered, fairly difficult rocks, under the overhanging wall to the right of the water runoff. Traverse left (12–20 m) and then bypass the overhangs to reach a wide green ledge under the broad wall that blocks the ascent. From the start of the rocks to this point — 130 m.

Report on the ascent to the summit of Misses-Tau via the 5B category route by the sports group of the FASPb assembly

(Yu. Shevchenko's route, 1976)

Climbing passport

1. Climbing category: Technical
2. Climbing region: Central Caucasus, Mijirgi gorge
3. Climbing route with indication of peaks and their heights: Misses-Tau peak 4427 via the right counterfort of the wall, combined, 5B category
4. Route characteristics:

• Route length 1550 m
• Height difference 980 m
• Average steepness of the main part 85°, total 70°

Report

On the ascent to the summit of Misses via the right spur on the Wall, category 5B, by the team from KAiS MEI from August 9, 2019, to August 13, 2019.

I. Climbing Report