Ascent Passport

1. Ascent class — technical
2. Ascent area — Central Caucasus, Bezengi
3. Peak — Shaurtu Glavnaya via the right edge of the South ridge wall
4. Difficulty category — 4A
5. Route characteristics: height difference from Bezengi alpine camp is 2150 m average steepness 60° length of 4th difficulty sections — 30 m, 80 m, 90 m
6. Pitons hammered: 13 rock, 2 ice, 6 chocks

153а. Shaurtu Glavnaya - Shaurtu Severная

(combined route, category III, fig. 14, 16, 17). The path from the Bezengi alpine camp (group of 4-8 people) to the summit of Shaurtu Glavnaya is described in route 152. The descent from Shaurtu Glavnaya to the col of the Northeast ridge is described in route 149. From the col, traverse simple snow-covered rocks to reach the Maly Gendarme (Little Gendarme) and then proceed to a narrow snow saddle (cornice). From the saddle, traverse snow-covered rocks of the Bolshoy Shirokiy Gendarme (Big Wide Gendarme) on the Northeast ridge of Shaurtu Severная summit, reach the snow ridge, and follow it (cornice) to approach the Bolshoy Gendarme (Big Gendarme). Overcome the Gendarme along the ridge and then ascend steep rocky ridge to reach the summit of Shaurtu Severная. Time from Glavnaya summit: 4-5 hours.

Fig. 17

153. Shaurtu Severная — Glavnaya

(combined route, category III difficulty, fig. 14, 16, 17). The path from the "Bezengi" alpine camp (group of 2-4 people) to the summit of Shaurtu Severная is described in route 147. From Shaurtu Severная, descend via simple ridge rocks towards the Glavnaya summit. Overcome the big gendarme directly via steep, broken rocks of medium difficulty (piton belay). From the big gendarme, descend via steep rocks with a low gendarme onto a narrow, possibly snow-covered, saddle (cornice). From the saddle, traverse a big, wide gendarme via snow-covered simple, местами medium difficulty ridge rocks, and descend from it onto a saddle (cornice). From this saddle, traverse a small gendarme along the ridge and reach the col below

Fig. 17

149. Shaurtu Glavnaya via the Northeast Ridge (combined route, category 2A difficulty, Fig. 14, 16, 17).

From the "Chegem" tourist base (group of 4-12 people), ascend via a forest trail on the left bank of the Shaurtu River, then, after crossing the Tyutyurgu stream, continue up grassy slopes in a wide hollow between a large right-bank (orographic) moraine of the Shaurtu Glacier on the right and slopes of the western spurs of the Kargashilsky Ridge on the left. Then proceed along the moraine to the upper areas at the end of the moraine. From the "Chegem" tourist base, it takes 3-4 hours. From the moraine, enter the glacier and move along the northeastern branch of the Shaurtu Glacier (closed crevasses) towards a rocky outcrop, which you bypass on the left. Behind the outcrop, turn right, cross the heavily crevassed northeastern branch, and then reach the moraine at the foot of the western ridge of Shaurtu Glavnaya peak. Set up a base camp on the moraine. From the "Chegem" tourist base, it takes 5-6 hours. From the moraine, on the right side of the northeastern branch of the Shaurtu Glacier (closed crevasses), approach the saddle of the Shaurtu massif, located between the Glavnaya and Severny peaks. From the glacier, pass over the bergschrund via a snow bridge and ascend 200-250 meters up an icy-snowy slope (avalanche risk, belay required) to the saddle of the Shaurtu massif. On the saddle, turn right and ascend the snowy northeast ridge (cornices) to the first pillar. Overcome the pillar via easy ridge rocks. Then, along the snowy, sometimes sharp (cornices) 300-400-meter northeast ridge (cornices, belay required) and easy snowy rocks, reach the summit of Shaurtu Glavnaya. From the base camp, it takes 5-6 hours.

Fig. 17

ASCENT TO SHAURTU PEAK FROM THE SOUTH VIA THE COULISSE

The Shaurtu peak is located in the Kargashilsky ridge, which separates the Chegem and Cherek-Bezengi valleys. The height of the peak is 4303 m. The route to Shaurtu peak from the south was classified in 1959 as a 2B category of difficulty. The route is combined. Route Description Day 1. From the "Bezengi" alpine camp, the path goes along the right-bank (orographically) moraine of the Bezengi glacier to Missees-Kosh. Then you need to descend along the trail to the glacier and move up the glacier, gradually crossing it, to reach the stream flowing from the glacier's cirque, opposite Missees-Kosh. The second stream flows from the cirque of the Salynan glacier. From the Bezengi glacier, you need to ascend to the left (orographically) moraine to the right of the stream. Further, the path goes along the stream, to the "ram's foreheads," here you should cross the stream and move up the left (in the direction of travel) side of the stream. To the first "ram's foreheads," you should again cross to the right (in the direction of travel) side of the stream and ascend first through the grass, and then through the talus in the direction of the glacier's tongue. At the point where the glacier flattens, there is a convenient camping spot. The journey from the camp takes 4-5 hours. Day 2.

151. Shaurtu Glavnaya via the Southwest Ridge

(combined route by D. Sukhodolsky, category III, Figures 14, 16, 17) The path from the "Bezengi" alpine camp (group of 4-12 people) or from the "Chegem" tourist base to the initial bivouac on the saddle of the Salynan pass is described in route 154. At the pass, turn right (when ascending from Bezengi) and exit onto the Southwest Ridge of Shaurtu Glavnaya. From here, there is a small descent to the right and a traverse of the first pinnacle along the ledges. Beyond it, ascend steep 15-20-meter rocks of moderate difficulty (pitched climbing) up to the saddle of the Southwest Ridge. From the saddle, ascend along the simple, heavily destroyed Southwest Ridge with numerous low pinnacles or along the ledges on its right side (belaying). Then, bypassing a large square rock on the right along a steep snow-ice slope (belaying), move to the left side of the Southwest Ridge. Further, bypassing numerous pinnacles (mainly on the left) along the snow-ice slope (belaying), ascend along the long, rugged Southwest Ridge to the summit of Shaurtu Glavnaya. From the saddle of the Salynan pass - 6-8 hours.

Fig. 17