Vakhushti

Description of the route through the northwest wall of Chernaya Bezymyanka climbed by a team led by A. Naumov.

Northwest wall of Черной Незнакомки (photo from under the wall) — the route of our team — the route of A. Naumov's group

Description of a combined 4A category route to the summit of Inguri and further to the summit of Nuam-Kuam via the South Ridge, including details of the passage and time required for the route.

(the route is combined, Mt. Melia, 4A cat. dif., Fig. 5). From Vakhušti (milestones 82–85) along the snow and ice (cornices) Northern ridge-slope, having passed an ice crevasse, descend to a saddle. From the saddle, along the snow and ice slope approach under the first "saw-tooth" pinnacle of the Southern ridge of Inguri peak. Along a simple couloir bypass the pinnacle from the left and ascend behind it onto a snow saddle (cornice). Further along the boundary of the snow and ice slope, along the rocks on the right side of the Southern ridge bypass II–IV "saw-tooth" pinnacles. Then along the snow slope 60–80 m up to the site of a rocky "island" on a wide snow and ice saddle of the Southern ridge. Make a bivouac on the site. From "Aylama" alpbase 7–8 hrs. From the site along the ruined and jagged rocks of the 250–300-meter Southern ridge, bypassing or overcoming head-on 10–12-meter pinnacles along steep rocks of above average difficulty, exit onto a pinnacle-tower. Further 250–300 m along the jagged Southern ridge of average difficulty, overcoming head-on 5–8-meter pinnacles and bypassing the last large pinnacle of the second "saw" along steep rocks on the right, exit onto a saddle under the Pre-summit pinnacle. Along a steep smooth plate of above average difficulty 20–30 m up. Then along the rocks of average difficulty bypass the pinnacle's summit on the right and along the sharp snow (cornice) Southern ridge descend onto a sharp snow and ice (cornice) ridge. Having passed the saddle, traverse a steep snow and ice slope to the right onto the Southeastern counterforce and along simple snow-covered rocks of the Southeastern counterforce ascend onto Inguri summit. From Vakhušti summit 5–7 hrs.

Description of the 2B category difficulty route to the summit of Vakhušti via the Western slope from the Inguri glacier.

Vakhushti via the Western slope (ice and snow route, category 2B, fig. 5, 18). From the middle plateau of the Inguri glacier (m. 89) (avalanches, ice falloffs), turn right and ascend to the right of the Lower rocky outcrop along the steep 60–80-meter ice and snow gully of Vakhushti Western slope. Then 400–500 m along the gentle ice and snow Western slope (closed crevasses, belay) to the right side of the large ice fall above the rocky outcrop located in the center of the Western slope. Go around the outcrop with the ice fall along the steep ice and snow slope on the right (avalanches, belay) with a traverse through the ice and snow 25–30-meter couloir (stones, pitons) and come out to a small rocky outcrop. From the outcrop, along the 40–60-meter ice and snow ascent (piton

Description of the ascent route to the summit with a detailed analysis of technical features and ascent tactics.

Fig. 18.

Ascent to the summit of Vakhushti via the Eastern ridge, a combined route of 2A category of complexity, duration 35 hours.

Vakhushti via East Ridge (combined route, cat. 2A, fig. 5, 18). From the starting bivouac on the upper plateau of Koruldashi Glacier (point 72) ascend a simple destroyed rocky slope to reach the first pinnacle of Vakhushti's East Ridge and traverse it on the left (belay) 20 m along the snow-rock boundary. Then ascend simple rocks of the East Ridge. Pinnacles: traverse the second sharp pinnacle on the right along the ledges; traverse the third pinnacle on the right along the ledges. Further, ascend the heavily destroyed, partly snowed simple rocky East Ridge, traverse a 3-meter wall on the left to reach the «saw».

2A category route to Vakhrushev summit via South-Eastern ridge, combined, with a description of key sections and belays.

Vakhushti via Southeast ridge (combined route, category 2A, fig. 5; 18). At the first stream (m. 89) turn right and ascend via the trail on its right bank to a snowfield. From the snowfield, ascend via scree and easy broken rocks on the southeast slopes of the Southeast ridge to the ridge of Vakhushti peak, to the left and above its grassy slopes. From here, follow the gentle, wide, scree Southeast ridge to a narrow ridge, which is avoided via a 30-meter ledge on the right (protection). Behind it, ascend via steep, easy, broken rocks to the southeast ridge (protection). Further, 30 m via steep, easy, broken rocks on the left side of the southeast

Ascent to the summit of Vakhushti via the Southwest ridge, a combined route of 1B category of difficulty.

Vakhushti via the Southwest Ridge (combined route, category 1B difficulty, Fig. 5, 18). Without reaching the Vakhushti pass (pic. 89), turn right and, bypassing rocky gendarmes on the right along the scree, ascend to the Southwest Ridge of Vakhushti. From here, ascend along the scree and easy, heavily damaged, snow-covered (cornices) rocks of the southwest ridge to the snowy, scree-covered southern shoulder. From the shoulder, there is a small descent along the wide, snow-covered (cornice) southwest ridge to a connecting ridge. Further, ascend along the easy, gently sloping, snow-covered (cornices) rocks of the southwest ridge to the summit of