Eurasia

The route starts from the upper cushion of the Uchitel glacier along the north face of Semenova Tian-Shanskogo peak to the right of the icefall. There are quite large ice crevasses on the approach to the bergschrund. From the bergschrund, the first 4.5 pitches are easy 55-degree ice until reaching a large ice ledge. From the ledge, another 5 pitches of the same ice lead to a small ledge before the rock section. The final part of the route begins along a 20 m rock couloir and then exits left onto a rock ridge. In the couloir and on the ridge, the terrain is heavily broken, the steepness is 40–50 degrees, Grade III rock (5b fr), protection using natural features. The section length is 80 m. Descent from the route, depending on conditions, is either via 3A Erapunova or via the ascent route.

Video guide to the "Rechka" route (4B ice climbing grade) on Pik Baychechekhey with a demonstration of climbing the key wall.

Video guide to the "Rechka" route (Ilyushenko, ice 4B) on Peak Baychechekey by Dima Pavlenko. Captured work on the key wall.

Description of the route to the summit of Pyramida via the south-eastern ridge with path characteristics and technical details of ascent and descent.

Route Description From the Myrdı bivouac, ascend the grassy slopes towards the lower part of the eastern ridge of Pyramida. Then turn right onto the large, wide slopes cut by a chain of couloirs and scree, rising towards the terminal moraine of the Pyramida glacier. Reach the glacier via the large, long moraine. Continue straight up towards the clearly visible, rightmost narrow saddle on the Pyramida ridge. The ridge connects to the summit of Ak-bashi to the right. The ascent to the saddle follows a snowy slope with a steepness of up to 40°, then a narrow 100-meter couloir (ice in the second half of summer). From the saddle, descend 50 m to the other side and follow a wide, 400-meter scree shelf that wraps around the base of Pyramida from the west, approaching a large rocky outcrop. Ascend the outcrop upwards and to the left, then move onto inclined shelves above a white quartz vein (protection!). Then bypass the first rocky prominence and move towards the wedge-shaped rock protruding from the second rocky prominence on the ridge. Ascend to the wedge-shaped rock via broken rocks, then follow the inner angle - a couloir (water!) - to reach the upper scree slopes above the wall via a small R6 rock wall. Follow the scree slopes and small ridges to reach the main ridge of the summit at a large, horizontally lying slab. From here, move left and down into a small depression, then ascend to the summit via yellow rocks. 6 hours from the bivouac. Descent from the summit follows the "Pyramida via the Southeast Ridge" route. Departure time from the bivouac should be no later than 5 am. On the eve of the ascent day, mark the path to the terminal moraine of the Pyramida glacier.

Video guide to ascending Peak Ratsek via the Western Ridge (Route 3A) by experienced mountaineer Dima Pavlenko.

Video guide to Route 3A via the west ridge to Peak Ratzek by Dima Pavlenko.

Video guide to Route 2Б to Peak Ratzek via the northern ridge by experienced mountaineer Dima Pavlenko.

Video guide for the 2Б route via the north ridge to Razek Peak by Dima Pavlenko.

Video guide to the Gavrilov's route (4A) on the peak Korona by experienced alpinist Dima Pavlenko.

Video guide to the Gavrilov's route (4A) on peak Korona by Dima Pavlenko.

A video guide to the Mikhailov Route (5B, rock climbing) on Peak Boks, presented by experienced mountaineer Dima Pavlenko.

Video guide for Mikhailov's route (5B, rock climbing) on Peak Boks by Dima Pavlenko.

Opportunities for solo ascents of unclimbed peaks in Nepal, permit regulations, and new summits open to alpinism in 2024.

A query from a reader (ExplorersWeb's reader — editor's note) planning a trip to Upper Mustang drew our attention to the hurdles independent climbers face when planning their Himalayan projects, especially solo ascents or attempts on unclimbed peaks in restricted areas. We reached out to a Nepalese tour operator for clarification on obtaining such permits. Q&A \ Matt Powell from the US asked: I was hoping you could provide me with some clarification regarding Nepal's rules for solo climbers, particularly in restricted areas such as Upper Mustang and the Nar Phu valley. Is it possible for a single climber (myself) to obtain a permit to climb a peak in a restricted area if I use the services of a Nepalese guide? And if so, how do I go about it? Dawa Stephen Sherpa clarified that it is possible. However, he added, the climber must obtain the permit through a registered and certified trekking agency in Nepal. The main question, however, lies in what permits the climber needs and what are the requirements for each. It turns out that it depends on the height of the peak and involves various permits and procedures. Expedition Peaks Peaks above 6,500 m are considered expedition peaks and require a permit and the presence of a sirdar/guide and liaison officer on the expedition, increasing the cost. Permits for these peaks are issued by the Department of Tourism, under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation of Nepal. Once the climber has paid for the permit, the agency receives a letter from the Department of Tourism, which must be presented to the immigration department, issuing a second permit: the Restricted Area Permit (RAP). This allows the climber to enter the restricted zone at no additional cost, since they have already paid for the climbing permit.

Essentially a first ascent. Rather than following the ridge through bergschrunds, we kept significantly to the right, almost hugging the rocks. The crux was an 8-meter ice wall at about 80°.