GTO­ — Karatau

Traverse of the peaks GTO­ — Kolokolnikova­ — Karatau, route category 2B (Fig. 53). The approach path from the Talgar alpine camp is described in the ascent route to GTO peak. The description of the first part of the traverse — ascent to the peaks GTO and Kolokolnikova­ — is given in the corresponding descriptions of ascents to these peaks. From Kolokolnikova peak to the southeast to Karatau peak. This section of the route abounds with "zhandarms" made of rocks of medium difficulty. All of them are overcome head-on, as detour is associated with a large loss of height. The ridge throughout its entire length is technically not difficult, but is heavily destroyed and requires great caution in movement

Fig. 53

20 Years of KazGMI (4089 m)

Ascent via the Northwest Ridge — Category 2A complexity

The peak 20 Years of KazGMI, named in honor of the twentieth anniversary of the Kazakh Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (now known as the Kazakh Polytechnic Institute named after V.I. Lenin), is located in the main ridge of the Trans-Ili Alatau within the Sredny Aksai glacial cirque. To its southwest lies the peak Promezhutochnaya, while to the north, a small ridge descends, separating the left and right branches of the Aksai glacier. The southern slopes of the peak are the source of the right tributary of the Almaty river, which is one of the tributaries of the Chong-Kemin river. Approaches to the peak should be made from the upper reaches of Sredny Aksai. The initial bivouac is best set up on a small, almost horizontal site with steep edges. The moraine of the Right Aksai glacier also reaches this location. A stream runs between the edge and the moraine. From this vantage point, the glacier lying in the upper reaches of Sredny Aksai is clearly visible. From the bivouac, proceed along the edge to the east until you find a suitable spot to descend onto the right branch of the Aksai glacier. Cross it and reach the lateral moraine at the point where the depression between the moraine and the northwest ridge of the peak is clearly visible. It takes about 1 hour from the bivouac.

Dzhamalaktau (3950 m)

1. Ascent from the north.
2. Traverse of the Dzhamalaktau — Dinamo­vets peaks. Ascent to the summit of Dzhamalaktau from the north, route 2B cat. difficulty (Fig. 19). The summit of Dzhamalaktau is located in the new spur of the Trans-Ili Alatau ridge in the crest, which serves as a watershed for the rivers:

• Sredniy Talgar
• Bolshoy Klyuch. From the Talgar alpine camp, the path goes along the trail, which starts on the opposite side of the river and leads to the prospectors' house near the Solnechny glacier.

Джа­ма­лак­тау Fig. 19

Тraverse of the Jамalak­tau — Di­na­mo­vets peaks, 3B cat. route. The approaches and the route to the Jамalak­tau peak are described in the section on ascents to this peak. From the Jамalak­tau peak, the descent goes down a couloir with snow and talus and leads to a destroyed ridge running in a southerly direction. At the point where the ridge turns southwest-southwest, descend from the last gendarme via an internal corner. Hook insurance required. Further along the destroyed ridge, the gendarmes are bypassed on the right. Behind the ridge is a snowy isthmus, to the left are rock formations resembling towers. Descent via a small couloir to the Tumanny Pass. Stick to the left rocks. The pass elevation is 3700 m. A convenient place to spend the night. From the peak to the pass takes 2.5–3 hours.

Peak Jambula (4150 m) Ascent to peak Jambula with ascent from the northwest, route 2B cat. sl. (fig. 14). From the bivouac at the lake under the tongue of the North TEU glacier, move to the South TEU glacier, bypassing the ridge coming from the Syputchaya peak. Ascend to the col between the peaks TEU and Jambula via the South TEU glacier. Move along the glacier in teams along the median moraine. Bypass the crevasse zone from the left. The ascent to the col is via a snowy slope with a steepness of 30–35°, then via scree and heavily destroyed rocks. From the col, go along the snowy ridge to the 1st gendarme, which is taken head-on. Descent to the 2nd gendarme is via heavily destroyed rocks and snow. The 2nd gendarme is bypassed from the left along a slope with a steepness of 60°. Careful belaying through an ice axe is necessary. The 3rd gendarme is also bypassed from the left along a snowy-icy slope, closer to the rocks. Here, piton belaying is necessary (2–3 pitons), sometimes step chiseling. The 4th gendarme is bypassed from the left along a snowy slope with a steepness of up to 30°. Here, alternate belaying through an ice axe is necessary. The route continues along an icy slope with a steepness of up to 40°, then via destroyed rocks and scree reaches the summit. From the bivouac to the summit is 5–6 hours of walking. The summit consists of two elevations. The cairn is on the northwestern one. Descent is along the northeastern ridge to the South TEU glacier along a slope with a steepness of up to 45° with protruding large stones. Careful belaying is necessary. "Sheep's foreheads" are bypassed from the right. Go carefully: it is necessary to take into account the avalanche danger. The descent to the South TEU glacier goes along a snowy slope and takes about 2 hours.

1. Ascent via the northern slope.
2. Ascent from the southwest.
3. Traverse of the Dynamo­vets — Dzhamalaktau peaks. Ascent via the northern slope, Category 1B route. The Dynamo­vets peak is located in the New spur of the Trans-Ili Alatau in the ridge, which is a watershed between the rivers Sredniy Talgar and Bolshoy Klyuch. The path to the summit:

• From the Tal­gar al­pin­ist camp
• Up the trail through the gorge
• To the "Zelyo­naya po­lya­na" (Green Glade) bivouac site.

Ascent from the southwest, route 1Б cat. difficulty

From Zelyonaya polyana further along the moraine to the confluence of two streams flowing from the Shokalsky Glacier. Here it is convenient to cross to the left bank. Then to the tongue of the Severny TEU glacier. Here on the moraine by the lake is also a convenient place to spend the night. Height 3500 m. From the camp to this overnight stay 4–5 hours walking. The ascent begins along a wide couloir with a slope of up to 35°, covered with small scree. After an hour and a half of ascent, the couloir narrows and turns east, leading to a false summit. Further - along the ridge with many gendarmes. Insurance is alternate. Gendarmes are bypassed on the right, and the last two are taken head-on. Along the ridge, reach the pre-summit couloirs. Cross two couloirs and ascend the third to the snowy ridge and along it to the clearly defined summit. Descent is by the ascent route.

Recommendations for climbers

1. Number of participants - no more than 25 people.
2. Initial bivouac - on Zelyonaya polyana or by the lake on the Severny TEU glacier.
3. Departure from the initial bivouac at 5 and 6 am respectively.
4. Special equipment for a group of 4 people: a) main ropes 2 × 30 m; b) rock pitons 2 pcs.; c) carabiners 2 pcs.; d) hammers 2 pcs.

Traverse of the Dinamovets - Dzhamalaktau peaks, 3A category of difficulty route (see fig. 18). The route to the Dinamovets peak is described in the section on ascending the Dinamovets peak from the southwest. From the Dinamovets peak, descend along the northern ridge, bypassing the subpeak on the left. Further, along a 250 m long snow-ice slope. In the lower part, the slope steepness is 50-55°. This section is prone to avalanches and ends with a sharp ridge with steep slope drops. Traverse this ridge. In the middle part of the ridge, there is a gendarme. Cornices are present. Ascend and descend the gendarme via the frozen rocks. Further, a rocky ridge with gendarmes is traversed; the first one is bypassed, while the second one is taken head-on via a ledge with a deviation to the right. Exit onto a snow area. Traverse a snowy ridge, bypassing a gendarme via a ledge on the right. Transition from the ledge to the slope, bypassing the outer corner, is challenging. The next gendarme is bypassed on the right. Exit onto the Tumanny pass. Overnight stay is possible here. The ascent to Dzhamalaktau begins with a small snowy couloir leading to a snowy saddle. Then, traverse a destroyed rocky ridge. Encountered gendarmes are bypassed on the left; the last one is taken head-on via an inner corner. Exit onto the summit via a couloir with snow and talus. Descend from the summit towards the Solnechny pass via destroyed rocks, then via a couloir with regelation ice, up to 100 m long. From the couloir, exit onto a ridge with a gendarme, which is taken on the left. Further:

• Descend along a snow-ice slope to easy rocks
• Traverse a snow-ice couloir
• Move along easy rocks to the Solnechny pass saddle. From the Solnechny pass, descend along snow and talus to the Solnechny glacier. Traverse the left side to the prospectors' hut, and from it, follow the trail to the camp. The entire traverse takes up to 13 hours.

Recommendations for Climbers