Fann Mountains

Ascent to v. Zamok via NNE wall (first ascent - approximately 5B category)

1970

Technical photograph of the route

The Zamok peak is located in the Eastern Fann Range in the north-west of Tajikistan. Climbers usually approach the peak from the Alauddin Lakes area. This is one of the most beautiful places in the USSR, frequently visited by tourists. A large number of objects interesting for mountaineering and stable good weather attract climbers. In the summer season of 1970, base camps of climbers from Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Dubna, and Ivano-Frankivsk were set up near a large lake. Climbers usually get to the Alauddin Lakes from Dushanbe by car. The car goes through the Anzob Pass to the Pasrud village (sometimes a more powerful car can make it further 1.5-2 km to the Mayguzor village). If necessary, they stop at the Varzob alpine camp on the way. From there, they take a mule trail (about 25 km) up the Pasrud and Chapdara rivers to the lakes. The total travel time is:

• 8-9 hours by car
• 5-7 hours on foot or by mule

ASCENSION DOCUMENT

1. Class of ascension: technical
2. Area of ascension: Gissar Ridge
3. Peak, its height and ascent route: p. Zamok, 5070 m, via N.N.E. wall
4. Difficulty category: 5B rated, second ascent
5. Route characteristics: total altitude difference 1230 m, average steepness of the route 71°, including technical parts 78°, route length 1868 m and sections of cat. diff. (m): 1 — 130, 2 — 160, 3 — 120,

I. Climbing category — technical 2. Climbing area — Pamir-Alai, East Fan Range 3. Zamok (5070 m) — via the shortest path on the NNE wall 4. Proposed complexity category — 5B 5. Height difference of the wall section — 950 m Length of the wall section — 1115 m. Total route length — 1675 m. Length of sections with VI category difficulty — 890 m, including VI category — 275 m. Average wall slope — 67° 6. Pitons used:

• Rock pitons: III/5
• Bolt pitons: 2

Ascent Log

1. Climbing category: rock climbing
2. Climbing area, ridge: Fann Mountains. Zeravshan Range.
3. Peak, its height, ascent route: Zierat, 3800 m, via the northeast edge
4. Route characteristics: height difference — 600 m length of sections with fifth category difficulty — none average steepness — 60°
5. Pitons used for protection: rock — 32

1. Aupogar

The summit of ZINDON is located in the Pravy Zindon gorge and closes the northwestern part of the ridge-pirka. The route is combined, rock-ice, along the southern ridge from the saddle between the peaks ENERGIYA and ZINDON. Descent to the saddle along the ridge leading to the peak SO AN. The exit is from the "Green glade below the CHIMTARGA pass". The ascent to the saddle between ENERGIYA and ZINDON is along a snowy slope of 35–40°. In the absence of crampons, the ascent is possible along the scree on the left. 1st checkpoint — the saddle. Along the ridge to the first gendarme. The ridge is initially snowy, with destroyed gendarmes. Bypassing a snowy mulda — to the first gendarme. The rocks are frozen, destroyed limestones. A series of gendarmes is overcome, on the summit of one of them:

• 2nd checkpoint — gendarme. The edge of the last gendarme ends with a sheer rock wall (30–40 m) at the front. To the right — an inclined plate (60°), covered with flow ice. At the bottom, the plate rests against a narrow rocky ridge. Descent along the inclined wall via "dolphin" (30 m), subsequent movement with a deviation to the right along steep snow onto the ridge. Movement along the sharp rocky ridge to the second gendarme.

Traverse of Zindon 4A

from east through the summit to northwest View from the north from the right Zindon's gorge

Ascent Log

1. Ascent category — technical
2. Ascent region — Fan Mountains
3. Ascent route — v. Zindon via the north wall, 4800 m
4. Ascent characteristics: height difference 1000 m average steepness 75°, complex section length 880 m
5. Pitons used: rock 207, including 24 wooden wedges ice 8, no bolt pitons
6. Total climbing hours 95.5
7. Number of nights and their characteristics — seven:

The group started the route on July 8, 1977. Ahead of us, two days earlier, the group of "Artuch" tourist club, led by, started on the same route on July 8, 1977. First Day

• Departure from the bivouac on the moraine under the route at 5:30 am.
• We walked 100 m of a snowy slope and approached the bergschrund filled with snow.
• Further ascent to a snow-ice shelf, which leads to the left edge of the rock wall of the I belt. From the snow shelf, we ascended to a 35 m internal vertical corner with an overhanging wall, which leads to a small steep shelf. Above the shelf, the internal corner continues straight up for 30 m and ends with an overhang. Then, we moved left to a crack, leading to the beginning of the slab, bypassing the exit to a large stone on the snow shelf, as the first ascenders did (Emelyanenko Yu.). This deviation from the path of the first ascenders does not simplify the route and seems more logical under our conditions. The edge of the slab forms a steep internal corner with the wall, covered with flow ice, with a cornice and smooth walls. Ascent to the slab:
• Initially, through the right part of the crack (crevice), and then through the left
• Exit to steep blocky rocks, through which we ascended to the top of the slab. Here, we bivouacked at 17:00.

1. The ascent category — technical
2. Ascent area — Fan Mountains, Pamir-Alay
3. Ascent route with indication of peaks and their elevations: via the center of the north wall of ZINDON 4800 m, first ascent.
4. Proposed difficulty category — 6B
5. Route characteristics: height difference 1200 m, length of sections with 5–6 difficulty category — 1089 m, average steepness — 84°
6. Number of pitons and chocks used for protection and artificial aids: rock — 334 (140), ice — 42 (2), bolt — 17 (16), chocks — 49 (37)
7. Number of climbing hours — 118
8. Number of bivouacs and their characteristics: 8 bivouacs, including:
   • sitting in a tent — 3
   • semi-reclining in a tent — 4