1. Class — technical.
2. North Caucasus, Aксаут gorge.
3. Peak Yuzhnye Bratcy via left eastern counterfort.
4. Proposed — Category 2B difficulty, first ascent.
5. Height difference — 600 m, length — 880 m. The average steepness of the route is 45°; maximum steepness in areas — up to 70°.
6. Pitons were not left on the route.
7. Climbing hours on the route — II.
8. Overnight stays on the route — none.
9. Leader: Timonin Sergey Nikolayevich, 2nd sports category.

Report

on the ascent to the summit of Malaya Belalakaya 3748 m via the center of the northern wall, made by a group of instructors from the "Alibek" alpine camp.

Group composition:

1. Abarbachuk Georgiy Samuilovich, Candidate Master of Sports, 2nd category instructor-methodologist.
2. Boyko Viktor Viktorovich, Candidate Master of Sports, 2nd category instructor-methodologist. Head of the training department — Master of Sports of the USSR Kovalenko Yuriy Ivanovich DOMBAY 1982

I. Climbing category

• Rock

2. Climbing region

• Western Caucasus from Marukh pass to Nakhar pass

3. Peak, route

• Belalakaya (Smaller) from Belalakaysky pass

4. Proposed category difficulty

• 3B

5. Route characteristics:

• Combined

Fig. 18

1. Ascent to the summit of Zadnaya Belalakaya (3740 m) — category 2A difficulty (fig. 18, A)

From Dombay plain across the bridge over the Alibek river and along the trail to the stream, descending from the large Belalakaya couloir. Cross the stream to the snowfield and ascend 300–350 m up. Then left into the Sofrujinsky couloir (rockfall hazard!) and up along it to a large overhanging rock. Further left-up along the steep section of the couloir to the trail and along it to the Medvezhья (Bear) clearing. From the Medvezhья clearing, first through alpine meadows (trail), then through snow and 300–350 m along the eastern slopes of Belalakaya to the Sofrujinsky bivouac. From Dombay plain 5–6 hours. From the bivouac (in rope teams!) along the Sofrujinsky glacier to the north-eastern ridge of Zadnaya Belalakaya. Exit to the ridge from the right in the lower part (bergschrund, protection!) and further to the right — up to the ridge saddle. From the saddle directly along the destroyed and loose rocks of the ridge to a ledge and along it to a couloir. Up the couloir to two rock outcrops left of the ridge inflection and exit to the ridge. Along the right side of the ridge up to the second outcrop of the crest. Behind it — to a wide couloir, then up to the ridge inflection and along the right side of the crest — exit to the summit.

• From the bivouac: 3–4 hours
• The entire route is rockfall hazardous!

Climbing Report on Mt. Belalakaia (3851 m), located in the area of the Main Caucasian Range and its spurs from Marukh Pass to Nakhar Pass, via the Western Counterfort, Category 4B (tentative)

I. The route was first ascended in 1972 by a group from the "Alibek" tourist camp, consisting of:

1. Grigorenko-Prigoda Yu.I. — Master of Sports of the USSR
2. Shumikhin V.S. — Master of Sports of the USSR On July 12-13, 1974, a group from the "Alibek" tourist camp made the ascent, consisting of:
3. Bondarev V.M. — Category I sportsman — team leader
4. Kokodii N.G. — Category I sportsman
5. Mishustin A.G. — Category I sportsman II. Brief geographical description of the ascent area Mt. Belalakaia (3851 m) is located in the Western Caucasus, on a spur of the Main Caucasian Range branching north from the peak Zadnaya Belalakaia. The black rocky pyramid of Belalakaia is encircled by several white quartz bands.

Route to the summit of Belalakaya via the Eastern ridge, cat. 4–5

Route to the summit of Belalakaya via the Eastern ridge, cat. 4Б

Mt. Belalakaya, 3861 m. 120 m, 20°, 1. 40 m, 70°, +4. 20 m, 30°, –2. 80 m, 60°, 3. 80 m, 60°, –4.

Report

On the ascent of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic team to the summit of Belalakaya Main 3861 m.

via the Eastern ridge through the chimney. 4B cat. diff. (variant) Presumably IV B cat. diff. Semenov M. A. – CMS (Candidate for Master of Sports) team leader Bogdanova M. V. – 2nd sports category experience Alpclub – Mountain Madness

2. Caucasus

2.2 From Marukh pass to Nakhar pass.

Participants of the ascent

Fig. 20

2. Traverse of Белала-кай from the North — Category 3B difficulty (Fig. 20)

From Медвежья поляна upwards — to the right towards the rocky ridge, then along the grassy slopes and through the stream along the grassy couloir to the bivouac site. From Домбайская поляна — 4 hours. From the bivouac:

• to the right — upwards through the scree to the snowfield (in teams) and 100–120 m below the northern edge to a narrow shelf ( крюк! );
• then traverse to the left — upwards for 30–35 m (2–3 крюк! );
• then to the right — upwards along the steep rocks to the second wall;

Fig. 19

1. Ascent to the summit of Belalakaya (3851 m) via the southern ridge — category III difficulty (Fig. 19)

From Dombay plain across the bridge over the Alibek river and along the trail to the streamlet descending from the large Belalakaya couloir. Across the streamlet onto the snowfield and 300–350 m up. Then left into the Sofrudzhinsky couloir (rockfall hazard!), straight up the steep section to the trail and along it to the Medvezh'ya (Bear's) clearing. From the Medvezh'ya clearing first across alpine meadows (trail), further across snow and 300–350 m east of Belalakaya slopes — exit to the Sofrudzhinsky bivouac. From Dombay plain: 5–6 hours. From the bivouac (in rope teams) up — right across the glacier and left of the rocky outcrop (beware rockfalls from Belalakaya slopes!) exit to the Belalakay pass. From the pass across easy rocks of the ridge up and further across two gendarmes (piton belay!) to the third one. Ascent along the ridge of the third gendarme to the steep part, then detour left along the ledge to a narrow couloir, up the couloir to a notch and through it around the gendarme exit to the ridge (belay!). From the ridge right — down 5–7 m, exit to quartz rocks and across them ascent to the ridge. Along the ridge up to the scree and across it to the summit. From the bivouac to the summit 6–7 hours. Descent along the ascent route to the bivouac takes 4–5 hours. Ascent variation:

• Bypass the rocky outcrop
• Ascent right across the snowy slope to the couloir
• Ascent up the couloir 70–80 m