Ascent Passport

1. Ascent category — technical

2. Region — Western Caucasus

3. Route — Bolshoy Nakhara via 6B category route, 3780 m.

4. Characteristics of the ascent: height difference — 1080 m.

• Average steepness: 81°
• Length of complex section: 760 m.

5. Pitons hammered: rock

• 315
• Ice: 0

1. Rock climbing category
2. Western Caucasus, Nakhar gorge
3. Bolshoi Nakhar via the northeast wall
4. Proposed category: 6th category of complexity, first ascent
5. Height difference — 930 m, length — 1320 m Length of sections with 5–6 category of complexity — 730 m Average steepness of main sections 81° (2950–3500), including 6th category of complexity:

• 86°, 60 m (3010–3050);
• 88°, 185 m (3070–3200);
• 90°, 10 m (3230–3240);

Pyramid

Ascent to the summit of Pyramid via the south-east ridge from Marda valley - 2A cat. From Uzunkol alpine camp along the trail on the right bank of the Myrdy river to the right moraine of the Myrza glacier. Along the trail, through the "ram's foreheads" and further - along the grassy slopes to "Myrdy bivouac". 3.5–4 hours from the camp. From the bivouac into a narrow steep couloir leading to the snow plateau of the Kara-Bashi and Pyramid peaks. From dropping the "ram's foreheads" on the edge, start-right-up along the snow and the beginning of a wide scree-filled couloir, going up in steps to the SE ridge. Along the couloir (in a rope team! Rocks!) exit to the ridge. From here, left along the destroyed rocks of the wide ridge (≈ 250 m) and the first gendarme (severely destroyed rocks). Bypass the gendarme on the left along the ledges and further along the inner corner (15 m, piton!) with an exit to the ridge behind the gendarme. Along the rocks, approach and yellow 7 m wall, behind which along the ledges enter a 10 m chimney (piton!). The gendarme at the confluence of the SE and southern ridges is bypassed on the right along the ledges (belay). www.alpfederation.ru

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.

PYRAMID PEAK – 3760 m Ascent via the Eastern ridge – cat. 4B (Description of the ascent route to the summit) From the "Uzunkol" camp, follow the right bank of the Mordy River to the 4th stream at a large stone blockage in the Mordy gorge. From here, head left up the right grassy slope (trail) to the destroyed "sheep's foreheads". Continue along the green terraces under the long moraine, which goes up into the Pyramid glacier cirque. Follow the moraine to reach the glacier. On the talus islands, there's a bivouac site. From the camp, it takes 4–4.5 hours. From the overnight stay, follow the snowfield, crossing several avalanche cones (!), to the start of R1 on the eastern ridge shelf of Pyramid. (Rappel! Belay!) The slope is up to 45° in the upper part. Traverse along the first shelf, on the edge of snow and rocks, to R1 of a short wet black couloir. Climb up the couloir (Belay! Pitons!) to inclined ledges and along them (Belay! Pitons!) to R2, a large shelf – under the R3 shelf overhang. Follow the snowfield on the shelf to a 20-meter rock wall (Belay! Pitons!). Go left along the boundary of snow and rocks under the wall to an internal corner 3–4 m. Wall: exit into the corner and climb up (20 m) to the R3 shelf (Belay! Piton!). Traverse left-up along the boundary of rocks and snow for 100 m (Pitons!) to reach the ridge crest. Exit onto the crest above the "finger". From here, climb up the sharp crest to the shoulder. There's a control cairn here. From the bivouac to the shoulder, it takes 5.5–6 hours. (There are many loose rocks on the shelves. To ensure better passage, preliminary processing of the shelves is necessary the day before!). Bivouac site. No water.

Pyramid Peak — 3760 m

Ascent via the northern counterfort — Cat. 3B difficulty

Description of the ascent route to the summit

The path from the camp to the bivouac — see the description of the Cat. 4A route.

Ascent Passport

1. Western Caucasus, Uzunkol region, Kiчkinekol gorge, section number according to the classification table 2.3
2. Peak 3400 (Raspopova), via the eastern ridge
3. Proposed 2A category of difficulty, first ascent
4. Route type: Rocky
5. Height difference of the route: 250 m Route length: 575 m Section lengths:
   • I – 135 m
   • II – 380 m

Report on the First Ascent

To Peak 3400 — Peak Raspopova (Western Caucasus, Uzunkol, August 2010) The ascent was made by climbers from Rostov-on-Don with the goal of naming the previously unnamed peak 3400 after Raspopov Sergey Alekseevich, a Master of Sports, a pioneer of Rostov mountaineering, and a dedicated organizer of mountaineering events and mentor to climbers in the Rostov region.

Contact Information

All inquiries related to the report should be directed to:

• 344029, Rostov-on-Don, ul. Pervoy Konnoy Armii, 4a
• Club of Tourists and Climbers "Planeta"
• Phone +7 (863) 242–35–10, Phone/Fax +7 (863) 223–86–12
• http://www.club-planeta.ru
• e-mail: clubplaneta@aaanet.ru

Saken-Bashi

1. Ascent to the summit of Saken-Bashi (3500 m) from Saken-Dalar Pass — Category 2A difficulty. From Uzunkol Alpine Camp, follow the right bank of the Myrdy River to the beginning of the Myrdy Glacier moraine. Follow the trail and grassy slopes to a large terrace. The bivouac site is "Myrdy Nochevki". 3 hours from the camp. From the bivouac, go up to the right under the scree below the slopes of Kara-Bashi to the Myrdy Glacier. Traverse the middle part of the glacier and then follow the snowy slopes to Myrdy Pass. (Bypass the bergschrund on the left under the walls of Kirpich Peak). 1.5-2 hours from the bivouac. From the pass, traverse the plateau and a large rock fall above Saken-Dalar Pass. Follow the ledges on the left, descend to the snowy ridge of the pass, and then bypass (on the left) a separate rock — to a snowfield leading to the beginning of the ascent to the summit ridge. Follow the first left couloir (belay!):

• stay on the left side;
• 60 m, 45°;
• exit to the ridge (belay!). From here, follow the ridge and a wide slab (control cairn here) (belay!). Then follow a steep (belay!) snowfield, 45° — 40 m ascent to a simple rocky ridge. After a small depression in the ridge — ascent to the pre-summit ridge. Traverse heavily broken rocks (belay!) — to the summit. 5 hours from Saken-Dalar Pass.

M82. 40-letiya Tatarskoy ASSR Main Peak from Dolomit South Col

(rock route, cat. 1B, M. Kadyrov, 1961) From the bivouac on the lake shore, ascend the scree slopes past the upper Dolomit Lake towards the Dolomit South Col. Follow a gentle snowy slope closer to the slopes of 40-letiya Tatarskoy ASSR, and then via its mid-section reach the col. 2 hours from the lake. When the col's slope is snow-free, ascend the col via steep scree and terraces below the slopes of Dolomit South Peak to the snowy slopes, traversing right to reach the col's saddle. From the col, follow the broken ridge (below and left of its crest), overcoming the "Stoplb" gendarme on the right via a cleft and the "Igla" gendarme on the left via a ledge (with eaves on the right!), to ascend to a shoulder on the ridge and then via ledges to the Main Peak. From the summit, descend along the 350-meter ridge into a gap to a gendarme. Traverse it on a ledge on the left, then ascend a couloir to the South Peak. 4 hours from the col. From the summit, descend steep rocky ridge onto a snowy saddle and continue along the ridge trending towards the lakes. After 500 m, turn left and descend into a small rock cirque between this ridge and large grassy-scree ridges trending towards the Kichkinekol Maly Col. From here, follow the scree and grassy slopes to the second Dolomity terrace. 2.5 hours from the South Peak.

40-letiya Tatarskoy ASSR