ASCENT PASSPORT

1. Ascent category — rock
2. Ascent area — Western Caucasus from Marukh pass to Nakhar pass
3. Peak, its height, ascent route: peak Razdelny, 3300 m via south-west ridge, rock, first ascent
4. Proposed category of difficulty — 2A
5. Route characteristics: height difference — 200 m (from the beginning of the ridge) length of sections:

Fig. 25

1. Ascent to Sofrudju peak (3785 m) — cat. d. 1B (fig. 25)

From Dombayskaya polyana cross the bridge over the Alibek river and follow the trail to the stream descending from the large Belalakay couloir. Cross the stream to the snowfield and ascend it for 300–350 m. Then turn left into the Sofrudju couloir (danger of rockfall!) and ascend it to a large overhanging rock. Continue straight up the steep section to the trail and follow it to Medvezhya (Med­ve­zh­'ya) polyana. From Medvezhya polyana ascend 300–350 m up the eastern slope of Belalakay through the snow — exit to the Sofrudju bivouac. From Dombayskaya polyana — 5–6 hours.

Fig. 26

2. Tra­verse of Sofru­dzhu peak from the north-east — category 2B (fig. 26)

From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana across the bridge over the Ali­bek river and along the trail to the crossing over the Ama­nauz river. Crossing to the right bank, then along the mo­rena and over the "baa­ran­y lby" to the Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier, and along it to the ter­mi­nal mo­rena under the Zapad­no-Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier. Camping site. From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana — 3–4 hours. Further (in con­nec­tion!) as­cend to the Ama­nauz pass be­tween the peaks Glav­ny Ama­nauz and Sofru­dzhu. As­cend along the right side of the heav­ily cre­vassed gla­cier, then, in the up­per part, un­der the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub exit to the mid­dle of the gla­cier, as snow ava­lanch­es are pos­si­ble from the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub. Along the mid­dle of the gla­cier up to the bergschrund, cross the bergschrund over a snow bridge and up the steep snow slope (50°) to the pass. Exit to the pass to the left of the rocky out­crop at the pass point.

To the Classification Commission of the USSR Alpine Federation

REPORT

on the first ascent to the Sofruju peak via the southern wall on July 27-29, 1972

I. Group Composition:

Gubanov Yu. D. — leader, Candidate for Master of Sports, senior instructor of the Dombay region Climbing School, unattached, "Burevestnik" Sports Society, Dombay settlement. Prima Yu. V. — participant, Candidate for Master of Sports, radio instructor of the Dombay region Climbing School, unattached, "Burevestnik" Sports Society, Dombay settlement. Khamtsov A. P. — participant, 1st class, junior instructor, unattached, "Burevestnik" Sports Society, Dombay settlement, Alibek alpine camp worker. Support group led by Candidate for Master of Sports Vorobyev D. G., parallel route on the Main Amanauz peak via the southern wall, category 5B difficulty.

II. Alpine and Geographical Overview of the Sofruju Massif.

Fig. 22

1. Ascent to the summit of Zub Sofrudju — category 2B (fig. 22)

From Dombayskaya polyana across the bridge over the Alibek river and along the trail to the stream descending from the large Belalakay sky cuolar. Across the stream onto the snowfield and 300 m up. Then left into the Sofrudju cuolar (rockfall hazard!) and up to a large overhanging rock. Then straight up a steep section to the trail and along it to Medvezhya polyana. From Medvezhya polyana:

• initially along alpine meadows (trail),
• then across snow,
• and after 300–350 m, left of the eastern slopes of Belalakaya — exit to the Sofrudju bivouac. From Dombayskaya polyana — 5–6 hours. From the bivouac (in teams!), descend to the Sofrudju glacier, traverse between the upper and lower icefalls, and exit below the massif of the summit. Ascend a steep (50–55°) snowy slope (partially rocky), exit onto the ridge and along it — to a snowy saddle. Then along the snowy ridge to a wall.

Fig. 22

1. Ascent to the summit of Zub Sofruju — category 2B (Fig. 22)

From Dombayskaya Polyana, cross the bridge over the Alibek River and follow the trail to the stream descending from the large Belalakaysky couloir. Cross the stream to the snowfield and ascend 300 m up. Then, move left into the Sofrujinsky couloir (prone to rockfall!) and ascend it to a large overhanging rock. Continue straight up the steep section to the trail and follow it to Medvezhya Polyana (Bear Glade). From Medvezhya Polyana, initially follow alpine meadows (trail), then snow, and after 300–350 m, move left of the eastern slopes of Belalakaya to reach the Sofrujinsky bivouac. The journey from Dombayskaya Polyana takes 5–6 hours. From the bivouac (in rope teams!), descend to the Sofrujinsky Glacier, traverse between the upper and lower icefalls, and reach the base of the summit massif. Ascend the steep (50–55°) snow slope (partially rocky), reach the ridge, and follow it to a snow saddle. Continue along the snowy ridge to a wall. In the second half of summer, ice is present on this section — crampons and ice axes are required. The ridge is sharp (belay required!).

• Ascend the 18–20-meter wall (2 pitons!)
• Continue along the broken ridge to a steep ascent

Ascent Logbook

1. 2 Caucasus. 2.2 From Marukh Pass to Nakhar Pass. Section number according to the 2017 classification table.
2. Sofruju Zub, height 3629 m, via the northwest spur.
3. Proposed - 3A category of difficulty, first ascent.
4. Route type: Rocky.
5. Route elevation gain 459 m (by altimeter). Route length: 650 m. Section lengths: 1st category of difficulty – 150 m, 2nd category of difficulty – 250 m, 3rd category of difficulty – 250 m. Average steepness: 45°. Main part of the route — 50°; entire route — 45°.

2. Traverse of Sulakhat summit from north to south — 2A cat. diff. (see Fig. 7)

From the northern summit, left and down into the pass. Then along the ridge (insurance through ledges!) to the control cairn. From the cairn, descend to the right along the crevice to a shelf and along it (piton insurance!) to the next ridge saddle. Then along the ridge to a 30-meter wall. Descend along it to the ridge. From the ridge, descend to the right to a shelf and then along the ridge to the base of the South summit. Ascent to the South summit along the ridge. Descent from the South summit to the right along a gully (insurance!) to a shelf and along it to exit to a narrow snow patch in a couloir. Then along the couloir (insurance!) to a large snowfield and down it. Then exit left along grassy slopes and scree to a trail and along it to the bivouac. The route from bivouac to traverse and back to bivouac takes 8–9 hours.

Recommendations for climbers

1. Number of participants in a group — no more than 8 people.
2. Initial bivouac — lower Sulakhatskaya nochevka.
3. Departure time from bivouac — no later than 5:00.
4. Special equipment for a group of 4 people: a) main rope — 2×30 m; b) expendable cordelette — 2–3 m; c) rock pitons — 4; d) ice pitons — 3 (in the second half of summer); e) rock hammers — 2; f) carabiners — 8; g) crampons 4 pairs (in the second half of summer).
5. Possible bivouac locations on the North, Central summits and under the South summit.

3. Traverse of Sulakhat massif (3600 m) from the south, in winter — category 2A (Fig. 8)

From Dombay plain past the Alibek alpine camp to the hut on the Alibek glacier moraine. Then up the moraine and, before reaching the upper summer bivouac, exit right onto the Dvuyazychnýy glacier and along the right side of the steep part of the tongue — to the upper plateau. Across the plateau up in the direction of the pass and under the rocky ridge of Kvadratny peak — bivouac (cave). From Dombay plain 7–8 hours. From the bivouac through the depression between Kvadratny peak and Bezýmyannaya I peak to the saddle between Bezýmyannaya I and Bezýmyannaya II peaks and through Bezýmyannaya II peak exit onto the Yuzhno-Sulakhatskoye plateau. Ascent to the South Sulakhat peak via the snow-covered spur of the ridge. From the South peak along the ledge to the couloir and up it to the ridge. (Protection is with pitons! Most difficult section of the traverse!) Past the cairn left of the ridge along the ledge to the last gendarme before the North peak. Bypass the gendarme on the left along the ledge and along the ridge — exit onto the North peak. The path from the bivouac takes 5–6 hours. From the peak, descend back to the saddle between the peak and the gendarme, from here descend along the left side of the couloir onto the Yuzhno-Sulakhatskoye plateau (danger of avalanches in winter!) and return to the bivouac under Kvadratny peak. Descent takes 3–4 hours. From the bivouac to Dombay plain — 3–4 hours. The route is avalanche-prone!

Recommendations for climbers

1. Number of participants in the group — no more than 8 people.
2. Initial bivouac — under Kvadratny peak.

PASSPORT

Ascent to v. Hokel via the Eastern ridge

1. Ascent class — rock climbing
2. Ascent area — Western Caucasus, Main Caucasian Range
3. Peak, route — v. Hokel, 3645 m, ascent via the Eastern ridge from the saddle between v. Hokel and the Nameless peak on the left.
4. Proposed difficulty category — 4B
5. Route characteristics: elevation gain — 700 m length of sections: II cat. diff. — 400 m