Elbrus divides the surrounding mountains into two very different areas. The Baksan area with its peaks around 4000 m and above is much harsher in terms of climbing conditions compared to the Western Caucasus regions. This is evidenced by:

• large altitude differences,
• heavily broken glaciers,
• mandatory snow at high altitudes. In contrast, the area west of Elbrus — Uzun-kol — is mostly purely rocky. All peaks in this area (except Gvandra) are below 4000 m. Climbing usually doesn't involve overcoming significant glaciers, and all steep slopes are free of snow and ice. The Zamok peak is located in the Main Caucasus Range. Together with Dalar and Dvoinyashka, it forms the base of a horseshoe that encompasses the upper reaches of the Kichkinekol River, which, merging with Mordy, forms Uzun-kol. In terms of height, Zamok (3930 m) is second only to:
• Gvandra
• Dalar The two peaks of Zamok — Eastern and Western — are situated on a ridge, the northwestern part of which leads to Dvoinyashka, while the southeastern part stretches in an arc, curving around the Zamok glacier from the south. This southeastern part of the ridge had not been traversed before the ascent described below. To the northeast from the Western peak of Zamok, a ridge leads, steeply descending to the Burvestnik pass, and then slowly rising to the Filter peak. To the south-southwest from the same Western peak, the South Counterforce extends. Significantly west of both Zamok peaks and all its gendarmes, the North Counterforce leads to the Bolshoy Kichkinekol glacier. The main difficulty in climbing in the Uzun-kol area lies in overcoming complex rock walls of heavily broken rock ridges; however, climbs usually don't take much time. Examples of relatively short but extremely complex routes include the well-known wall routes:

Report on the First Ascent to v. Zamok from the Northwest (Training Gathering of the Central Council of the LOKOMOTIV Sports Society)

Southeast Ridge of v. Zamok

(View from v. Burevestnik) View of v. Zamok from the ridge of v. Dolomit. The route of the first ascent to v. Zamok from the northwest wall.

Ascent to the summit Zamok 3981 m via the northwestern ice-snow wall, approximately 5A category of difficulty. The first passage of the specified route was made in 1977 by a team from the "Uzunkol" camp, consisting of:

• Korablin B.N. - Master of Sports of the USSR - leader
• Oshche E.A. - Candidate Master of Sports
• Rybakov M.I. - Candidate Master of Sports
• Popov V.I. - Candidate Master of Sports

Ascent Passport

1. Ascent class - ice-snow
2. Ascent area - Western Caucasus, Gvandra region

Ascent Passport

I. Ascent Class

• rock

2. Ascent Area

• Western Caucasus, Gvandrinsky region

3. Peak, Route

• Zamok — 3930 m, south-southeast wall, first ascent, 5B cat. diff.

4. Route Characteristics:

• height difference to the summit — 850 m
• wall height difference — 550 m

Ascent Passport

I. Ascent category: rock 2. Ascent area: Uzunkol — West Caucasus 3. Ascent route with indication of peaks, their heights, route complexity (and other approximate details): Zamok peak South wall 3930 m 4. Ascent characteristics: route length to the summit: 1200 m wall height difference: 670 m average wall steepness: 84–85° length of complex wall sections: 510 m

10. Climbing Passport

1. Climbing category: rock
2. Climbing area: Gvandra region of the Caucasus
3. Climbing route: v. Zamok via the South wall, 3930 m
4. Climbing characteristics: height difference — 900 m, average steepness — 85°, length of complex section — 600 m
5. Pitons driven:

• rock — 228
• bolt — 7
• chocks — 9

Castle East — West from the Burevestnik col to Dvoinyashka, combined, 4B

Route description:

The ascent to the Castle West peak is described in the "Castle from the Burevestnik col" route. From it, descend to the saddle (cornices!). Via broken rocks and a short wall, reach the East peak. Return to the West peak via the ascent route. From it, descend to the south side of the ridge via R1–R3 ledges and traverse around a small gendarme R3–R4 and then the "Beak" gendarme R4–R5 via a narrow ledge half a foot wide (tense climbing). Via a 15-meter internal corner, reach the top of the "Beak" gendarme and rappel down to the ridge R7. From here, 50 m of difficult ridge rock climbing follows to the last gendarme, climbed "head-on" via a difficult wall (no bypass!). Then, via a 500-meter (cornices!), and from R11 steep (50°) snowy ridge, reach the saddle between the Castle and Dvoinyashka. From the West peak — 12–14 hours. Descend from the saddle by rappelling left down a steep narrow couloir (falling rocks!) to a narrow, indistinct ledge. From it, rappel down 30 m. Then, via a steep snowy couloir, snowy slopes, and scree ledges and terraces, descend to the scree plateau under the Castle's southern slope. From the saddle — 4–6 hours. From the plateau, via scree terraces, bypassing the Dvoinyashka and Dalar peaks from the south, ascend to the Dalar col. From the plateau — 3.5 hours.

• equipment recommendations: see the "Castle via the eastern ridge" route;
• the R4–R5 ledge is a psychologically tense section of the route. (1) — view from the southern side

2.3.60 58 Traversing the peaks: KANNY-KAYA — CHUNUR-BASHI — CHUNUR-DZHAR from "Instruktorkiy" pass — Cat. 3A in both directions. From "Uzbekol" alpine camp along the trail of Kichkinekol gorge to the stream flowing from the Sredniy Kichkinekol glacier and along the trail along the stream to a green terrace. "Green campsite". From here, up the trail to the sheep's foreheads and along the ridge of the gray moraine to the Sredniy Kichkinekol glacier plateau. From the campsite — 3 hours. Through the plateau to the slopes of Kichkinekol pass. Ascend the snowy slope to the bergschrund — closer to the rocks of the Filtr peak. Crossing via a bridge — belay! And further along the snowy slope for 150 m up to 45° — belay! — exit to the pass. From the plateau to the pass — 2 hours. Descent from the pass straight down to the Zamok glacier plateau. Immediately to the left under the slopes of Kichkinekol peak along the snowy slopes and terraces approach the Chungur pass. Exit to the pass along the snowy and scree slopes, guided by the "Parus" rock. From Kichkinekol pass to Chungur — 1–1.5 hours.

The summit of Kara-Baschi — 3600 m

1. Ascent via the eastern edge — category III complexity (Description of the route as you move to the summit) From the "Uzungkol" camp, along the right bank of the Mordy River to the beginning of the right moraine of the Mordy glacier. Along it, and then along the grassy slopes (trail) to a large green terrace — a bivouac site — "Mordy overnight stay". From the camp — 3–3.5 hours. From the bivouac, up to the right to the talus couloir and up it to the upper rock outcrops. Then (in bundles!) along the steep snowslope (belay!) to the left and up to the talus plateau. (At the beginning of summer — snowy). From the plateau, traverse a steep snowslope (belay!) to the slopes and further to the foot of the eastern edge of the summit. Bypassing the edge on the left and along the ledge to the right and up — exit to the edge ridge and along it 300 m to a ledge turning into an overhanging wall 5 m high (belay, hook!). Along the wall, exit to an inclined ledge ending in an overhanging wall 8 m high. Along the wall straight up to the ridge (belay!) and along it 40 m to the wall. Along the wall 17 m to the right and up along the slabs (hooks!) and further along the edge to the ridge. From the ridge, descend into a dip — 20 m — rappel and then ascend 15 m to a site in front of a negative 4-meter wall — and through it exit to the ridge (method of overcoming — "live" ladder — belay!). Along the ridge 40 m to a lowering in the ridge, then ascend along a steep snowslope (belay!) and along the rocks covered in ice — exit to the summit. Descent:

M26. Kirpich from Dalar Pass

(combined route, 1B category of complexity, first ascent by M. Lepnev, 1937) Approach the slopes of Dalar Pass via the Zapadny Dalar Glacier. Ascend to the pass via a snowy slope (35–45°) with a bergschrund, which can be traversed using a bridge or a gap. From the bivouac on the Dalar plateau — 2–4 hours, depending on the condition of the bergschrund. From the pass, head right along the long snowy ridge, sometimes along the boundary between snow and rocks, to a large snowy rise on the ridge. At the top of the rise, on the rocks, there is a large geodetic cairn. From here, traverse to the left side of the ridge and approach a snow-ice funnel. Do not ascend to its upper edge facing the Myrdy Glacier due to cornices! Cross the funnel in the middle of its slope or along the bottom if it is free of snow. Beyond the funnel, ascend a steep snowy or icy slope, leaving vertically standing gray rock blocks on the left, to a snowy ridge, which leads to the snowy-scree dome of the summit. From the pass — 3 hours. The descent follows the ascent route until the pass and takes 2 hours. To v. Maly Dalar Dalar Pass 26 Kirpich