Fig. 1

1. Ascent to the summit of Zapadnaya Kara-kaya (3570 m) from the Zapadno-Karakaysky pass — cat. diff. 6B (Fig. 1)

The approach to the Kara-kaya massif can be made by two variants: 1st variant. From Dombayskaya polyana, drive by car through Karachaevsk and stanitsa Kardanikskaya to the settlement of Rudnichny. Below Rudnichny, cross the river Aksaut via a log bridge, then proceed 700–800 m upstream along the river and ascend the slope to the right and upwards to a shepherd's trail. Follow the trail to the site of old sheepfolds and further across the glacier to the Yuzhno-Karakaysky pass. From Rudnichny, it takes 6–7 hours. 2nd variant. From Dombayskaya polyana, descend via Sulakhatsky or Alibeksky pass (through the "green hotel") to the Jalovchat glacier, cross it slightly above the tongue, and ascend a steep scree slope to the green shoulder of the northern spur of the Aksaut massif — bivouac site. From Dombayskaya polyana: 8–9 hours (Sulakhatsky and Alibeksky passes — cat. diff. 1A).