I. Climbing class — technical. 2. Climbing region — CENTRAL CAUCASUS. 3. Peak — SOUTH USHBA — 4710 m. First ascent route along the edge of the Western wall through the "pillar". 4. Proposed difficulty category — 6. 5. Route characteristics: Height difference — 1460 m (3250 — 4710). Length of sections with 5–6 difficulty category — 1270 m, including 6th category — 735 m. Average steepness: route — 68–70°, wall section ("pillar", grey wall, canopy) — 90°. Total 850 m. 6. Driven pitons and used stoppers

USSR ALPINISM CHAMPIONSHIP 1981. TECHNICAL CLIMB CLASS

Central Caucasus 196a

Report

On the ascent of the Sports Committee team of the Ministry of Defense of the USSR to the SOUTHERN USHBA peak via the edge of the Western wall through the "pillar".

Brief overview of the ascent object and route

Many routes have been laid out to the peaks of the Ushba, about twenty of which have received prizes at the USSR Championships. Two 6th category routes pass along the bastions of the Western wall of the Southern peak. At the junction of the Western and South-Western walls of the second rock belt, a sheer 700-meter granite "pillar" rises. To the left, the "pillar" is bypassed by a giant internal angle of the Western wall, along which Myshlyaev—Kosmahev laid out a fine route. To the right, along the South-Western wall, a route by V. Monogarov's group goes upwards to the right, also marked with gold medals at the USSR Championship. The routes are symmetrically positioned relative to the vertical axis of the "pillar". (Along the axis, a large crevice - a chimney - runs from the top). The upper 2/3 of the "pillar" between the internal angle of Myshlyaev on the left and the visual mid-axis overhang with a convex relief "fresco". This is the protrusion of a huge monolithic slab (400–450 m long), intersected by two transverse tiers of cornices. Along the right edge of this slab, 20–30 m from the mid-axis, a route was laid out in 1981. To the foot of the "pillar", the route coincides with the route of L. Myshlyaev and V. Monogarov (300 m of the ridge). Further, 560 new meters were passed along the sheer wall. On the rocks above the "pillar", the route coincides with L. Myshlyaev's route. Further, the route goes to the bastion "knife" with a variant to the left of L. Myshlyaev's route.

1. Technical class.
2. Central Caucasus
3. Ushba South summit 4710 m via the center of the SW wall through the "Stolb" on Golubev's route.
4. Category 5B, 2nd ascent of the "Golden" route of 1981.
5. Elevation gain: 1460 m, length 2005 m. Length of sections with category 5–6 difficulty: 1030 m. Average steepness of main sections is 72° (3490–4630 m). Of these, category 6 sections: 855 m - (3520–4110 m) 575 m at 80–81°; (4182–4400 m) 145 m at 68°; (4470–4630 m) 135 m at 80°.
6. Pitons used: | Rock | Bolt | Nuts | Ice | | :--: | :--: | :--: | :-: | | 134 | 0 | 144 | 10 |