Route Description

Ascent to the unnamed peak (in North Ossetia, it is referred to as пик Орджоникидзевской железной дороги, or Ordzhonikidze Railway Peak) via the north-northeast ridge, category П-Б difficulty (4005 m) The peak is located in the watershed ridge (between the Genal-don and Чач-хи river basins), connecting the Казбекское плато (Kazbek plateau) to the south with пик Иристон (Iriston peak) and further to Чач-хох (Chach-khokh) to the north. The peak was first ascended in May 1952 by a group from the Ordzhonikidze Road Council "Lokomotiv" led by Yu. Polyakov, who traversed Кайджаны (Kaidzhana) - Чач-хох (Chach-khokh) - Майли-хох (Maili-khokh). As a standalone objective, the peak was first conquered on September 12, 1965, by a group of 9 climbers from the North Ossetian Council of the "Spartak" Sports Society, led by G. Eputaev and V. Kozlovsky (both 2nd sports category). The ascent was made from the Чачское ущелье (Chachskoye gorge) with an exit onto the north-northeast ridge of the peak. Day 1. The group drives by car to сел. Гвилети (Gvileti village), from where it takes no more than 1 hour on foot to reach the confluence of the Көбахи (Kobakhi) and Чач-хи (Chach-khi) rivers. After crossing the Көбахи river at the confluence and overcoming a steep ascent, they follow a trail into the right (Чачское, Chachskoye) gorge. Overcoming the "бараньи лбы ворот" ("ram's foreheads gates") via one of the shelves, they proceed up a grassy slope to a group of trees, where a trail begins. The trail leads into a wide couloir, crosses a stream, and then sharply turns right under the cliffs, following which it widens and leads to a shoulder forming the first "gates" of the gorge.