Location, History of Ascent, and Approach Routes

Peak named after I. V. Kurchatov is located in one of the spurs of the Left Talgar river basin and closes the Rusakova river gorge, which flows into the Left Talgar river (see map). The peak is clearly visible from the Kuldzhinsky tract on the segment between Malaya Stanitsa and Almaty tobacco farm, and has an impressive appearance. Its approximate height is 4200 m. It is not surprising that, being unclimbed, it attracted the attention of mountaineers from the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR. From the scientific town of INF, its summit stands out with its strict outlines against the background of surrounding peaks (photo 1, 2). Therefore, in August 1966, a group of mountaineers from INF consisting of:

• Saprykin V. D. — Master of Sports
• Il'inykh A. M. — 3rd sports category
• Gubanova A. M. — 3rd sports category
• Mukhamedshina D. M. — 3rd sports category accompanied by an observation group, made the first ascent to the unnamed peak 4200 m. Paying tribute to the achievements of the outstanding Soviet physicist I. V. Kurchatov (1903–1960), the mountaineer-physicists, as the first ascenders, named the conquered peak after I. V. Kurchatov.