Ascent Log

1. Ascent category — technical
2. Ascent area — 0-3 Pamir, Rushan Range
3. Ascent route — first ascent of Peak Klunnikov S.I. (5,442 m) from the Raumid Glacier via the Klunnikov Pass.
4. Ascent description: elevation gain — 500 m (1,000 m from the bivouac) average slope — up to 40° length of difficult sections — 100 m
5. Pitons used: rock — 3, ice — –, screw — –
6. Total climbing time — 7 hours

Report on the Ascent of Peak Babel via the Southwest Wall, Category 5A

The object of the 1972 expedition by the Moscow Regional Council of the "Zenit" Sports Society was the Shakhdarin Ridge in the Southwestern Pamir. The Shakhdarin Ridge runs along the Pyanj River from west to east. Beyond the Pyanj and the Pamir River, the mountains of the Hindu Kush and the spurs of the Karakum are visible. To the left of the upper reaches of the Vakhan-Darya River, the highest point of the Vakhan Ridge, Peak Snowy Massif, is visible. At the confluence of the Pamir and Vakhan-Darya rivers, which form the Pyanj River, the Shakhdarin Ridge bends to the northeast. It is here that the most beautiful and highest peaks of the ridge are located:

• Peak Karl Marx, 6726 m (first ascent in 1946 by an expedition led by E. Abalakov);
• Peak Friedrich Engels, 6510 m (first ascent in 1954, led by Gvarliani);
• Peak Tajikistan, 6565 m (first ascent in 1962, led by Savvon). Peaks K. Marx and F. Engels were named in 1937 (geologist Klunnikov), and Peak Tajikistan was named only in 1962, the year of its first ascent. The object of the ascent being reported - Peak Babel - is located in the southeastern ridge branching off from the Shakhdarin Ridge at Peak F. Engels, between the Kishty-Jerob and Kasvir glaciers (see diagram). The expedition's base camp was set up under the tongue of the Kishty-Jerob glacier, located between the southern and southeastern ridges branching off from Peak F. Engels, on a large green plateau at an altitude of 4000 m.

Ascent Log

1. Class: HIGH-ALTITUDE
2. Ridge: SHAKHDARINSKY
3. Peak: Engels Peak (6510 m) via the CENTER OF THE EAST FACE
4. Difficulty category: 6
5. Height difference: 1340 m, distance 1885 m
6. Category V difficulty sections: 315 m
7. Category VI difficulty sections: 360 m
8. Pitons used: | Piton type | Quantity |

Central Council of the Spartak Sports Society

Report

on the ascent of Peak Engel'sa via the north-eastern wall

1. Kustovsky A.A.
2. Kletsko K.B.
3. Cherevko V.L.
4. Shalaev G.I.
5. Yakovenko Yu.K.
6. Yakovina V.A. 1964

Passport

1. Class — high-altitude technical.
2. South-West Pamir, Shabo valley.
3. Peak Engels via the north wall (Gaas route, 1974). 2nd ascent in 1976. 3rd ascent.
4. 6B category of difficulty, 2nd ascent.
5. Height difference — 1950 m. (1560 m). Main part height difference — 1150 m (b.sh – ridge). Length — 2305 m. Length of 6A and 6B sections — 365 m. Average steepness:

10­ Н

1. Climbing category is altitude-technical.
2. Climbing area — South-West Pamir, Kyshty-Dzherob gorge.
3. Climbing route with indication of peaks and their heights: peak Engels. South summit 6318 m East wall.
4. Estimated difficulty category 6B.
5. Characteristics of the ascent: Height difference 1318 m Walls 1170 m Average steepness 80° Length of complex sections (5–6 cat. diff.) — 900 m.

REPORT

on the CS "Zenit" championship in alpinism 1972 on the traverse "Peak 40 let LKSM Ukrainy (6318 m) — Peak F. Engels (6510 m)" of the team from Dnepropetrovsk regional council of DSO "Zenit" (in the class of traverses) Dnepropetrovsk 1972

5. Route Description

August 8. The group left the base camp (4200 m) at 9:00. Ascended by the moraine of the Kish-ty-Dzherob glacier, then through slushy snow on the right side of the glacier to the ridge (5200 m). Two relatively flat snow platforms were trampled and the group spent the night there. August 9. Departure at 9:00. The weather was excellent. Ascended to the ridge at 5200 m in rope teams: VALIK—SEMENOV, NAZARENKO—KOZAK, SAMOYLENKO—GREBENKIN, PROTSENKO—SUSLOV. The rope teams remained unchanged thereafter. Movement was simultaneous; the snow was steep but not yet slushy up to the ridge. Descended from the ridge via a rappelled rope to the Zugvand glacier. Then ascended up the glacier. The slope was approximately 20°, but it was not very hot, and the snow began to slush, making it hard to move. Steps were alternately kicked. By 16:00, they reached the start of the route. The key section ahead was the traverse of the Western wall of Peak 40 let LKSMU. They set up a camp, had a snack. At 17:00, the rope team VALIK—SUSLOV went to reconnoiter the start of the route. The route begins with negotiating a bergschrund and exiting onto ice under the marble belt. The ice slope was 30–35° steep and 200 m long. There was a thin layer of slushy snow on the ice, making it difficult to move in crampons. The available daylight was used to process the ice section. The rope team VALIK—SUSLOV, without backpacks and with three 80-meter ropes, used ice screws for protection and fixed ropes up to the rocky outcrop under the marble belt. By 20:00, the team returned to the tents on the Zugvand glacier.

ASCENT DOCUMENT

1. Category of ascent — high-altitude technical (traverse).
2. Area of ascent — South-West Pamir, Shakhdarin Range.
3. Traverse of peaks: “5800”–p. “Soviet Army”–p. “Baikonur”–p. “Marshal Grechko”.
4. Characteristics of the ascent:
   • height difference — 1200 m.
   • average steepness — 65°
   • length of difficult sections — 1140 m – 5B cat. diff. 880 m – 4 cat. diff. 1630 m – 3 cat. diff.

¹

1. DIFFICULT ROCK FORMATIONS
2. "КО­НЕК" (the "horse" or ridge)
3. SHELF ("POLKA")