Ascent Certificate

1. Ascent category — rock climbing.
2. Ascent area: Caucasus, Rocky Ridge.
3. Peak 3280 m (Kionsky massif), via the Western ridge.
4. Estimated category of complexity 2A — first ascent.
5. Height difference: 600 m. Total route length — 1200 m. Average steepness of the route 30°.
6. Pitons left on the route — none. Use of previously driven pitons — none.
7. Number of travel hours/days: 6 h/1.
8. Overnight stays: none.

Khitsan

The rocky peak of Khitsan (3651 m) is located in the eastern spur of the peak of Nikolaev, between this peak to the west and the Khitsan pass to the east. A combined route to the summit has been laid from the Khitsan pass. The rocks are heavily destroyed, but due to the ridge nature of the route, it is suitable for passage at any time. 197. Khitsan via the Eastern Ridge (combined route, category 1B difficulty, fig. 38). The path from the CSP of the Tsey region (group of 4–12 people) to the Khitsan pass with the initial bivouac in the hut of the Southern branch of the Tsey glacier is described in route 83.

Tsey

The summit of Tsey (4140 m) is located in the northeastern part of the Tsey ridge, between the massif of Malaya Songuti to the east and (beyond the group of Uktyre rocks and Rodina pass) the summit of Turkhokh to the west. Tsey is technically simple, heavily destroyed, and therefore rarely visited by climbers. 155. Tsey via the West Ridge, 1B cat. dif. (F. Zauberer, I. Antonovich, A. Zolotarev, P. Kurilov, August 17, 1934). The path from the Tsey region's KSP (group of 4-8 people) to the Rodina pass with a starting bivouac on the scree under the Rodina glacier is described in routes 83 and 153. At the pass, turn right and reach the West Ridge of the Tsey summit. From here:

V. Chanchakhi via the Southeast Buttress and South Ridge. Cat. 4B

South Ridge Southeast Buttress Tsey-Chanchakhi Pass East Ridge Upper cirque of the North branch of Tsey Glacier Tsey-Tbilissky Pass

The path from the bivouac site in the Tsey district to the Tsey-Tbilisi pass. In 1934 on the upper plateau of the Northern branch of the Tsey glacier. At the saddle of the Tsey-Tbilisi pass, turn left. Over the destroyed, unreliable rocks of medium difficulty of the jagged ridge, bypassing the difficulties of the gendarmes on the right, along the snow-covered slabs (piton belay) to a platform under the sheer wall of the Western ridge of the Chanchakhi peak. From the platform:

• traverse along simple and medium-difficulty rocks to bypass the wall on the right to a snow-covered rock couloir;
• along rocks above medium difficulty of the steep couloir (possible rockfall — piton belay) 40 m up to the Western ridge;
• along the ridge, ascent under the wall;
• under the wall, move along medium-difficulty rocks to the right couloir and along steep, with few holds, местами разрушенным rocks above medium difficulty of the couloir, ascend 35–40 m to the Western ridge;
• along the ridge, ascend under the main ascent;
• from the ascent, move to the next right couloir and along it (“live” stones — piton belay) to the Western ridge;
• along steep, snow-covered (“live” stones — piton belay), medium-difficulty rocks of the Western ridge with numerous short walls, ascent 450–500 m to the summit of Chanchakhi.

V. CHANCHAKHI VIA THE WEST RIDGE, 4B cat.

EAST RIDGE WEST RIDGE TSEI-CHANCHAKHI PASS UPPER CIRQUE OF THE NORTHERN BRANCH OF THE TSEI GLACIER TSEI-TBILISSKI PASS

V. CHANCHAKHI VIA EASTERN RIDGE, 4B cat.

EASTERN RIDGE WESTERN RIDGE TSEY - CHANCHAKHI PASS TSEY PASS TBILISSKI ↓

Shulgin Peak

The low rock tower of Shulgin Peak (3648 m) is located in the Kalper Range between Vil'sa Peak in the south and (beyond the Kalper pass) the Kalper Peak in the northeast. There is only one combined route to the peak — from the Kalper pass. 214. Shulgin Peak via the Northeast ridge (combined route, category 2A, fig. 41, 42). The path from the CSP of the Tsey region (a group of 4–20 people) to the initial bivouac on the saddle of the Kalper pass is described in route 211. On the Kalper pass, turn right (when ascending from the Tsey valley) and ascend traversing along the right or left side of the Northeast ridge of Shulgin Peak. Then, via a short snowy rock

184

ASCENT RECORD

1. Ascent type: rock
2. Ascent area: Caucasus, Tsey Gorge
3. Proposed category: 2A
4. Peak: Shulgin Peak via SE ridge, 3900 m, 3700
5. Height difference: 900 m Average slope: couloir – 30 °, wall – 50 °
6. Pitons driven: 3
7. Duration: 8 hours

32. Western summit of Elbrus via the Western shoulder (route category 2B, fig. 8–10). From the village of Terskol, ascend first along the road, then along the trail on the right side of the Azausue valley and, after 4 hours, reach the initial bivouac at the Old Panoramic Viewpoint (Stary Krogzor) located on the southernmost (southeastern) spur of the Elbrus massif. From the Panoramic Viewpoint (departure at 2–3 am) turn left and via the moraine, and then along the Maly Azau glacier, reach the snowy plateau. Across the plateau (covered crevices!), then along a small, gently sloping snowy slope, reach the rocky ridge to the right (north) of the Khotiu-Tau pass and the Nameless avalanche glacier descending into the Ullukam valley. From the Old Panoramic Viewpoint, 4–4.5 hours. Here, turn right and along the simple rocks of the ridge, reach the rocky ridge descending into the Ullukam valley, along the right bank of the avalanche glacier. Traverse this ridge and along simple, in places moderately difficult, destroyed, snow-covered (cornices!) rocks of the ridge, ascending in the direction of the Western shoulder, reach the snowy ridge. Along the sharp (cornices!), then wide snowy ridge, ascend to the Western shoulder of the Elbrus massif. On a small snowy saddle to the right of the shoulder — bivouac. From the Khotiu-Tau pass, 3–5 hours. From the saddle, ascend northeast along the snowy fields with gradually increasing steepness, traverse left to avoid the Western summit of Elbrus and reach below the northwestern rocky ridge of the Western summit. From here, along the simple rocks of the ridge or along the snow beside the rocks — a steep ascent to the Western summit of the Elbrus massif. From the shoulder, 5–6 hours.