Gülchi

The Gülchi massif (4477 m) consists of the peaks Gülchi and Rtsy­vash­ki. It is located in the western part of the Sugansky Ridge, between the peak of Sugan­Tau (located east of the Rtsy­vash­ki pass, to which the Southeast ridge of Gülchi descends) and the peak of Komsomol Ukrainy (to which the North ridge of Rtsy­vash­ki approaches). From under the wall of the Southwest shoulder of Gülchi in the Akhsu gorge depart:

• Southwest ridge with the peak Akhsu,
• from the East shoulder to the East Rtsy­vash­ki glacier descends a steep rocky edge. Between the southeast and south ridges of Gülchi lies the Akhsu glacier, feeding the Akhsu river, and in a small corrie under the southern slopes of the peak Akhsu - a small glacier Maly Akhsu, the flow of which is a tributary of the Akhsu river. From the summit tower of Gülchi to the northwest departs a practically uninterrupted ice-covered ridge of the main massif Gülchi, ending with a small two-humped peak Rtsy­vash­ki. Beyond Rtsy­vash­ki, the ridge of the massif:
• turns north,
• descends to the ice saddle,

48. Dneprovskoy Pravdy Peak (4000 m) via the West Ridge (route is combined, category 1B difficulty). From the base camp on the right bank of the Psygansu River (group of 4–20 people) ascend to the tongue of the Nakhashbita Glacier and cross it to the right. From the Nakhashbita Glacier, traverse via talus, grassy slopes, and moraines, cross the Kamenistyy stream, and approach the Sugansky Glacier. Ascend onto it and move up, keeping to its right side. After passing the first icefall (belaying required), traverse the glacier leftwards and upwards towards the western slopes of Dneprovskoy Pravdy Peak, bypassing the rock walls and the steep rise at the base of the West Ridge on the right via the Eastern branch of the glacier:

Fig. 13 50. Pik Dneprovskoy pravdy from the southeast via the couloir (combined route, category 1B difficulty, fig. 13). From the base camp on the right bank of the Psygansu River (group of 4–12 people) ascend along the moraine ridge. Opposite Pik Dneprovskoy pravdy (under the slopes of Pik Shevchenko) turn right, cross the Nakhashbita Glacier. Then ascend the scree slopes along the stream to the Zapadny Nakhashbita Glacier. From here, on the right side of the glacier, approach the southeastern slopes of Pik Dneprovskoy pravdy. From the glacier, go right and ascend a wide snow slope turning into a long snowy couloir (protection), and follow it to the saddle of the

Fig. 13 51. Peak Dneprovskoy Pravdy via the North Ridge (combined route, category 2A). From the base camp on the right bank of the Psygan-su River (group of 4–12 people), ascend to the tongue of the Nakhashbita Glacier and cross it to the right. From the Nakhashbita Glacier, head towards the Sugan Glacier. Before reaching it, turn left and follow the steep moraine along the Kamenisty Stream to reach a small cirque with the Kamenisty Glacier, formed by the ridges of Peak Zorya and the North Shoulder of Peak Dneprovskoy Pravdy. From the Kamenisty Glacier, ascend a simple, gentle 450–500-meter snow slope of the couloir to the Kamenisty Pass. From the base camp, it takes 3–3.5 hours. At the pass, turn left and ascend via the right side of a simple, heavily broken 300-meter ridge, then via a simple 60-meter rock ascent (with protection) to reach the North Shoulder of Peak Dneprovskoy Pravdy. From the Kamenisty Pass, it takes 1 hour. On the shoulder, turn right and ascend via a simple, gentle snow-covered rock 200-meter North Ridge, then via a snow ascent to the Kupol pinnacle. From the Kupol pinnacle, descend via simple rocks on the right side of the North Ridge into a snow-filled cirque. From here, ascend a snow slope (with protection) with an ice-snow ascent (with piton protection) on the North Ridge for 120 meters below the second pinnacle. Overcome the pinnacle via a gentle, broken 60-meter ridge with an ascent to its summit on the right via a narrow chimney (with protection). From the pinnacle, make a simple descent onto a sharp snow ridge. Further, follow the sharp, then broad and long North Ridge with outcrops of rocks, ending with an ice-snow ascent, then ascend via simple rocks on the right side of the ridge for 200 meters to Peak Dneprovskoy Pravdy. From the base camp, it takes 8–10 hours.

Fig. 13 49. Peak Dneprovskoy Pravdy via the South Ridge (a combined route, category 2B difficulty, Fig. 13). From the base camp on the right bank of the Psygansu River (a group of 4–12 people) ascend the moraine ridge to its end under the slopes of Peak Shevchenko. From here (closed crevasses) cross to the right side of the Nakhashbita Glacier and ascend it to the Northwest Branch of the glacier, descending from the right from the Moris Torez Pass. Then:

• turn right and, staying on the right side, traverse the icefall in the lower part of the Northwest Branch of the Nakhashbita Glacier;
• move up the gentle (closed crevasses) snow plateau and slopes of the Northwest Branch of the glacier in the direction of the Moris Torez Pass;
• approach the snow slope — a couloir descending from the South Shoulder of Peak Dneprovskoy Pravdy on the right. From the base camp — 4–5 hours. Here, turn off the glacier to the right and ascend a gentle 300-meter snow slope — a couloir — to the ridge leading to the South Shoulder of the South Ridge of Peak Dneprovskoy Pravdy. From the glacier, about 1 hour. On the ridge, turn left and traverse a simple, gentle, snow-covered ridge — slope — to the South Shoulder.

Fig. 8 32. Doppakh East via the North-Eastern Slope (combined route A. Zyuzin, cat. 4B, Fig. 8). From the base camp on the right bank of the Psygan-su River, near the tongue of the Nakhashbita Glacier (group of 4-8 people), ascend via the crest of the left-bank moraine of the glacier to its end. Here, descend to the right onto the Nakhashbita Glacier and approach the serac zone of its Southern branch. On the route:

• Ascend the powerful, steep, and heavily crevassed serac zone to the upper snow plateau leading to the Doppakh Pass.
• Traverse the plateau to the right and upwards onto the scree of the short Northern counterfort of the North-Eastern slope of the Eastern ridge of the Vostochny Doppakh peak. The initial bivouac is on the scree. From the base camp, it takes 6-7 hours. The approach path from the "Nakhashbita" meadow to the Doppakh Pass is described in route 17. From the pass, descend northwards down a steep ice-snow slope with an 8-10-meter sheer wall of the bergschrund in the lower part. Further, keeping to the left side of the Nakhashbita Glacier, it is necessary:
• to descend a steep slope with numerous crevasses;

Fig. 8 29. Dop­pakh Wes­tern from the south via the couloir and the Eas­tern ridge (A. Uva­rov’s com­bined rou­te, dif­fi­cul­ty ca­te­go­ry 3B, fig. 8). From the “Na­khash­bi­ta” meadow (group of 4–8 peo­ple) up­wards to the left (to the north-west) along the gra­ssy slopes and mo­re­nes to the tongue of the South Dop­pakh gla­cier. From the mo­re­na (se­cu­ri­ty) up a steep icy slope to the South Dop­pakh gla­cier and along it up­wards. A small gla­cier fall in the mid­dle part of the gla­cier — pass through the cen­ter. Be­hind the gla­cier fall, as­cend along the gen­tly slo­ping gla­cier (co­vered cre­vas­ses), then, over­co­ming two berg­schrunds, along a steep icy-snow slope (pit­on se­cu­ri­ty) move to the right side of the low­est rock tri­an­gu­lar is­land on the left side of the cou­loir lea­ding to the mas­sif’s sad­dle. Cir­cum­vent the rock is­land to the right and along a steep nar­ro­wing icy-snow cou­loir (rock­fall pos­si­ble, pit­on se­cu­ri­ty) as­cend to the sharp snow (big cor­nice) sad­dle of the mas­sif be­tween the Wes­tern and Cen­tral Dop­pakh sum­mits. On the sad­dle, turn left and reach a snow plat­form be­low the Eas­tern ridge of the Wes­tern Dop­pakh. On the plat­form, set up a bi­vouac. From the “Na­khash­bi­ta” meadow, 6–8 hours. From the plat­form:

• a steep as­cent along a 60–80-me­ter icy-snow slope on the right side of the Eas­tern ridge (pit­on se­cu­ri­ty);
• then, along the right side of a 180–200-me­ter sim­ple snow ridge, as­cend to a small snow plat­eau;
• from it, over­co­ming a snow cre­vas­se along a gen­tly slo­ping 120–150-me­ter snow ridge — to the sum­mit of Wes­tern Dop­pakh.

Is Doppakh the main (western?) one via the north-eastern ridge?

The ridge is snowy-icy, category 4 difficulty. The route has been climbed multiple times (1937, 1939), but a detailed description is not available. From the south-western branch of the "Nakhashbita" glacier, ascend a steep (35-40°) icy slope, reaching 70° at times, to the north-eastern icy ridge and along it to the summit (photo 27). From the overnight stay on the glacier to the summit is 7-8 hours of intense work. Descend via the ascent route. For the route, 8-10 ice screws, ropes for loops, and other equipment are necessary.

Fig. 7 Fig. 8 26. Western Doppakh via Southwestern slopes and Northwestern ridge (I. Suzhaev's combined route, category 4A, fig. 7, 8). The path from the Nakhashbita meadow (group of 4-8 people) to the Doppakh glacier is described in route 22. On the right side of the glacier, approach a small steep lateral glacier descending onto the Doppakh glacier from the right, from under the Sugansky Pass located between:

• the Doppakh massif on the right
• Suganbashi on the left. Here, turn right and, bypassing two small icefalls, ascend on the right side of the steep lateral, heavily crevassed glacier (stonefall possible from the Doppakh walls). From the upper part of the lateral glacier - via a steep, narrow, and moderately difficult couloir (120-150 m) on the left of a wide, inclined, snow-covered shelf of the Doppakh massif, where stonefall is frequent. Ascent ("live" rocks - piton belay) to the Sugansky Pass. From the "Nakhashbita" meadow - 5-7 hours.

Fig. 25

1. Ascent to Sofrudju peak (3785 m) — cat. d. 1B (fig. 25)

From Dombayskaya polyana cross the bridge over the Alibek river and follow the trail to the stream descending from the large Belalakay couloir. Cross the stream to the snowfield and ascend it for 300–350 m. Then turn left into the Sofrudju couloir (danger of rockfall!) and ascend it to a large overhanging rock. Continue straight up the steep section to the trail and follow it to Medvezhya (Med­ve­zh­'ya) polyana. From Medvezhya polyana ascend 300–350 m up the eastern slope of Belalakay through the snow — exit to the Sofrudju bivouac. From Dombayskaya polyana — 5–6 hours.