Ascent Passport

1. Area: Western Sayan, Ergaki ridge, 6.2.
2. Peak: Ptitsa 2221 m. Centre of the SE wall
3. Claimed: 4B cat. sl. First ascent
4. Route character: Rock
5. Route characteristics:
   • Route elevation gain: 441 m
   • Route length: 550 m
   • Length of sections: II–III — 270 m, IV — 150 m, V — 130 m
   • Average steepness of the entire route: 56°

Route Description

Peak Aristova, named after one of the first Soviet climbers — Oleg Aristov, — is a rocky tooth and towers rising above the lateral ridge, which branches off from the Malo-Almatinsky spur at the location of the Karlytau peak. From there, the ridge stretches east-southeast for about 4 km, dividing the lateral valleys of the glaciers:

• Aristova
• Byrdzhiga. The initial bivouac is on the Aristova glacier plateau. The exit to the route should be no later than four hours, on a slope with a steepness of 55–60°. The ascent goes straight, a little south of a small group of rocks descending from the summit ridge. Deep snow cover:
• Creates convenience for ascending on beaten steps with insurance through an ice axe.
• Is avalanche-prone.

Ascent from the southwest, route 1Б cat. difficulty

From Zelyonaya polyana further along the moraine to the confluence of two streams flowing from the Shokalsky Glacier. Here it is convenient to cross to the left bank. Then to the tongue of the Severny TEU glacier. Here on the moraine by the lake is also a convenient place to spend the night. Height 3500 m. From the camp to this overnight stay 4–5 hours walking. The ascent begins along a wide couloir with a slope of up to 35°, covered with small scree. After an hour and a half of ascent, the couloir narrows and turns east, leading to a false summit. Further - along the ridge with many gendarmes. Insurance is alternate. Gendarmes are bypassed on the right, and the last two are taken head-on. Along the ridge, reach the pre-summit couloirs. Cross two couloirs and ascend the third to the snowy ridge and along it to the clearly defined summit. Descent is by the ascent route.

Recommendations for climbers

1. Number of participants - no more than 25 people.
2. Initial bivouac - on Zelyonaya polyana or by the lake on the Severny TEU glacier.
3. Departure from the initial bivouac at 5 and 6 am respectively.
4. Special equipment for a group of 4 people: a) main ropes 2 × 30 m; b) rock pitons 2 pcs.; c) carabiners 2 pcs.; d) hammers 2 pcs.

Aktyuz Pass. Descend from the pass about thirty meters down the icy slope to the bergschrund (be careful!). Piton insurance. Go 150 m along the lower edge of the bergschrund, then down and right across snowy and sometimes icy slopes up to 40° to complete the descent onto Kroshka Glacier. Traverse Kroshka Glacier: go along the very middle in the upper part, and on the right side in the tongue area. Cross the moraine to a trail leading down the Orta Talgar valley.

Recommendations for Climbers

1. Maximum 6 participants.
2. Initial bivouac on Kopor Glacier.
3. Depart from initial bivouac no later than 5 am.
4. Equipment for a 4-person group: a) 2 × 40 m main ropes; b) 1 × 40 m auxiliary rope; c) 5 slings; d) 10 rock pitons; e) 6 ice pitons; f) 2 hammers; g) 6 carabiners. Fig. 43a

Here, an overnight stay is possible: there is water available in mid-summer. The ascent to the ridge begins after circumventing the rocks along the edge of the snow on the right side, in the lower part of the gendarme — via broken rocks. Proceed in the direction of the saddle between the gendarme and the second part of the ridge ascent. After reaching the saddle, move slightly to the left. Belay is via pitons; piton placement is necessary for belaying and for artificial anchors. Further along the ridge:

• monolithic rock sections are circumvented on the left
• via loose rocks — ascent to the summit of Жанатау. Descent from the summit towards the summit of Ленинградец is initially via rocks, then via a steep snowy section leading to a snow platform in front of the monolithic rock Зуб, rising before the second pass. Descend to the foot

Ascent Passport

I. Ascent class - combined 2. Ascent region - Tian-Shan, Trans-Ili Alatau ridge, Middle Talgar gorge 3. Peaks RAPATAK, 4050 m., north-eastern counterfort 4. Presumed difficulty category - 3A. 5. Route characteristics:

• height difference - 750 m.
• length of sections with 5th difficulty category - none
• average steepness - 30

6. Pitons driven:

Ascent Log

TO THE SUMMIT OF KLYSHTAU VIA THE NORTH-WEST RIDGE

1. Ascent category — rock climbing.
2. Ascent region — Trans-Ili Alatau.
3. Summit — Klyishtau via the North-West ridge (4250 m).
4. Expected difficulty category — 4–5.
5. Route description: height difference — 800 m. average steepness — 63° (difficult sections). Length of sections: R1 — 70 m, R14 — 40 m, R15 — 400 m, R2 — 20 m, R3 — 60 m, R4 — 10 m, R16 — 30 m, R17 — 100 m, R5 — 60 m, R6 — 40 m, R7 — 25 m, R18 — 50 m, R8 — 150 m, R9 — 45 m, R10 — 50 m, R11 — 100 m, R12 — 100 m, R13 — 300 m.
6. Number of pitons: for belaying, for creating artificial anchors. rock — 65, ice — 3, bolt — .

The path goes further along the eastern wall with a steepness of 70°. Here is a 20 m long shelf, 10 cm wide, going at an angle of 30°. There are handholds here. 5 pitons are hammered in to pass the shelf. The shelf ends with a narrow crack going upwards with a steepness of 60°, 3 m long. Climb up the crack. Holding onto the crack with hands, we reach a shelf 1 m wide, with a steepness of 30°, covered with fine talus. Here we hammer in a piton. The shelf is 7 m long, it ends with an internal corner with a steepness of 60° and a height of 4 m. Having passed the corner, we reach a large ledge, where we set up a belay. 7 pitons are hammered in on this section, and it takes 1.5 hours to pass. The path further goes above the wall along rocks covered with ice with a steepness of 40°, which end with a snow-ice shelf. The length of this section is 40 m, belaying is organized through ledges. From the shelf, the path leads upwards to the left along a snow-ice wall 3 m long, with a steepness of 50°. The wall leads to an inclined shelf 15-18 m long, covered with flow ice. The passage is made by hammering in rock pitons to the right along the wall. The shelf leads to a pre-summit shoulder. Here, hammering in pitons, we set up a belay. From the ledge to the shoulder, 7 pitons are hammered in, and it takes 2 hours 30 minutes. The ascent to the shoulder is a wall with a steepness of 95°, 8 m long. 2 pitons are hammered in to pass the wall. Here

The rocks in the chimney are loose in places. There are ledges for belaying. The chimney leads to the summit ridge. The further path along the ridge to the summit is not difficult. The summit is a small "candlestick". Descent is via the ascent route. The route takes 6–8 hours, including:

• 6–7 hours — difficult rock climbing on the upper part of the wall, with a 500 m drop below. This produces a very strong psychological impact. 12 pitons are hammered in along the entire route. Despite the fact that the route is quite short, it is considered one of the very difficult routes of cat. grade 3B.

Brief description of the route by sections

Sections R0–R2. Snow and ice slope. Simultaneous movement. Insurance through ice screws. Crossing bergschrunds via snow bridges. Sections R2–R4. Rocky gully and a series of walls. Rocks are destroyed, iced over. The most difficult section on the route. Insurance:

• pitons
• nuts In the upper part of the gully, behind a jendarme, there's a control cairn. Alternating movement. Sections R4–R5. Rocky ridge, very sharp. Loose rocks, everything is snowy, overhanging cornices! Insurance via rock outcrops. Alternating-simultaneous movement.