Tyutyu Seconda Western via the Western Ridge, combined, 2A

Route description:

From Shogentsukov's shoulder, descend to the glacier (closed crevices) and approach the saddle of Kullumkol pass, located under the southern slope of the Western ridge of Tyutyu Western. Here, turn right. Having passed the saddle, via simple, possibly icy scree, reach the Western ridge of Tyutyu Western summit. Turn right here and follow the gentle, wide, possibly snow-covered, easy rock 150-200-meter Western ridge to approach the 1st gendarme. Bypass the gendarme via the destroyed rocks on the right. Further along the gentle, местами со снежными карнизами, Western ridge, approach the 2nd gendarme, which is bypassed on the right via scree. Continue moving along the ridge, and directly along the route, there will be a small stony ascent to the Tyutyu-bashi 1st Zap summit. Here, turn left onto a snowfield and, traversing under the slope of Tyutyu Western, exit onto a steep slope with fine scree. Ascend to the Tyutyu-bashi 2nd Western summit via the loose scree turning into simple rocks. © Morozova Irina

Tyutyu Central via the West Ridge, combined, 26 hours

Route description:

The path from the Ullutau alpbase to the initial bivouac on the left-bank moraine near the West Tyutyu glacier follows the trail in the Kulukol gorge, on its left side, with a steep ascent to the glacier tongue. It's also possible to ascend via the Rayskie nochyovki (Paradise Camps) and exit onto the moraine shoulder of the West ridge of Shogentsukova peak. From the campsite, exit onto the glacier and move along its left part (closed crevasses!) to approach the Kulukol pass col, located under the southern slope of the West ridge of Tyutyu Zapadnaya peak. From the pass:

• Turn right
• Traverse the col along a simple snowy scree
• Ascend the ice-snow slope to the West ridge of Tyutyu Zapadnaya peak On the West ridge:
• Bypass the Katya Korlyakova gendarme (with a triangulation tripod on its summit)

203. Ullutau Vostochnaya via the Eastern ridge (combined route, E. Emelyanova, category 3B difficulty, fig. 24, 30). Follow the snowy slope of the Mestia Pass (199 m) to the base of the Eastern ridge of the Ullutau massif. From the plateau, cross the bergschrund via a snow bridge to reach the Eastern ridge. Along the boundary between rocks and snow of the straightforward Eastern ridge, approach the "saw". Traverse the ruined easy and moderately difficult rocks of the "saw" comprising 4 pinnacles, then cross a snowy saddle ("live" rocks, belay), and continue along the straightforward, gentle, long, and in places sharp snowy (cornices) Eastern ridge to reach a snow dome. From the dome, make a simple gentle descent along the wide snow-covered rocky Eastern ridge to a saddle (cornice). From the saddle, make a steep ascent up rocks alternating with sharp snowy ridges to the "Vzlët" pinnacle, and from it follow the straightforward sharp snow-covered (cornice) Eastern ridge. Continue along the ridge past small pinnacles of the second "saw" to the "Ogurtsy" pinnacles. Traverse the "Ogurtsy" pinnacles from the left via steep ruined rocks of moderate and above-moderate difficulty (belay), and beyond them ascend a couloir to a wide snowy saddle on the Eastern ridge below the rocky wall of the Eastern shoulder. Camp on the saddle. From the Mestia Pass, 4–8 hours. From the saddle:

• Ascend 40 m up moderately difficult rocks on the left side of the wall.
• Continue up a slope-couloir on the left side via a traversing ascent to the ridge of the Eastern shoulder.
• Follow straightforward snow-covered rocks on the left side of the ridge to reach the Eastern shoulder.
• From the shoulder, make a straightforward descent to a saddle (cornice).

203. Ullutau Vostochnaya via the East Ridge (combined route, E. Emelyanova, category 3B complexity, fig. 24, 30). Follow the snowy slope of the Mestian pass saddle (point 199) to the base of the East Ridge of the Ullutau massif. From the plateau, cross the bergschrund via a snow bridge to reach the East Ridge of the massif. Along the boundary between rocks and snow of the straightforward East Ridge, approach the "saw". Traverse the destroyed, easy to moderately difficult rocks of the "saw" with 4 gendarmes, then follow a snowy saddle ("live" rocks, protection), and continue along the straightforward, gentle, long, and occasionally sharp snowy (cornices) East Ridge to the snow dome. From the dome, make a straightforward, gentle descent along the broad, snow-covered rocky East Ridge to a saddle (cornice). From the saddle, a steep ascent follows up rocks alternating with sharp snowy ridges to the "Vzlet" gendarme, and from it along the straightforward, sharp, snow-covered (cornice) East Ridge. Continue along the ridge with small gendarmes of the second "saw" to the "Ogurtsy" gendarmes. Bypass "Ogurtsy" on the left via steep, destroyed rocks of moderate to above-moderate difficulty (protection) and rise up a couloir to a broad snowy saddle on the East Ridge below the rocky wall of the East shoulder. The saddle is a bivouac site. From the Mestian pass, 4–8 hours. From the saddle:

• Ascend 40 m up rocks of moderate difficulty on the left side of the wall;
• continue up the slope-couloir on the left side, traversing to the ridge of the East shoulder;
• follow straightforward, snow-covered rocks on the left side of the ridge to the East shoulder;
• from the shoulder, make a straightforward descent to a saddle (cornice);
• cross the saddle along the ice-snow ridge, then follow the slope and straightforward rocks to ascend to the summit of Ullutau Vostochnaya.

286. Chegettau via the Western Ridge (combined route, category 2A difficulty, Fig. 18, 32).

From the "Ullutau" alpine camp (group of 4-20 people), cross the Adyrsu River via a small bridge and ascend along the trail on its right bank. After passing the Chotchat stream, the trail diverges from the river to the right and goes up a steep slope overgrown with rhododendrons to the shoulder of the Eastern Ridge of Chotchat peak. At the shoulder, turn right and follow the trail, traversing the left (southern) slope of the Eastern Ridge of Chotchat peak, to reach the right-bank moraine of the Gumachi Glacier. Ascend along the moraine to the platforms at its end. Paths:

• From the "Ullutau" alpine camp — 2–2.5 hours. The "Gumachi Moraine" platforms serve as the initial bivouac. From the platforms, exit onto the Gumachi Glacier and move along the gentle part of the glacier towards the Gumachi Pass. After passing the icefall descending from the northwestern slopes of Chegettau peak, turn left and ascend steep ice-and-snow slopes (closed crevasses) to reach the southern cirque of the Gumachi Glacier. From the cirque, cross the bergschrund and ascend a steep 80–100-meter ice-and-snow slope (with protection) to reach the saddle of the Yaman Pass between Chegettau and Gumachi peaks. From the initial bivouac, it takes 3–3.5 hours. At the pass, turn left and follow the broad snowy ridge (with cornices) of the saddle to approach the ascent of the Western Ridge of Chegettau peak. From the saddle, ascend 100 meters (with protection) over simple, destroyed, and snow-covered rocks at the ascent. Then, follow the broad, occasionally narrow snowy ridge (with cornices), with short steep ascents and sections of simple destroyed rocks, to reach the summit of Chegettau. From the pass saddle, it takes 4–5 hours.

Kenchat

202. Kenchat via the North Ridge (Category 1B route, A. Zyuzin, S. Katsnelson, A. Kaverin, F. Kompaneyets, L. Khodyush, August 7, 1938). The path from the Adylsu alpine camp through the Tyutyusu gorge to the rocky plateau in the upper reaches of the Tyutyusu gorge is described in route 184. From the plateau, turn left and first traverse the glacier, then the gentle moraines and scree to reach the left branch of the unnamed glacier flowing from under the Killar Pass. This is the starting bivouac. It takes 6–8 hours from the last grove. From the bivouac, enter the left branch of the glacier and ascend along its right edge to the upper snowy plateau. Traverse the plateau (many hidden crevices!) towards the wide

Ba­lyk via the South Ridge (Route 1B cat. dif.). The path from the settlement of Verkhniy Baksan to the scree under the South Ridge of Artkol peak is described in routes 4 and 8. From here, follow the right bank of the Ikeras River, then Subashi River, to reach the scree of the upper plateau in the Subashi gorge. From the plateau, ascend via scree and broken simple gentle rocks to the gentle snowy South Ridge of Balyk peak. From here:

• initially along a gentle,
• then along a steeper simple snowy ridge — ascent to the South shoulder. From the col, via simple rocks and connecting ridges alternating with sharp snowy crests (cornices!) — ascent to the summit of Balyk. From the scree — 3–3.5 hours. Descent:
• via the ascent route,
• or along the East Ridge. Duration of the route — 2 days. “Baksan Valley”, A.F. Naumov

121. Volnaya Ispaniya via West Ridge (Category III route) From the "Dzhantugan" alpine camp (group of 4-8 people) ascend along the Adylsu gorge road. After 300 m, turn right off the road and descend to cross the Adylsu river on a temporary bridge, above the confluence of the stream from the Kashkatau glacier. From the bridge, the trail goes through a flat forest, then steeply ascends and exits onto the left-bank moraine of the Kashkatau glacier. Further ascent along the trail on the moraine ridge leads to platforms at its end. From here, it's possible to ascend 150-200 m up-left to platforms near the "Rusty" cliffs. The initial bivouac is on the platforms. From the "Dzhantugan" alpine camp, 3-4 hours.

Description

The description is compiled based on materials from the training section of the "Ullutau" alpine camp. From the "Ullutau" alpine base, ascend via the moraine to the "Cheget" campsites, and from there, head towards the "Gumachi" glacier, traversing the ascents of the 1st and 2nd stages (the latter being steeper in its upper part). From mid-July, crevasses are possible (in rope teams). Alternative route: After passing the "Chotchat" stream, the trail branches off to the right and ascends a steep slope overgrown with rhododendrons to the shoulder of the Eastern ridge of the "Chotchat" peak. Turn right from the shoulder and follow the trail, traversing the orographically left (southern) slope, to reach the left-bank moraine until its end, where there are suitable sites. The journey from the alpine base takes 2–2.5 hours. From the sites:

• ascend to the "Gumachi" glacier, overcoming the aforementioned ascents;
• continue to the "Gumachi" pass;
• to the left of the pass, a broad snow-ice slope of the Northern ridge is visible, with a gradual increase in steepness;
• move along the ridge towards a rocky gendarme;
• from the gendarme, descend along the ridge and then ascend a steep, narrow slope (with possible cornices) that leads to the pre-summit ridge and further to the summit of "Gumachi". Movement is in rope teams with alternate belays or via fixed ropes. The return route follows the ascent path. The time required for the ascent from the moraine sites is 6–7 hours.

South-east, 1B cat.

From Dombai clearing or h/c "Alibek" along the trail and grassy slopes and talus exit under Khrustalny pass, traverse steep spurs of the eastern ridge of Semenov-Bashi peak. Place for a bivouac — 3–4 hours. From the bivouac:

• Along a gentle slope in the direction of Khrustalny pass and, 100–150 m before the pass, left up a branched couloir.
• Up the couloir to the eastern ridge. Rockfall hazard!
• Then left along the ridge to the summit. Gendarmes are bypassed mainly on the right, downhill.
• At the beginning of summer — snow cornices on the north.