Chegem via the western ridge, combined, 3A

Route description:

We ascend to the Donkin pass along the snowy slope, followed by an ascent to the snowy pad of the northern ridge of the Kickhadar peak. The ascent leading to the Chegem peak begins from the pad. The ridge is characterized by a large number of gendarmes. The general direction is from west to east. The first four gendarmes are easily bypassed on the right. Move simultaneously with protection through the ledges, then exit to a platform, descend 10–15 m along the internal corner to the saddle between the gendarmes. There are two possible path options further: I. Bypass the main rock mass along the ledges 1.5–2 ropes below the ridge. II. Move along the ridge, overcoming the gendarmes head-on. Moving along the ridge, we come to the gendarmes with a saddle, deviating slightly to the left along the edge of the snow. The first one goes up to the crack, standing on the partner's shoulders. Secures the rope on which the rest climb. Further movement along the ridge with simultaneous protection to a smooth 3 m wall, with a narrow crack into which you can hammer pitons, but you can bypass the wall along the gap on the left. The movement continues:

• Again, simultaneous movement along the ridge,

Fig. 32

284. Chegettau via the North-West Face (Nikolaenko's combined route, cat. 4B, fig. 18, 32). The path from the Ullutau alpine camp (a group of 4 people) to the initial bivouac at the Gumachi Moraine platforms is described in route 286. From the bivouac, cross the Gumachi Glacier and approach the left side of the North-West Face of Chegettau peak.

In the ice and snow couloirs on the left and right sides of the North-West Face:

• icefall seracs overhang. From the glacier:
• overcome the bergschrund;
• ascend a steep ice and snow slope (icefall, rockfall) to reach the rocks on the left side of the Lower Rock Belt of the North-West Face. On the monolithic, moderately difficult and difficult rocks of the face:
• ascend 80–100 m to a small ledge;
• from the ledge, 60 m upwards on rocks of above-average difficulty (avalanches, rockfall) to a ridge;
• follow a poorly defined 60-meter steep rocky ridge to reach the Lower Rock Belt.

Ynom-Kichkidar, combined, 3A

Route Description

From the Ullu-Tau alpine camp, the path goes through the Djailyk alpine camp, then crosses the Kullum-Kom river via a bridge and follows a trail along the right bank up to the terminal moraine of the Yuzhny Ynom-Su glacier. The ascent to the moraine takes 1.5 hours. Follow the trail on the moraine to ascend to the glacier and reach its right (orographically) side, along which you should proceed to the so-called srednekichkidar bivouac. It takes 2 hours from the camp to the bivouac. From the bivouac, move along the right side of the Yuzhny Ynom-Su glacier to a counterfort descending from the Freshfield Pass. The pass resembles "Gates" - two rows of rocky outcrops. It takes 3 hours from the bivouac to the pass. Then, descend from the pass about 20 meters down the snowfield to the east, and then traverse left to a couloir descending from the southeast ridge of the Ynom-Kara-Tau peak. Climb out of the couloir onto the ridge on its left side. The path to the summit continues along rocky steps resembling adjacent slabs. These steps lead to a gully. Cross the gully to the right and ascend the rocks on its right side (in the direction of travel) to a saddle. The path goes along simple rocks (slabs) to the summit. The summit is a sharp ridge, about 2 meters high, with a crevice in its middle part. The ascent from the Freshfield Pass takes 2 hours. From the summit, the path follows the ridge to the end of the massif, where a descent is made down a wall (40 m rope) to a snowy saddle. Then, a large gendarme is bypassed on the left along a snowy-icy slope, and a straightforward ridge is reached. The following gendarmes ("hares") are also bypassed on the left, leading to the ridge of the "Kichkidar" peak. The summit is covered with smooth rocky slabs. Return to the "hares" gendarmes and descend to the bivouac along the Zapadny Ynom-Su glacier, keeping to the left side.

Artkol 8. Artkol via the South Ridge (V. Grecheninov's and E. Grecheninova's route. Category 1B, August 14, 1938) The path from Verkhniy Baksan settlement to Zugulla is described in route 4. Having crossed Zugulla ford to the left bank, ascend along the trail on the right bank of the Kyrtyk river up to the confluence of a small Gicheartkol river coming in from the right. Cross Gicheartkol ford and ascend along the grassy slope of its left bank up to the upper abandoned cattle-breeding farm and further along the left bank up to the talus descending from the summit of Artkol. The initial bivouac is at the talus. 7-8 hours from Verkhniy Baksan settlement. From here:

• turn right and ascend along the large talus to the rocky towers of the South Ridge of Artkol summit;
• further ascent along simple, heavily cut and ruined rocks of the South Ridge with numerous gendarmes;
  • bypass the 1st gendarme on the left along taluses and simple ruined rocks;
  • overcome the 2nd one head-on along the ridge;
  • bypass the 3rd one along taluses on the left and then along a simple rocky ridge reach the 4th gendarme;

From the Shkhelda a/b, up the right slope of the Shkhelda valley trapezoid, first through the forest, then through the grassy slopes to the Shkhelda glacier. 300 m above the glacier tongue, exit to its surface moraine. Along the moraine, sticking to the right bank of the glacier, go about 500 m upstream along the gorge, then exit to the right onto the trail. Along the trail on the grassy slope, the ascent along the glacier to the clearing at the rocks with black stripes — Aristov bivouac. On the clearing there is a bivouac. From the Shkhelda alp camp — 3.5–4 hours. From Aristov bivouac, go to the Aksu glacier — the right tributary of Shkhelda — and up it. Having passed the right branch of the Aksu glacier falling into it with an icefall, exit after the turn to the icefall of the main (left) branch of the Aksu glacier, lying in a narrow rocky gorge. Pass the icefall in the center or bypass it to the right along the moraine (a longer and more dangerous path due to falling stones!). Beyond the icefall:

• ascent along the center of the glacier,
• ascent along the ice-snow ascent (crevasses!) to the snow plateau of the upper circus of the left branch of the Aksu glacier. Move up the plateau — to the right to the snowy slope rising to the North-Eastern ridge of the Aksu peak. Along the slope — ascent to the ridge (bivouac site). From the sites on the ridge — exit to the upper circus of the right branch of the Aksu glacier. Along the snow plateau of the upper circus of the right branch, go to the left and, without losing height, shift to the Aksu pass. From Aristov bivouac — 7–8 hours. On the pass, turn left to the Western ridge of the Aksu peak. Along simple, heavily destroyed rocks of the Western ridge with small scree and rocky ascents of gendarmes, passable head-on, ascent to the Aksu peak. From the Aksu pass — 2.5–3 hours.

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

143. Bashkara via the South Ridge of the South Shoulder (K. Tumanov's route, category 3A). The path from the “Jantugan” alplager (group of 4-8 people) to the initial bivouac at the Jantugan Pass is described in route 146. From the pass, exit onto the Jantugan Plateau and move down along its right side. Bypass the glacier's icefall from the right, then descend along the moraine under the slopes of Lekzyr-Jantugan Peak onto the Lekzyr Glacier at the confluence of its Western and Eastern branches. Ascend along the flat surface on the right side of the Western branch, bypassing the Bashkara Gadyl massif from the south, until reaching the point where the Unnamed Glacier's icefall (which descends from a small cirque formed by Ullukara

142. Bashkara via North-Eastern Ridge (E. Ivanov's route, cat. 3B) The path from the Djantugan alpbase (group of 4-8 people) to the initial bivouac on the Djantugan pass is described in route 146. From the pass, depart (at 3:00-4:00 am) to the Djantugan plateau. Traverse around the Djantugan peak from the left and exit to the North-Eastern ridge of Bashkara below the last (left) gentle snowy slope descending from the ridge saddle, which connects the Bashkara peak on the left and the Djantugan peak on the right. Turn right from the plateau and, having overcome the bergschrund, ascend directly up the gentle snowy, then scree slope. Further, ascend via easy, broken rocks, leaving the gendarme-connectors on the right, to the rocks of the North-Eastern ridge of Bashkara. 1-1.5 hours from the bivouac. When exiting onto the ridge, bypass the gendarme-connector on the left via easy, broken rocks (belay!). From the exit point to the ridge, turn left and move 50-60 m up via easy, broken rocks on the left side of the ridge, then across a short snowy connector below the rock ascent wall. Ascend 30 meters straight up the wall of medium difficulty to a ledge and traverse 10 m left along it. From there, ascend up-right 20-25 m via rocks of medium difficulty, then via easier and more broken rocks to the ridge (pitons for belay on the ascent wall!).

Dzhailyk via Western Ridge (V. Ruzhevsky route, 5A cat.) The route is sometimes called “Women's Five” or “Dombay Five”, implying easy dry rocks (up to cat. V) that can be realistically climbed in a day even by women. We have a good opinion about women climbers, as this route is not that easy; moreover, in bad weather it becomes virtually impassable, unlike “Monakh”.

• A bivouac can be set up at “Verkhne-Kichkidarskie nochyovki” (Upper Kichkidar Camps) or on the saddle below Donkin Pass.
• From the Western Yunom Glacier, move from the bivouac to the base of the Western Ridge of Dzhailyk peak.
• Via the avalanche debris and ice-snow slope of the Central couloir, along the rocks on the left side, approach the first inner corner at the base of the Western Ridge.
• From “Verkhne-Kichkidarskie nochyovki” it takes about 1 hour. From here:
• Up the moderately difficult 30-meter inner corner, then via smoothed steep 40–50-meter slabs ascend to the Western Ridge of Dzhailyk peak.
• Via monolithic steep slabs of above-average difficulty with short difficult walls on the Western Ridge, ascend 200–250 m to the Lower Triangle summit plateau.
• From the plateau, 50–60 m up a steep smoothed slab of above-average difficulty, then 30 m up a wall with a chimney-crack to a rock outcrop.