The Matcha mountain node is the junction of three huge ridges: Altai, Turkestan, and Zeravshan. All of them are part of the Pamir-Alay system. In the southwest direction from Matcha Pass is located Peak Igla. This summit closes the main flow of the Zeravshan Glacier and is like the center of the entire node. Peak Igla is a rocky ridge. It is not a separate pointed peak, as one might assume judging by the name, but several pointed peaks united in a single massif.

• North Peak (4430 m) — named after Peak Lyubov Yakovlevna Pakharkova — Honored Master of Sports of the USSR in mountaineering.
• Middle Peak (4510 m) — Central Igla.
• Southwest Peak (4530 m) — Main Igla. Traversing the Igla massif from Matcha Pass is rated 5A category of difficulty (approximately by Yu. MALYKHIN — team leader, A. DAVYDOV, L. EGOROV, N. ORLOV). August 5, 1969. From the assault camp located on Matcha Pass (3870 m):
• Ascend via the glacier, bypassing the spur from the left side (when looking up) to the bergschrund.
• From the bergschrund — up the snowy slope to the snowy ridge and along it to the rocky wall.

From the overnight stay 3–4 ropes along the snowy slope of the gully, separated from the main slope by a section of rocky ridge. One rope on a 35° snowy slope along the gully, then exit to rocks (belay via ice axe). On the ridge, movement along the ledge on the left with piton belay at the beginning of the path! (after one rope of difficult rocks — exit back to snow). 40 m along the snowy ridge — exit to difficult rocks: chimneys 40–50° (in the upper part of the chimney — yellow rocks). The chimney is traversed with thorough piton belay. After the chimney, one rope of easy rocks with a 20-meter slab, then broken, snow-covered rocks and a gully with flowstone ice and loose stones. Belay is difficult to organize. Above the gully:

• 2–3 ropes of the path upwards along the snowy (in the upper part — icy) ridge;
• exit to the junction of the northeastern counterfort and the eastern edge. Exit to the eastern edge:
• 20 m of steps with chopping;
• belay via ice and rocky outcrops;
• from the overnight stay — 4–6 hours. Through the breaches and destructions of the eastern edge (cornice), one rope to the entrance to the gully formed by the rocks of the southeastern counterfort and the eastern edge.

L. A. Bodyaev, A. S. Nardomov, D. N. Molodtsov, L. N. Mikakova The route starts from col «4600» (for the path to the col see route 21).­ A simple rocky ridge leads to the ascent to the higher peak called Pik Druzei; route difficulty is 1B.­ Time from the col is 1 hour. The descent from the summit of Pik Druzei is done down steep scree slopes (beware of falling rocks) to the west towards Pik «Meteor».

(20­–30) pitches. Further, through three ropes of difficult path along the wide snowy ridge (on the right - eaves) - exit to a small gendarme formed by the junction of the southwest counterforce with the Eastern ridge of peak "Shetor". After going around the gendarme (on the right) - exit to a sharp rocky-snow ridge. The ridges are heavily destroyed. When moving - alternate insurance through ledges. Two ropes of the ridge path lead under a steep snowy ascent, resting through 40­–50 m into the pre-summit spur of t. k. "Shotor". From peak Druzei - 1­–1.5 hours. The outer route along the wall (a difficult place) is passed first along the inner corner (8-10 m) under an overhanging stone, and then to the right under a couloir (difficult insurance). The exit to the couloir is done with the help of hanging ladders, further - along a longitudinal,

From the approach to Vetrenaya pass (for a description of the route to the pass, see the section “Ascent in the Skalisty peak massif”) - easy rock ascent to the wall. The wall is 55° steep, 50 m long, has complex rocks (10 m), in the middle of the wall it's on friction. The path goes straight up. After the wall, the path goes along the ridge for several meters, and then left up a chimney (5 m) to the shelves, along which there is an 80 m traverse. Then climb up steep sandy walls (50 m), exit to the summit. From the pass to the summit takes 2 hours. Descent via the ascent route (2 abseils), the rocks on the route are complex. From the approach to the pass to the summit takes around 6 hours.

upper gentle part. Then along the snowy slope for about 1000 m to the Pirokaya saddle — to the lowest point of the ridge between the Unremarkable (Sharilya) and Warsaw peaks. The ascent route to the peak goes along the ridge leading from the Unremarkable (Sharilya) peak to Warsaw. The first elevation on the ridge is bypassed on the left along the snow. Then:

• along the gentle snowy ridge to the first ascent of 50 m (steepness 50°); the ascent is overcome head-on;
• a gentle and sharp snowy ridge of 50 m leads to the second ascent of about 10 m, which is also passed head-on on snow;
• after 30 m of snowy ridge, the exit is under the rocky summit — a tower. From under the tower:
• 40 m along the névé — ice with a steepness of about 50° with rock exits;

Alpinist Camp

“Alay”

July 13, 1983 rock climbing category

27

REPORT

on the ascent to peak 3,900 m (Domashnyaya) via the north-eastern ridge by the team MGS DSO “Zenit” 660, 19-V/160, 50°, 9 pitons, 12 karabiners, 6 hours by the duo Gutsol A.F. — 1st sports category, Makhnovetskiy A.B. — 1st sports category. Coach — Kozlov D.E. — Master of Sports of the USSR.

ASCENT DOCUMENT. 6A

1. ASCENT CLASS. ROCK.
2. ASCENT AREA, RIDGE. TURKESTAN.
3. PEAK, ITS HEIGHT, ASCENT ROUTE, ROUTE CHARACTER: Asan 4230 m, 3rd wall.
4. PROPOSED DIFFICULTY CATEGORY: 6A cat. diff.
5. ROUTE CHARACTERISTICS: ELEVATION CHANGE, LENGTH OF SECTIONS OF 5/6th difficulty category, AVERAGE STEEPNESS 72°. Elevation change: 890 m. Total length: 1125 m. Length of sections with 5/6th difficulty: 475 m, steep rock: 445 m. Steepness of the wall section: 82°.
6. NUMBER OF PITOONS: FOR PROTECTION.

The ascent from the base camp, located on the right bank of the Kara-su River, goes along the main slope towards the rock ridge to the left of the North Peak 3800. The approach to the start of the route (the foot of the West Wall of the peak) takes 1.5 hours.

Brief description of the route sections

Section R0–R1. Talus-filled couloir leading to the buttress. Bypass the twin pinnacle on the right. 150 m, 35°. Section R1–R2. Along the damaged rocky buttress, exit to the North Ridge to the right of the ridge. 200 m, 40°–50°, diff. cat. II. Section R2–R3. The destroyed rocky ridge leads to the North Peak.

Two hours' walk from the confluence of the Kara-Su and Ak-Su rivers, under the 3800 m peak, on the right-hand side, lies the base camp. From the base camp:

• Up the left moraine into a scree-filled couloir.
• Then right onto a grassy slope.
• Crossing a stream, past a gendarme onto a small shoulder.

Brief description of the route.

0–I From the small shoulder up through broken rocks, 20 m, II cat. diff. Exit onto a large ledge. Simultaneous movement. I–2 From the large ledge, up the left side of a rocky couloir for 60 m, II–III cat. diff. Movement with alternating belay. 2–3 Traverse the couloir from left to right. Move straight up on the right-hand side for 40 m, III cat. diff. Rocks are heavily broken. Rockfall hazard. Piton belay. 3–4 Up the left part of a vaguely defined rocky ridge through broken rocks, 40 m, IV cat. diff. Ascend to a ledge with a control cairn. Piton belay. 4–6 From the control cairn up the slabs, 100 m, II–III cat. diff. Alternating belay. Nuts.