REPORT

on the ascent of Peak Kommunisticheskoy Akademii via the Southwest Face, carried out as part of the USSR Championship in the high-altitude and technical class Map-scheme of the ascent area SOUTHWEST FACE AFTER SNOWFALL. PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE AREA OF PEAK 6040 m. The organizational and tactical plan for the ascent was finalized after reconnaissance and visual observation of the route. The plan was as follows: Day one: Approach from the base camp to the second assault camp. Day two: Approach from the second assault camp under the wall, setting up the third assault camp, processing the lower part of the wall, and observing the regime of avalanches and rockfall.

Report

On the traverse of the peaks of Kommunisticheskaya Akademiya — "6045 m" — Garmo, performed by the combined team of the Armed Forces in 1972 (North-West Pamir)

Historical and geographical overview and characteristics of the area

In 1928, participants of the Pamir expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences, topographer I.G. Dorofeev, first crossed the Academy of Sciences range from east to west and discovered a large glacier flowing into the Vanch valley. The glacier was named after the Geographical Society. The length of the glacier was determined to be 18 km. The glacier is located in the upper reaches of the Vanch river valley. In the area of the Kasal-ayak pass, it seems to merge with the Fedchenko glacier. However, the main branches of the RGO glacier originate from:

• the southern slopes of Garmo peak, one of the largest centers of glaciation in the north-western Pamir;
• the south-western slopes of Kommunisticheskaya Akademiya peak. To the south, the RGO glacier receives a large tributary — the Krasnoarmeets glacier. A detailed study of the RGO glacier was conducted in 1948 by a comprehensive geographical expedition of Moscow University. The total length of the glacier from the slopes of Garmo and Komakademiya was determined to be 21 km. The width is about 1 km. The RGO glacier is dominated by two high peaks:
• Garmo peak;
• Kommunisticheskaya Akademiya peak.

36

Report

on the traverse of the Kommunisticheskoy Akademii 6175–OGPU peaks, accomplished by the team from the Novosibirsk City Committee for FIS in 1975. Main sections of the traverse of the Komaakademii–5900–OGPU peaks Southern wall of Kommunisticheskoy Akademii peak

3. Tactical Plan of the Ascent

Organization of the Ascent

41

COMBAT TRAINING DEPARTMENT OF TURKESTAN MILITARY DISTRICT COMMITTEE FOR PHYSICAL CULTURE AND SPORTS UNDER THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OF UZSSR REPORT ON THE ASCENT OF THE HIGHEST POINT IN THE USSR – STALIN PEAK (height 7495 m) VIA THE EAST RIDGE Tashkent 1958 ROUTE SCHEMATIC OF THE ASCENT TO STALIN PEAK (Height 7495 m)

I. Geographical Location and Sporting Characteristics of Stalin Peak

Ascent Passport.

1. Ascent category — high-altitude.
2. Ascent area, range — Central Pamir, Akademii Nauk range.
3. Peak, its height, route — p. Kommunizma 7495 m, via the counterfort of the SW slope of the Belyaev Glacier.
4. Estimated category of difficulty — 6B.
5. Route characteristics: height difference — 2825 m, length of sections with 5–6 category of difficulty — 1425 m, average steepness up to 6950 m — 55°.
6. Pitons hammered: on bivouacs — 4 rock; for belay: rock — 33, ice — 14.
7. Number of climbing hours — 32.
8. Number of nights and their characteristics: three nights at heights 6100, 6700, 6950 m.
9. Full name of the leader and participants:

ASCENT DOCUMENT I. Ascent class - high-altitude 2. Ascent area, ridge - Central Pamir, Academy of Sciences Ridge. 3. Peak, its height, ascent route - Peak Kommunizma, 7495 m, via the counterfort of the SW slope from Belyaev Glacier 4. Difficulty category - 6 5. Route characteristics: height difference - 2800 m length of sections with 5-6 cat. difficulty - 1975 m average steepness (up to 6950 m) - 54° 6. Pitons used: for belaying, for creating intermediate anchors.

INTERNATIONAL ALPINISM CAMP “PAMIR”

REPORT

On the Ascent to Peak Kommunizma

VIA THE SOUTHWEST RIDGE SPUR FROM BEYLYAEV GLACIER

Category of Difficulty: 6th cat.

Team Members:

• STUDENIN B.A.
• KOROVKIN O.A.
• MEDVEDEV V.M.
• CHERNY N.D.

Ascent Passport

1. Ascent class: high-altitude.
2. Ascent area: Central Pamir, Academy of Sciences range.
3. Peak: Peak Kommunizma (7495 m) via the southwest ridge from Belyaev Glacier.
4. Difficulty category: 6B.
5. Route characteristics:
   • elevation gain 2800 m
   • length of sections R0–R1 diff. cat. — 430 m.
   • average steepness of the ridge — 50°.

Report

On the ascent of Peak Kommunizma (7495 m) via the left edge of the north-eastern wall from the Ordzhonikidze Glacier by the LGS team of "Spartak" DSO

• August 3–17, 1972
• First ascent.

III. General Description of the Route

The eastern ridge of Peak Kommunizma, by which the first ascent was made in 1933, is the right (orographic) side of the Ordzhonikidze Glacier. The orientation of the ridge is close to latitudinal, and its slopes are steep walls exposed to the North. Due to the northern orientation, the walls have significant glaciation, often expressed in the form of hanging glaciers. As one advances towards the upper reaches of the Ordzhonikidze Glacier, the steepness of the walls increases, reaching its maximum at the junction of the main massif of Peak Kommunizma and the ridge leading to Peak Izvestiy. The summit of the North shoulder of the Peak Kommunizma massif (around 4.8 km) is dominant over the Ordzhonikidze Glacier cirque. Here, the ice masses can no longer cling to the slope (steepness reaches 60–65° in the middle and about 80° in the upper part of the wall) and expose rocky outcrops. This is the northern wall of Peak Kommunizma (Photo 2). The wall is bounded on the right by the icefall from the ridge between Peak Kommunizma and Peak Izvestiy, and on the left by a hanging glacier. The rocks are schist. The orientation of the strata is inclined, so the rocky masses intersect the wall from right to left at an angle of about 45°. The icy slopes between the rocky walls and the schistose nature of the massif stimulate frequent avalanches and rockfalls crossing the rocky outcrops. These circumstances deprive climbers of natural shelters and dividing counterforts when ascending the wall centrally.

Dzhalyk via the North Face (M. Suponitsky's route, 5A cat. diff.) Initial bivouac — at the end of the left-bank moraine or on the upper snow plateau of the Tytju glacier opposite the North Face of Dzhalyk peak. From the bivouac:

• Across Tytju glacier, having passed the icefall, approach the left side of the steep ice-and-snow slope of the North Face of Dzhalyk peak.
• From the glacier, on the left side of this slope, ascend 100 m to the right side of the lower rock island of the North Face.
• Across simple snow-covered and ruined rocks of the island, 90–100 m straight up.
  • The island can be bypassed on the right across the ice-and-snow slope (avalanches, rockfall).
• From the island, across a steep 250–300-meter ice-and-snow slope, to the right of the rocks, ascend to a snow bowl beneath an overhanging rock wall.
  • Bivouac in the bowl.
  • From the initial bivouac 8–10 hours.