1991 RSFSR Alpine Championship. Winter Ascension Class 135

Report

Report on the ascent to Ullu-Tau peak (Main) 4207 m via the north wall, category 5B, Abalakov's route '51. 2.4.1.132 KTMGV Team from "Rodina" Sports Club of the Kirov Regional Committee for Physical Culture and Sports. Team Leader Coach Shabalin P.E. Mashkovtsev V.I. "Rodina" Sports Club: 610006, Kirov, Lepsye St., 4A, ph. 30310, 36592

The summit of Ullu-Tau (4207 m) is located in the Main Caucasian Range and closes the Adyr-Su gorge. The summit is an array located in the East-West direction and has three not clearly defined peaks: Eastern, Main, and Western. The highest point of the massif is the Main peak of Ullu-Tau. To the north, the massif drops off with a steep wall with significant glaciation. The height difference is over 1200 m. All technically complex routes on the massif pass along the northern walls and are combined. Eight routes of category 5B have been laid on the massif (all along the northern walls). For the ascent, the group chose a new route through a steep rocky outcrop located between the rocky bastions of the Eastern and Main peaks. From the "Dzhailyk" alpine camp, past the "Ullu-Tau" alpine camp, up the gorge for 3 hours to the moraine under the northern wall of Ullu-Tau Main ("Central bivouac").

Table of Main Characteristics of the Ascent Route

ASCENT DOCUMENT

1. Ascent class: combined.
2. Ascent area: spurs of the Main Caucasian Range from the Chipperazau Pass to the Kitlod Pass.
3. Peak, its height, and ascent route: Ullutau Main, 4207 m, via the center of the Northwest wall through the "Rocky Island".
4. Estimated difficulty category: 5B
5. Route characteristics: a) height difference – 900 m, b) average steepness – 65°, c) section lengths: III difficulty category – 670 m, IV difficulty category – 1360 m, V difficulty category – 650 m.
6. Number of pitons: For belaying:
   • Rock 38
   • Ice 98
   • Bolt 2

Ascent Passport

1. Ascent type: winter
2. Ascent area: Central Caucasus, Main Caucasian Range, Adyr-Su gorge
3. Peak, route: Ullu-Tau /Main/ via NNW wall / V. Li route /
4. Difficulty category: 5B
5. Height difference:
   • wall section: 810 m
   • total route length: 1583 m
   • wall section length: 983 m

Passport

1. Climbing category: ice-snow
2. Climbing region: Central Caucasus, Adyr-su region
3. Peak, its height and ascent route: Ullutau Main via North-Northwest wall, 4207 m, 5B category, 3rd ascent.
4. Route characteristics: height difference — 950 m; average steepness — 47°; route length to the ridge — 1300 m.
5. Pitons used: rock 13/0, drilled 0/0, chocks 4/0, ice screws 122/0
6. Team's total climbing hours: 9 hours
7. Team: leader Kurganov N.V. — Candidate for Master of Sports Members:
   • Erokhin I.D. — Candidate for Master of Sports

REPORT

on the ascent to the summit of Vostochnaya Ullu-tau-chana via the northern bastions of the shoulder, category 5B difficulty

2. History of the massif exploration

The exploration of the Ullu-tau-chana massif began in 1933, when A. Japaridze and G. Niguriani ascended to the Main Peak from the Lekzyr glacier via the Mestian pass, following a route of category 3B difficulty, and to the Western peak from the Garvash pass, following a route of category 2B difficulty. Before the war, both complete traverses of the massif were accomplished for the first time, with a category 4B difficulty: 1937 — L. Nadezhdin and V. Nazarov — from west to east, 1938 — A. Zolotarev, F. Kropf, V. Mauer, and V. Nesterov — from east to west; and in 1946, the first ascent was made via the "board" to the Western peak, followed by a traverse of the massif to the east, category 5A difficulty — D. Gudkov, M. Zvezdkin, M. Chertkov, G. Odnoblyudov. In the 1950s, the conquest of the northern walls began:

• 1951 — V. Abalakov, M. Anufrikov, A. Borovikov, N. Gusak, V. Kizel, V. Nagaev, L. Filimonov, V. Cheredova — Main peak ("Central") via the northern wall, category 5B difficulty,
• 1954 — E. Monucharov, E. Emelyanov, G. Kalepov, B. Sadovsky, G. Senachev, Yu. Chernoslivin — Eastern peak via the northern wall, category 5B difficulty.

276. Ullutau Western — Eastern

(combined route by L. Nadezhdin, 4A cat. dif., fig. 18, 30). The path from the Ullutau alpine camp (group of 4–8 people) to the summit of Ullutau Western is described in route 272. From the summit of Ullutau Western:

• down the simple rocks of the Eastern ridge,
• then down 15 m steep rocks and 10 m slabs to a snowy saddle. Beyond the saddle:
• along a narrow ledge on the right side of the ridge (overhanging rocks, loose stones),
• up a 10 m wall of medium difficulty with a crack to reach the ridge of the massif. Along the easy ridge, reach the 2nd Western pinnacle-summit. From the pinnacle-summit, descend down slabs and steep rocks to an icy-snowy saddle. Then, along simple rocks of the ridge, passing a 10-meter sharp crest, approach the Main Pinnacle, which is bypassed via difficult slabs on the left. Further along the heavily serrated ridge of medium and above medium difficulty, approach the Red Pinnacle.

46. Himik via the Left rib of the North tower of the North ridge (combined route by A. Naumov, cat. 4B, fig. 5, 6). The path from the Djailyk alpine camp (group of 4-8 people) to the Yunom glacier with an initial bivouac at the "Sredne-Kichkidarskiye nochyovki" is described in route 73. From the nochyovki, cross the Yunom glacier to the right and ascend the gentle snow slope to reach the snow-covered talus terrace on the left side of the Left rib of the North tower of Himik peak. Traverse the talus ledges of the terrace to the left, beneath the Left rib of the North tower. From the ledge, ascend 80 m up the moderately difficult rock of the rib to a vertical wall. Below the wall, make a short traverse to the right and ascend the moderately difficult rock of a 15-20 m steep internal corner to reach the wall. From here, ascend 160-180 m up and to the left through moderately difficult rock ("live" stones), passing:

• internal corners,
• ledges,
• alternating with short walls of above moderate difficulty and difficult rock,
• beneath the left side of a huge inclined slab - a balcony. Ascend a difficult 15-20 m wall to reach the slab - balcony, and traverse it to its upper left corner. From the slab-balcony, ascend 80-100 m up and to the left through a chimney - crevice, then traverse along a ledge to reach the right chimney - crevice and ascend another 80-100 m. Bypass the rock plug in the upper part:

SPORTING AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ASCENT OBJECT Khimik 5AK to the S wall with crest The "Khimik" peak (3935 m) is located on the western spur of the "Adyr-Su" peak. There are two routes to the summit. The first ascent of "Khimik" was made by a group led by Yuryev A. on August 15, 1951, during the traverse of Khimik—Treugolnik. The ice and snow slopes of "Khimik" towards the "Yunom" glacier end in sheer walls of the Northern tower. In 1971, a group led by Naumov A. laid a 4B category route along the left edge of this tower. In 1980, a group led by R. Efimov passed a route along the North-Eastern wall of the right edge of the Northern tower. In the upper part of the route, not noticing a simple exit to the right edge, the group:

• traversed along a ledge to the left under a large cornice;
• ascended to the Northern tower along the wall between the left and right edges. The second passage of the route was made in 1981 by the duo Gnaevsky—Bratsev. This group reached the edge at the level of the traverse of the first ascenders and ascended to the Northern tower along it. The further path of both groups coincided with the 4B category route. In this report, the sports group from "Dzhailyk" alpine camp describes the path taken along the variant of the second ascenders. We consider this path more logical and safer. During the ascent, the group observed rockfalls passing along the upper part of the path of the first ascenders.

The climbing area is the Central Caucasus — a spur of the Adyrsky ridge. The peak is Khimik. Difficulty category — 88.45. The height of the peak is 3935 m Route characteristics:

• Altitude difference — 1000 m
• Length of sections 5–6 km — 185 m
• Average steepness of the wall part of the route — 68°
• Number of pitons hammered, number of placements used: rock placements — 71, chocks — 15
• Total number of climbing hours without approaches and descent — 14 Number of bivouacs and their characteristics:
• 1st — lower kichkidarskie bivouacs, sandy grounds