Ascent to Kap Peak (3207 m) — Category 1B (Fig. 16)

From the "Alibek" hut along the trail to the glacier or from the bivouac near Turye Lake along the gentle part of the Alibek Glacier — approach to the far right couloir of the Kap Peak slopes. Up the couloir (rockfall hazard!) to the cirque step. There are three ascent options: 1st option:

• To the right along the snowfield into the couloir and along the slabs (belay!) left-up to the ridge.
• Then along the ridge (belay through outcrops!).
• The upper part of the ridge is scree.
• The red rocks of the forepeak are bypassed on the right, then again exit to the ridge and along it to the summit.
• The summit dome is snow-covered.
• The journey from the bivouac to the summit takes 5–6 hours.
• Descent via the ascent route — 3–4 hours.

REPORT

• on the ascent made in the area ch. Caucasian ridge and its spurs from Marukh pass to Pakhar pass to the summit of KAP PIK (3400 m) from the Belalakaisky glacier (from the north)

Group Members:

1. Slezyn Yu. — MS
2. Ovcharenko V.D. — 1st sports category
3. Pilipenko V.S. — 1st sports category
4. Volkov L.B. — 1st sports category

1. Class of ascent: technically complex
2. Region of ascent ridge: Western Caucasus, Karvkeysky spur of the Main Caucasian Ridge, Kara-Kaya node between South-Karvkeysky and Mvruhsky passes.
3. Peak, its height, ascent route: Glavnaya Karakaya, 3890 m. Rocky route along the Eastern ridge.
4. Estimated category of difficulty: — 3А
5. Characteristics of the route: height difference 570 m. Average steepness 33°. Length of sections with 5th category of difficulty — none.
6. Number of pitons driven: For belaying for creating artificial support points | rock | 9 | 2 (organization of descents) |

Report on the Ascent in the Area

of the Main Caucasus Range and its spurs from Marukh pass to Nakhar pass to the summit of Glavnaya Karakaya via NW wall (left part) (3896 m) by the team of instructors from DOMBAY alpine camp:

• SAVCHUK V.A. — CMS
• KOROTKOV V.A. — MS
• KARPOV Yu.G. — CMS
• PERKOVSKY L.I. — CMS
• MOCHNIKOV E.I. — CMS
• AZARYEV I.A. — 1st sports category Team coaches: MAGOMEDOV Kh.K.; KUROCHKINA Z.V. DOMBAY — 1974

104

Central Council of the "Trud" Voluntary Sports Society

"Krasnaya Zvezda" Alpine Camp

Report

on the first ascent of the Northwest wall of Kara-Kaya Main peak (approximately category 6B) Team members:

• USSR Master of Sports Andreev R.N. - team leader
• Assorov A.V. - participant
• Shkrabkin A.S. - participant

Fig. 1

1. Ascent to the summit of Zapadnaya Kara-kaya (3570 m) from the Zapadno-Karakaysky pass — cat. diff. 6B (Fig. 1)

The approach to the Kara-kaya massif can be made by two variants: 1st variant. From Dombayskaya polyana, drive by car through Karachaevsk and stanitsa Kardanikskaya to the settlement of Rudnichny. Below Rudnichny, cross the river Aksaut via a log bridge, then proceed 700–800 m upstream along the river and ascend the slope to the right and upwards to a shepherd's trail. Follow the trail to the site of old sheepfolds and further across the glacier to the Yuzhno-Karakaysky pass. From Rudnichny, it takes 6–7 hours. 2nd variant. From Dombayskaya polyana, descend via Sulakhatsky or Alibeksky pass (through the "green hotel") to the Jalovchat glacier, cross it slightly above the tongue, and ascend a steep scree slope to the green shoulder of the northern spur of the Aksaut massif — bivouac site. From Dombayskaya polyana: 8–9 hours (Sulakhatsky and Alibeksky passes — cat. diff. 1A).

Fig.­ 1

3.­ Ascent to the summit Uzlovaya Kara-kaya (Zapadnaya Dvuushka, 3620­ m) from the Yuzhno-Karakaysky pass — category of difficulty (see Fig.­ 1)

From the Yuzhno-Karakaysky pass, first along a steep (45–50°) snowy slope, and then along the ledges upwards to the slab (protection!). Under the slab, along the ledges to the right and on the right side of the slab (piton protection!) — exit upwards to the ridge. Further along the right side of the ridge (simple rocks, but heavily destroyed, prone to rockfall!) — ascent to the ledge with several pinnacles. Under the ledge, exit to the left side of the ridge and along the moderately difficult rocks (protection through the ledges!) — ascent to the yellow ascent. Bypassing the yellow ascent first on the left 5–6 m, and then up the crack

Bolshaya Marka

Fig. 11

Ascent to Bolshaya Marka peak (3768 m) - Cat. 1B (Fig. 11)

From Dombay plain, take the road to the "Alibek" alpine camp and continue on the trail to "Semidesyatitrekh" pass. The journey from Dombay plain takes 5-6 hours. From the pass, descend north down a steep snowy slope (ensure belaying!), then traverse scree and grassy slopes to reach a meadow in the Kiche-Teberda gorge. Set up a bivouac. The total time from Dombay plain is 8-9 hours. Continue by traversing a grassy slope (under the trigonometric point) upwards to the left, towards the western edge of the ridge. Then, proceed up a large scree slope into a hanging valley bounded by the southwest ridge on the right and the west ridge of Bolshaya Marka peak on the left. A high rock face is visible on the slope of the western ridge. Ascend the slope under the rock face, bypass it on the left, and continue up the slope to the northern buttress of the peak. Traverse scree to reach the col between the peak and a large gendarme. Then:

• proceed right-upwards along a rocky slope (weathered rocks!),
• reach the ridge,
• then traverse ledges to the summit.

Fig. 25

1. Ascent to Sofrudju peak (3785 m) — cat. d. 1B (fig. 25)

From Dombayskaya polyana cross the bridge over the Alibek river and follow the trail to the stream descending from the large Belalakay couloir. Cross the stream to the snowfield and ascend it for 300–350 m. Then turn left into the Sofrudju couloir (danger of rockfall!) and ascend it to a large overhanging rock. Continue straight up the steep section to the trail and follow it to Medvezhya (Med­ve­zh­'ya) polyana. From Medvezhya polyana ascend 300–350 m up the eastern slope of Belalakay through the snow — exit to the Sofrudju bivouac. From Dombayskaya polyana — 5–6 hours.

Fig. 26

2. Tra­verse of Sofru­dzhu peak from the north-east — category 2B (fig. 26)

From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana across the bridge over the Ali­bek river and along the trail to the crossing over the Ama­nauz river. Crossing to the right bank, then along the mo­rena and over the "baa­ran­y lby" to the Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier, and along it to the ter­mi­nal mo­rena under the Zapad­no-Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier. Camping site. From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana — 3–4 hours. Further (in con­nec­tion!) as­cend to the Ama­nauz pass be­tween the peaks Glav­ny Ama­nauz and Sofru­dzhu. As­cend along the right side of the heav­ily cre­vassed gla­cier, then, in the up­per part, un­der the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub exit to the mid­dle of the gla­cier, as snow ava­lanch­es are pos­si­ble from the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub. Along the mid­dle of the gla­cier up to the bergschrund, cross the bergschrund over a snow bridge and up the steep snow slope (50°) to the pass. Exit to the pass to the left of the rocky out­crop at the pass point.