Ascent Passport

1. Central Caucasus, Bezengi gorge, section No. 2.5 of the route classifier for mountain peaks
2. Peak name: Gestemony; route name: via the North wall (M. Khergiani, 1959)
3. Complexity category: 5Б
4. Route character: combined
5. Route height difference: 1960 m (by altimeter) Route length: 2990 m. Section length: V category: 938 m, VI category: 140 m. Average steepness:

• main part of the route: 65 °

1. Gidan via 3rd ridge, 1B.

From the “Ukyu-kosh” hut ascend along the left side of the gorge along the S slope, then through the “pocket” between the slope and the terminal moraine of the M. Ukyu glacier to the gray talus. Next:

• Up left along the edge of the talus and the spur that bounds it on the right, to the end of the spur, where the gray talus goes left into a steep couloir (rockfall hazard from the left).
• Continue in the same direction along the boundary between the black talus and the rocks on the left until you reach the “pocket” between the slope of the 3rd ridge and the low right-bank (orographically) moraine of the upper Gidan cirque — 1.5–2 hours. From the KSP “Golubyatnya” shelter (under the “watermelon”) it is advisable to ascend to the upper Gidan cirque along the goat trail to the right of the spur — 1–1.5 hours. Through the “pocket” (may be snowy) to where the moraine meets the slope, then left and up along the talus and snowfields to ascend to the 3rd ridge — 1–1.5 hours. Along the narrow snowy ridge through small “gendarms,” then along the broad snowy ridge left of the “gendarms” to a sharp snowy saddle at the junction of the 3rd and SE ridges.
• Up the wall (pitons for protection)
• Bypass the pre-summit “gendarme” on the SE ridge on the left to reach the saddle under the summit tower

Route to the summit of Джанги via NE ridge, cat. 4B (D. Kokkin, 1888)

The initial bivouac is at the Джанги-кош hut or closer to the route — on the snowy plateau (Шхара glacier) of the northern cirque of Зап. Шхара under the base of the rocky spur of the NE ridge of Джанги-тау. Scheme of the 4B route via NE ridge. Photo from the Джанги-кош hut (A. Yurkin).

Approach to the route

1st option:

• Move along the Безенгийский glacier and further along the ridge of the right-bank moraine of its Eastern branch to the overnight stays located opposite the Southern cirque of п. Семеновского (5–5.5 hours from the alpine camp).
• Here, descend to the glacier and cross it, exiting under the icefall that flows to the left of the rocky base of the NE ridge of Вост. Джанги-тау.
• Ascend to the plateau of the northern cirque of Зап. Шхара via the icefall at a safe distance (with ice falls at the top) from the walls of the NE ridge, taking 3–4 hours from the moraine. 2nd option. Move along the right-bank moraine of the Eastern branch of the Безенгийский glacier to the "Austrian overnight stays" (5–6 hours), then:
• Descend to the glacier;

"Main Dzhangitau via the North-East buttress — category 5A" (Schwarzgruber, A. Larin, Peringer, Taper — 23 July 1935; N. Chekmarev and G. Skornyakov — 23 August 1936; Fig. 39). From Bezengi alpine camp, follow the trail along the left-bank moraine of the Bezengi gorge up to the Missekosha hut. From the hut, on the south side of the meadow, follow the trail down, across the meadow with graves of climbers who perished in the Bezengi area, and descend to the Bezengi Glacier. Traverse the glacier, keeping to its left side, up and past minor icefalls and crevasses near the left bank, and then up the center-right of the glacier to its fork into left (East) and right (North-West) branches. Under the icefall of the East branch, turn left under the talus and grassy ascent of the left-bank moraine. Follow the trail right of the stream that flows from the trough between the moraine and the slopes of Pik Semenovsky down to the main Bezengi Glacier, and ascend to the moraine. Camp on the moraine. From Bezengi alpine camp — 3–4 hours. From the camp (with crampons!) traverse the glacier to the right side of the base of the North-East buttress of Main Dzhangitau. From the glacier, ascend the avalanche debris (avalanches!) between two rocky outcrops, through a bergschrund and along a gully, and then up a snowy slope to beneath the main rocky ascent of the North-East buttress. Bypass it via a snowy ascent on the right (avalanches! rockfall! icefall!) and exit onto an ice ledge (pitons!). From initial camp — 3–4 hours. From here:

• left and up rocky terrain of medium difficulty and an ice-snow slope (pitons!) — ascent onto the North-East buttress;
• from there, right and 80–100 m up simple and medium-difficulty rocks of the buttress (“live” rocks! pitons!), small slabs are bypassed via snow-ice slopes on the right;
• then, up a snowy slope — ascent onto a horizontal snowy ridge;

Dumala-Tau (4680) via South Ridge — Cat. 4B

From the bivouac behind the moraine, the path goes up the grassy slopes and talus, bypassing the ridge descending from the Dumala-Tau massif, to the right of the icefall. The route along the South Ridge begins to the left of a slab with a crack and a small stream at its upper part, via an 80-meter snowy couloir upward to the right onto a destroyed saddle behind the slab, from where the stream flows. From the saddle, follow a ledge upward to the left. From the end of the ledge, ascend a rocky couloir to a balcony. Along the balcony to the left and through a 20-meter crack, make a ascent to the left edge of the South wall. Further:

• Exit onto the West wall
• Traverse it to the left to bypass the jagged part of the edge
• After 40–45 m, exit onto the edge above the large "perо" (fin-like rock formation)
• From the edge, make a 5–6 m traverse along a ledge to the left under a gully
• From the left side of the gully, ascend 5 m up the wall, then 40 m along easy rocks under a 25-meter wall, which is climbed in the center
• From the wall, make a 60–70 m traverse through a couloir to the left

17. Traverse Dumala — Piramida — 4580 m with ascent to Dumalata from the north 3B cat. diff. (A. Naumov, V. Vanin, V. Gornago, A. Dobrushin, I. Ilyinsky, Yu. Kolenkin, G. Naumova, A. Pokrovsky and T. Tretyakova — July 1-3, 1964). The path from the "Bezengi" alp camp to the Green Glade under the Maly Ukju glacier see in description 1. From the glade, ascend to the moraine, to the right of the lowering in its ridge. Then up the moraine and snowy slopes of the Maly Ukju glacier. Behind the southern counterfort of the Ukyu peak, exit left onto the moraine running along the southern slopes of the peak. On the moraine — a bivouac. From the "Bezengi" alp camp — 5-6 hours. From the moraine, crossing the

DYKH-TAU (W), SOUTHERN COUNTERFORTRESS — 5A

The initial bivouac is on a scree shelf at the base of the Central Southern counterfortress of G1. Dykh-Tau. Along the shelf to the right, cross the snow-ice couloir separating the central and right counterfortresses of G1. Dykh-Tau, descend a 3 m wall, and then ascend simple rocks of the right counterfortress to enter the main Southern couloir. The couloir (with loose rocks) is crossed to the right and upwards, exiting under the rocky base of the Southern counterfortress of East Dykh-Tau. Along rocks of medium difficulty on the right side of the counterfortress, ascend 250–300 m under a 50 m wall. Ascent to the 50 m wall:

• First, 30 m up the center of the wall,
• Then 20 m via a crack, exiting onto the shoulder of the wall. From the shoulder, ascend rocks of medium difficulty under a rusty rock fall. Passing the fall:
• First, directly upwards 30 m via a crack,
• Then traverse right along shelves and upwards 25–30 m via an inner corner. A bypass to the right is possible. Above the fall — 80 m along shelves and rocks of medium difficulty on the right side of the counterfortress, exiting onto a saddle upwards to the left via a 10 m rocky couloir. 140–160 m of rocks of medium difficulty lead to a platform. A bivouac is possible here; the time from the initial bivouac is 9–12 hours.

Dykhtau (Main), North Ridge, Cat.4B

The initial bivouac is at "Russian Overnight".

• From "Russian Overnight" along a horizontal talus shelf, exit to the glacier.
• The icefall in the area where the glacier meets the rocky outcrops of the spur from the West Ridge of Misses-Tau is bypassed either to the right or via rocky shelves.
• Above the icefall lies the gentle part of the glacier and the beginning of the West couloir of Misses-Tau.
• Traverse the glacier, skirting to the right the base of the buttress extending from the large gendarme on the North Ridge of Dykh-Tau.
• Ascend the glacier along the buttress to the right of the gully (rocks) with a stream.
• Exit onto the saddle of the North Ridge to the right of the large gendarme via a firn slope (avalanche risk).

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.