Peak Agamal 5553 m (first ascent) Muzkol Pamir, Tajikistan

Creator: Judyta Tadeusz Dzięgielewski, e-mail: jtdziegielewski@gmail.com, photos: Judyta Tadeusz Dzięgielewski (JTD), Jerzy Kędra (JK)

Basic Information

Location: Tajikistan, Muzkol Pamir, peak 5553 m (according to Soviet military maps), north face, 38° 32′ 12.0″ N 73° 28′ 28.5″ E Climbing dates: 4–5 September 2019 Expedition dates: 10 August – 24 September 2019 (car trip through Central Asia[^1]) Climbers: Jerzy Kędra, Judyta Tadeusz Dzięgielewski (Poland) Difficulties: 3A/3B (Russian grade), D (alpine grade), WI 2/3 (hard ice[^2], 40–60 degrees, a few short passages up to 70–80 degrees on the ridge), about 20 rope lengths (height about 1100 m, elevation gain about 650 m), including 3–4 lengths of simultaneous climbing. Descent: via the same route with belaying and rappelling from Abalakov stations. The peak caught my attention two years ago when I photographed it near the Ak-Baital pass on the Pamir Highway. Like most peaks in this area, it is not very high and lies in a region rarely visited by climbers—the Muzkol Pamir. Moreover, it is located in a remote area, not in the main regions of interest to climbers, in the southeastern part of the North Muzkol range, west of the Ak-Baital valley. I reviewed all available literature, including Russian-language sources, for any information on possible ascents or attempts. I also searched the internet. I corresponded with Vladimir Biryukov, a well-known researcher, geographer, and cartographer living in Kyrgyzstan, one of the main authors of the Soviet military maps of the Pamir and Tian Shan. It turned out that the mountain was (with 99% probability—"you never know") still "virgin," previously unclimbed[^3]. I shared this with an old friend, and we began our journey through Central Asia. After three weeks of wandering, we ended up in the Ak-Baital river valley.

Passport

I. Rock class 2. Tian-Shan, Kyrgyz Ala-Too, Ala-Archa gorge 3. Boks peak via the edge of the northern wall 4. Assumed 5B category of difficulty, third ascent 5. Height difference 600 m, length 850 m 6. Length of sections with 6A–6B category of difficulty — 90 m sections with 5B category of difficulty — 330 m. Average steepness of the main part 74° 7. Pitons left on the route — 0

B. Boxs, 4240 m, via N. Stena, 4A comb., as a duo Fedorov S. January 30, 7:15 — Exit from Khikhina Promin M. 10:00 — control point NAE. 16:20 — Overnight M. Petrov January 31, 8:15 — Exit from bivouac E. Lobanev 13:00 — Reach the ridge 14:40 — Summit 17:00 — descent to Khikhinka 18:00 — descent to Ala-Archa

Ascent Passport

1. Climbing category — wall climb
2. Climbing area — Pamir, Muzkol Ridge
3. Peak 5660 via NW wall
4. Proposed difficulty category — 6B, first ascent
5. Height difference — 960 m Of which:

• wall — 800 m
• length — 1075 m
• length of wall section — 875 m

St. Petersburg Climbing Championship 2018 High-Altitude Class

Report on the Ascent to the Summit of Peak Korzhenevskaya via the South Ridge (Tsetlin, 1966) 5A Category of Difficulty

Team Coach: S.A. Semiletkin Team Leader: F.M. Zaliev Team Members:

• A.S. Dusheiko
• S.V. Livandev, St. Petersburg 2018

Ascent Passport

• Region: PAMIR Area: Academy of Sciences Range (western side of Fedchenko Glacier from Yazglemsky Pass in the south to Muksu River in the north with all lateral spurs) Peak Name: Peak Korzhenevskaya, 7105 m

Description of the First Ascent to the summit of Beliy Pik from the Southeast (approx. Category III difficulty) (Alaarchinsky spur of Kyrgyz Ala-Too)

The first ascent was made on July 21, 1968, by two groups of Leningrad climbers from the base camp at the confluence of the Alamedin and Jyndy-su rivers. Group Composition: Kheysin D.E. (leader), MS Koltsov A.I. (leader), Naryshkin B. 1st sports category, Mikheev L.N. 1st sports category, Fedorenko Yu. 1st sports category, Yakovlev Yu.G. 1st sports category, Yakovlev Yu.V. 1st sports category.

Brief Geographical Description and General Route Characteristics

The summit of Beliy Pik is located east of Lermontov Peak on the same spur, which bounds the Dzhindy-su valley to the south. The ridges extending from the summit to the east and southeast descend towards the Alamedin valley and bound the Kок-zoo valley and glacier (name taken from Marechek's map). The route is snow and ice with short rock sections. The height of Beliy Pik is 4650 m.

Route Description

From the base camp, follow the right (here and further along the route) bank of the Alamedin River (trail) up to the first lateral valley on the right (hanging valley) (40 min). Turn right and ascend steeply up the scree, and after the inflection, continue up the moraines to the gentle tongue of the Kok-zoo glacier, where the river is hidden by moraines. Cross the center of the open glacier to a narrow, steep icefall between rocky spurs (4 hours); overnight stay on the right moraine.

Ascent Plan

The ascent of Peak Sovetsky Kyrgyzstan from the south along the ridge between the Ozarovsky and Pastukhov glaciers was conducted as part of the overall plan of the LOS DSO "TRUD" team, which participated in the 1962 USSR championship in the traverse class (Alamedin Wall). The ascent to Peak Sovetsky Kyrgyzstan (4840 m) via the specified route was done for the first time, and a first ascent was made to the West Kyrgyzstan peak (4820 m). According to the plan for reconnaissance and training ascents, two groups:

• Slyozin Yu.B. — Master of Sports
• Shevchenko Yu.S. — 1st category as well as
• Ivanova T.G. — 1st category
• Yagotints V.D. — 2nd category were to reach the Ozarovsky South glacier cirque, inspect part of the Alamedin Wall traverse, and ascend Peak Sovetsky Kyrgyzstan from the south. Depending on the complexity and length of the route, as well as the participants' well-being, the ascent was to be made either separately with a corresponding interval or simultaneously by the entire foursome under Slyozin's leadership.

Ascent Passport

1. Ascent classification — technical
2. Ascent region — North Tien Shan, Kyrgyz Ala-Too ridge, Ala-Archa gorge
3. Peak, its height, ascent route — Kyrgyzstan Peak (4840 m), via the central counterfort of the north wall.
4. Presumed difficulty category — 5B
5. Ascent characteristics: height difference — 1290 m average steepness — 80°, length of difficult section 5–6 hours, tr — 1040 m
6. Pitons hammered in: rock — 215 ice — 69, bolt — none, of which for creating belay anchor points — 48
7. Number of climbing hours — 47

N1 and N2 are route points passed by the group

1. Ascent Passport

Region — Central Tien-Shan. Kyrgyz Range. Peak — Baychechekhey, 4515 m, via the left part of the West Face. Proposed — 5A cat. diff. first ascent. Route character — rock climbing

Route Characteristics

height difference of the route — 500 m. height difference of the wall part of the route — 260 m. route length — 850 m. length of the wall part of the route — 290 m. average steepness of the route — 41°. average steepness of the wall part — 76°. length of sections with 6 cat. diff. — 90 m, 5 cat. diff. — 155 m.