11. Sandro Zapadnaya — Sandro Glavnaya

(combined route, A. Naumova, category 3B, fig. 2, 4). From Sandro Zapadnaya (m. 8. descend easy broken rocks on the right side of the East ridge. I gendarme is bypassed on the right via simple broken rocks and ledges. Then follow easy rocks of the East ridge to the II gendarme, which is bypassed on the left via ledges. Then traverse via rocks on the left side of the long East ridge, crossing the ice and snow slope, to approach a narrow ice and snow couloir. Cross the couloir (protection), via a partially narrow ledge (piton) exit to an ice and snow couloir descending from the North ridge of Sandro Glavnaya peak. From the ledge ascend 20 m up on the right side of a steep ice and snow couloir (pitons).

Passport

1. Ice and snow ascent class.
2. Central Caucasus, Southern lateral spur of the Main Caucasian Range.
3. Peak Tetnuld, center of the North face.
4. Proposed - 5B category of difficulty, first ascent.
5. Elevation gain 1780 m, length 2190 m. Length of sections with 5–6 category of difficulty is 1768 m. Average steepness of main sections is 55° (R1–R2, R4–R14), including 6 category of difficulty 85–110° for 130 m (R12–R14).
6. Pitons driven:
   • rock: 1
   • ice: 232

ASCENT TO PIK ALESHI DZAPARIDZE “Chornaya Neznakomka” via the southern wall. 79 Pik Aleshi Dzaparidze, 4100 m high, is located in the Main Caucasian Range, between the peaks Tsurungal and Belaya Neznakomka. To the north of the summit lies the cirque of the Ailaminskiy glacier, its slopes covered with ice with occasional outcrops of rocks. To the south, the summit drops almost vertically in a rock wall. From the ridge between the peaks Chornaya and Belaya Neznakomka, a series of almost parallel steep rock buttresses descends. Below them, closer to Belaya Neznakomka, lies the Zes-Lo glacier, from which a long, 100–120 m wide, snow-ice couloir ascends almost parallel to the ridge to Pik A. Dzaparidze, with a slope of 25–30° and a series of deep gullies. A nearly vertical rock rib leading directly to the summit divides this couloir into two branches:

• The left couloir, as you ascend, sharply increases its steepness and ends in a narrow rock couloir with formed ice, leading to the central rib. This couloir is very dangerous due to constant rockfall.
• The right couloir, bypassing the central rib to the right, is located between it and the adjacent ridge buttress and ends under the rocks of the main ridge. Its steepness increases from bottom to top from 45–50° to 75–80°. The couloir is entirely icy, with deep (up to 5 m) gullies. During the day, the couloir is prone to rockfall. The group consisted of three instructors and one participant from the “Ailamf” alpine camp, members of the Kuibyshev Regional Council of the “Trud” sports society. The ascent was made during a reconnaissance trip to the Zes-Lo area to explore the region. The path from the “Ailamf” alpine camp goes down the road through the villages Kurundashi and Tsanya to the trail leading to the Zes-Lo gorge to the village of the same name and further to the river flowing from the glacier,

Archimedes Peak via the northern ice gully, Category III, Winter Climbing.

From the Ukyu-kosh hut, follow the terminal moraine trail to the KSP "dovecote" shelter - 3/4 to 1 hour. The ice gully is a hanging glacier tongue descending from the 3rd ridge plateau, bounded on both sides by rocky buttresses. Over a 200m stretch, the glacier's slope is 40-45°, with the lower 40m being nearly vertical and, in places, overhanging. From the "dovecote", cross the glacial stream and ascend the icy slope with rocks and snow debris to the glacier's terminus. When ascending the tongue, stick to the safer middle section and only shift towards the left buttress rocks when reaching the gentler upper part. From the route's start - 5-8 hours. Further ascent along the ridge to the 3rd and highest peaks, and descent - as per description 1. Hazardous sections: the entire lower part of the route is prone to rockfall from both sides. It's advisable to start the route as early as possible; avoid starting after a warm night or in low visibility. Special equipment:

• Ice screws - 8-15 pcs.
• Ice hammers (ice fifis)
• Crampons - for all participants

ASCENT DOCUMENT

I. Climbing category: ice and snow 2. Caucasus, Bezengi valley 3. Summit Dykh-Tau via NE wall 4. Difficulty category: 5B 5. Elevation gain: 2154 m. route length 3460 m. length of sections with 5–6 difficulty category 1460 m. average steepness of main sections

Koshtan-Tau (5145 m), North Ridge, Cat. 4B

From the "3900" campsite, move in the direction of the upper plateau of the Kundryum-Mijirgi Glacier. The fourth stage of the icefall is climbed:

• near the rocks of the West Ridge of Kundryum-Mijirgi Peak (piton use required!)
• or through the center (crevasses!) of the icefall. Then, move left along the route with a slight ascent to reach the slopes of Ptitsa Peak. It is convenient to camp here (1.5–2 hours from the "3900" campsite). From the plateau, through a small bergschrund, ascend a snowy slope to the rocks at the lower part of Yuzhnaya Ptitsa Peak, left of a vaguely defined couloir. From here:
• ascend slabs (60 m)
• ascend an inclined ledge up to the right (80 m) to reach a rocky terrace. Then, make a short traverse left to the base of the couloir, which after 40 m will lead to a rocky platform on the left part of the snowy-icy slope. Along the wall rocks, on rocks and icy-snowy sections (piton use required!), ascend (120–140 m) to a rocky niche.

Climbing Passport

• Climbing area: Central Caucasus, Lateral Ridge, Krumkol glacier gorge. Section number according to KMGV: 2.5
• Peak: Koshtantau 5151 m, via the Southwest slope.
• Difficulty category: 4B, 3rd ascent *.
• Route type: ice and snow.
• Height difference: approximately 1400 m.
• Route length: approximately 2 km, including 50 m of ice sections with a steepness of 50–55°, 500 m with a steepness of 40–45°; 750 m of snow and ice sections with a steepness of 30–40°.
• Number of pitons used (during ascent): ice screws - 39.
• Number of climbing hours to the summit - 16, reaching the summit on the second day of ascent (11:00), descent via the ascent route - 11 hours.
• Number of bivouacs - 2 (1 on the ascent route and 1 on the descent, at the same location).

Dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Communist Party of Ukraine

Report on the Traverse of Koshtan-Tau Massif

Kiev Regional Council DSO "Avangard"

Table 1

Composition of the Assault Group

2. Traverse of Koshtan-Tau Massif

On August 2, the group led by Master of Sports of the USSR Fomenko Ya. A. returned from the northern ridge of Koshtan-Tau, while another group led by Master of Sports Ovcharov V. V., having made a supply drop of equipment and food under the wall of Koshtan-Tau, returned to base camp No. 4. Ovcharov's group did not process the wall due to lack of visibility; the wall was shrouded in fog. On August 3, Fomenko Ya. A. and Kashin I. A. reconnoitered the lower part of the wall.

Koshtan, right spur of the North wall (Kolchin, 1989)

Initial bivouac on the fourth step of the Kundu-Mizhyrgi glacier under the N wall of Koshtan. Altitude 4000 m. The route starts with crossing the bergschrund under the rocky spur in the middle between the rocks of the Simonik route and the rocks of the Kalishevsky ridge. After the bergschrund, the ice slope goes straight up to the left of the rocky island (sect. R0–R1, 200 m, 50°, 5th grade of difficulty). Through the ice-covered rocks (sect. 1–2, 20 m, 70°, 5B grade of difficulty) the route crosses the rocky ridge and goes up to the right above the ridge along the ice slope (sect. 2–3, 150 m, 50°, 5th grade of difficulty) with crossing ridges, leading under a large

Passport

1. Ice climbing category
2. Central Caucasus, Bezengi valley
3. Peak Krumkol 4676 m, via North-West Face
4. Estimated category: 5B, first ascent
5. Route characteristics:
   • elevation gain — 1500 m
   • length — 2450 m
   • sections with 5–6 category complexity — 1020 m
   • average steepness — 50°