Climbing Area Map

Geographic Location, Climate, and Sporting Characteristics of the Area

Administratively, the area belongs to the Buryat ASSR. The Diplomnnik peak closes the northwestern cirque of the Tunka River valley and is located in the main watershed ridge of the Tunkinsky Goltsy range in the Eastern Sayan Mountains. The relief of the area is alpine, rugged, with peaks characterized by numerous destroyed counterforts, bizarre granite "towers," and "knives" having a monolithic block structure. The absolute heights of the peaks are around 3000 m, with Diplomnnik peak being 2896 m. The snow cover begins to form in August and September on the leeward slopes, reaching a depth of 2 m, and almost completely melts only by the end of May or June. Weather characteristics:

• During the establishment of winter conditions (in October and November), the weather is unstable, with snowstorms and frequent, sharp cold snaps (sometimes up to 35°).
• Winter weather conditions are stable and sunny.
• The sharply continental climate causes significant temperature fluctuations: at night, temperatures average -30°C, sometimes dropping to -45°C, while during the day, they average -20°C to -25°C, sometimes dropping to -40°C.
• In mountain cirques, it is 5–10 degrees warmer.

Geographical location, sporting characteristics of the Moygota gorge

The Moygota gorge is located in the middle part of the main watershed of the Tunkin Goltsy in the Eastern Sayan. The Moygota peak closes the Moygota gorge and is located in the main watershed ridge. The heights of the peaks in the Moygota gorge do not exceed 3000 m. The alpine relief of the area with jagged rocky ridges makes it possible to classify a number of interesting sporting routes in this gorge. There are already classified routes to:

• Moygota peak via the southern ridge – 3A;
• Flibustier peak – 3B and 1B;
• Per'ya peak – 2B. The passage of these routes is often complicated by a significant snow cover, which falls early in autumn and mostly melts only by the end of May or June. Approaching with a load to the base camp – on the edge of the forest, from the Tunkinskaya valley, from the road leading from the village of Tagarhay – takes just under two walking days.

Brief Geographical Description of the Area

The peak Moygota is located in the main ridge of the Tunkinskie Goltsy mountain range in the Eastern Sayan Mountains. Tunkinskie Goltsy is the highest ridge in the Eastern Sayan Mountains, stretching 200 km in a latitudinal direction. The highest point of the ridge reaches 3266 m above sea level in the upper reaches of the Ganga-Kharym gorge. Overall, the ridge has sharp alpine forms with deep gorges and wide glacial cirques. For over 100 km - from the Arshan resort in the east to the Shumak pass in the west - the ridge has many peaks of great interest to climbers.

• The forest boundary on the southern slopes is at 1800 m, and on the northern slopes at 1600–1700 m.
• The snow cover almost completely melts by the end of summer.
• Glaciation is found only in the western part of the ridge. Moygota peak has an elevation of about 2883 m above sea level. The nearest settlements - Arshan and Tagarhay - are 25–30 km away. Access is via a dirt road to the Moygota gorge, then a 4-hour ascent up the gorge to the base camp at the forest boundary. From the base camp at the forest boundary:
• 2 hours up the gorge to the first lake at the fork in the gorge.
• The ridge dividing the upper reaches of the gorge is the southern ridge to Mt. Moygota.

Map of the area. After 1.5 hours, we approach the gap. In this location, the ridge drops sharply to the north; to the right, there is a steep, deep snowy slope, making a detour impossible (photo 7A). From the ridge, the height of the rocks before the gap is 4 m (photos 4, 5), and the depth of the gap is up to 60 m. The descent into the gap begins with a rope descent, sports style, from the upper part of the 8 m gendarme (organization of the descent in photo 6). Traverse along a snowy ledge under overhanging rocks for 5 m. Then, another 7-meter sports descent follows down a sheer wall with a negative two-meter section onto an inclined snowy platform (photo 6). Insurance is combined through ledges and one rock hook. The last participant descends both times on a double rope. The top is secured to available convenient and reliable ledges. Next is simultaneous movement across chaotically piled large boulders, and after 10 m, another sports descent follows down destroyed rocks with a steepness of 45°. Insurance is alternating, through ledges. Caution, loose rocks! The gap is the lowest section of the ridge – 2060 m. From the summit Обзорная to the gap, it takes 2.5 hours. From the gap, a steep, sharp ridge continues with cliffs on both sides (photo 7A). The rocks are of medium difficulty, местами разрушены. Insurance along the 200 m section of the ridge is alternating, 60 m of rope protection, one rock hook. The overall steepness of the 200-meter ridge section is up to 50°. Further, the ridge becomes gentler (photo 7A). A rocky ascent before the last ridge depression (photo 8) is bypassed on the right, below the ridge along snowy wide inclined ledges and destroyed easy rocks. Movement is simultaneous.

Route via the South-East Ridge (approximately 3A category of difficulty) The summit of SOAN (Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences) is located in the main ridge of the Tunka Alps — East Sayan. The Tunka Alps are stretched by a single ridge with spurs from west to east between the rivers Irkut and Kitoy. The summit itself is slightly protruding to the south along a spur sandwiched between the Zun-Khandagai and Talta rivers. To reach the base camp of the route via the South-East ridge, one needs to follow the Zun-Khandagai river valley. From November to mid-May, the rivers of the Sayan are frozen, and the valleys have shallow loose snow. By May, some open snowfields become firn, but the snow generally retains its looseness until it melts. Ice fields and aufeis can be found along the river valleys and persist until mid-July. Numerous high-altitude lakes are completely ice-free by the second half of July. There is no glaciation in the summit area. The most favorable time for climbing:

• June
• July
• Early August

TRANSPORTATION

From Irkutsk, take a scheduled bus or a car to the Arshan resort — 218 km. From the Arshan resort to the Zun-Khandagai river valley (west along the mountain ridge) by car or on foot — 12 km. Up the Zun-Khandagai river valley on foot to the fork of the Left and Right Zun-Khandagai — 9 km. At the fork, it is convenient to set up a base camp, as it is located at the forest boundary. The river valley is narrow, with slopes heavily overgrown with forest and bushes. A faint trail runs along the valley, and it is recommended to inquire about its location with climbers from Irkutsk.

Ascent record of v. Treni­ro­voch­naya ZK, 2213 m, via North Ridge, cat. 2A

1. East Sayan, Tunkinskiye Goltsy ridge, Vtoraya Shikhtolayka valley, section 6.1.2. 2. Treni­ro­voch­naya ZK peak, 2213 m, via North Ridge. 3. Proposed category: 2A, first ascent. 4. Route type: rock. 5. Height difference 100 m, length 117 m, average slope 60°. 6. Pitons hammered: rock and chock stones 17 pcs. 7. Team's walking hours — 5 h. 8. No overnight stays on the route. 9. Team: Afanasiev A.E. MS Zhambalov Ts.B. badge Karelov P.S. 3rd class Lisov M.A. 3rd class Lipendin I.A. badge Makarov R.V. 3rd class Shvetsov I.V. 3rd class
2. Coach Afanasiev A.E. MS
3. Ascent to the summit and descent on August 24, 2015.

Route description to v. Treni­ro­voch­naya ZK, 2213 m, via North Ridge, cat. 2A

From the base camp at the forest boundary between Dozhdevoye and 2nd Shikhtolayka valleys to

Route Description

Via the south-eastern buttress of the Central peak of Trekhglavaya (2511 m) Group composition: leader Laptev N.K., Belousov V.M., Vorobyova N.P., Boyarkina Z.M. Date of ascent — 2–3 May 1972 The group set out on the route at 6:00 from the base camp in the direction of the huge canyon separating the Central and Southern peaks of Trekhglavaya. The base camp is conveniently located on the edge of the forest on the southern side of the cirque under the peak. The path initially goes with a slight gain in height, and then turns into a steep fine and medium scree. To start the route, it is necessary to:

• Enter the canyon
• Ascend along it, alongside the wall of the buttress, to a huge boulder protruding from under the snow (in summer — from under the scree) See photo I. The protruding boulder, having a diameter of 8 meters, is located 40–50 m from the lower point of the buttress and is not covered by snow even in winter. At this point, the altitude reading was 1900 m.

Geographical location, sporting characteristics of the area

The Zun-Khandagai valley is located in the middle part of the main watershed ridge of the Tunkinskie Goltsy mountains in the Eastern Sayan. The alpine-type relief of the area with sharp peaks and heavily serrated ridges provides opportunities for classifying a number of sports routes in this valley. Routes are classified only on SOAN-3B, 4A, 4B. The absolute heights of the valley are close to 3000 m. The peak Shelekhov (2810) is located in the northwest corner of the upper valley, forming with its southern and southeastern ridges a small, cirque-like feature, which opens into a wide couloir leading to the northwest lake of the valley. The passage of routes is often complicated by significant snow cover, which falls early in autumn and melts mostly by the end of May or June. The approach with a load to the base camp at the forest boundary from the Tunkinskaya valley, along the road leading from the village of Tagarkhay, takes one and a half walking days.

Route description

From the base camp at the forest boundary - to the right (orographic) upper cirque. From the lake to the northwest, the entire route to the very summit is clearly visible (photo 1). Passing along the eastern shore of the lake, ascend to a gentle ridge that leads directly to the route. At the end of the gentle part of the ridge - rope up.

Report

ON THE FIRST ASCENT TO THE SUMMIT SHKOLNAYA, VIA THE NORTHERN RIDGE ROUTE, APPROXIMATELY CATEGORY 1B DIFFICULTY, BY THE INITIAL TRAINING SCHOOL TEAM OF THE CLUB "GORY BAIKALA" FROM OCTOBER 15, 2018 TO OCTOBER 15, 2018 Irkutsk 2018

I. Ascent Passport

2. Traverse of Sulakhat summit from north to south — 2A cat. diff. (see Fig. 7)

From the northern summit, left and down into the pass. Then along the ridge (insurance through ledges!) to the control cairn. From the cairn, descend to the right along the crevice to a shelf and along it (piton insurance!) to the next ridge saddle. Then along the ridge to a 30-meter wall. Descend along it to the ridge. From the ridge, descend to the right to a shelf and then along the ridge to the base of the South summit. Ascent to the South summit along the ridge. Descent from the South summit to the right along a gully (insurance!) to a shelf and along it to exit to a narrow snow patch in a couloir. Then along the couloir (insurance!) to a large snowfield and down it. Then exit left along grassy slopes and scree to a trail and along it to the bivouac. The route from bivouac to traverse and back to bivouac takes 8–9 hours.

Recommendations for climbers

1. Number of participants in a group — no more than 8 people.
2. Initial bivouac — lower Sulakhatskaya nochevka.
3. Departure time from bivouac — no later than 5:00.
4. Special equipment for a group of 4 people: a) main rope — 2×30 m; b) expendable cordelette — 2–3 m; c) rock pitons — 4; d) ice pitons — 3 (in the second half of summer); e) rock hammers — 2; f) carabiners — 8; g) crampons 4 pairs (in the second half of summer).
5. Possible bivouac locations on the North, Central summits and under the South summit.