Elbrus divides the surrounding mountains into two very different areas. The Baksan area with its peaks around 4000 m and above is much harsher in terms of climbing conditions compared to the Western Caucasus regions. This is evidenced by:

• large altitude differences,
• heavily broken glaciers,
• mandatory snow at high altitudes. In contrast, the area west of Elbrus — Uzun-kol — is mostly purely rocky. All peaks in this area (except Gvandra) are below 4000 m. Climbing usually doesn't involve overcoming significant glaciers, and all steep slopes are free of snow and ice. The Zamok peak is located in the Main Caucasus Range. Together with Dalar and Dvoinyashka, it forms the base of a horseshoe that encompasses the upper reaches of the Kichkinekol River, which, merging with Mordy, forms Uzun-kol. In terms of height, Zamok (3930 m) is second only to:
• Gvandra
• Dalar The two peaks of Zamok — Eastern and Western — are situated on a ridge, the northwestern part of which leads to Dvoinyashka, while the southeastern part stretches in an arc, curving around the Zamok glacier from the south. This southeastern part of the ridge had not been traversed before the ascent described below. To the northeast from the Western peak of Zamok, a ridge leads, steeply descending to the Burvestnik pass, and then slowly rising to the Filter peak. To the south-southwest from the same Western peak, the South Counterforce extends. Significantly west of both Zamok peaks and all its gendarmes, the North Counterforce leads to the Bolshoy Kichkinekol glacier. The main difficulty in climbing in the Uzun-kol area lies in overcoming complex rock walls of heavily broken rock ridges; however, climbs usually don't take much time. Examples of relatively short but extremely complex routes include the well-known wall routes:

Ascent to the summit Zamok 3981 m via the northwestern ice-snow wall, approximately 5A category of difficulty. The first passage of the specified route was made in 1977 by a team from the "Uzunkol" camp, consisting of:

• Korablin B.N. - Master of Sports of the USSR - leader
• Oshche E.A. - Candidate Master of Sports
• Rybakov M.I. - Candidate Master of Sports
• Popov V.I. - Candidate Master of Sports

Ascent Passport

1. Ascent class - ice-snow
2. Ascent area - Western Caucasus, Gvandra region

Castle East — West from the Burevestnik col to Dvoinyashka, combined, 4B

Route description:

The ascent to the Castle West peak is described in the "Castle from the Burevestnik col" route. From it, descend to the saddle (cornices!). Via broken rocks and a short wall, reach the East peak. Return to the West peak via the ascent route. From it, descend to the south side of the ridge via R1–R3 ledges and traverse around a small gendarme R3–R4 and then the "Beak" gendarme R4–R5 via a narrow ledge half a foot wide (tense climbing). Via a 15-meter internal corner, reach the top of the "Beak" gendarme and rappel down to the ridge R7. From here, 50 m of difficult ridge rock climbing follows to the last gendarme, climbed "head-on" via a difficult wall (no bypass!). Then, via a 500-meter (cornices!), and from R11 steep (50°) snowy ridge, reach the saddle between the Castle and Dvoinyashka. From the West peak — 12–14 hours. Descend from the saddle by rappelling left down a steep narrow couloir (falling rocks!) to a narrow, indistinct ledge. From it, rappel down 30 m. Then, via a steep snowy couloir, snowy slopes, and scree ledges and terraces, descend to the scree plateau under the Castle's southern slope. From the saddle — 4–6 hours. From the plateau, via scree terraces, bypassing the Dvoinyashka and Dalar peaks from the south, ascend to the Dalar col. From the plateau — 3.5 hours.

• equipment recommendations: see the "Castle via the eastern ridge" route;
• the R4–R5 ledge is a psychologically tense section of the route. (1) — view from the southern side

Kirpich Peak — 3800 m

Ascent route from the west via the snowy "necktie" 3A cat. diff. From the "Uzunkol" camp, follow the right bank of the Mordy River to the beginning of the Mordy glacier moraine - from here, follow the trail along the grassy slopes to a large green terrace. The bivouac site - "Mordy overnight stay" - is 3-3.5 hours from the camp. From the overnight stay, head right-up along the trail to the Mordy glacier plateau. Cross the plateau and approach the snowy slopes of the "necktie". It takes 45-50 minutes from the bivouac. From here, ascend the snowy slope to the 1st rocky island (in rope teams!). Bypass the island from either side, then ascend to the next black rocky island. Bypass it on the right via a snowy bridge over the bergschrund (Belay!). Ascend the snowy slope to a long rocky island. Climb the rocks to its upper part and again transition to a steep snow slope (45° Belay!). Follow the snow slope to a rocky wall located above - to the right of a small spur of a rocky ridge. Crossing the snowy slope to the wall takes 2.5-3 hours. Along the rocky wall (60°) traverse left to a small ledge - 50-55 m (Belay! Pitons!). From here, 40 m right-up (pitons!) and 40 m left slightly up to the base of a rocky chute. Follow the chute (Piton! 30 m) to its exit and then along easy rocks to the end of the wall - 3 ropes. Above the wall is a platform - here is a control point. From the platform, follow simple rocks and small snowfields to reach the snowy ridge. It takes 3-3.5 hours from the start of the rocky wall to reach the ridge. Follow the snowy ridge to the summit - 40-50 minutes. The descent from the summit via route 1B to the Dalar pass and return to "Mordy overnight stay" takes 3-4 hours. Departure time from the bivouac should be no later than 4:00 am.

Kichkinelkol from Talychat Pass, combined, 2B

Route Description

From the ice bivouacs, cross the Sredniy Kichkinelkol glacier plateau to reach the slopes of Talychat Pass, located to the left of Kichkinelkol peak. Ascend the snowy slope to the bergschrund. Cross via a bridge or the rock shelves of the island adjacent to the left edge of the bergschrund (rocks are heavily damaged, beware of falling stones!). Then, ascend the left side of the snowy couloir, with a steepness of up to 45°, to reach Talychat Pass (beware of stones!). In the second half of summer, fine and loose scree appears in the upper part of the couloir. Traverse close to the Talychat rocks or leftwards via shelves and individual rock outcrops («live» stones!). From the bivouac to the pass — 3–4 hours. From the pass, move to the eastern side of the ridge, then traverse 40 m via shelves, followed by an ascent up two internal corners to the left of the large rock wall R1 to an inclined shelf between R3 and R4. From there, ascend short walls and blocks to reach the main ridge at R5. Alternative ascent from the pass (if there's no snow):

• Ascend an internal corner past the ridge line to an inclined shelf.
• Then, climb a steep wall to reach the main ridge and proceed to R5 along it. From R5, ascend the ridge and slightly below it, which is composed of inclined slabs, to reach the summit. From the pass — 3–4 hours. Descent follows the «Kichkinelkol from Kichkinelkol Pass» route.
• Begin the ascent to Talychat Pass at 5:00–6:00 am.

Myrdy Western — Eastern, combined, 2A

Route Description

The ascent to the Lожный Мырды (False Myrdy) pass is described in the “Гвандра Восточная с перемычки от Центральной вершины” (Gvandra Eastern from the saddle of Tsentralnaya peak)” route (16). From the pass, descend to the southern side of the ridge onto the first ledges, and traverse left along them with a slight gain in altitude to a long ledge running along the southern side of the ridge beneath the cliffs of the Western summit R2. Approximately from the middle of the ledge:

• ascend left and upwards 30 m via an inner corner,
• followed by a series of ledges leading to the western ridge (protection!). A prominent overhanging rock R7 on the right serves as a landmark. Follow the straightforward 200-meter ridge to reach the Western summit. From the pass, it takes 4 hours. From the Western summit, staying close to the right side of the ridge, approach a narrow couloir R8. In the first half of summer:
• there are numerous cornices on the left side of the ridge,
• inner corners are filled with snow.

I. North Caucasus Championship in the name of S. M. Kirov

Category of technically complex ascents

Report on the ascent to the summit of Bolshoy Nakhara via the north-eastern edge, 5B cat. diff. (first ascent)

Team composition:

1. Team leader — Pomazuev V. V., born 1941, Candidate Master of Sports, "Burevestnik", Kiev
2. Deputy leader — Savchuk V. A., born 1940, Candidate Master of Sports, Kiev
3. Participant — Yakovlev V. A., born 1938, Candidate Master of Sports, Kiev
4. Participant — Kuzmuk V. V., born 1952, Candidate Master of Sports, Kiev
5. Participant — Bodnik V. N., born 1949, Candidate Master of Sports, Kiev

Trapeziya Peak – 3800 m

Ascent to the Main summit via the wall of the Eastern ridge — category 4A.

Description of the ascent route to the summit

The path from the camp to the upper Trapeziya glacier plateau can be found in the description of category 2A route. Across the plateau to the foot of the Eastern ridge. At the bottom of the snowy slope, cross the bergschrund and continue ascending on snow (55°), 70–80 m, belay! To the base of a 1.5 m rusty streak running through the entire visible massif of rocks left-up-right. Up the rocks (many loose stones!) in the direction of the streak (belay! Pitons!). Along the streak up 140–150 m (pitons!) to an inclined ledge running in the same direction. Along the ledge, 130–140 m to its end (pitons!) at the level of the couloir throat — a control cairn. To the right of the ledge is a couloir — DO NOT ENTER — (stones, avalanches from the pre-summit depression!). From the end of the ledge left-up 180 m (belay! Pitons!) on rocks to a black overhanging wall under the ridge. The wall is a system of snow-ice couloirs separated by steep rocky ridges. Ascent up the rocks “Belay! Very tense climbing! Pitons!”. Behind the wall is an exit to the ridge slabs and along them to a black wet wall on the ridge “control cairn”. Bypass this wall (40 m) to the right along the boundary of rocks and a steep (more than 45°) snow patch and again exit to the snowy ridge (pitons!). Along the steep snowy ridge (80 m, belay!) ascent to the summit. From the base of the Eastern ridge to the summit is 14–16 hours. There are no bivouac sites on the entire route to the summit. Descent from the summit via category 2B route to the bivouac takes 2.5–3 hours. The number of participants in the group is not more than 4 people. Initial bivouac — lake under Trapeziya glacier.

Equipment for a group of 4 people:

• rope — 2 × 40 m;
• expendable cordelette — 10 m;

Uzlovaya

I. Ascent to Uzlovaya peak via Belleva pass, category 1A difficulty From Uzunkol alpine camp along the right bank of the Myrdy river to the second stream flowing down from the slopes of the Myrdy gorge. Climb to the right of the stream over scree, then over grassy slopes to a large green terrace — campsite. From the camp — 3.5 hours. From the camp straight up, bypassing the terminal moraine on the right, and further through snowy ascents, exit into the cirque below Belleva pass. Climb to the pass to the left of the outcropping rocks of the Jalpanol ridge. From the camp to the pass — 3 hours. From the pass to the right along a straightforward ridge (200 m) to the first sentry. Bypass on the right along a ledge (belay!). Further along the left side of the ridge to the second sentry, which is bypassed on the left via a 3 m internal corner with an exit onto the ridge. From here along the broken ridge to the second sentry. Climb to it from left to right with an exit onto the ridge (belay!). From here, a snowy ridge follows for 150 m at 25°. Along the left side of the ridge (cornices on the right!!!) exit to the summit. From the pass to the summit — 3 hours. Descent from the summit to the camp along the ascent route takes 2–2.5 hours.

Recommendations for Climbers

1. Number of participants in the group — training detachment
2. Initial campsite — green terrace

Jailyk via the East Ridge (I. Yukhin's route, cat. 4A)

The path from the Adylsu alpine camp (group of 4–8 people) through the Tyutyusu gorge to the initial bivouac at the upper part of the left-bank moraine of the Tyutyusu glacier is described in routes 184 and 188. From the initial bivouac on the moraine:

• Turn left and exit onto the snowy West counterfort descending from the East Ridge of Jailyk peak into the Tyutyusu gorge.
• Ascend the snowy, gently sloping ridge of the counterfort with several steep rises.
• Then move to the snow-ice slope (avalanches!) and continue ascending to the East Ridge of Jailyk peak. On the East Ridge:
• Turn right here.
• Move along simple and moderately difficult rocks, partly along a narrow snowy ridge (snowcornices!), and reach the base of the rocky ascent of the East gendarme.
• Overcome the gendarme directly via steep, crumbling, moderately difficult rocks of the ridge.