Description

First Ascent of Djan-Tugan

Via the North-West Ridge

This ascent involved 8 people (the "Lokomotiv" team) divided into two groups of four, with a 1-hour interval between them. First group:

• Garf (team leader)
• Karavaev
• Povarnin
• Sharunin

I. Rock climbing category 2. Caucasus, GAKh 3. Mt. Dzhantugan, 3991 m, via the center of the West Face, combined route 4. Proposed category complexity: 5B 5. Height difference 740 m, route length 985 m Length of sections at category complexity: 135 m. Average slope of the route 50°, rock section 60° 6. Pitons hammered: rock 66, ice 0, placements 19 7. Climbing hours 13 8. No bivouacs, no suitable platforms on the route

The Dolra-Khevai ridge is located in the Elbrus group of peaks of the Caucasus in Upper Svaneti and forms part of the watershed between the valleys of the Angur, Dolra, and Nakra rivers. It stretches almost parallel to the Main Ridge south of the Dolguz-Orun peak and lies isolated on a spur between the Dolra and Kvich glaciers. The Dolra-Khevai ridge can be divided into the following three parts:

• the Dolra massif with the Eastern and Western - Main peaks (3860 m)
• the Trident massif with the Eastern - Pik Chetyrekh, Central, and Western peaks
• the Khevai massif with the Eastern and Western peaks. In the summer sports season of 1964, a team of climbers from the Odessa gatherings, consisting of:

1. LIVSHITS Viktor Yakovlevich - team leader, Master of Sports with experience of climbing 15 peaks of the 5th category of difficulty
2. BANDUROVSKY Igor Alexandrovich - participant, Master of Sports, with experience of climbing 15 peaks of the 5th category of difficulty
3. SHATILOV Vadim Mikhailovich - participant, 1st sports category, with experience of climbing 5 peaks of the 5th category of difficulty

4

The Lesser Donguz-Orun is located in the smooth Zakavkazsky ridge between Lecho to the east and Donguz-Orun to the west. The height of the peak is 1468 m. To the northwest lies the middle peak of Donguz-Orun. From the middle peak of Donguz-Orun, a ridge branches off, which turns west and, through a saddle, forms a Makra-Tau pyramid (or May Donguz-Orun - 1440 meters). The western ridge, Nakra-Tau, steeply descends to the Donguz-Orun pass. This is the eastern ridge that runs from the Donguz-Orun peak along the Songi valley to the Becho pass. The third ridge branches off from the middle peak of Donguz-Orun in a northeasterly direction to the Kogu-Tau-Veti peak. The northern wall of the peak is trapped by snow firn and drop-offs, feeding the left branch of the Isegi glacier. The western slope of the peak drops steeply to the Donguz-Orun glacier. On the wall, two cross-shaped narrow glaciers are clearly visible. At the peak, there is a huge firn field that feeds the Nakra, Kapp, and Dakra glaciers.

Dedicated to the memory of Mikhail Khergiani

73

Report

• on the first ascent of Donguzorun (Main) via the North wall, 5B category of difficulty

Central Caucasus

1978 Team of instructors at the Baksan alpine camp:

• Stadnik V.F. — CMS
• Chegel V.I. — CMS

Report on the Ascent of Donguz-Orun via the North Face

Geographical Location and Sporting Characteristics of the Ascent Object

The peak Donguz-Orun (4,452 meters above sea level) is located in the Main Caucasian Range, between the Donguz-Orun pass and the Becho pass. To the west of Donguz-Orun lies the peak Nakra-Tau, essentially serving as a shoulder of Donguz-Orun. Donguz-Orun, like Elbrus to its north, is characterized by significant glaciation. All three peaks of Donguz-Orun are covered by a powerful glacier, reaching thicknesses of 120–150 meters. On the southern side, towards the Nakra valley, this glacier has natural, gentle slopes. However, on the north, northwest, and northeast, due to the steepness of the slopes forming the walls, the summit glacial shield breaks off with sheer drops. The ice is expended in these directions through ice avalanches, making the northern walls of Donguz-Orun highly dangerous to traverse. The glacier on the peaks of Donguz-Orun is often referred to as the ice "cap" or simply "cap". The peaks of Donguz-Orun have been visited by climbers multiple times, with several ascent variations available. The most well-known route is the ascent via the northern ridge (4A category of difficulty), which is traversed annually by many climbing groups. Furthermore, ascending Donguz-Orun from the west, along gentle ice and snow slopes (2B category of difficulty), is quite common. This route is also typically used for descending from the summit after ascending via the northern ridge. Notably less frequent are ascents via two other routes:

1. Climbing type — rock climbing
2. Central Caucasus. Shkhelda gorge (Double Glacier area)
3. Peak Kavkaz 4037 m via the SE buttress.
4. Difficulty category — 4A
5. Route characteristics: a) elevation gain — 320 m; b) length of section R1–R2 — 40 m; c) average steepness — 60–65°
6. Number of pitons hammered — 26 pcs.
7. Climbing hours — 14 (including approach through Double Glacier)

Unnamed peak 3593 m (p. Kaluga) via N slope and W ridge

PASSPORT

1. Central Caucasus, Adyl-Su gorge
2. Unnamed peak (p. Kaluga) 3593 m via N slope and W ridge
3. Proposed as Category 1B first ascent
4. Route is combined
5. Height difference 220 m Route length 400 m
6. Movement time 11 hours
7. Leader — Cheresku I.D. CMS

Кеzgen 21. Кеzgen via the North-Eastern Ridge (route by S. Golubev, M. Galkin, M. Zaydler, A. Kuchar, P. Panyutin, N. Stainoglou, V. Shteyn, 1B category of difficulty, August 20, 1914). The path from the settlement of Verkhniy Baksan to the snowy cirque formed by the peaks of Kubasanty, Kezgen, and Mukal, via the peak of Mukal, is described in route 22. Further:

• From the peak of Mukal, descend left down the snowy slope, then along the simple rocky Western ridge.
• Bypassing several rocky gendarmes of the ridge, descend along the snowy couloir into the indicated snowy cirque.
• Cross the cirque plateau to the col of the ridge between the peaks of Mukal (right) and Kezgen (left).
• From the plateau, ascend the snowy slope to the col.
• From the col, turn left and ascend the steep, narrow snowy ridge (cornices!) to the scree shoulder.
• From the shoulder, make a short, simple descent to the connecting ridge.
• From there, ascend the simple but steep and snowy rocky ridge to the summit of Kezgen.

Report on the Ascent of the National Team of Karachay-Cherkessia to the Summit of Belalakaya 3861 m

via the South-Eastern Lap. Presumably 5A category of difficulty. First Ascent. Semenov M. A. — team leader Tkachenko V. I. — 1st sports category Report compiled in November 2019

2. Caucasus

2.2. From Marukh Pass to Nakhar Pass

Climbing Participants

1. Team Leader — Semenov Mikhail Alexandrovich. Candidate for Master of Sports. Coach — Shipilov V. A.