I. Ascent class - high-altitude technical. 2. Ascent area, ridge - South-West Pamir, spurs of the Shakhdara ridge, Zughvand gorge. 3. Peak, its height, ascent route - Taj. GU peak, 6183 m, the edge of the Eastern wall. 4. Difficulty category - 6. 5. Route characteristics: - Height difference - 1000 m. - Length of sections with 5 diff. cat. - 630 m. - Length of sections with 6 diff. cat. - 505 m. - Average steepness - 82°.

Climbing Information

1. Ascent: South-West Pamir
2. Mountain range: Shakhdarin Range
3. Peak, its height, and route: «Treугольник» (Triangle) 5450 m
4. Estimated difficulty category: 5A (via the north-west ridge)
5. Route characteristics:
   • Height difference: 650 m
   • Average steepness: 50°

4.17.100

1. Geographical Location and Sporting Characteristics

Peak named after F. Engels (6510 m) is located in the central part of the Shakhdarin Range (South-West Pamir). For the first time, a mountaineering expedition worked in the area of Peaks Marx and Engels in 1946. Since then, mountaineering expeditions have been entering this area almost every year to make ascents. The area is attractive due to the presence of a large number of diverse and very complex routes. (It is enough to say that there are three routes of the highest category of complexity in this area), many of which were awarded gold medals in the USSR mountaineering championship. The route planned for the ascent was first passed by a group of climbers led by Z.M.S. V. T. Romanov. It is a wall oriented to the southwest. The length of the wall is about 1500 m. The ascent on such a route is a very complex task, since the route starts at 5100 m and ends at an altitude of 6510 m.

2. Meteorological Conditions

The region of South-West Pamir is characterized by stable weather in July-August. However, due to the climatic peculiarities of this year, the weather in the ascent area was not stable. Engels Peak is composed of marble and granite. Along the route, there are sections composed of destroyed and strong rocks. In some places, the passage of sandstone is a great danger. The object of the ascent is located at a great distance from the mountaineering bases. The nearest "Varzob" camp is located at a distance of approximately 700 km. To approach Engels Peak, it is best to use the Osh-Khorog or Dushanbe-Khorog-Osh road. The car goes as far as the village of Ior or Lyangar, and then by pack transport up the trail for about 5 hours. The base camp can be set up on the bend of the river. Despite the work of several expeditions, it is practically very difficult to obtain clear materials about the area.

3. Ascent Plan

I.­ Kaparte: altitude-technical. 2. North-Western Pamir, Shakhdarin ridge, Peak Vrangelya 3. Peak 5879 m, via Western counterfort. 4. Proposed category of difficulty: 2B, first ascent. 5. Height difference: 780 m, length 2200 m, average steepness of main sections 30°. 6. Pitons used: ice screws — 6. 7. Duration: 5 hours (day I). 8. Team leader: Baiorene Brate Genrikovna Team members:

REPORT

Red Banner Turkestan Military District ON THE FIRST ASCENT OF "SHIPKA" PEAK 6254 m VIA THE WESTERN RIDGE FROM YAZGULEM-DARA, CATEGORY 5B The route was claimed for the primacy of the Armed Forces of the USSR in the high-altitude category. Tashkent – 1968 Shipka Peak (6254 m) is located in the upper reaches of the Yazgulem-Dara River, in the southern spur of the Yazgulemsky Range, in the ridge extending from Peak October Revolution (6974 m). The most accessible approaches to the peak are from the Yazgulem-Dara Glacier. Only one route of category 4B difficulty (approximately) had been previously laid to the peak, via the southern ridge from the col between Shipka Peak and peak 5682 m. The group believed that the most interesting and challenging route could be laid via the western ridge. Preliminary reconnaissance of the route revealed that the route to Shipka Peak is a sharply rising ridge with two horizontal sections. There are two towers on the ridge:

• the first is in the middle section, over 300 m high;
• the second, the summit tower, is over 600–700 m high.

Ascent Passport

1. High-altitude technical category.
2. Yazgulem Range, Khavraz-Dara valley.
3. Peak 5870 m via the north-eastern wall of the western spur.
4. First ascent, category 5B difficulty (approximately).
5. Route characteristics Wall: length 1385 m. Length of sections with 5–6 category difficulty – 1155 m (6 category – 80 m, 5 category – 1075 m, 4 category – 230 m). Average steepness – 73° (steepness of sections with 5–6 category difficulty – 80°). Total route length 2225 m (6 category – 80 m, 5 category – 1075 m, 4 category – 500 m, 3 category – 470 m, 2 category – 100 m).
6. Pitons driven: for belaying, for creating artificial anchors (ITO) rock pitons – 104, including 10 for ITO ice pitons – 12, including 3 for ITO

Ascent Log

1. Ascent class — high-altitude and technical.
2. Ascent area — Yazgulem Range, Central Pamir.
3. Peak, its height, ascent route — Peak Kholodnaya Stena, 5959 m. Eastern wall (right part).
4. Expected difficulty category — 6
5. Route characteristics: height difference — 1700 m, length of sections with 5–6 difficulty level — 1299 m, average steepness — 80°
6. Number of driven pitons: for belaying, for creating artificial footholds: rock — 388/17

Passport

1. Altitude-technical category
2. Eastern Pamir, Yazgulemsky Range
3. Peak Kholodnaya Stena via the East face (“silver route” by Salonnikov, at the USSR Championship 1980).
4. 6B category of difficulty, second ascent
5. Height difference — 1710 m; length — 2080 m; length of sections with 5–6 category of difficulty — 760 m; average steepness of the main sections 76° (5000–5700 m), including 6 category of difficulty 88° (5300–5700 m).
6. Pitons hammered:

   Category	Total	Per day
   Rock	309	17

Ascent Passport

I. Technical Difficulty Category. 2. Yazgulsky Ridge, Havraz-dara gorge. 3. Peak "Kholodnaya Stena", 5979 m via the center of the "mirror" of the eastern wall. 4. Proposed — 6B category of difficulty, first ascent. 5. Elevation gain: 1519 m, route length — 1925 m Length of sections with 5–6 category of difficulty — 1370 m. 6 category of difficulty — 640 m, 5 category of difficulty — 750 m. Average steepness of the route 73°. Average steepness of the "mirror" 84°, sections 23–48 (5160–5780). 6. Pitons driven:

REPORT

ON THE ASCENT OF THE NORTH FACE OF PIK SHCHUROVSKOGO Central Council of the Sports Society "Avangard" Kiev — 1962 Profile of the lower part of the large rock island. Sections of the wall R7–R10. Photograph taken by V. Bocharov during the ascent of the northeast wall of Pik Shchurovskogo on July 14, 1962.

Introduction

Pik Shchurovskogo (4259) is located in the Central Caucasus and is situated in the ridge that borders the Shkheldy glacier from the northeast.