52. Fytiargin from the south via the Western ridge couloir (combined route, V. Laperashvili, 3A category of difficulty, fig. 5, 8). From the plateau (checkpoint 37) upwards - to the right under the left side of the wide snow-ice slope - the couloir descending from the Western ridge of Fytiargin. Further, having avoided numerous crevasses of the lower ice rise on the left, ascend 200-300 m on the left side of the gentle slope of the plateau. Having overcome the bergschrund, on the left side of the steep wide snow-ice couloir, keeping to the rocks of the Southern counterfort of the Western ridge (stones fall from the summit tower on the right), 300-350 m upwards (avalanches, steepens at the top) to the saddle of the Western

Fig. 12. The lamp of the couloir on the right side of the Central rib. Then, via simple snow-covered (cornices) rocks of the Eastern ridge, ascend to the summit of Tsurungal. From the bivouac on the wall, 6 hours. 63. Tsurungal via the South ridge (combined route, A. Japaridze, category III difficulty, fig. 5, 10, 12). From the "Aylama" alpine camp, cross the Koruldashi river via a temporary bridge and follow the trail on the right side of the gorge to the first snowy couloir. To the right of the couloir are rock climbing areas. Cross the couloir, turn right and ascend via the trail:

• grassy,

Fig. 13. From Koruldashi glacier 8–10 hrs. The route is prone to rockfall. 65. Tsurungal via the North-West ridge (combined route. A. Freisля, 3B cat. dif., fig. 5, 12, 13). From Ailama meadows (point 44) follow the center of the Western branch of Ailama glacier (closed crevasses) to approach Tsurungal saddle on the Main Caucasian Range between Ailama and Tsurungal. From the glacier, having crossed a snow bridge or bypassed a large bergschrund on the left under Tsurungal slopes, ascend 200–250 m up an icy-snowy slope (loose rocks, belay). Then, bypassing two ice crevasses on the right, approach the rocky slope of the saddle (steep slope). Ascend 150–200 m up severely damaged steep rocks of medium difficulty (loose rocks, streams) to the left side of the saddle (cornice). On the saddle, turn left and ascend wide talus rocks to reach the north-west ridge of Tsurungal. On the route:

• Ascend 200–250 m up steep easy severely damaged rocks of the North-West ridge (belay)
• Then ascend 60–80 m up steep rocks of medium difficulty (piton) to the rise
• From the rise ascend 300–350 m up easy severely damaged rocks of the North-West ridge
• Difficult sections are bypassed on the left

64. Tsurungal via the West Face (combined route, V. Gabelashvili, grade 4A, fig. 5, 12). From the "Ailama" alpine camp, follow the trail up the gorge along the left bank of the Koruldashi River. Above the point where the second stream of the Koruldashi Glacier merges into the river on the right, cross the river and follow the trail on the left side of the large green moraine to reach the lower plateau of the Koruldashi Glacier. It takes 1–1.5 hours from the alpine camp. On the glacier, make your way to the right side of the ice-and-snow slope with rockfall in the upper part, descending from the Tsurungal saddle on the Main Caucasian Range between Ailama and Tsurungal. From the glacier, having overcome the bergschrund:

• 200–250 m up and to the right (loose rocks) along the steep broken ice-and-snow slope below the

59. Chyornaia Neznakomka via South Ridge (combined route, L. Akhvlediani, cat. 4A, fig. 5, 9). Before the Moraine Platforms (point 41), turn left into a grassy, scree slope-couloir. From here, go straight up for 700–800 m along a broad scree couloir that sharply narrows at the top. From the couloir, ascend a snow-ice slope, then climb rocks of medium difficulty to reach the South Ridge of Chyornaia Neznakomka peak. Turn right here and follow easy rocks with short ascents along the South Ridge to reach some platforms. Make your base camp on the platforms. The trip from the "Zesho" alpine camp takes 5–7 hours. From the platforms, ascend 60–80 m along easy, broken rocks, then along the snowy South Ridge to a small 1st gendarme; bypass it via snowy scree, and then continue along the easy South Ridge to the 2nd gendarme. Traverse 80–100 m to the right of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th pointed triangular rock gendarmes along the steep, snowy-icy slope of the Left couloir (loose rocks, pitons), and then ascend a 4–5-meter wall with a cleft to reach the South Ridge. Climb 40 m along rocks of medium difficulty on the South Ridge to a large triangular wall. Below the wall, turn right and then ascend 150–200 m up a snowy-icy couloir under the cover of the wall (loose rocks) to the right rock wall. Climb rocks of medium difficulty (loose rocks, pitons) 30–40 m up the wall to a shoulder. Turn left here and ascend 150–200 m up a broad, snowy-icy couloir (belays) to a saddle on the West Ridge. On the saddle, turn right and follow an easy 100–120-meter, snowy-icy (cornice) West Ridge to the summit of Chyornaia Neznakomka. The trip from the base camp takes 4–5 hours.

ASCENT. Ascent of Peak Shota Rustaveli via the Southeastern Wall Dedicated to the jubilee days of the great poet Shota Rustaveli

Brief Geographic Overview and Climbing History of the Ascent Area

Peak Shota Rustaveli (4960 m) is located on the Main Ridge of the Central Caucasus. To the north, Peak Rustaveli drops with huge icefalls onto the Bezengi Glacier. To the south, it towers with a rocky-icy wall over the Khalde Glacier. Nearby on the ridge are the peaks of Eastern Jangi (5047 m) to the west and Western Shkhara to the east. The extensive length of the walls and the significant steepness of the southern slopes make this area exceptionally interesting for challenging sport ascents. This area is relatively undeveloped. Its exploration effectively began in 1965 with the opening of the "Ailama" camp. In 1937, a group led by Master of Sports (MS) Sandro Gvalia conquered an unnamed peak on the ridge between Jangi and Shkhara and named it Peak Shota Rustaveli. Twenty years later, Georgian climbers under the guidance of MS G. Gulbani ascended Eastern Jangi via the southern wall (5047 m). In 1960, Western Jangi was conquered by an expedition of the Grusalpklub led by MS O. Kharadze. In 1965, an ascent of Central Jangi from the south was made by a team from the Central Council of the "Gantiadi" Sports Society.

118. Shkhara West via the South Ridge (combined route, L. Rollestone, category 5A, fig. 20, 21, 22). From Shkhara South (no. 117) descend along the snowy (with cornices) North Ridge to the col. Cross the snowy (with cornices) rocks of medium difficulty on the col, passing the gendarmes head-on, to reach a ledge. Bivouac. 7–9 hours from the initial bivouac on the East Counterfort. From the ledge, cross a sharp snowy ridge (cornice) and approach the ascent point of Shkhara West's South Ridge. From here, follow a rock shelf up and to the right, then ascend via a snow-and-ice gully to reach the South Ridge. Continue along the snowy rocks of medium and above-medium difficulty on the South Ridge to reach the base of a wall. Overcome the 25–30-meter difficult wall head-on. Continue along rocks of medium and above-medium difficulty, with some sections on the sharp snowy South Ridge, to reach a ledge below the II wall. Bivouac. 7–9 hours from the col bivouac. Overcome the 35–40-meter difficult II wall head-on, or possibly bypass it to the right via ledges. Continue along steep snowy rocks of above-medium difficulty (with cornices) to reach the base of the III wall. Make a difficult 40–50-meter ascent up the III wall to the ridge and exit onto the South shoulder. From the shoulder, follow the long snow-and-ice, partially sharp South Ridge (with cornices) to reach the summit of Shkhara West. 9–11 hours from the bivouac. 5–6 hours from the initial bivouac.

184. Shkhara South via the Eastern spur of the South Ridge (a combined route by A. Gvalia, category IIIA, Figs. 18, 21). The path from the "Ailama" alpine camp (a group of 4-12 people) to the "Inguri bivouac" is described in route 175. From the "Inguri bivouac", descend down a grassy slope to the Inguri River. Cross the river by fording and ascend traversing to the right grassy slopes to the right-bank moraine of the Shkhara Glacier. Up the moraine, then descend to the right side of the Shkhara Glacier. Up along the glacier plateau, alongside the steep southern slopes of the Shkhara massif; behind the icefall and the broken part of the Shkhara Glacier, turn left and across the plateau (crevasses) reach the talus under the Eastern edge of the Shkhara South summit. Up a snowy slope, left of the moraine, to reach the South branch of the Shkhara Glacier, descending from the South Ridge of Shkhara South between its Eastern edge and Eastern spur. Up the glacier - left to the areas on the Eastern spur of the South Ridge. Bivouac on the areas. From the "Ailama" alpine camp: 8-10 hours. From the areas, ascend via talus and easy rocks of the wide Eastern spur of the South Ridge of Shkhara South.

• Bypass the first pillar on the left via a snowy talus,
• overcome the second pillar head-on. Further, along the easy rocky Eastern spur, to the third pillar; bypass it on the right via a ledge and ascend a snowy slope to the Eastern spur. Along the snowy spur, having passed the fourth pillar head-on and bypassed the fifth pillar on the left via the slope, reach the South Ridge of Shkhara South. Here, turn right and ascend along the easy, long, gently sloping, snowy, rocky South Ridge. Then:
• 120-150 m up along the gently sloping, snowy South Ridge
• 60-80 m along a steep, snowy ascent (avalanches, piton belay) to the pre-summit rocks

116. Shkhara South via the Eastern slope of the Southern ridge (a combined route, G. Klimova, cat. 3B, fig. 20, 21). From the initial bivouac on the platform of the Eastern counterfort of Shkhara South’s Southern ridge (point 117), traverse right towards the Southern branch of the Shkhara glacier — between glacial drop-offs — and approach the rocks of the Eastern slope of Shkhara South’s Southern ridge. 200–250 m ascent up the heavily deteriorated rocks of medium difficulty with numerous talus shelves and short walls of above-medium difficulty, mainly bypassed (“live” stones, protection). Then 60–80 m up-left. Further, 500–600 m ascent

Fig. 13 Fig. 14

3. Ascent to the Herzog peak via the North-Eastern ridge — for the difficulty category (Fig. 13 and 14)

From Dombayskaya Polyana to Turiy Lake — bivouac. From Dombayskaya Polyana 3.5–4 hours. From the bivouac up the moraine, then along the Alibek glacier (the glacier is exposed, belay!) to the rocky gate between the rocks of the northern edge of Herzog and the rocks under the eastern slope of Jalovchat. Up the steep snow-ice slope: