98. Shkhelda East with ascent to the "saw" of the East ridge via Central North couloir (B. Garf route, 5A cat.). The path from the "Shkhelda" alplager (4-5 people) through the Shkhelda gorge to the "Shkhelda overnight stays" is described in route 111. From the "Shkhelda overnight stays" (departure not later than 1:00 am) cross the glacier and reach the wide snow-ice Central North couloir descending from the East ridge - "saw" of Shkhelda East summit. Ascend the couloir via avalanche debris, then, sticking to the left side, 400-500 m up (avalanches, rocks!) until crevasses and ice seracs. Further, between crevasses and seracs 200 m

97. Shkhelda Vostochnaya via North Face (Category 5B route) The path from the Shkhelda alpine camp (group of 4-5 people) to "Shkheldinskye nochyovki" along the Shkhelda gorge is described in route 111. From "Shkheldinskye nochyovki" (departure no later than 1:00 AM), cross the glacier and reach the wide snow-ice Central North couloir descending from the Eastern ridge — the "saw" of the Shkhelda Vostochnaya peak. Ascend 600–700 m along the right side of the couloir (avalanches!) to a large ice crevasse, 100–120 m below the huge bergschrund crossing the entire upper part of the couloir from the left to the right rocks. Through the avalanche gullies on the right side of the couloir, cross the large crevasse and ascend the ice-snow slope, then along the edge of ice and rocks, rise up to the right above

84. Shkhelda Zapadnaya via the Western ridge from the North (Category II route). The path from the Shkhelda alpine camp to the saddle between Pik Profsoyuzov and Shkhelda Zapadnaya with the initial bivouac at "Aristov's overnight stay" is described in route 82. Group size: 4-20 people. The path from the saddle to the summit of Shkhelda Zapadnaya is described in route 85. Descent follows the ascent route. Duration of the route is 3 days. Required equipment:

• 4-5 ice axes
• Crampons for all participants

83. Western Shkhelda from the south (route 2B cat. difficulty). The path from the "Shkhelda" alpine camp to the col between Western Shkhelda and Profsoyuzov peak with the initial bivouac on the South Shkhelda glacier is described in routes 72 and 80. Group size is 4-20 people. On the col:

• Turn right and ascend simple rocks of the Western ridge of Western Shkhelda peak to the "Finger" gendarme.
• Bypass the gendarme along the ledges on the right side (protection!) with an exit to the saddle below the rocky ascent to the summit.
• From the saddle, descend 60-80 m to the right down a scree gully.
• From it, traverse simple rocks and scree to the left to the base of a narrow icy gully. descending from the South ridge, and along the terrace, ascend to the South ridge. Ascend simple rocks and scree of the South ridge, then ascend the scree slope to the summit of Western Shkhelda. From the col - 3-4 hours. Descent is via the ascent route. Duration of the route is 4 days. Required equipment:

G. Agranovsky + 3 (19747)

14/VII. Gerka woke me up. Bouillon, tomatoes, and tea in the hall. We saw G. Solovyov, B. Talanov, and Lusya Agranovskaya off. We accompanied them to the outskirts. Clear and cool. Good mood. 5 am. On the trail, various memories come to mind… Under the glacier between І and П Zapadnaya - tea time. We leave at 10:30. At 1 pm - on the plateau under the route. Camp and plenty of food. The further path (Ovcharov V., 40 c.t.) to І Zapadnaya goes:

• across the plateau to a steep and wide avalanche slope located on the left side of the Northern wall of Shkhelda Zapadnaya peak;
• up the steep snowy slope of the avalanche (falling rocks!) bypass the crevice on the right and move up along the wall rocks to the stream;
• 8–10 m up the "ram's foreheads" along the stream;
• then 30–40 m across rocks of medium difficulty to the right onto a small site… We clearly see Ovcharov's path but prefer to exit to the northern counterfort of І Zapadnaya. On the right, through a wide snow-ice couloir. We don't have crampons (they are on the Ushba plateau), but it's worth trying the slope. The snow is dense. Steps are beaten perfectly - and in an hour Valentin and I reach the ridge. We'll go here tomorrow! We return to the tent where German and Alik are waiting for us. Tea. And here's the first night in a four-person sleeping bag - surprisingly spacious. 15/VII. We leave at 5:00. Valentin and I are first. Exiting onto the ridge along yesterday's tracks, we see that Gerka and Alik are also leaving the couloir - it's almost sunny. At 1 pm, difficult rocks begin - our backpacks are still very heavy, over twenty kilos.

4.

Description of the route to Peak P — 10 "Zapadnaya" from the 1018 Shhelda shelter and Kur­sant­ov Pass

cat. diff. 3–6, peak height 4310 m (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) (4) From the "Spartak" camp, we head out on a trail that leads along the slope of the Shhelda valley to the Arnstov hut. The journey from the camp to the Arnstov hut takes 3–5 hours; there are convenient areas for overnight stays and water. From the Arnstov hut, the trail leads to a steep ascent to the moraine, then crosses a stream flowing from a hanging glacier, and continues straight in the direction of Melkaya Shhelda. In the upper part (to the right of the path), there is a rocky massif with good areas for overnight stays. The journey from the "Spartak" camp to the overnight stay takes 6–8 hours. The further path goes in the direction of Pass O through the middle part of the glacier, and in case of little snow — slightly to the right of the peak along a steep snow-ice slope, the path to Sredniy Pass.

Description of the ascent route to the summit of Iz Zapadnaya Shkheldy Tau via the north wall.

9–10 from the overnight stay, moving up along the destroyed ridge with small scree, approximately 200–220 m long, with an exit to rock shelves. Along the shelves, moving left, we bypass the rock wall approximately — rope lengths. Having bypassed the wall, moving up to the left of the feather-like rock ridge approximately 150–150 m long with pitons protection. Further, the route goes along the wall, representing a cascade of shelves, snow-covered and iced. Rocks protruding from the wall do not have protrusions convenient for belaying. Piton protection, length 3.0–4.0 rope lengths. Moving further, we approach a large horizontal shelf (width 100 m, length about 10 m),

Ascent Passport

1. Class of technical (winter) ascents.
2. Central Caucasus, Shkhelda gorge.
3. Shkhelda Second Western (4310 m), via the northern wall "The Night Before Christmas".
4. Proposed category: 5B difficulty level, first ascent.
5. Elevation gain: 1500 m (by altimeter), length — 2400 m. Length of 5th category difficulty sections — 800 m. Length of 6th category difficulty sections — 50 m. Average steepness of the route — 50°, main part — 65°.
6. Pitons hammered: rock — 12, friends — 15, ice screws — 65. Left on the route: rock pitons — 2.
7. Team's travel hours: 23 hours and 2.5 days.
8. Overnights: 1st in a tent on a snowy ridge, 2nd in a tent under a rock outcropping, sitting.

256

Report

on the ascent to the summit of Shkhelda-Tau II Western, 4310 m via the center of the southern wall, made by the team of alpinist camp "Shkhelda" of the sports society "Spartak" consisting of:

Report

on the ascent to the summit of SHKELDA Second Western, 4310 m, via the southern wall, accomplished by the team from the Krasnodar Regional Council of the Burevestnik Sports Society:

• AKHTYRSKII O.A. — CMS USSR "Burevestnik" — team captain
• KOVALENKO Yu.I. — CMS USSR -"-
• KOVALEVSKII V.A. — CMS USSR -"-
• SALTYKOV V.M. — CMS USSR -"-
• SHKLYAEV E.V. — CMS USSR -"-