Mestia route via the Southwest Ridge, Category 1B

Route Description:

From the "Djailyk" base camp* past the "Ullu-Tau" recreation center and further along the trail along the right (orographically) bank from Adyr-Su to the moraine rises to the left of the Adyr-Su glacier tongue. The first of these has Mestian overnight stays. Climbing to the next rise, we reach the glacier and cross it in the direction of the large hitching post on which the Mestian hut is located; we go around the hitching post on the left and climb onto it. There are small crevices under the hitching post. From the Mestia Hut, we ascend a steep firn slope, and to the right of the rocky ridge, we reach the glacier. The path continues along the glacier, which is usually covered with a thick layer of snow. Large glacier crevices are bypassed on the right as we proceed. Further, after a steep ascent, we again emerge onto a large firn plateau, along which we move in the direction of the Mestia Pass. From the Mestia Pass, we turn left and move across the vast firn plateau towards the snow pyramid of Mestia-Tau. Crevices are possible on the left as we proceed. Descent is via the ascent route. The median moraine of the Adyr-Su glacier

196. Peak Nikolayeva (3815 m) via the Eastern ridge from the North (combined route, category 2B difficulty, fig. 38). The path from the CSP of the Tsey region (a group of 4–12 people) to the Northern branch of the Tsey glacier with the initial bivouac in the hut of the Southern branch of the Tsey glacier is described in route 83. From the Northern branch of the Tsey glacier (closed crevasses):

• Ascend 300–350 m along a wide snow-ice couloir or along the rocks on its left side (there is a risk of rockfall in the couloir) to the saddle on the ridge connecting Peak Nikolayeva on the right and Khitsan on the left.
• From the hut — 3–5 hours. The further ascent route is described in route 194. Descent along the southern slope (see route 193). Naumov A. F. Karaugom, Digoriya, Tsey (Central Caucasus), M., "Fizkultura i sport", 1976.