Gvandra in Uzunkol — description of the 1B alpine route

From the Myrdal bivouac, ascend via talus and moraines to the snowy slopes on the right. Climb them to reach the plateau of the Myrdal glacier. On the right part of the glacier, via a snow-ice slope, bypassing a rocky outcrop on the right, reach the Ak-Tyube pass, located to the left of the Gvandara Malaya peak. From the bivouac — 2.5 hours. At the pass, turn left and follow the snowy ascents of Gvandara Vostochnaya's eastern ridge to its rocky section:

• Bypass the rocks on the left, along the boundary between snow and rock (protection needed!);
• Then, ascend along the 300-meter snowy ridge — a "knife-edge" (beware of cornices!) to the subpeak. By the end of summer, there may be exposed sections with regelation ice on the ridge. Possibly of interest to you: msklaser.ru — metal flashlights at the best prices in Moscow! From the subpeak, follow the left side of the ridge (with huge cornices on the right!) with steep snowy ascents to reach Gvandara Vostochnaya. From Ak-Tyube pass — 4 hours. Descend via the ascent route. Possibly of interest to you.

The summit of Dzhailyk has a 4B category of difficulty, the nature of the route is combined. The summit of Dzhailyk is located on the sixth north-western Adyr spur. To the east of Dzhailyk (in the eastern branch) lies the summit of Cheget-bashi, to the south lies the summit of Kichkidar, and to the west lies the summit of Tyu. The summit of Dzhailyk is surrounded by glaciers: the eastern and western ones, as well as the northern Pnom-Su. Three ridges branch out from the summit of Dzhailyk:

• to the Donkina pass,
• the eastern one - towards the glacier of the summit Dzhailyk Kinchat,
• the western one - turning into a long rocky fence, separating the glaciers of the western Dzhailyk and the northern Pnom-Su. To the north-east, Dzhailyk drops with sheer walls and steep slopes, falling into the ridge between the massifs of Dzhailyk and Tyu-Tyu-S. The route begins with an overnight stay on the Black Rocks in their branch from the western ridge to Dzhailyk, in the form of a short, barely noticeable rocky ridge. From the overnight site, it goes towards the main western ridge. At the beginning, the path goes along broken rocks to the first "gendarmes", which is bypassed on the left along a steep snow-ice slope. Above the "gendarmes" there is a snow shelf, then a simple rocky ridge of broken rocks begins. The length of this section of the ridge is 35-40 m. Having passed this ridge, they reach the second "gendarmes" with sheer walls to the north-west and east. This "gendarmes" is bypassed on the left along a snow-ice couloir. Having passed 35-40 m along the couloir, one should climb up a 5-meter sloping shelf, leading to a gentle slab. From the slab:

Kichkidar-Yunom, combined, 3B

Route description:

The exit is from the Djailyk tourist camp, moving along the right (orographically) bank of the Kulumkol River past the cow shed and further along the moraines to the middle Kichkidar overnight stays near the Yunom glacier. Travel time is 2.5–3 hours. From the middle Kichkidar overnight stays:

• Up the glacier along the ridge, leaving it on the left;
• Exit via easy rocks to the saddle;
• Further up the snow-ice slope in the direction of the left gendarme of the "hare". The bergschrund under the "hare" is usually bypassed on the left. The time taken to move from the middle Kichkidar overnight stays to the left gendarme of the "hare" is 2–2.5 hours. From the left "hare", easy rocks on the pre-summit ridge lead to the summit of Kichkidar. The time taken for this section is approximately 0.5 hours. From the summit of Kichkidar, bypassing the "hares" on the right (belay!!!), move in the direction of the Yunomkara summit, keeping to the right side of the ridge (there may be cornices on the left) until the first gendarme of the three on the ridge, before the wall on the Yunomkara summit. Options for overcoming the gendarmes:

233. Kulak via the Eastern Ridge (combined route by N. Popov, category III difficulty, fig. 18, 28).

From the "Chegem" tourist base (group of 4–8 people), ascend along the trail on the left bank of the Kulak River, then cross to the right bank via a bridge and approach the koshu along the trail. Continue along the right-bank moraine of the Kulak glacier. After fording the stream from the Chat glacier, approach the point where the Northwest Branch of the Kulak glacier merges with it from the right. Here, descend from the moraine to the left onto the glacier and, having traversed:

• the Northwest Branch of the Kulak glacier,
• the base of the Eastern Ridge of the Bodorku peak, reach a lake located under the left (southern) side of the base of the Eastern Ridge of the Bodorku peak. A bivouac is possible by the lake. From the "Chegem" tourist base, it takes 5–6 hours. From the lake, cross to the left (south) onto the exposed Western Branch of the Kulak glacier

Mestia route via the southwest ridge, 1B

Route description:

From the "Djailyk" base camp* past the "Ullu-Tau" camp 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 them hosts Mestia camping sites. Having ascended to the next rise, we reach the glacier and cross it in the direction of a large hitzan on which the Mestia hut is located; we bypass the hitzan on the left and ascend onto it. There are small crevasses under the hitzan. From the Mestia hut, we ascend a steep firn slope, and to the right of the rocky ridge, we reach the glacier. Further, the path goes along the glacier, which is usually covered with a thick layer of snow. Large crevasses on the glacier are bypassed on the right as we proceed. Further, after a steep ascent, we again reach a large firn plateau and move along it in the direction of the Mestia pass. From the Mestia pass, we turn left and move along the vast firn plateau towards the snowy pyramid of Mestia-Tau. There may be crevasses on the left as we proceed. The descent is made via the ascent route. Median moraine of the Adyr-Su glacier

Fig. 12

259. Sarykol — Mestia

(the route is combined, by D. Gudkov, category 2A, fig. 18, 29). The path from the Ullutau alpine camp (group of 4-8 people) to the Mestia saddle with an initial bivouac on the plateau or in the Adyrsu hut is described in route 247. At the Mestia saddle, turn left and along the snowy plateau (closed crevices) approach the right (southern) slopes of the Western ridge of Sarykol peak, bypassing the lower gendarmes. From the plateau:

• along a gently sloping wide snowy slope,
• then along the talus and easy rocks of the wide couloir on the right side of the Western ridge ("live" stones) ascent to the saddle of the Western ridge to the right and above the Big gendarme. On the saddle, turn right and along the snow-covered easy, местами simple rocks of the long gentle saddle of the Western ridge approach the summit ascent. From here:
• along a gently sloping ice-snow couloir,
• further along simple ruined rocks of the ascent ascend to the summit of Sarykol. From the plateau of the circus, 1.5-2 hours. On the summit of Sarykol, turn right, then a short descent along a simple ridge in the direction of Mestia peak. Further along a simple sharp destroyed rocky ridge approach the I gendarme. Along rocks of medium difficulty of the 40-50-meter wall, ascent (insurance with a rope) to the I gendarme. Along a heavily destroyed, местами sharp simple easy ridge with numerous gendarmes descend to the ridge. From the ridge, along simple rocks, ascent, then along a simple destroyed rocky ridge with several short ice-snow ridges (cornices) ascend to the summit of Mestia.

II ASCENT PASSPORT

1. Climbing category — technically challenging
2. Climbing area according to KTMGV: Caucasus. From Chiperezau Pass to Kitlod Pass.
3. Peak, its height, and ascent route: Treugolnik 3928 m, left buttress of the northern slope
4. Estimated difficulty category: 3A
5. Route characteristics: height difference — 400 m; average steepness — 40°; section lengths:

Tyutyu East - West, combined, 3A

Route Description

The path from the "Dzhailyk" hostel goes along the right side of the Kullukol gorge to the foot of a steep grassy slope, on whose shoulder the "Paradise Campsite" is located. From the "Paradise Campsite", the ascent begins along the moraine until reaching the Western Tyutyu glacier. Crossing the glacier along its central part, we reach the foot of a snowy shoulder located on the eastern slopes of the Tyutyu-bashi massif. We ascend the steep snowy slope to the shoulder (avalanches!!), then along a heavily damaged rocky ridge of medium difficulty, we reach the 5th peak of the Tyutyu-bashi massif. The descent from the 5th peak to the saddle and the ascent to the Main peak go along a sharp snowy ridge (cornices!!). From the Main peak, we descend along monolithic block-type rocks (1.5–2 ropes). Here, there may be flow ice covered with snow. The ascent to the 3rd peak goes along a rocky ridge of medium complexity. It is advisable to move to the left. The descent to the saddle between the 3rd and 2nd peaks goes along snow-covered slabs. On the saddle, there is a gendarme, which is bypassed on the left. Having passed the gendarme, we approach a 6–8 m rock wall, which is climbed using free climbing with piton belay, after which we reach the 2nd peak. Along a wide snowy ridge, we move towards the 1st peak along a snowy slope, bypassing the gendarme on the left, and descend to the Kullumkolsky pass. Having descended from the pass, we reach the Western Tyutyu glacier and, crossing it, we return to the "Paradise Campsite". Time from "Ullu-tau" hostel to "Paradise Campsite" is 1.5–2 hours. From the "Paradise Campsite", the entire traverse takes 14–15 hours.

Fig. 57

2. Traverse of Perednyaya and Zadnyaya Chotcha (3640 m) with ascent via the north-eastern edge to Perednyaya Chotcha — category 4B difficulty (see Fig. 57)

From the Northern refuge, cross the Hokel river via a log, then follow the trail and scree to the crest of the north-eastern edge of Perednyaya Chotcha. The crest is jagged, with numerous sharp gendarmes that are overcome head-on; the descent from the last two gendarmes to the col is via rappelling (protection on the crest via protrusions and pitons!). The col offers a bivouac site. The journey from the Northern refuge to the col takes 6–7 hours. From the col, ascend 90–100 m up a steep snowfield (65°) to smooth rocks (protection on the snowfield via ice axe, on rock outcrops via pitons!). From the snowfield, traverse left along ledges for 65–70 m to a steep gully, then ascend 60 m up the right side of the gully via moderately difficult rocks (protection!). The gully is prone to rockfall! Continue ascending 110–120 m up steep slab-like rocks (protection via pitons!) to a sloping snow ledge, then traverse 100 m left and upwards to the start of the second pitch of the edge (protection!). From the start of the second pitch, ascend 50 m right and upwards via an inclined crevice, then 40 m via a moderately pronounced chimney to a steep wall (75–80°). Ascend 130 m up the difficult rocks of the steep wall to a horizontal ledge (protection via pitons!). This is a suitable bivouac site. The journey from the col takes 4–5 hours.