Peak Kankosheva via NW ridge - 4A

Route description. The route starts from the moraine fields below KOSHTAN Pass; a snow-ice slope with an angle of 30 to 40° on the right - a total of 3 pitches over 40 m leads to a gap in the ridge behind the final ascent of the ridge. Then, exit onto the ridge via moderately difficult rocks and then easy, broken rocks - 2 pitches. Belays via outcrops. Along the ridge, 2 pitches on rock and ice, to the right. The rocks are slab-like, moderately difficult. Exit to the first ascent is 0.5 pitches via slabs and ice (pitons). Steepness is 45°. The ascent is a 60° wall with cracks, climbed directly from the left - 1 pitch or bypassed on the right - 1.5 pitches on ice with piton belays on rock. Ice steepness is 40-45°. Exit up and left onto the ascent via steep slabs resembling "sheep's foreheads" - 0.5 pitches. No outcrops, few handholds. Overnight stay possible at the ascent. Total of 4 hours from the start of the route. Then, the ridge ascent continues - moderately difficult rocks with outcrops, steepness 40-45°, total of 2-2.5 pitches. Then, a 5 m triangular wall is bypassed on the right, belays via outcrops. Steep slabs are climbed via ledges and cracks (pitons). Then, the ridge becomes steeper with 2-4 m walls bypassed on the right and left via ledges and slabs covered in ice. Yellow blocks - pylons cross the ridge and are bypassed on the right via wall ledges in traverse with exit onto the ridge - 2.5-3 pitches. Total of 3 hours of climbing. The slope turns into a snow-ice ridge, along which 3 pitches lead up and right towards the pre-summit wall. Then, the ridge smooths out and turns into a snow-ice slope (2 pitches) with rocks and slabs in the ice. Steepness is 45-50°, snow holds weakly. Belays via ice screws. On rocks and rock outcrops in the ice slope - 3 pitches and then 1 pitch on steep rocks (pitons, wedges) with exit below the wall on the left. Traverse left along the wall is 1 pitch on brittle rocks and ledges (live rocks). Belays via wedges. No passage further, so climb up and right on the wall into an internal corner where an overhanging section about 2 m high is located. Here, difficult climbing and using a ladder is advisable. Along the internal corner via cracks - 1 pitch and exit into a rock pocket where an overhanging step 1.5 m is passed with a boost or ladder. A sitting overnight stay is possible here. Then, along a detached slab 1 m to a crack (piton, sling) and along the crack 1 pitch on steep slabs of the pre-summit slope (50°) onto a cushion - a snow patch below the summit ridge. Belays are piton throughout. Then, 1 pitch on the snow cushion to the ridge left of the pre-summit and onto the col. To the pre-summit with a boost up the wall - 3 m. Descent onto the col is 1 pitch sporty and then 1 pitch along the ridge to the summit. Exit to the summit is 1 pitch of moderate difficulty. The first ascenders spent the night on the col before the pre-summit. The total ascent took 12-14 hours. Descent is along the ridge, category 3B, to KOSHTAN Pass and then via the glacier to the base camp. Total descent time is 4-5 hours.