2.11.11

Ascent Passport

1. Ascent class: first ascent.

2. Area: East Caucasus, Main Caucasian Range, south of Shahdag and Erydag peaks.

3. Peak: Tfan, 4191 m, via the south ridge, combined.

4. Proposed difficulty category: 1B.

5. Route characteristics: elevation gain from Kutkashen town (1000 m) is 3200 m, from the base camp at Gotur pass (3150 m) is 1040 m, average slope is 20°, about 400 m at 35–45°, category 1B — about 300 m, category 2A — 80 m.

6. Pitons driven: 2/0, 6 pieces required for a team.

7. Number of climbing hours:

   • ascent — 4 hours (6 hours for a team),
   • descent — 2 hours (2.5 hours),
   • approach — 2 days,
   • descent to the base — 10 hours, with bridges available.

8. Overnight stays at the base camp below Gotur pass, saddle meadow, up to 40 tents, two possible bivouac sites on the route, 3–4 tents each.

9. Ascent leader: Gorin Yu.V. — CMS, 1st category instructor.

   Climbers:

   • Jafarov — 1st class,
   • Mursakulov — 1st class,
   • Karyakin — 1st class,
   • Zarbaev — 1st class,
   • Kritsky — 1st class.

   Mountain tourists:

   • Rzaev O.R. — CMS, head of mountain tourist section,
   • Azizov — 2nd class,
   • Chinachkov — 2nd class,
   • Solovyova — CMS,
   • Miroshnichenko — 2nd class,
   • Zhilyaeva — 2nd class.

10. Team coaches: Gorin Yu.V., Rzaev O.R.

11. Dates: summit — July 4, 1988, departure from Kutkashen — July 1, 1988.

12. Organizing body: Republican Alpine Club of the Azerbaijan Council of Trade Unions, Mountain Tourist Section of the Azerbaijan Republican Tourism Council.

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Report

On the ascent of Tfan peak («Böyük Sarpıç»), 4191 m, via the south ridge from Gotur Yaylag pass, category 1B.

The ascent was part of a year-round alpine event organized by the Alpine Club (order No. 1 of June 28, 1988) in collaboration with the Mountain Tourist Section of Azerturist Council (order No. 217 of June 27, 1988), as part of a joint sports-exploration expedition (June 29 – July 17, 1988).

Attachments:

• Ascent passport
• Photos
• Map of the ascent area
• Route diagram in symbols

2. General characteristics. Tfan peak (local name — «Böyük Sarpıç» — Big Conical Peak), 4197 m, is located in the East Caucasus, south of Erydag and Shahdag peaks. The massif is composed of clay shales, dolomites, and porphyrites. It is heavily dissected, with relatively gentle ridges. The slopes steeply drop into canyons. The north side of Tfan peak (towards Shakhey lag) has a classified traverse from W to E, category 2B. There are no recorded ascents from the south. The general character of the route is ridge climbing, with short steep rock sections of 3–10 m, and snow in the upper part. The best time for ascents is from mid-July to the end of October. Main hazards — strong winds («Tfan» means storm or hurricane); potential loss of orientation on descent, possibly leading to traversing steep canyon walls (steep shale slopes).

3. Approaches: from Baku to Kutkashen — 6 hours by scheduled bus. Kutkashen has a «Kavkaz» tourist base, suitable for alpinad basing. Within 2–3 hours walking distance — areas for training — scree, grass, rocks, river crossings; no snow or ice. From Kutkashen to the village of Laza — 12 km by road.

   From Laza village, follow the Damiraparanchay river valley to «Beyuk Mychig» ruins, about 6 km, 2 hours. At Bayangaya rock — a river crossing, a pressured passage; bridges are temporary, washed away in spring and summer, restored by the end of July for haymaking. Then cross the Pyramizchay tributary (ford in summer, crossing by boulders in winter), and about 0.8–1.0 km further, the trail steeply winds to the right. Climb along the trail to the lake — overnight stay. From the crossing — 6–8 hours.

   From the lake, follow the ridge towards Bala Sarpıç peak (3510 m), then bypass it on the right along the trail, and reach Gotur Yaylag pass (3150 m), where an overnight stay is possible. It is better to set up the base camp 20–30 minutes before the pass, on the right, in a good meadow with streams. The pass has only snow patches, no water. From the lake: 6–8 hours. Total elevation gain from Laza village — about 2000 m.

   From Gotur pass, a training ascent to Bala Sarpıç peak (3510 m) is possible:

   • route is approximately category 1A,
   • one and a half rope lengths of easy climbing,
   • the rest is walking on scree slopes.

4. The ascent route to Tfan is clear from the diagrams; height and orography уточнение were conducted instrumentally by Solovyova T., Alpine Club staff member. From the overnight stay to the summit, the group took 3 hours 50 minutes, descent — 1 hour 50 minutes. For a team, plan: ascent 5–6 hours, descent — 2.5 hours.

   The route is evaluated as category 1B, recommended as a qualifying ascent from July to October. Steep slopes are avalanche-prone until the end of May; in June and early July, the weather is extremely unstable, with rain, heavy fog, making river crossings and orientation difficult.

Ascent leader Gorin Yu.V.

Head of Mountain Tourist Section Rzaev O.R.