Passport

1. Class — TECHNICAL.
2. Region — PAMIR-ALAY, Ak-Terek spur of the Turkestan Range.
3. Peak SKALISTY, SOUTHEASTERN SUMMIT — 5450 m, via the eastern wall of the Southern ridge.
4. Proposed 6B category of difficulty, FIRST ASCENT.
5. Height difference — 1610 m, length 2275 m.

Length of sections with 5–6B category of difficulty — 1847 m. Average steepness of main sections:

• 84° (4100–4750 m)
• 72° (4750–5280 m)
• 74° (5150–5450 m)

Of these, 6B category of difficulty — 847 m:

• 86° (502 m) 4100–4750 m
• 77° (265 m) 4790–5250 m
• 85° (80 m) 5250–5410 m

6. Pitons driven:

7. Team's working hours 72 h and days 6.

8. Overnight stays: 1st on a rocky-ice ledge in tents; 2nd sitting for four, one in a hammock, on 3 levels in a chimney; 3rd sitting on icy slabs; 4th sitting on an ice ledge, cut out on an ice "knife"; 5th lying in tents on a snowy ridge.

9. Leader: GOLUBEV Nikolai Nikolaevich, MS Participants:

   • NOSOV Anatoly Pavlovich, MSMSK
   • Fedotov Yuri Nikolaevich, MS
   • ZHAK Viktor Vladimirovich, MS
   • GLUSHKOV Alexander Semenovich, CMS

10. Coach: DZHIrayev Yuri Georgievich, MS

11. Approach to the route July 17, 1982. Summit — July 22, 1982. Return — July 23, 1982.

General photo of the summit and route

№ I General photo of the summit and route. Route and overnight stays of the team. Taken on July 19, 1982 at 17:00. From a distance of ~4.5 km. From a height of ~3900 m from east to west. On diagram №N.

Photopanorama of the area

N.V. Photopanorama of the area. View from east to west. Routes, peaks. Taken on July 19, 1982 at 17:00 from a height of 3900 m. From a distance of 4.5–5 km, F.50 mm. On diagram N.V. See photopanorama from west to east in the addition/descent of the team. www.alpfederation.ru↗

Fragment of the profile on the left

N№ IV. Fragment of the profile on the left on sections R26–R29. Taken from the route of section R27 ~15:00.

Brief overview of the ascent area

The object of our ascent is located northeast of Peak Igla 4730 m, in the Ak-Terek spur of the Turkestan Range in the Skalisty massif. This is the highest massif of the entire Pamir-Alay.

The approach is made from the city of Isfara (Tajik SSR) to the village of Zardaly (motor road) — 5 h; further by caravan along the Ak-Terek river valley (25 km), 6–7 h, to the confluence of the Utren river on the left (forest, glades); further in the Utren gorge on the left-bank moraine (2.5 h, streams, platforms, grass). Other paths to the object are possible through neighboring passes:

• per. Aylynysh 2B category of tr.
• per. North Tutek 2A
• per. Yashil-Kul 2A — Alay Range, from the village of Khait 50 km
• per. Utren 3B category of tr.
• per. Ivanova 2A through the Turkestan Range

But these paths exclude the use of pack transport.

The eastern walls of the Ak-Terek spur rise above the Utren glacier (basin of Ak-Terek) by 1200–1500 m with monolithic granite walls. The highest point of the ridge is Peak Skalisty Main (5621 m).

To the southwest and southeast of it are the peaks of the ridge in the following order:

• 1st Southern — 5550 m (double)
• Southeastern — 5450 m (double)

Further, the jagged Southern ridge of the Southeastern peak leads to the massif of peak 5173 and further to peak 4864 m. To the south, the spur carries peak 4900 m. From the side of the Utren glacier, the peaks of the Ak-Terek spur, according to our information, were not visited by climbers. Fed by debris from the walls of peak 5450 m and peak 5173 m, a short but powerful lateral glacier flows into the Utren glacier in its middle course (below the icefall) from the right.

Above this glacier is the eastern wall of the Southern ridge of the Southeastern peak of the Skalisty massif. The wall is lit by the sun from 7:00 to 16:00; usually, from 16:00 to 19:00, precipitation falls, creating a strong ridge snow cover and peculiar cap-like snow-ice formations on the wall and relief, and water flows in the lower part.

The Skalisty massif is in a cloud cap in the evening and probably has its own microclimate. The 1982 season was extremely rainy, especially the second half of June and the first half of July. But the team managed to catch an 8-day "window" of good weather after 14 days of waiting.

The eastern walls of the Ak-Terek spur in their lower half are composed of granites, higher up are marbleized limestones and sedimentary rocks. In the cirque of the aforementioned glacier, it is possible to lay out about 20 routes of 5B category of difficulty, which indicates the steepness and length of the surrounding walls.

The neighboring gorges (North Tutek, Matcha, Darapioz) are also of great interest to climbers; many routes of 5th category of difficulty can be laid out there.

Photo of the profile on the right

Photo of the profile on the right /№ II/. Taken from the north from a height of 4600 m ~1500 m. From a distance of ~2 km, F-50 mm. On diagram №N. /Due to the height of the shooting point, the bottom is "easy top top" in abbreviation/. Shooting point 4500 m.

Tactical actions of the team

Movement was carried out according to a schedule that ensured the implementation of the tactical plan and safety on the route: 12–13 working hours and 8 hours of night rest. (The schedule was determined by the physical and technical preparedness of team members). The route took 72 working hours. The work of the lead climber was carried out without a backpack on a double rope. The transfer of backpacks (4 pcs.) was carried out on oneself while moving along fixed ropes. The team is well-coordinated, and the specialization of each team member on a specific relief was taken into account to the maximum.

Leads:

• Glushkov (R6–R16, R23–R28, R66–R72)
• Nosov (R17–R23)
• Zhak (R31–R42)
• Golubev (R42–R60)
• Fedotov (R0–R6, R28–R31, R60–R66)

The lead climber, as a rule, works a whole day.

The bivouac equipment is designed for joint and separate overnight stays, including sitting and hanging (tents-hammocks), so the main principle of choosing overnight stays was their safety. Overnight stays:

• 1st — lying under an awning R17;
• 2nd — separate (at a distance of a rope), hanging and sitting in the "integral" chimney, under the cover of a huge "drop" cornice R22, photo;
• 3rd — separate, on ledges, sitting R31, photo;
• 4th — sitting, on an ice "trough" R42, photo;
• 5th — lying, on a snowy ridge R60.

The entire route was completed in 6 days (5 overnight stays) without preliminary processing, which corresponds to the tactical plan.

First day — July 17. The main task is to pass the 1st belt of the wall, the "triangular sheer". Problematic sections:

• R7–R8 — "oblique cornice"
• R9–R10 — "zigzag" cornice
• R11–R12 — "three-step" cornice
• R14–R15 — "chip" cornice

The passage of these sections was carried out, as a rule, using I.T.O., on pitons and chocks, double rope "Zaltsuga" and "khookonogi" device. On R9–R10, 2 bolt pitons were used (photo).

Second day — July 18. The main task is to choose a variant for passing the 2nd belt of the wall. 1st team exits to choose a variant for passing the wall to the right along the "integral" chimney under the cornice (or to the left in the "finger" zone). 2nd team adjusts the path of the 1st team from below. Exit of the 2nd team along the ropes — after the final choice of path. Overnight stay was planned above the "drop" cornice. Deviation from the tactical plan: overnight stay №2 was organized below the "drop" cornice. This was due to the danger of passing it in the second half of the day (stones in water flows). 1st pair, having hung ropes to the cornice R22, descended on a rope, where they met the "3rd" pair. Here the team organized a hanging overnight stay on three levels. Overcoming the "drop" cornice was postponed until morning, i.e., to a safer time.

Third day — July 19. The main task is to exit to the "ridge" (conditionally named by the view from below) of the wall under its upper part. Problematic sections:

• R23–R25
• passage of the Y-shaped cornice and the chimney above it (R26–R30)
• icy steep ascents

Solution: the huge "drop" cornice was passed early in the morning using I.T.O. and "khookonogi". (Photo 9, 10).

Fourth day — July 20. The main task: exit under the ridge. Problematic sections R31–R42 — a cascade of steep snow-ice "knives": ("groundhog", "camel", "lizard", "snake" — named by the view from below) and icy vertical walls and walllets. Solution:

• Spherical formations of ice and snow, stuck to the sheer relief of the upper part of the wall, required great "creative" fantasy when passing and organizing insurance on these rare forms of snow-ice relief.
• Insurance was organized in places cleared of ice crust (on rock pitons) or through internal "frame" icicles under the ice crust (with a loop made of a rep cord).

Fifth day — July 21. The main task: passage of the ridge and choice of variant for passing the pre-summit tower (bastion). Problematic sections — R47–R51: huge snow-ice caps, cornices, and icicles at the junction of the eastern wall and the Southern ridge. Solution: Golubev (on crampons) cut an ice "hoop" on the ridge, successfully bypassed a three-meter overhang of ice cornices (photo 18).

Sixth day — July 22. Exit to the summit. Problematic sections:

• At the base of the summit bastion, the path was blocked by a giant vertical "chimney" with an icefall — "ice pipe", R62–R63, 20 m wide
• On the summit bastion — a sheer 25-meter icy chimney R69–R71, at an altitude of 5400 m

Solution: "Ice pipe" was passed early in the morning with the help of a 20-meter pendulum.

The path to the aforementioned chimney was chosen along the left part of the bastion; it is steep but safe. Everything to the right is interspersed with avalanches and debris along the outer ledge, steeply descending from under the summit. The first person chipped ice in the chimney in search of cracks (photo 24). In bad weather — R16–R17, R35–R40, R68–R72 — the team increased the "safety margin".

The team maintained constant radio contact with observers. Observers daily reported weather forecasts and changes in the state of the wall (waterfalls, debris, cloudiness) and the group's location. The team daily at 20:00 reported to observers their height, landmarks, their condition, and the state of the wall. Observers saw team members on the route through 12x binoculars all 6 days (same judge Gorenchuk Yu.F.). A safety group (11 climbers) was located below, with a specific plan of action in case of an extreme situation.

Diagram of the route with overnight stays

4570 m — overnight stay on July 18, 20:00, separate on 3 levels. Scale of diagram 1:2000. № illustration 8.

Total number of working hours and driven pitons

Total number of working hours — 72. Total number of driven pitons: rock 259 (of which I.T.O. 36), chocks 137 (of which I.T.O. 49), bolt 2 (of which I.T.O. 0), ice screws 26 (of which I.T.O. 6).

Description of the route by sections

Sections R0–R17

1st day — July 17, 1982

R0–R1: Bergschrund (4030 m) — the far wall of the crevasse rises above the front edge by 5 m. Passed along a snow plug located at a depth of 3 m. R1–R2: In the morning, ascent on crampons, under a slightly protruding "paw" from the wall. R2–R6: Along rocks like "ram's foreheads", leading to a steep inner corner, and further into a chimney — ascent under the base of the wall with a crack; sections R0–R6 passed by Fedotov Yu.N., further Glushkov A.S. moves first. R6–R7: Along a monolithic wall upwards, a crack goes under the first "oblique" cornice. The crack is blunt, there are almost no places for pitons and chocks. R7–R8: Through the cornice ("oblique") there is a gap — convenient for using chocks and pitons. R8–R9: Along the walls of the inner corner, water flows, grips are smoothed, it goes on friction; the corner leads under the "zigzag" cornice, movement to the left upwards. R9–R10: In the lower part of the cornice, there are no cracks, we drive 2 bolt pitons under a streaming waterfall. Further, there is a gap for chocks and pitons. R10–R11: From under the cornice upwards and slightly to the left, along a not clearly expressed inner corner with a crack, movement under the "3-step" cornice. R11–R12: The cornice consists of 3 steps of overhangs. There are gaps for chocks and pitons. R12–R15: Movement to the left — upwards along steep icy slabs, then to the right-upwards along a wet wall with several overhangs, ending in "chip" cornices. There are gaps for chocks and pitons. R15–R17: Along destroyed rocks, we exit onto a rocky ledge (on the left covered with ice), and along it traverse to the right under an overhanging cornice. Under it, having chopped off the ice, we laid out a stone platform for tents. According to the altimeter — 4320 m. By the end of the day, clothing was soaked from water flows along the cracks. The group worked on ropes. Part of the wall from the bergschrund to the ledge is composed of granites with vertical cracks (often blind) and intersecting "chip" cornices.

2nd day July 18, 1982 R17–R19: From the overnight stay 10 m along the ledge and straight up the wall with a crack, ending in a cornice ("oval"). Ahead works A. Nosov. The cornice is passed in stirrups on I.T.O., on the right. R19–R20: Above the cornice along a weakly expressed inner corner with a crack under a "two-step" cornice. On I.T.O., traverse to the right-upwards, entrance to a long chimney in the form of a giant "integral". It is topped with a "drop" cornice. R21–R22: The chimney is 1 m wide, goes to the left-upwards. In the upper part — separate overnight stay (hanging in hammocks and sitting), on a plug, under cornices.

3rd day July 19, 1982 R23–R24: Cornice formed by a pile of blocks, mostly "live", in the form of a giant "drop" with a large overhang. (I.T.O.). R24–R26: Inner corner and overhanging chimney with a cornice made of very loose rock are passed on I.T.O., taking a lot of time. R26–R28: 90-meter crack with plugs and a cornice at the top. Bypassing plugs on I.T.O. In the crack — formed ice. R28–R30: After the cornice, a steep slab leads to the left edge of the triangular wall with a huge round stone at the top — "gendarme — bird". The upper part of the wall is in snow. There are cracks for pitons. R30–R31: Higher up, 10 m on inclined slab rocks and "ram's foreheads", we settled down for an overnight stay, sitting under the cover of cornices. Snow cover on rocks — (4750 m). The route of the third and second day passed along the steepest part of the "triangular sheer". Monolithic granites.

4th day July 20, 1982 R31–R33: A system of slab walllets covered with ice, turning into a cascade of 3 walls. Movement along the middle wall, in a crack. R33–R35: Snow-ice ridge with rock outcrops in the lower part. Ice is steep at the top. Insurance through ice screws, cutting steps ("groundhog"). R35–R38: Icy wall with a "camel"-shaped cornice-cap at the top, ice overhang at the top. I.T.O. on ice screws. Ahead — Zhak. R38–R39: Icy inner corner, after a 40 m wall. In the corner, ice, icicles hang, cracks are filled with ice. R39–R40: Ice is covered with a 30–40 cm layer of loose snow, poorly connected to the ice surface. ("Lizard"). R40–R41: "Finger-post". R41–R42: Sharp ice ridge, ("snake"), starting with a powerful ice cap on the "finger" top. In the rope from the "finger" to 22:00, the group cut out an ice "trough", under an ice overhang, for a sitting (on backpacks) overnight stay. Ice is steep. Got wet during the day. Overnight stay — hiding under tents and cloaks. 5150 m.

5th day July 21, 1982. Ahead Golubev N.N., insures Zhak. R42–R44: Behind the overnight stay, an ice walllet (I.T.O. on ice screws) leads to a weakly expressed ice groove, cutting steps. On the ice, 10–20 cm of snow (loose), ice crust is also about 10 cm. You can't cut steps, and you can make holes for hands and feet, a conglomerate of dry snow, ice crust, and icicles. R44–R46: The ice groove rests against a vertical walllet with a cornice at the top; the cornice is cut by a crack. Passed on I.T.O. To the left of the walllet, a landmark — a "finger" with a snow cap, it does not adjoin the wall, you need to go to the right of it. R47–R51: Behind the cornice, icy slabs, above which a spherical snow-ice cap hangs. It has an ice crust. Golubev, moving up, cuts a groove in it; inside it is semi-empty, has a "frame" of icicles. The "cap" ends with an ice "hoop" — "cornice". Movement to the left, on I.T.O. (ice screws screwed into the "hoop"). R51–R52: Narrow ice ridge; to the right, cuts and debris of ice, cutting steps. R52–R60: Teams: 1st — Golubev — Zhak, 2nd — Fedotov — Glushkov — Nosov. Nine ropes of a narrow jagged ridge. Mighty cornices towards the Utren glacier. The first 80 m width of the ridge — from 20 to 40 cm. Cornices complicate orientation along the ridge line. There are 2 large "gendarmes" on the ridge. After the 2nd — descent into a hollow (3 rappels), under the base of the summit bastion. Here, on a snow-ice ridge, we cut out platforms for tents. Height — 5180 m.

6th day July 22, 1982. Ahead team Glushkov — Fedotov. From the ridge along a 30 m walllet — onto a ledge. Here we organize a pendulum, 25 m, through a vertical ice "pipe"; huge icicles and a frozen waterfall hang from above. On the opposite side of the "pipe" — two pitons for reception. Further traverse along the wall (15 m), to a narrow ledge. R63–R66: From the ledge upwards along the wall, under the base of a not clearly expressed inner corner, along it — onto a ledge. From it along a vertical wall with a crack (at the top a small cornice — I.T.O.), exit onto the ridge. R66–R69: Icy ridge leads through 80 m onto a ledge, under the wall of the 2nd bastion. R69–R71: To the left upwards, a vertical chimney with a cornice at the exit: a chimney made of ice. Very cold. Snow is falling, I.T.O. R71–R72: Not steep summit ridge, with snow overhangs and rock inclusions. At 19:15 — summit. We build a cairn. According to the altimeter — 5450 m. Descent to the northwest, first onto a plateau between the Southeastern and 1st Southern peaks. Then ascent and crossing the ridge (1st Southern), from the ridge onto a saddle between this peak (5550 m) and the main (5621 m) peak. Further — descent to the west, onto the Ak-Terek glacier. Snow is falling.

N: 72

[Image with unclear text]

Sections captured with a telephoto lens MPO-500 are shown.

Photo illustrations of the report

№3 View of the "triangular sheer" wall on sections R2–R26. Cornice belts are visible. Taken on July 18, 1982 at 15:30 from the glacier /3700 m/ from a distance of ~2 km, F.50 mm.

№ I. Sections R0–R13. Structure of the lower part of the "triangular sheer". Water flows along the wall from 11:00 are visible. Taken from the moraine of the Utren glacier on July 19, 1982 at 13:00.

№ 1А. Sections R10–R11. Above the "Delta" cornice. Taken from below on July 17, 1982 at 13:30, F.50 mm.

№ 2. Sections R8–R9. On the fresco. Above the "oblique" cornice. Taken from below from R7 on July 17, 1982 at 12:30, F.50 mm.

№ 3B. View from below from under the wall from the bergschrund (4030 m) onto sections R11–R27. Cornice belts are visible: "three-step", "chip", "drop". Taken on July 18, 1982 at 15:00, F.50 mm.

№ 4. Sections R17–R19. Under the "Oval" cornice. Taken from below from R17 on July 18, 1982 at 12:00, F.50 mm.

№ 6. Sections R9–R17. Granite relief. From 12:00 is washed by water flows, especially in chimneys. The route and overnight stay №1 are shown. Taken on July 19, 1982 at 14:00 from a distance of 4 km, with a telephoto lens MPO-500.

№ 8. Section R22. Nosov in a hammock, Glushkov sits on overnight stay №2 (4570 m). The "drop" cornice is visible above. Taken from below from the level of Golubev's overnight stay on July 18, 1982 at 20:30, F.50 mm.

№ 7А. Section R22. Golubev on hanging overnight stay №2 (4570 m) in the "integral" chimney. Taken on July 18, 1982 at 20:30, F.50 mm.

View down to the wall profile from the summit

Of the new bastion sections R67–R69.

№ 26. View of the Skalisty peak massif from the west, the descent path of the team is shown. /The photo was taken in 1980 during the reconnaissance of the area/. Descent bypassing the 1st Southern peak onto the Ak-Terek glacier.