ALTUS ZAPADNYI 3090 m via western ridge, cat. dif. ASANOV B.Zh., 2009
prom_alp3@mail.ru 7.11 — Tian-Shan, Ugam ridge

Report

on ascending the western ridge of mt. ALTUS (7.11 — Western Tian-Shan, Ugam ridge), made by the group of alpinada "SAIRAM — 2009" (opened by Mountaineering Federation of South Kazakhstan region)

Annex 1: ASCENT FILE

1. Ugam ridge, Sairam-Su river valley (7.11)
2. Altus Zapadnyi 3090 m via western ridge X)

Ascent Log

1. ASCENT TYPE — ROCK CLIMB
2. ASCENT AREA — UGAM RANGE
3. PEAK "ALTUS" (3200), NORTH RIDGE
4. DIFFICULTY CATEGORY — 3B
5. ELEVATION GAIN — 700 m
6. NUMBER OF ROCK ANCHORS — 21
7. TOTAL CLIMBING TIME — 12 hours
8. TEAM MEMBERS:
   1. RAFIKOV SH.R. — 2nd sports category

ASCENT DOCUMENT ASCENT DOCUMENT

Class: Rock Climbing

Region: TIAN-SHAN, Ugam Range (7.II) Peak: ALTUS Height according to "KMGV-99": 3200 m BARS-I 3800 m First Ascent Routes and proposed difficulty categories: Via Sofia's Shelf to the eastern ridge: 3A combined Via Sofia's Shelf to the western ridge: 3B combined

PHOTO # 9: Morning view of the Altus massif from the North (August 1998) PHOTO # 10: Morning view from the East on the left northern ridge of Altus (May 1998). The described route is shown by a solid line on both photographs. ASCENT DOCUMENT # 4 Class: ROCK CLIMB Region: TIEN-SHAN, Ugam ridge Peak: ALTUS Height: 3200 m (according to KTMGV-89) Route and proposed category of difficulty: via the left northern ridge of Altus 3200, 2B (rock) (A. Yusev, 1998)

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION Approach to the "Tower" — ONLY via the large Altus couloir! From the "1860" fork — along the northern slopes of Altus into the couloir; from the "Green Hill 2300" — cross over to the left northern ridge of Altus (1 hour to the wide saddle) into the couloir. R0–R1: diagonal ascent 110 m II up to 40° left across the rocks to the ridge, followed by a 15 m descent into the saddle. R1–R2: from the saddle (with belay from the ridge) along the wall 21 m III 60° (2 pitons) and traverse along the ledges left-upward behind the spall 10 m II 45° (1 cam) ("2" — station). R2–R3: to the ledge under the cornice (hanging control cairn), 6 m II 45°, bypass the cornice from the left along the crack and slab 8 m IV avg. 60° (2 pitons) and into a shallow inner corner up to the ridge 10 m III 50° (2 pitons, 2 cams) (pull up the second for belay from "3" — station). R3–R4: to the right of the ridge traverse right-upward 20 m II+ up to 60° (4 pitons, 2 cams) to a sloping ledge under the wall ("4" — station). R4–R5: no bypass to the left! traverse down-right and up along the steep inner corner back to the ridge (up to the end of the 45 m rope) 10 m II 30°, 10 m IV 70° (2 pitons, 1 cam), 20 m II+ up to 50° (outcrops). R5–R6: diagonal traverse of rocky outcrops rightward through the "Shovel" to the right side of the northern ridge and along it (leftward are drop-offs!) to the summit 450 m I–II up to 40°. NOTE: