Report

of the Tashgorsportkomitet team on the ascent of Mt. Chatyn (main) 4368 m via the "diamond" of the northern wall (variant along the edge) UzSSR, Tashkent 1981

Profile of the wall section of the route

Orography and brief history of exploration

Mt. Chatyn is located in a spur of the Main Caucasus Range, branching off between the peaks of Malaya Ushba and Shchurovsky. The spur is a sharp rocky-ice (snow) ridge, with three distinct peaks: Western, Main, and Eastern Chatyn. The Western peak was first conquered in 1912 by Golubev via a relatively easy route from the Ushba plateau. The exploration of Chatyn's wall began only in 1952. B.A. Garf's group passed a route through the Northern wall. In 1954, I.P. Leonov's group traversed the peaks Chatyn-Ushba-Mazeri, ascending via a steep counterfort of the Northern wall. In 1957, I.V. Solodueva's group traversed the eastern edge of the massif. It wasn't until 1959 that the "diamond" of the Northern wall was conquered - a huge black rocky overhang beneath the Main peak. Two teams - A. Snesarev's and L. Myshlyaev's - after a multi-day assault, established two routes of the highest category on Chatyn. To date, five routes have been passed through the "diamond" of the Northern wall (I. Chernoslivin, 1965, I. Bolizhevsky, 1969, V. Krakovich, 1972, in addition to the two mentioned above), the technical difficulty of which is undeniable, as proven by time.

Conditions of the ascent to Mt. Chatyn via the "diamond" of the Northern wall (variant along the edge)

Ascent

TO THE 3RD WESTERN SHKHELDA-TAU

Via the Northern Wall

The group consisted of:

• Koptev V. - leader
• Minin Yu. - participant
• Aleksashin L. - participant
• Bozhukov V. - participant MOSCOW 1960

Brief Characteristics of the Ascent Object

Fig. 35 166. Adai (4404 m) via the East Ridge (a combined route by O. Shuster, Category III) From the CSP of the Tsey region (group of 4-8 people), follow the trail on the left bank of the Skazdon River upstream. After passing the "Green" hill, exit the left-bank moraine of the Skazsky Glacier onto the glacier. Cross to the right:

• the glacier,
• a destroyed, grass-covered rocky slope,
• and approach a rocky couloir. Here, turn left and move straight up the couloir (possible rockfall). Exit the couloir onto the left destroyed rocky slope. Ascend it, then a snowfield, and further up destroyed rocks to reach the platforms (Skazskie overnight stays) at the level of the upper plateau of the Skazsky Glacier. These platforms serve as the initial bivouac. From the CSP of the Tsey region, 4-5 hours. From the platforms, descend to the upper plateau of the Skazsky Glacier and, staying on its right side (closed crevasses), approach the right side of the ice-snow slope of the wide saddle of the Skazsky Pass. From the plateau:
• overcome the bergschrund via a snow bridge,

Fig. 32 142. Peak Artsishevskogo via the East Ridge (combined route, category 2B difficulty, Fig. 32). The path from the CSP of the Tsey region (group of 4-20 people) to the initial bivouac at Volginsky night camps is described in route 99. From Volginsky night camps, head to the Uilpatinsky Glacier, turn right, and approach the center of the wide, gently sloping (in its lower part) first snow-ice couloir on the right via the glacier's snow plateau. The couloir descends from the Tsey Ridge saddle, situated between Peak Oniiani on the right and the Uilarh massif on the left. Cross the bergschrund via a snow bridge from the glacier. Bypassing the rocky ridge rising through the center of the couloir on the left, ascend the right side of the gradually steepening ice-snow couloir (avalanches and rockfall possible - piton belay) to the snowy saddle (large cornice) of the ridge. From Volginsky night camps - 1 hour. At the saddle, turn left and ascend a 45-50-meter steep snowy slope to the East Ridge of Peak Artsishevskogo. Follow the occasionally sharp snowy (cornices) 200-meter East Ridge to a destroyed rocky ledge. Traverse a 40-50-meter ledge on the left side of the rocky ridge to reach a snowy slope, then approach the rocky tower of Peak Artsishevskogo. Ascend 60 meters directly up the simple to moderately difficult rocks of the tower's wall ("loose" rocks, piton belay) to the summit. From under the tower's wall, it is possible to:

• descend 25-30 meters down the snowy slope to the left,

Bivuachnaya

In the center of the Karau­gom plateau, a low, technically simple snow-capped peak Bivuachnaya (4150 m) rises. It is connected to the Krasnoflotets peak, located in the Tsey ridge, by a low ice-snow saddle, which drops to the Central branch of the plateau with an ice fall. The convenient rock platforms at the foot of the Western ridge of Bivuachnaya are used by climbers as a starting bivouac for ascents to the surrounding plateau peaks. It is mandatory to take a tent on the routes, as it is often impossible to find a bivouac in the fog on the plateau.

Burdzhula

The nodal summit of the Main ridge, Burdzhula (4364 m) stands out sharply against the background of the surrounding low peaks. It is located in the south-western corner of the Western branch of the Karaugom plateau, between the Anufrikov Peak to the east and Saualhayne to the north-west. At the end of the North ridge - a spur of Burdzhula stands a rocky tower of the Nogkau summit. 139. Burdzhula via the North ridge, Category III complexity (V. Lubenets, V. Radel, August 4, 1946) The path from the CSP of the Tsey district or from the village of Dzinaga (a group of 4-12 people) to the initial bivouac on the middle plateau of the Western branch of the Karaugom plateau, under the eastern slopes of Burdzhula, is described in route 83. From the initial bivouac, approach the first lower col on the left of the North ridge of Burdzhula

Fig. 22 93. Vologata (4396 m) from the south via the couloir (combined route, category 2A difficulty, fig. 22). The path from the CSP of the Tsey region or from the village of Dzinaga (group of 4-12 people) to the initial bivouac on the platforms of the Western ridge of the Bivouachnaya peak is described in route 83. From the bivouac, cross the Eastern branch of the plateau (closed crevices) and approach the wide snowy couloir descending from the Southwest snowy ridge from under the Vologata peak, to the right side of the wide snowy slope of the saddle connecting Vologata and Karaugom.

46. ZAROMAT via the Left Buttress of the North Edge (combined route, category 4B difficulty) The path from the end of the Tsey district to the initial bivouac in the hut of the Southern branch of the Tsey Glacier. From the hut:

• departure at 3–4 am;
• cross the Southern branch of the Tsey Glacier across the plateau (closed crevasses);
• approach the steep, second right, ice-snow couloir of the North wall of the Zaromat peak. At the top left above the middle part of the couloir hang ice overhangs. From the plateau, cross over to the bergschrund in the center of the couloir via an avalanche gully. On the right side of the steep ice-snow couloir (rockfall, avalanches, icefall) 200–250 m straight up. Before reaching the left ice overhangs looming over the couloir, exit it to the right onto the rocks of the Left Buttress of the North Edge. Further on simple, heavily destroyed rocks or a snow isthmus — ascent to the ridge of the buttress. From the buttress descend to the right onto a shelf. Walk along the wide snowy shelf upwards to its end. From here, move left–upwards on simple rocks to the ridge of the Left Buttress and approach the ice-snow slope along it. On a steep ice-snow slope 80 m to the right–upwards (rockfall) to the right side of the rock wall of the upper part of the Left Buttress. Bypass the wall on the right. On simple and medium difficulty rocks on the right side of the Left Buttress along the couloir (rockfall and avalanches in the couloir, piton belay) ascend to a site. Bivouac on the site. From the initial bivouac 9–12 hours.

Fig. 26

2. Tra­verse of Sofru­dzhu peak from the north-east — category 2B (fig. 26)

From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana across the bridge over the Ali­bek river and along the trail to the crossing over the Ama­nauz river. Crossing to the right bank, then along the mo­rena and over the "baa­ran­y lby" to the Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier, and along it to the ter­mi­nal mo­rena under the Zapad­no-Ama­nauz­sky gla­cier. Camping site. From Domba­y­skaya Poly­ana — 3–4 hours. Further (in con­nec­tion!) as­cend to the Ama­nauz pass be­tween the peaks Glav­ny Ama­nauz and Sofru­dzhu. As­cend along the right side of the heav­ily cre­vassed gla­cier, then, in the up­per part, un­der the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub exit to the mid­dle of the gla­cier, as snow ava­lanch­es are pos­si­ble from the slopes of Sofru­dzhu Zub. Along the mid­dle of the gla­cier up to the bergschrund, cross the bergschrund over a snow bridge and up the steep snow slope (50°) to the pass. Exit to the pass to the left of the rocky out­crop at the pass point.