South-east, 1B cat.

From Dombai clearing or h/c "Alibek" along the trail and grassy slopes and talus exit under Khrustalny pass, traverse steep spurs of the eastern ridge of Semenov-Bashi peak. Place for a bivouac — 3–4 hours. From the bivouac:

• Along a gentle slope in the direction of Khrustalny pass and, 100–150 m before the pass, left up a branched couloir.
• Up the couloir to the eastern ridge. Rockfall hazard!
• Then left along the ridge to the summit. Gendarmes are bypassed mainly on the right, downhill.
• At the beginning of summer — snow cornices on the north.

Ak-Bashi from Ak Pass, combined, 2A

Route description:

From "Trud" campsite ascend snowy talus slopes to the foot of Ak Pass. Reach the pass via talus slope with small ledges. From the pass, follow the ridge left, bypassing the first sentinel on the right. In the first half of summer, when the ledges are covered with snow, the sentinel is ascended "head-on" along its crest. Then, via ledges right of the ridge, reach its snowy section. Ascend 400-meter snowy ridge to a saddle before the first summit. The summit is ascended via broken rocks. Descend from the summit into a gap along the right side of the ridge (loose rocks!). From here, via talus gully and broken ridge, ascend the main summit of Ak-Bashi. 6 hours from the campsite. Descent from the summit via the ascent route to the campsite takes 3 hours.

• Departure time from the campsite should be no later than 5:00;
• Ascending to Lozhny Ak Pass is not recommended as snow slabs are possible on the slope at the beginning of summer, and a steep glacier becomes exposed by the pass in autumn.

Castle East — West from the Burevestnik col to Dvoinyashka, combined, 4B

Route description:

The ascent to the Castle West peak is described in the "Castle from the Burevestnik col" route. From it, descend to the saddle (cornices!). Via broken rocks and a short wall, reach the East peak. Return to the West peak via the ascent route. From it, descend to the south side of the ridge via R1–R3 ledges and traverse around a small gendarme R3–R4 and then the "Beak" gendarme R4–R5 via a narrow ledge half a foot wide (tense climbing). Via a 15-meter internal corner, reach the top of the "Beak" gendarme and rappel down to the ridge R7. From here, 50 m of difficult ridge rock climbing follows to the last gendarme, climbed "head-on" via a difficult wall (no bypass!). Then, via a 500-meter (cornices!), and from R11 steep (50°) snowy ridge, reach the saddle between the Castle and Dvoinyashka. From the West peak — 12–14 hours. Descend from the saddle by rappelling left down a steep narrow couloir (falling rocks!) to a narrow, indistinct ledge. From it, rappel down 30 m. Then, via a steep snowy couloir, snowy slopes, and scree ledges and terraces, descend to the scree plateau under the Castle's southern slope. From the saddle — 4–6 hours. From the plateau, via scree terraces, bypassing the Dvoinyashka and Dalar peaks from the south, ascend to the Dalar col. From the plateau — 3.5 hours.

• equipment recommendations: see the "Castle via the eastern ridge" route;
• the R4–R5 ledge is a psychologically tense section of the route. (1) — view from the southern side

Ascent Passport

1. Western Caucasus, Uzunkol region, Kiчkinekol gorge, section number according to the classification table 2.3
2. Peak 3400 (Raspopova), via the eastern ridge
3. Proposed 2A category of difficulty, first ascent
4. Route type: Rocky
5. Height difference of the route: 250 m Route length: 575 m Section lengths:
   • I – 135 m
   • II – 380 m

Route Description

From the Myrdı bivouac, ascend the grassy slopes towards the lower part of the eastern ridge of Pyramida. Then turn right onto the large, wide slopes cut by a chain of couloirs and scree, rising towards the terminal moraine of the Pyramida glacier. Reach the glacier via the large, long moraine. Continue straight up towards the clearly visible, rightmost narrow saddle on the Pyramida ridge. The ridge connects to the summit of Ak-bashi to the right. The ascent to the saddle follows a snowy slope with a steepness of up to 40°, then a narrow 100-meter couloir (ice in the second half of summer). From the saddle, descend 50 m to the other side and follow a wide, 400-meter scree shelf that wraps around the base of Pyramida from the west, approaching a large rocky outcrop. Ascend the outcrop upwards and to the left, then move onto inclined shelves above a white quartz vein (protection!). Then bypass the first rocky prominence and move towards the wedge-shaped rock protruding from the second rocky prominence on the ridge. Ascend to the wedge-shaped rock via broken rocks, then follow the inner angle - a couloir (water!) - to reach the upper scree slopes above the wall via a small R6 rock wall. Follow the scree slopes and small ridges to reach the main ridge of the summit at a large, horizontally lying slab. From here, move left and down into a small depression, then ascend to the summit via yellow rocks. 6 hours from the bivouac. Descent from the summit follows the "Pyramida via the Southeast Ridge" route.

• Departure time from the bivouac should be no later than 5 am.
• On the eve of the ascent day, mark the path to the terminal moraine of the Pyramida glacier.

Route Description:

From the ice bivouacs, via the Middle Kichkinekol glacier plateau, approach the slopes of Talychat pass. To the left of the pass, the western slopes of Talychat peak begin. In the middle of the western slope, a large couloir descends — this is the route landmark. Ascend via the right snow-scree side of the lower part of the couloir to a rocky outcrop. Then:

• through rocks, up and to the right via a small snowy couloir;
• then left via fine scree to reach a large inclined ledge. Along it:
• up for 20 m, bypassing the walls on the right;
• after 50 m, reach a grassy ledge. Along the ledge, head left to a stream, bypassing wet slabs, then ascend rocks to large slabs. Across them, left onto a large scree.

Route Description

Ascent to Kichkinekol Pass via the "Zamok from Burevestnik Pass" route. Descend from the pass down simple snowy slopes onto the Zamok glacier plateau. Cross the glacier leftwards, ascending along the flat section in separate steps towards the base of the Eastern peak's buttress, visible throughout the approach. From here, to the right of the icefall, follow a faintly defined snowy ridge (rocks on the right!) to reach the upper plateau below the eastern ridge of the peak. From Kichkinekol Pass - 2 hours 30 minutes. Ascend the ridge from the plateau to a snowy col, then continue up the slabs to the Eastern peak (overhanging cornices on the right!). From the Eastern peak, follow the snowy ridge rightwards to inclined slabs and a sheer wall. Descend the wall with a chimney for 25 m, reach an inclined snowy ledge, and follow it rightwards onto the ridge. Descend a steep ridge to a col. From the Eastern peak - 3 hours. Along the col's ridge, approach a gendarme composed of large blocks (proceeding head-on). From the gap behind the gendarme, ascend the right side of a 15-meter wall (avoiding the corner - loose rocks!), then follow the ridge and a series of short, steep chimneys to reach the Western peak. From the col - 1 hour 30 minutes. Descend from the Western peak along the ridge to a col with a rocky "finger", then move to the southern side of the ridge. Traverse the peak from the south, reach a bifurcating ridge, and descend along its right branch onto the Zamok glacier plateau; then ascend to Kichkinekol Pass. From the Western peak - 3 hours.

• The traverse is possible in the opposite direction;
• When descending from the peaks, check the snow condition on the slabs!

Route Description:

The ascent to Chugur Pass (following the "Kichkinekol from Chugur Pass" route) is to the right of the "Parus" rock. From Kichkinekol Pass, it takes 2 hours. From the pass, follow the right side of the 500-meter ridge, initially a broken rocky ridge (watch out for cornices on the left!), then a snowy ridge to reach the summit. From Chugur Pass, it takes 2.5 hours. The descent from the summit follows the ascent route to Chugur Pass and takes 1.5 hours.

• When ascending from the northern side, from Chugur valley, set up the initial bivouac under the Chugur glacier on the right lateral moraine, on the shore of a dried-up lake. From here, the ascent to Chugur Pass goes along the right side of the snowy slopes of the glacier, then up a steep (up to 40°) 80-meter snowy slope.

151. Bo­dorku Za­pad­nuyu from the south via the couloir and the Eastern ridge (combined route, category 1B difficulty, fig. 20, 23). On the saddle (point 150) turn left and ascend via an easy gentle, in places sharp (belay required), with short simple walls, heavily destroyed and snow-covered (cornices) 300–400-meter rocky Eastern ridge to the summit of Bo­dorku Za­pad­nuyu. From the Ly­chad­skie plo­schad­ki 3–4 hours.

63. Kichkidar via Western slope of the Southern ridge (route is combined, 2A cat., fig. 5, 7). The path from the “Jailyk” alp camp (group of 4–12 people) to the upper plateau of the Zapadny Yunum glacier with the initial bivouac at the “Verkhne-Kichkidarskie nochovki” is described in route 73. Across the glacier plateau (closed crevasses) approach the snowy-ice Western slope on the left side of the saddle of the massif, which connects the Kichkidar peak on the left and the Yunumkara peak on the right. From the glacier, having crossed the snow bridge over the bergschrund, ascend 180–200 m up the steep snowy-ice Western slope to the snowy-ice saddle (possible cornices) to the left of the two rocky towers of the Zaitsev. On the saddle, turn left and along the wide snowy-ice ridge (cornices) of the saddle, approach the ascent to the Kichkidar tower summit. Along the steep easy rocks of the ascent, bypassing the gendarme on the left, with a 10-meter wall (belay) on the Southern ridge, ascend to the summit of Kichkidar. From the “Verkhne-Kichkidarskie nochovki” 3–3.5 hours.