Types of Risks and Their Characteristics

For each type of human activity, a specific definition of risk can be derived. This definition also depends on the angle from which the risk is studied. In our case, for alpinism and tourism, the risks we will consider represent a condition that, if it occurs, has the potential to negatively impact the group. The difference here from more "classical" schemes is that we do not consider theoretical models but rather rely on practical ones. Thus, we take as an axiom that conditions capable of having a negative impact arise inevitably and on a constant basis. Firstly, many of them we create consciously and purposefully by setting certain frameworks and rules for navigating the route. Secondly, we are not capable of excluding all negative conditions because some of them arise independently of us. Thirdly, we almost never consider risks as conditions that can also have a positive impact on the group, as our research starts from accident rates rather than from accident-free conditions. In simple terms, our risks are "before something happens." When we work with risks as uncertain conditions, the event has not yet occurred. It is potential and will happen only with a certain degree of probability, high or low. Nevertheless, since we are considering the scheme of risks from a practical perspective, the probability itself in a mathematical sense is not of interest to us because it is not important. We suffer equally from an event that occurred with a "probability of 100%" and one with a "probability of 1%," if the impact of these events is the same. So, below we will structurally examine the risks that represent uncertain conditions capable of having a negative impact.

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.

Logistics

How to Get There

By Private Vehicle

As of May 2025, entry to the national park is closed to vehicles with internal combustion engines. Entry for electric vehicles remains open and costs 800 som. There is a parking lot at the top, costing 50 som for an unlimited time.

By Taxi

You need to get to the entrance to the national park: https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=19/42.655741/74.495202&layers=P. However, taxi drivers are not very fond of going there, so some minor difficulties may arise. The cost per car is around 600-800 som from the center of Bishkek.

By Public Transport

In May 2025, a free bus was launched. It starts from T. Usubaliev Square (often referred to as the old central square of Bishkek, near monuments and administrative buildings in the center) — a landmark in the city center.

Transport Inside the National Park

If you're not using a private vehicle, you need to pay 200 som per person to enter the national park. The number of days spent in the park is unlimited. Payment can be made in cash, by card, or with national QR transfers. Buses run around the clock from the entrance of the national park to the end of the road inside the park. The interval between buses is approximately every 10 minutes during the day and every 30-40 minutes at night.

Ai-Petri Uzunkol — description of the 1B alpinist route from SK Greta

Route description:

From the "Uzunkol" base, cross the bridge to the right bank of the Uzunkol river, then downstream along the bank to the third (from the bridge) green couloir. Go up along it to the left — along the stream (no trail) to the uppermost grassy saddle in the first (it's always on the right) rocky ridge. From the base — 2 hours. Through the saddle, enter the neighboring talus cirque of Ai-Petri, cross it, and approach the base of the lateral rocky couloir, which divides the visible part of the summit slope in half. The landmark for the entrance to the couloir is a separate rocky outcrop. To the right of it are "ram's foreheads", to the left — a grassy slope with rocky outcrops. Higher up, the rocks turn into walls of reddish color.

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.

GvandrauZunkol — description of the climbing route "ZA" from SK Greta

Route description:

From the Myrdy bivouac, ascend via scree and moraines to the snowy slopes on the right. Climb the slopes to reach the Myrdy glacier plateau. From the plateau, move towards the Western summit of Myrdy. Ascend via snowy slopes and a wide couloir to the right of the summit to reach the Lozhny Myrdy pass. The Eastern ridge (second from the Ak-Tyube pass) is located opposite this pass. If approaching the ridge from the pass, then:

• Cross the plateau perpendicular to the pass saddle
• Ascend to the right lower part of the ridge rocks via snowy (steep at the top) slopes

Fig. 39

3. Ascent to the summit of Glavny Ptysh via the "tie" — beyond the category of difficulty (see Fig. 39)

From the Ptyshsky pass, move right along the glacier (protection!) towards a large rocky ridge. Ascend the rocky ridge 40–50 m upwards to a bivouac. From the pass, it takes 1 hour. From the bivouac, ascend 90–100 m upwards along the broken rocks (rockfall hazard!), exit onto a snowy slope with a steepness of 35–40°, and from there, move right-upwards towards a rocky outcrop. Ascend 50–60 m up the rocky outcrop (protection via protrusions!), exit onto a steep snowy slope (45°), and from there, cross a bergschrund onto a rocky outcrop in the "tie" couloir. Ascend 40 m up the rocks (protection via protrusions!), then traverse the steep snowy couloir leftwards (protection!), and exit onto rocks. Ascend 60 m up the rocks (protection via protrusions!) to a steep snowy slope (60–65°), and from there, ascend 180–200 m straight upwards (protection!) to a platform to the right of a gendarme. To the right of the gendarme, ascend scree, then move left behind the gendarme along rocks of medium difficulty towards a narrow icy couloir. Cross the couloir leftwards (piton protection!), exit onto rocks of medium difficulty, and ascend straight upwards onto a ridge. Ascend to the summit along the broken rocks of the ridge. From the bivouac on the rocky outcrop to the summit, it takes 6 hours. The descent follows the ascent route and takes 5–6 hours. The route from the bergschrund to the summit is prone to rockfall!

Recommendations for climbers

1. The number of participants in a group should not exceed 6 people.
2. The initial bivouac is on a rocky ridge.
3. Departure time from the bivouac should not be later than 4 am.

Aktur Uzunkol — description of the 1B alpinist route from SK Greta

Route description: The trail to Ak pass begins from the first tributary flowing into the Myrdy river below the first bridge from the top on the right bank, and leads left along the trail upwards along steep grassy slopes in the direction of the Pyramida peak. After 1.5 hours, the slope becomes gentler, and the trail goes along small rocky-grassy terraces. 40 minutes later, on one of the terraces to the left of the trail, on a wonderful lawn thickly overgrown with grass, next to a crossing stream, there are good places for tents, no firewood. A couple of rocky-grassy ascents lead to the glacier flowing from under the Pyramida and Ak-bashi peaks. We ascend to the glacier to the right along the trail via small and medium talus and snowfields and enter a small glacial cirque north of the Ak-bashi peak, ending with a ridge of heavily destroyed rocks. A small depression in the ridge is the Ak pass. Orienting our movement towards the saddle of the pass, we cross the glacier and ascend to the pass via snow and then destroyed rocks. From the pass, we ascend to the peak via a snowy (at the end of summer — talus) slope. Descent is via the ascent route. Path chronometry:

• ascent to the tongue of the glacier — 3 hours;
• along the glacier to the pass — 1 hour;

Passport

Ascent to the "Bezымянная" peak via the southwest ridge

1. Class of ascent — technical.
2. Area of ascent — Caucasus, Bezengi area, southwest spur of Dykh-Tau (Fig. 1).
3. "Bezымянная" peak 4050 m, in the spur of Dykh-Tau (Fig. 2).
4. Proposed category — 3.
5. Route characteristics: a) height difference — 1300 m; b) route length — 900–1100 m of snow-ice slope; c) average steepness — 35–45°.

GVANDRA PEAK – 3993 m

1. Ascent to Gvandara East Peak from Ak-Tyube Pass – Cat. 1B
2. Ascent to Gvandara East Peak via the northern edge from Ak-Tyube Glacier – Cat. 2B (Description of the route as you move towards the peak) Difficulties
3. Ascent to Gvandara East Peak – Cat. 1B The path to the bivouac is described in the description of the Kara-Baschi peak. From the bivouac:

• straight across the moraine to the Morde Glacier;