When I was in Bezengi for the
first time, on the approach to Warm Corner I noticed a severe and in
the same time very elegant ridge, leading to the top of a huge ice-and-rock
massif, rising above 5000 meters. It seemed to be so unreal and so attractive.
It was so called Northern ridge on The Eastern
Mizhirgi Peak.
The route along the ridge was
passed for the first time by the team under the leadership of the Honored
Master of Sports of USSR in alpinism Vasiliy
Pelevin. The team consisted of Alexander Borovikov, Vladimir Kizelya,
Ivan Leonov and Vadim Rubanov. This ascent took place in August 1952,
and won 1-2 places in ascents of high-grade class.
Northern massif and Pelevin’s ridge
(summer)
Pelevin’s ridge in winter
Nowadays the route along the
Northern ridge is considered to be a strong 5Б, but it isn’t
a special sports achievement itself. In recent years it is rarely visited
because of rockslide danger in its lower part. But such situation takes
place in summer. In winter this route and Mizhirgi at all, as far as
I know, hasn’t been visited.
We decided to start the season 2009 with this beautiful and attractive
route. Observations of the past years and several days in the camp before
the New Year showed that the route is solid, virgin clean and safe.
On January 02 2009 our
friendly team consisting of Sasha
Gukov, Sergey Kondrashkin, Alik
Izotov and me, Viktor Koval, left the alpinist camp «Bezengi».
After the first step of Mizhirgi glacier icefall, we stopped on the
middle moraine of the glacier and providently made a path to
the beginning of the route.
Beginning of the ascent on the ridge
Gendarmes on the ridge
In the morning, after the bergschrund,
we started to ascend the ridge. Unexpectednesses began just in several
pitches. Suddenly a river of snow began to flow from the top of overhanging
rock. For several seconds it was a small streamlet, then it turned into
a real full-flowing river. We clung fast to the slope, trying to seek
shelter behind the relief (stones, rocks). When the stream was over,
we continued to move by the ice-covered slope. Within 15 minutes everything
repeated. We clung fast to the slope again… And all day long like
this. Sasha looks at Serega and me with disapproval. We didn’t understand
at all where was that snow from.
Second gendarme
Ice part of the ridge
Last summer we had to descend
along the North-Western buttress of Pobeda (Victory) Peak (Juravlev’s
route) three days long in bad weather because of one of the members
had edema of the lungs. It seemed that we couldn't be surprised with
snow and avalanche any more. But we were wrong:)
In the night we ascended the
ridge and installed a tent before the first rock level.
In the morning of the second
day the weather became much worse: the sky was cloudy, view was restricted,
and it was snow and wind. Sasha leaded all day long. We passed the rocky
gendarmes of our ridge. There were no special problems, except the cold
weather and the fact that summed deion didn’t agree with the
real state of the route. Darkness stole up and we installed camp.
Until the third day of the
ascent we thought that it was very bad weather. But it became really
bad on the third day. The wind blew stronger, the snowstorm rose. Visibility
was very low, only several meters. Wind and snow sticked up our
faces, blowing out the remains of warmth from our clothes. This day
I worked first. We passed all the ice part of the ridge and reach the
base of the pre-peak wall of the Eastern Mizhirgi.
Two hours of work with ice
axes, and we had a place for tent. All our clothes was covered with
snow on the outside and on the inside as well.
In the night the snowfall became
stronger, the tent began to be buried and just pressed out of its area.
We spent the night in the sitting position, every hour someone of us
went outside to clear the snow and try to save place for the tent. It
was difficult.
Viktor Koval
Sergey Kondrashkin
In the morning the temperature
fell again. We put on everything we had but it wasn’t enough. Morning
connection told us that even those few groups that were in the Warm
Corner and had sport plans, this day decided not to go because of the
weather. More than 30 degrees of frost and strong wind.
We traversed to the right to
the beginning of the ice coiloir, going through the pre-top wall. This
day Alik was a leader. The place was unpleasant: boulges, covered with
ice. Slope was about 70 degrees. He left the belay, went upwards, placed
a drill and continued to ascend. Then he fell. Ice with the drill dashed
out easily. Alik flew about 20 meters more, stopping on the belay. We
were lucky that there were no rocks below, only icy slope. We changed
Alik to Serega and continued to work.
The crux section of the route was “the ice room” – a vertical
40-m crack with ice. Serega passed a half of the “room” and made
a belay on a small ledge in its middle part. I changed Serega. The snowfall
and wind became stronger. A snow river flew into the gorge mouth, And
visibility was very low. When snow and wind stopped for a while, and
the holds became well seen. Climbing was quite difficult, we had to
work without mittens, in thin Polar gloves. Fingers became frozen at
once. The darkness came, and I finished my pitch in twilight, making
belay somewhere on the boulges behind the “ice room”. The guys made
a ledge in the middle of the crack filled with ice. The night was again
in the half-sitting position.
Albert Izotov
Gukov Alexander
In the morning Sasha worked
first. Several mixed pitches, some winter ice – and we were on the
peak ridge. It was no visibility, Snow and strong wind. At last we found
a mould where we could hide. Altitude was already over 4900. We placed
our tent. In that evening Sasha’s dream to use his ticket from Moscow
to Kenya flew away, But we continued to dream about warm countries.
Alik frozen fingers, Sasha frozen toes. We drank tea and relaxed.
Bivy ledge in «the ice room»
Exit from «the ice room» (view upwards)
At last the day with good weather
came. All the Central Caucasus was seen. But it was strong wind and
frost as a compensation for the marvelous panorama. On the Eastern Mizhirgi
Peak we made photos, took a note of Balitckiy Yu. S. group. Instead
of our own note we placed a photo of our mountain from the northern
side because all our writing materials didn’t work for us.
Moving to the Western peak,
we discovered that two last pitches of the ridge are like a sharp snow
saw, resembling the ridge in the Eastern Shara region. We moved by the
southern side of the ridge, shifting our bodies on the northern side.
There were no other variants of moving and belaying. We tried to control
each other’s location: in case of break, his partner had to jump in
other side. From the northern side it was nearly a hurricane wind, covering
the face with ice and snow. Glasses didn’t save: nothing was seen
through them.
We reached the bridge between
the Western Mizhirgi and the Southern ridge. Here descent of 5a
route starts. By destroyed rocks, inclined slabs and ledges we reached
Stankevich’s wall. We began to descent to the direction of Cella glacier.
We expected to find a bivy ledge, but unsuccessful search left us in
January night. We decided to descend in the night. Unfortunately, we
found only few stationary loops. But the apseil was made automatically.
Our bodies were asleep, only a part of mind which is responsible for
the rope and 8-figure maneuver was alive. I hardly remembered how we
occurred on Cella glacier about 3 AM. We placed the tent and fell asleep.
In 2 hours I tried to say it
was time for getting up. No one supported this idea. Under the pressure
of my persuasions we were sitting and drinking tea when a strong gust
of wind throws our tent with 4 ice axes and us about 5 meters below
on the slope. In several seconds next gust breaks out Marmot, tent and
inner tent. Like two ballistic rockets, rucksacks of Serega and Sasha
disappeared in space. We lied on the remaining gear to wait for the
next gust.
On the descent from Cella glacier
visibility was 2-3 meters. Wind gusts reduced, but the snowstorm began.
But the area was well known, and we went on automatic pilot. Just near
Jangi-Kosh cabin, on the right side a silent avalanche appeared, slightly
touching Sasha who went the last. He was knee-deep in snow, and free
himself only with ice axe.
Summit ridge.
The Eastern (in the foreground)
and Western Mizhirgi
Last meters to the summit.
On the background it is Duh-Tau
We tasted goods left by different
groups in summer, every one found something tasty.
In the morning the weather
was good at last, sunny and calm. The last distance was left: from Jangi-Kosh
to the camp. We passed about 300 m, nearly reached “Dinosaur” –
a rocky ridge crossing the moraine, after which our descent way lied.
Suddenly all the right slope above us began to stir, bringing Sergey
who went first to the glacier. We threw our rucksacks and ran to the
stopped snow mass. A telescopic stick was seen in the snow, here we
began to work with ice axes. It was good that Serega was in the border
of the avalanche buried only on half a meter. We dug out our friend
and looked at the break line. Thickness of the fresh snow was about
more than a meter. That was a reason for the avalanche in so safe place.
Rejecting the possibility to
move, as in past years, by the moraine till the turn to Bezengi
glacier because of avalanche danger, we went along the moraine ridge
as in summer. With one difference- waist-deep in snow.
Every twenty steps we changed
each other. Only in 3 hours we could reach the end of moraine near the
glacier turn. Descent here was too dangerous. Like evidence of our thoughts
a huge avalanche fell from the slope of Semenovsky Peak about half a
kilometer high. It breaks all the classical descent way from the moraine
to the glacier. We decided to go to the left as far as we could and
to descend along the lip of the ice-fall. After a while we found ourselves
on the glacier.
We had no more strength to
make path, but provident Adelbiy beforehand had asked three guys from
Nizhniy Novgorod to meet us with snowshoes, and they met us, Gave tea
to drink, discharged. I have no idea how long could we go to the camp
without their help!
On the summit
View on the ridge to the direction of Koshtan-Tau
In the night we came to the
camp. There we met our friends Adelbiy and Alim, made a half an hour
feast and went to Nalchik.
We expected that the activity
won’t be easy for us. But the Mountain turned to be unexpectedly severe,
showing us its difficult nature. But stronger was the feeling of satisfaction.
Isn’t it the reason for all of us to return to the beloved mountains more
and more?
Start of the descent by the Southern ridge
P.S.
Once more words of gratitude
to our friends in Bezengi Timbulat, Adelbiy and Alim for hospitality,
to director of «Bezengi» Anaev Aliy Husaevich for his assistance and
cordial welcome, to guys from Nizhny Novgorod for help.