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Report about ascent to the pole “Shaman”, massif “Amur poles” (settlement Nignetambovskoe, Amur region, the Khabarovsk Territory).
The route was done 17-18 September 2002 within the bounds of the championship of the Primorsky Kray in alpinism.

Leader:
Markov Vladimir

Participants:
Ischenko Alexander
Grozdetcky Sergey

Markov Vladimir

Ischenko Alexander

Grozdetcky Sergey

The championship of the region spurred us to look for rocky areas beyond the bounds of the Khabarovsk Territory. Essentially, according to the stories of tourists from Khabarovsk we had chosen Amur poles.

At first it was planned to make an ascent to the “White” pole. But the fate decided differently. In the beginning of September we came to the pole “Shaman. In such a membership we had that moment we would not be able to pass the route on the “White” pole successfully.

Thus, we came across “Shaman”. From the portaledge (from the East) it was 30 meters high. We looked through the route from the West, along the Northern ridge. It was 20 meters longer that allowed us to pass the wall in 2 days without any problems. And what the wall it was!

The first pitch we went sometimes along “cabbage”, then came to the sheer cliff and then to a smooth granite wall. Spits on at the top we didn’t try to climb up.
At the second day we came to the summit, the descent was made to the Eastern side, straight to the portaledge. Then there was very interesting, full of adventures way home. The weather all the way was really wonderful. But on the way home we get to cloudburst. The road itself made our mood painful. The place we were traveling in was bear reservation.

Passport of the Ascent.

Class of the ascent – rocky.
Amur region, the Khabarovsk Territory, pole “Shaman”.
The Northern ridge of the Western wall, across the overhang.
Free name – “Shaman”. The ascent was made for the first time.
The extension of the route – 82 meters.
The average steepness of the route – 80 degrees.
Equipment, used during the ascent:
Boulder hooks – 9 items,
Expansion bolts – 9/7 items,
Ring hangers “Petzl” – 24/22 items,
Chocks – 0,
Cam devices – 0,
Sky-Hooks to holes – 5/5.
Hooks, left on the route:
Boulder – 2 items,
Expansion – 9 items,
Ring hangers “Petzl” without collars – 24.
Total time of ascenting: 21 hour.
Way out to the route:
Preliminary processing – on the 17th of September – 10 hours. On the 18th of September – 11 hours.
The top was reached on the 18th of September 2002. After 11 hours of working the group came to the top.
24.00 The descent started.

Region Review.

Region review

Amur poles are situated near settlement Nignetambovskoe, the distance between them is about 25 kilometers, and the main obstacle is that they are separated by the river Amur. You can reach the poles by the road or by the river by vessel “Cometa”. Not far from the settlement there is a road where you can take a bus. At the river motor ships are passing regularly. Branch line to this direction ends in the city Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Hiking with rucksacks should be started after crossing the river by cutter. The place is named “Opitnoe Pole”. There are houses, a well. It is a comfortable meadow to make a camp on the bank of Amur.

Ways of approaching to the place of expedition:
1. City Vladivostok – city Komsomolsk-on-Amur – (train from city Vladivostok – Soviet Gavan’),
2. City Komsomolsk-on-Amur - settlement Nignetambovskoe – (bus service),
3. Settlement Nignetambovskoe - Opitnoe Pole – (crossing Amur by cutter),
4. Opitnoe Pole – river Kurga – stream Malinovy – stream Vjalty – up to the crotch (destroyed house indicates that White pole is not far from there. Along the right stream you can go to the range and predominant peak. At the region there are several Amur poles – Medved, Shaman).

Now some words about the route itself.

The Northern ridge of the pole Shaman is the most interesting place for ascenting. The beginning of it is below than terrace at the middle part of the route and because of it the route becomes noticeably elongated.

Sideview of the route

The graph of the ascent

Scheme according to UIAA

Firstly it is necessary to pass the Eastern part of the Shaman’s wall and come to a comfortable ledge. From this place the middle part of the route can be looked through – there is solid monolith. Two noticeable overhangs make the route much more difficult. Having passed them you find yourself on a sloping ledge and along it goes to the main ledge. At this place we created a handy place for the descent from the pole.

Description of the Route Strip by Strip.

Scheme of the route

The route is excelled from the other rocky routes by great overhang at the central part of the route. The character of the wall by sight looks like the Ekaterinovsky massif. But the structure of stone is different.

At the top part of the route spits can’t be used. To climb this part we used mandrel and expansion bolts of 10 mm.

All the middle part of the route is passed using man-made points of rest. This plate is monolith.

Round-up photo of the pole “Shaman”. (Eastern side)

All the route was passed so: the first was fixing ropes and the other ones were going up along fixed ropes using blocs. The first was working with small rucksack on the double rope.

Strip RO –R1

On a handy ledge downwards we made a station for belaying the leader. The ascent started with climbing along sloping ledge. The interim belay was organized using two spits hooks couldn’t be used there as rocks were strongly destroyed.

After 4 meters of climbing the leader came to the ledge. Then along the sleeping pate of 40 degrees steep he came to the splitting. The extension of the route was 2m. It was 70 degrees steep. Belay was organized on hooks.

Then we made holes for sky-hooks. Then there was way to the ledge. Along the inner angular we went up to the overhang of 95 degrees steep. The extension of the overhang was 1 m. Then we went to the sloping ledge and passing the inner angular came to the second overhang. The extension of it was 15 m. It was 110 degrees steep.

Round-up photo of the pole “Shaman” with the scheme of the route.

This strip couldn’t be passed by free climbing. The belay of the first participant was organized using a series of fixed spits. For passing the strip we used special iron devices that were put on feet. At the beginning of the overhang there was a permanent hook fixed. The first overhang gradually turned into the second one. The steepness of the second strip was about 100 degrees. The extension of it was 6 m. The sprit was passed using fixed spits and special iron devices put on feet.

Photo of the sideview of the wall (view from the right)

Having passed this strip we made a station for reception other participants. There we fixed 2 permanent hooks. The leader received the second one. We went up working with double rope.

Strip R1-R2.

The second strip began with vertical, smooth wall-plate. There was no place to fix hooks or put chocks. The character of the rock changed sharply. Granit became very firm.
We passed the plate 20 m long by trad-climbing. The steep of the strip was 90 degrees. We went up using spits and only at the top part of the wall fixed permanent expansion hooks for passing the strip by the leader.

Free climbing up to the first hanging.

At the end of the plate we came to two clods laying one on another. At this place we fixed two hooks for the leader. Then we came to the sloping plate. Along the plate, bending down because of the sloping, we went to the upper part of the range. The extension of the strip was 22 meters.

At the end of the plate we went to an open place. There we fixed two expansion hooks, made a station for receiving the next participant. It was a nice place for decsenting. The descent was organized with running the rope through at the upper station. At the station the descent loop was left. The route was over.

To be continued...