The route “Ilya Muromets” was passed in February 2003 within the frameworks of the project “High wall of the Primorsky region” (Partisansky region, Primorsky Kray)

Markov V.

Ishenko A.

Kozhevnikov A.

Lomakin D.

After several years of working as a team on different wall, we decided it was time to climb along difficult walls in winter. So we easily found the longest route on the Ekaterinovsky massif. That time in our club there was a young but cocky two-man team. It was the team we entrust with working the route up to the end if we wouldn't manage to make the ascent in established time because of some consequences. And the consequences were very serious – we were going to take part in sport gathering in the region of Klyuchevskaya group of volcanoes on the Kamchatka peninsula. And in the end it happened so. Two-man team Kozhevnikov A. – Lomakin D. all the last rope long processed lonely. What can we say about the route? The first rope started from the screes and we at the moment of start we were gun by falling stones. On the first station of the first rope there was a boulder. We sat and lay on it and some time later it went down. It was rather unpleasant. In spite of the steep character of the second rope and average steepness of 85 degrees on the route there were several big hanging stones. When we were passing them we felt ourselves very uncomfortably especially when working with percussive tools. The leader had to work very carefully as the second climber who was belaying him and at every moment could “receive a surprise” to his helmet. The distinctive feature of our route was the presence of a hanging portaledge – a tent for passing the night. We hung it on the second station where there was a place suitable to pass the night. Straight on the overhang. We hammered in 2 spits.

PASSPORT OF THE ASCENT.

1. Class – rocky.

2. Partisansky region, Primorsky Kray, massif “Ekaterinovsky”.

3. Along the center of the South-Eastern wall, across the cornice.

4. Free name – “Ilya Muromets”. (tentatively) had never been passed before.

5. Extension of the route – 131 m .

6. Average steepness of the route – 85 degrees.

7. We used on the route – rocky hooks 20\3, bolts 3\3, crowns Petzle 15\15, Shuttles – removable 21, nuts – 2, cam devices 2, sky hooks 35.

8. We left on the route:

Totally – bolts 3, 15 (crowns “Petzle”, without hangers).

9. Leader:

Markov V. – advanced alpinist.

Members of the team:

Ischenko A. - advanced alpinist
Kozhevnikov A. – advanced alpinist.
Lomakin D. – beginner.

10. Total time of the ascent: 26 hours.

11. Start of the route:

Preliminary processing – on the 14 th of February – 10 hours. On the 15 th of February – 10 hours. On the 16 th of February – 10 hours.

The top was reached on the 16th of February. After 10 hours of working the group came to the top.

Review of the region of ascent:

The Ekaterinovsky massif is located near the settlement Ekaterinovka, to be more exact, it is in about 1 km from the village. It is possible to get to the massif by train or by feet along the road. Near the massif there is a railway station “Substation 95 th km”. Near the Ekaterinovsky massif there are dwelling houses, a draw-well. Just near the wall there is a meadow, suitable to make a camp. In this place different competitions were held repeatedly, championships of Russia were also held there. Rock-climbers often conduct trainings there.

Ways of getting to the wall by car:

• City Vladivostok – settlement Shkotovo – settlement Centralnoe – pass – town Partisansk – settlement Ekaterinovka – water supply point - substation 95 th km – rocks of Ekaterinovsky massif.

• City Vladivostok – settlement Shkotovo – city Nakhodka – settlement Ekaterinovka - water supply point - substation 95 th km – rocks of Ekaterinovsky massif.

Ways of getting to the wall by train:

• City Vladivostok – settlement Tigrovy – town Partisansk – settlement B. Kuznetsovo – substation 95 th km. (Some of the trains don't stop on the substation in that case you should go to the settlement Ekaterinovka and went back to the rocks of Ekaterinovsky massif).

• City Nakhodka – settlement Ekaterinovka – substation 95 th km.

Now some words about the route itself. The left part of the South-Eastern wall of the Ekaterinovsky massif is located just above the main branch line of permanent way. You have only to cross the line and walk along the wall in the direction of the settlement Ekaterinovka (in the direction of travel you will pass routes Shkabaron, Den Pobedi (“Victory Day”)). A good reference point – the route starts from the pronounced ledge 20- 30 cm wide. With a view of safety it is better to go to the wall along the ropes of 40 meters long fixed beforehand. Under the ledge a small couloir starts, it ends with a wall of 5- 7 meters high. You should move along a steep slope up to the ledge. It is better to put a tent not straight under the route but in about50 meters from it. Having been in 50 meters from the route you will see a safe meadow for a bivouac.

DESCREPTION OF THE ROUTE STRIP BY STRIP.

The distinctive feature of the route is a visual wall with clear big hanging stones. No ledges are seen on the wall. All the route was passed so: the leader fixed ropes, and the other members went up along them using ascenders. The leader tried to turn to the left or to the right on fixing the route as minimally as it was possible. This says about general passing the wall along the directrix. Разработка и сопровождение современных адаптивных сайтов от компании агрик.рф. Мы предлагаем сайт с нуля с сопровождением и продвижением в поиске On the second station we hung the portaledge to pass the night, it noticeably shortened general time of passing the route.

The leader worked without a rucksack, on a double rope.

Strip R0 – R1.

The first rope has to be fixed beforehand, although the strip seems to be easy. 40 meters of the first rope are being passed along the screes, then a wall of 5 m long and 90 degrees steep, turning into slide-rocky couloir of 20 meters long and 60 degrees steep, along it you go to the wall of 15 meters high and 85 degrees steep. It is not difficult to pass all three strips. Then you come to a notable ledge. A big stone lies on the ledge, it is comfortable to belay your workmate on this stone. It is better to make a station on the wall (using hooks). Note: no there is no boulder on the ledge. It felt down.

Strip R1 – R2.

On the first day of work we, having made a station on the first rope, worked for 4 hours more on the second rope and passed 10 meters of the second strip of the wall. That action seriously shortened general time of passing the route. So, some words about the beginning of the second rope. Overhang of 4 meters long, 95 degrees steep we passed using sky hooks and grippers. Then we came to the wall and worked along it for 14 meters , the steepness of the strip was 85 degrees. We passed everything by trad-climbing, across hanging stones. The stones were gigantic, it was impossible to round them. At the moment in all the stones the holes for sky hooks are made. It is not desirable to make your own holes. The stones are solid, they can fall own. Then there are two overhangs of 95 degrees steep, general extension of the strip – 8 meters . When we passed the strip, we found ourselves at the wall of 19 meters long and 85 degrees steep. At the end of the wall there was and uncomfortable place for belaying. There were stationary bolts for making a station. We hung the portaledge on the sheer cliff 5 meters under the station. All the second rope long was passed using the technique of trad-climbing. We used sky hooks and such a technique – five holes and one spit for intervening belay.

Strip R2 – R3.

After passing the night on the portaledge two participants might be as well to go to the station, not to organize belay at the portaledge in the beginning of passing the third rope. Thus, the beginning of the third rope could be passed along the overhang of 2 m long and 95 degrees steep, then we went to the wall. There we saw old bolts. Earlier there climbers had made traverse from the route “Den Pobedi” to the cornice of the route “Capitan”. On some of slight, unnoticeable ledges there was vegetation. There were many cracks that made passing that strip with the help of nuts and hooks convenient.