Author

According to all the reports the wall of the cape Ayia with its 500 meter high elevation change is the most extensive in the Crimea . Several alpinistic routes are built along the main wall. All of them are not difficult than routes of 5B grade of difficulty. A pure rock-climbing multipitch up to the middle of the wall is also located there. During one of our previous visits to Crimea Evgeny Novoseltcev saw an interesting line to make a new route along. Difficult vertical bottom part, crossed by two cornices and damp monolithic plates attracted us. The route looked rather hard, but that made it more interesting.

The route goes along the right part of the wall nearly vertically upwards. The beginning of the route is in 15 meters to the right from a remarkable line of rock-climbing multipitch. Rocks there look like rocks “Koshka” (“Cat”) in Simeiz. It is covered with small honeycomb this provides excellent friction and allows moving by free climbing along many strips of the route. Five first ropes of the route are key ones. They are very steep with rare relief. It is impossible to climb and organize belay there. Trad-climbing there is rather difficult, we used relief sky-hooks and sometimes hole sky-hooks in small pockets. They also are left for belay. Further relief appeared and rocks became noticeably easier this allows quickly moving by free-climbing.

The route turned out to be very interesting, not easier than “Mochambo” or “Twenty years later” on well-known Morcheka. Grade of difficulty of the route is unambiguously 6A.

As formerly, the team chose the lightest alpine style for passing the route. We had processed only one lowest rope in the evening before the day of ascent as we hadn't wanted to pass the nigh on the wall. We used two ropes, and recommend this for following climbers as the rock is very old and rope can be cut when a climber fall down. We also took with us one pare of loops with hooks to put it on feet (“kriukonogi”), one aider, two hammers, a set of stoppers, hexes, 6 anchors, 4 petalled hooks, relief and hole sky-hooks, stationary bolts for making stations and removable bolts 8 mm (2,5cm and 1 cm ) for climbing. It is rather small set for passing the route had never been passed before, but as our experience, it's enough to have such set of equipment.

On first five ropes stations are reinforced by stationary 8 mm bolt. You can make a station using removable 8 mm 2,5 cm bolt or some form of relief. On following ropes station can be organized without using stationary bolts.

Good Luck!

Passport of the ascent:

Region – Crimea , 8.2

Peak – Ayia, route “Blik” (“Catchlight,”) along the South-Western wall crossing cornices.

6A grade of difficulty is suggested, the route was passed for the first time.

Character of the route – rocky.

Characteristic of the route:
Elevation change of the route – 440 m.
Extension of the route – 540 m.
Average steepness of the route – 73°.
Extension of the strips of 6 grade of difficulty – 155 m , 5 grade of difficulty – 150 m.
We left on the route: stationary bolts – 4 items.

We used on the route:
Stationary bolts – 4 items
Removable bolts – 9 items
Anchors – 28 items
Petalled – 3 items.

All in all we used hand-made points of rest – 77 times, including using relief sky-hooks – 40 times, hole sky-hooks – 6 times.

Amount of working hours – 18, working days – 2.

Amount of nights passed – 1.

The ascent was made by two-man team.

Members of the team:
Dashkevich Sergey, advanced alpinist.
Evgeny Novoseltcev, advanced alpinist.

Couch of the team:

Pershin Valery, merited of sports, merited couch.

Date of set off:

To the ascent: the 6 th of May 2007.
To the top – the 7 th of May 2007.
Returning back - the 8 th of May 2007.

Organization: Climbing and Alpinistic Federation of the Sverdlovsk Region.

General view of the summit Ayia. The photo was taken from the web-site mountain.ru

Sideview of the wall with the route

Technical photo.

Scheme UIAA.

DEION OF THE ROUTE STRIP BY STRIP

From the sanatorium “Laspi” you should walk for 20 minutes along the path then, in 100 m from the end of the path go up in the direction of big spalling in the right part of the wall.

Strip 0-1. You have to go up along the chimney at the back side the spalling and come to a big comfortable grassy ledge. 35 long, 80 degrees steep, IV (fr 5). Easy climbing. Station can be made on the tree.

Strip 1-2. At the beginning of the second rope there is a pointer with inion “Blik”. Along the implicit interior angle you should climb upwards and to the left in the direction of two cornices. Just after the second cornice there is a hanging station. It is organized on two removable and one stationary bolt. Difficult trad-climbing on relief sky-hooks. Sometimes hole sky-hooks in natural pockets can be used. They sometimes are left in there places for making belay. There are some strips where you can move by free climbing and then use trad-climbing again. 50 m long , 88 degrees steep , VI (fr 6b+), A4. For organizing belay removable bolts 8 mm 1 and 2,5 cm and also sometimes middle stoppers and anchors were used.

Strip 2-3. The extension of the strip is 45 m (75 degrees steep). You should move upwards and to the right along plates up to a big ledge. Station can be made on the tree. VI (fr 6b), А 3. We moved using relief sky-hooks mostly, removable bolts were used for organizing belay. After 30 m there is “ belly” – you can pass it by free climbing.

Strip 3-4. The extension of the strip is 60 m (70 degrees steep). Moving by free climbing up to the ledge and further along an interior angle up to noticeable tree. In the angle the crack is not permanent but there are some places where different hexes can be put. From the ledge up to the beginning of the angle – moving by trad-climbing A3 on hole and relief sky hooks. Hole sky hook has to be left for belay. Along the angle trad-climbing A2-A3, some-times – free climbing V-VI. Station near the tree (it appeared feeble) on two stoppers and stationary bolt. It is necessary to go to an intervening ledge.

Strip 4-5. The extension of the strip is 50 m (85 degrees steep). From the ledge straight upwards along blank crack to the left from noticeable black stain. At first you can climb 7 m along rotten rock up to the bottom of monolithic plate. A stationary bolt on it is hammered from equilibrium. Further you should move upwards along the crack, using relief sky-hooks. The crack is not good. Anchors can be put there for 0,5 cm only. Extremely rarely – for 1 cm , if so – they should be left for organizing belay. At the end on the crack – traverse to the left. 7 m . For making belay relief sky-hook should be left. VI (fr 6b+), А 3- А 4. Station has to be made on stationary bolt, anchor and nut.

Strip 5-11. Further the relief becomes noticeably easier (it appears). Easy climbing IV-V. You should move upwards and to the left along logical relief. 300 m long , 70 degrees steep .

Strip R1-R2. Interior angle, that should be passed by climbing is seen.	Photo of the same place is taken from aside. Trad-climbing using relief sky-hooks.	R1-R2. Processing the rope up to the end in the dark.
Novoseltcev approaches to R2 along the fixed rope.	View to R2 from downwards.	Start of motion on R2-R3.
R3-R4. Moving on hole and relief sky-hooks along interior angle. Station on the tree, that can be well seen on the photo. On the photo a black stain to the left from which moving on R4-R5 goes is also seen.	R4-R5 trad-climbing along the blank crack on relief sky-hooks. Zone of rotten rock is seen downwards.	Going up along fixed ropes to R4-R5. View down to the wall.
Sergey Dashkevich on the station R5. Further – upwards along easy relief. Gloaming.	Sky-hook, left for belay before climbing to R5.	Novoseltcev on R5-R6. The relief has become easier, but it has got dark. For speeding up to the process we started climbing with one rope.
Novoseltcev on R8. Usual for us climbing with flash-lights.	Coming out to the mountain pasture after 15-hours non-stop.