Team-mate's diary.

Short reference:
Traverse of the Bezengi Wall was made by two-man team: Alexei Iliuschenko, 1955, (Sankt-Petersburg), Sergey Hadzhinov, 1958, (Sankt-Petersburg).
Start of the traverse happened on the 17 th of July from “Black talus (under the summit Ljalver), descent to the hut Dzhangi-kosh happened on the 22 nd of July.
For the time of passing – it was the speed record of the traverse of the Wall.
Wonderful photos from this traverse and the article of the second member of two-man team from Sankt-Petersburg – Sergey Hadzhinov (HaSe) have been already published on the web-site Mountain.ru.
The article of Alexei Iliuschenko offered below includes more detailed deion of technical side of the route.

Author of the article before the traverse

The 15 th of July. At 9 o'clock we set off from the Base Camp. I called home. The rucksacks weighted 14 kg . We were wearing slippers, it was rather easy to go, we had a nice rest. We passed the “Baran-kosh”, reached our equipment and provision on the turning of moraine at about 13-14 hours. There we drank tea, ate sprat. Then we put everything into the rucksacks.

We started going upwards. That time it became very difficult for me to go, the rucksack had become heavy-weight. Having made a lot of breaks we went up. Then mist came, sometimes it rained. I had to hurry HaSe up in order not to become lost in the mist. We reached snow, then made climb up and the last traverse to the place for passing the night. There we built the Base tent ad quickly crept in it. It became snowing and raining cats and dogs, the time was 18 o'clock. We got warm, easy began to cook supper. Then we went sleeping, it continued snowing.

The 16 th of July. I woke up at 3 o'clock a.m., saw that it went on snowing and everything was covered with mist. I fall asleep again. At 9 o'clock we got up. All the day long we listened to the walkie-talkie set, slept and ate our poor food reserve. It was snowing continuously. All the groups sat on the Base tents. There was only one group on the Dzhangi-Taw. It was snow depression.

At 16 o'clock I got the information from the Dzhangi. They got into trouble, when the group was descending the Czech fell down, “flew down” from the other's loop on the station. I sent the information to the camp – to “Saturn”. The mood had become unpleasant… Several days ago after our training ascent to the mountain Ljalver we drank tea with that Czech, talked to him. After our descending from the Dzhangi they consulted with us about the route. It was HaSe, who talked to him mostly, in English. The case that had happened with alpinists from Kharkov in 1999 was remembered. We had been going to start the route that time, and had learnt about the trouble that had happened to alpinists from Kharkov on the Dzhangi-Taw. We had had to organize rescue operation promptly. That time we were rather far from the Dzhangi-kosh. Other fellows would go upwards. HaSe remembered how I abused him when he had used other's loops on the descent from the Dzhangi-Taw and hadn't forced them with anything.

We drank and thought about the caducity of existence and about the fact that it could be a ring from God for us. We listened to the walkie-talkie set and thought till 9 o'clock p.m.

Shhara: view from the Dzhangi-kosh.

Gestola.

The 17 th of July (first day of the traverse). We woke up at 6 o'clock. Mist dispersed, it became clear. It was time to start. We prepared for the start very quickly, had breakfast and set off being tied together. Fresh snow covered everything and risk of falling down to cracks increased a lot. We were going to all the length of the rope, snow came down, it became very difficult to come to the route, and the boots became to pinch. We saw how from the route to Gestola a group descended and we went upwards. At first I went as a leader, then HaSe, then we changed again. There I fell down to the crack up to shoulders. HaSe helped me to get out from it. A thought about the “ring” appeared”, I tried to drive it away. We came to the first rise. There we went straightly along the line of falling water in order not to make an avalanche. We put on the crampons and went further. Snow, rocky islands, snow. I went as a leader, tried not to pull a stone down. At last we came to the edge. By the communication sйance at 10 o'clock we reported that we had already come to the route. “Saturn” (Saratov Jury) answered that he “has taken it into consideration”.

At 2 o'clock p.m. we were at the top of Ljalver, having taken from the place near the top our belongings. At the top we found rather smart ice-axe made by “Grivel”, it was of old modification but quite safe. We took the note of 07.07.2006 written by the team “Giromet” from Sankt-Petersburg”. Then we began to move along the rocky strips to the summit “ 4310” . We were tied by a shorten rope. Then we came to the pass of Churlenis – the Western (according to the tourist terminology). There we got the note of Maxim Zemlianikov of 2005. Then we climbed to “ 4310” and descended to the crosspiece under the shoulder of Gestola. There we found somebody's place for bivouac, made of stones. We made or bivouac there, using titanic spades for smoothing the platform. Then we put the tent, crept into it. In spite of the wall built of stones the tent was blown through. We ate, drank some alcohol and fell asleep.

  The 18 th of July. At three o'clock in the night we got up, put on the boots and started cooking. At 6.15 a .m. we set off from the bivouac. We pass three memorial tables (it was impossible to understand, whom they a dedicated from a distance). We climbed to the shoulder of Gestola, had a rest, took photos). Then we went on passing the route, HaSe started going as a leader. Snow became worse: sometimes it was firn, sometimes – crumbly snow. We went rounding a little bit as they recommended when the avalanche danger was present. At any suitable case I tried to look to the deion (I had several specimens of it). Rise. HaSe became exhausted, I became the leader. We passed “rocky islands”, had a rest. Changing each other, resting and trying to be quicker, we went below hanging cornice and from the left right we came to the top of Gestola. The time was 12 o'clock p.m.

At first we descended along the South-Western edge, then along the slope down to the Katin plateau. We went by “three times”. Snow stuck, devices that prevent from sticking didn't help. Downwards we put off the crampons. We went on changing each other. Sometimes we fell down, it was difficulty to go, we were thirsty. Closer to the slopes of Katin at 3 o'clock p.m. we decided to have a rest, boiled some tea. After light snack we again went upwards. Snow was very bad – up to the bergschrund HaSe had to make a trench on all fours. Near the bergschrund we hardly put on the crampons. I crossed the bergschrund and went upwards. At last there was rough snow and then about 80 meters of ice covered with snow. In the middle of the rise there was a strip covered with ice, but the ice was bad, it was impossible to organize normal belay: “pie”. I received HaSe and came to the edge of the shoulder of Katin. At 6 ‘clock in the evening we reached the top of it.

At 7 o'clock p.m. I reported by the walkie-talkie where we were, that we were looking for a place to pass the night. I heard a surprised voice of Jury Saratov. We found the place for passing the night, dug out a deepening for the tent. Instead of all the efforts, wind tried to knock down and tear out the tent. We hardly could out on the tent. Then we quickly threw the rucksacks into the tent and crept into it. Then we began to make a sleeping place there. The tent trembled under the blasts. When cooking meals we had to hold the tent with the help of our bodies in order to prevent primus stove from falling. We tried to eat and to drink not putting off the gloves. I crept into downy “leg” and only after that filled the noggins with “people commissar's”. Quick process of getting warm was finished and we fell asleep. In the night I woke up, used the “abalakovka” and fell asleep again.

Lekha on the Main Dzhangi.

The 19 th of July. The time 3.20 a .m., in spite of HaSe's objections I declared time to get up. We gathered our things. I noticed that downy “leg” a little bit steamed. At 6.20 we set off from the bivouac. HaSe went forward. Several ropes later I changed Sergey. It was not very difficult to go along the Katinskaya “saw” but it made us exhausted. We passed the crotch in the edge and came to the edge of the Western Dzhangi-Taw. We went along it – rocks looked like previous ones, sometimes snow cornices were come across. All the time we were thirsty. At last we reached the top of the Western Dzhangi . We began to boil teal, took the note of the year 2001 of the group of Sokolov. According to the Internet, it was the last time when the traverse was passed, but, to be sure, in the opposite direction. We gathered and went in the direction of the Main Dzhangi. On approach to the top of the Main Dzhangi we came across the place for notes with the note of Maxim Zemliannikov of 03.03.2007.

The slope between the Main and the Western Dzhangi didn't present any difficulties for me. Then along the cupola we carefully descended to the crosspiece between the Main Dzhangi-Taw and the Eastern Dzhangi-Taw. There was a series of troughs and, in spite of the temptation of going further, I understood that that day we had no time for it and it was necessary to have a rest. Bivouac. We found a nice place for tent in the trough, cleared it. There we put our tent, using ice-axes crampons, ice-screws and 2 sticks as there were no stones close by. Luckily, wind didn't press us that day. Rest.

The 20 th of July. We got up at 3.30. Gathered things and set off. We climbed to the top of the Eastern Dzhangi when the weather had been cool yet. There we took the note of 14.07.07 that we didn't manage to fine when we had been there for the previous time. Just near our equipment and provision that we had brought beforehand we descended in the direction of the Peak of Shota Rustaveli , crossed the “pillow”. HaSe tried to convince me of the fact that we had to much benzene and other things and that it was worth to leave something there, I convinced him of the opposite (about the weather and etc). We approached to the first rocky outcrop of the saw of Shhara. Sergey climbed upwards without the rucksack. When we were climbing to Georgia , one stopper and camelot flew down. What a pity! I pulled up both of the rucksacks and we again went further with them. We spent much time on the rocks, then descended to the crosspiece Sandro. We went along the snow and then again come to the saw. Rocks there were not very difficult but were covered with snow, in many places we had to clear them. We climbed up changing each other. In one place I was climbing as a leader, clear the rock, then I felt very bad there and thought that couldn't climbed further that way. I descended for two meters, put a nut, hung the rucksack there and climbed to the right and upwards along sloping ledges. I came to the station and received Sergey there. Then he descended and pulled up my rucksack. At last the saw ended, we came to snow and along the edge came to the trough in front of 6- 7 meters high rocky outcrops, after which the Western cupola in front of the summit the Western Shhara began.

5 o'clock p.m. Sergey persisted that it was better to make a bivouac and to have a good rest. I agreed with him. We put the tent and kindled the primus stove. It was sunny, hot, we dried our things, had a snack (this bivouac is pictured on the photo below). At 7.30 we gathered dry things, crept into the tent. Had supper, and, being dry and content, fell asleep. For the first time on the traverse I managed to sleep up to 3 o'clock in the morning without waking up.

The 21 st of July. We got up at 3.30, gathered things and set off at 6 o'clock. It was not difficult to go. One of the strips Sergey passed with light-weight rucksack, I followed him.

Note of the group of Maxim Zemliannikov of 27.02.2007.

By 10 o'clock in the morning we had come to the top of the Western Shhara . Again we took the note of Maxim Zemliannikov of 27.02.07 (on the photo). Further there was more than a kilometer-long edge, going up and down, sometimes with cornices, sometimes without them. Moving along the edge looked like nightmare. Snow stuck to the crampons like crazy. Under the snow there was on different depth, it was impossible to screw ice-screws there. At midday we made the first stop. We cut down a part of the edge, boiled tea, cooked dinner. Then we again went synchronously along the ledge. There almost was not any belay. At 3.30 p.m. we again boiled tea. At 4 o'clock I talked by walkie-talkie to the Dzhangi-Kosh, asked Rudenko about the place for a bivouac on the Main top of Shhara. The answer was depressing. There was no place for bivouac on the edge. The only variant was to get to the Main Shhara.

The more – the cooler. I went along the edge sometimes along one side of it, sometimes along another, sometimes I crept along the center of it, passing it between the legs. We unwind the full length of the rope, put it by different sides of the edge. I became wet up to the belt, became exhausted. At 7 o'clock p.m. we had a sйance of communication. I let HaSe to come forward. Then I again changed him. The Main Shhara became well-seen. I made steps as hard as I could, sometimes I had to move on only forward teeth of the crampons. It became cooler, but snow went on sticking. It seemed that the only rise was left before the fields in front of the top. I crept there at 8.30 in the evening, but – to our horror – about 60 meters of the edge were left and the side along which we had to go was completely in the shadow. The top of the Main Shhara and footsteps on it was seen clearly. It was a pity, but it also was very stupid to go by touch in such nearness to the top. We decided to pass the night straight on that rise. We made a platform just for our tent. We had no forces at least after the day of working. At 9 o'clock p.m. we went on the air and said that everything was all right. We put the tent, crept into it, put off the crampons in it as there was no place outdoors (edge to the side and edge to another). Then we had supper. I spite of the altitude there was no wind on the rise. At the Georgian side storm began. We thought that the weather would become worse but soon the clouds flew away. After the supper we fell asleep like being killed.

The 22 nd of July. We woke up at 4 o'clock in the morning, gathered thing, had breakfast. At 6.30 we set off. At 7.15 we reached the top of the Main Shhara. Because of gapping watches we missed morning sйance of communication. We were glad that we reached the top, wrote a note. I left 200 gram of alcohol for the next group with the note. Then we started the descent. To our happiness a group of people went along the route of 5A grade of difficulty, so the path was good. We tried not to relax too soon, but it always was difficult. We descended. The Eastern to of Shhara, then there was the descent along the edge. At 10 o'clock by the walkie-talkie I reported that we were at the lower third of the route. Saratov reported that two-man team of moravs were going in the opposite direction. I was in a hurry, snow began to rise. At 11 o'clock near the “Crab” we had to boil tea. HaSe lost al his forces. We drank and went further, began to descend with the help of descenders using loops. We met moravs, communicated with them. Then we descended to the pillow. From the pillow we passed three more ropes with the help of descenders. Further we tried to cross the glacier in the direction of the slopes of the route of Tomashek 5B grade of difficulty. We came there. Sometime there was no passes. Three times we had to descend to the cracks, crept them along the corks. Rucksacks we carried separately. At last everything ended and we being exhausted appeared on the glacier at 6 o'clock p.m. With great pleasure we put off the crampons and went slowly to the path without them. We pass the glacier. At 7 o'clock we communicated with the camp, put the ropes away. At 7.30 we were in the hut “Dzhangi-Kosh”, congratulated each other. There we cooked supper. How nice it was to cook the meals of water, but not of snow. The holiday of belly started. We became satisfied very quickly and fell asleep. It was the first night, when I slept, like a baby, without waking up, up to the morning.