Guidebook Sokol (sector 1) P.S. Guidebook Sokol P.S. Guidebook. Sector 2. (Southern Wall)

Some words about the "Grades of Difficulty".

After publishing deions of the first two sectors, fairly many questions about our system of making an appraisal of alpinistic routes on the Sokol appeared. And it can be explained easy, as we began to publish the deions of the sectors without any introductory text, where we could explain how we appraised the routes. Now we are going to correct that mistake.

So, we give the grade of difficulty of the route (level of free climbing \ level of trad-climbing) according to the most difficult place on the rope, in contrast to the generally accepted integral appraise. This means that if we have a strip of 6c grade of difficulty on a 45-meters long rope, when describing the rope we write simply: " 45 m, 6c". This method can be disliked by some alpinists but it is our author`s opinion about describing the routes. In fact we give the grade of difficulty according to the key strip. Speaking about the possible mistakes we can say, that it is the free climbing constituent of the route that can contain mistakes. We are not professional climbers and appraise one or another rope according to our own feelings. Moreover, real danger plays its important role, is such situations everything seems to be more difficult than t is in fact. But if real difficulty grade of the rope is 6b we won`t appraise it like 5c. We speak about the mistake of 1/3 of grade of difficulty, hardly more. Probably, we will appreciate this strip as 6c, not as 6b.

As for the general appraise of the routes, for some of them we attend your attention the grade difficulty that differs from the generally accepted one. We do this relaying on the comparative analysis of the grades of difficulty of routes on the Sokol, at the same time being attached to the classical routes on the other mountain ranges in the Crimea. Moreover, we had to make corrections because of the general tendency of lowering the level of already existing routes. This is bound up with the fact that "the 7 th grade of difficulty", that has not been officially accepted yet, is introduced virtually, simply lowering the grades of difficulty of the existing routes. Thus, for example, the route "Grebnevaya 2B" in the guide book is described as 2A. If you compare this route with the routes of the second grade of difficulty on the South-Eastern wall, you will agree with us. Other routes, on the contrary, got higher grade of difficulty.

If somebody gets remarks or additions to our deions while passing the routes, please, send them to my e-mail: manull (@) bk.ru. All of them will be taking into account when the next version of the guidebook will be published.

A. Kuzmitsky.

In this sectors are situated such routes like "Between Breasts" 4B grade of difficulty, "To the right from slanting" 3B grade of difficulty, numerous "Wooden threes" and some others. It is easy to find the sector in the photo and on the wall. If you raise your head in the region of the kilometer post "4 th kilometers" and look to the wall, you, without depending on your sexual orientation, will notice two huge bulwarks that look like the bust of young women (may be, it will be more correct name the mount "the wife of Sokol"?). Between the bulwarks you will see white meandering stripe, made by water and stones, there is the route "Between Breasts". It is easy to approach to all the routes in the sector along the kedges from the lowering in the rocks of the lower stage. The routes of this direction are rather long, and the sun comes here at 6.30 (in summer), so it id necessary to start climbing the routes early, in order to come to the plateau at 9-9.30, or to start after 15.00, but in this case the upper ropes will be passed in gloaming or even in the night. Don`t forget the head lamp. All the routes, except "January" have common finish, but it is also possible to go to the pasture along the left variant (the last three ropes of the route "Galochka").

"January", 5A [№ 19]

• Shelkhakov, 9-11 of January 2006)

The route starts from the station R2 of the route "Wooden three".

R0-R1: 50 meters long, 6a, A2. Along the slanting destroyed crack using your own belay. Sometimes bolts can be found. Station has to be made on the ledge to the left from the crack on two bolts.

R1-R2: 50 meters long, 5a. System of cracks in the direction of a small tree (juniper), not reaching the tree you have to go to the left. Belay on the strip is organized with the help of hooks + the bolts of the pioneers. Station has to be made on the grassy ledge on two bolts.

R2-R3: 50 meters long, 5c. It is problematic to organize the belay between the systems of cracks. Belay is your own, using hooks, nuts + the bolts of the pioneers. Station has to be made on the small grassy ledge on two bolts.

R3-R4: 25- 30 meters long. It is very difficult to organize the belay. Except the first point the belay is your own, organized with the help of nuts and cam devices. Attention: the plate is hanging by a thread. Station has to be made on the small ledge on two bolts.

R4-R5: 35 meters long, 6b+, A2. You should keep to the bolts. At coming to the ledge you can come across many removable stones. It is better to find the hole for sky-hooks before the red ledge. Along the hanging crack up to the destroyed zone. Station should be made on the tree on the pasture.

Recommended equipment:

Rope 50- 60 meters long, sesquialteral set of nuts, middle cam devices, different hooks 12-20 items (the more the better), loops, hole skyhooks (of 8 mm) &ndash 1 item and relief skyhooks 2-3 items, 2 flight of stairs.

General impression:

Honest route of 5A grade of difficulty, although it is short. The route can be dangerous, especially the last rope. It requires good experience of working with equipment and delicate feeling of your own doings. The route looks like Paragelmen "Dzaba" 5A, but without pegged ferrata.

"Wooden tree" [№20]

It is named wooden because most of stations of the route are made on the trees. This route has the greatest number of variants of start, but all of them are about the same grade of difficulty and don`t influence on the general appraise of the route.

Classical variant:

R0-R1: 45 meters long, 5b+. Moving from the big tree on the ledge can be considered the beginning of the route, before the moment there are approaches. Belay is your own it is easy to organize it. The station can be organized on a comfortable ledge.

R1-R2: 50 meters long, 5a. Belay is your own it is easy to organize it. The ledge can be organized on a large dry tree.

R2-R3: 35 meters long, 5c. Belay can be organized with the help of hooks and if it is necessary &ndash your own. Station should be made on the ledge on a bolt + on your own points in the crack above.

R3-R4: 50 meters long, 4c. Belay can be organized on the trees and if it is necessary &ndash on your own points. The rope is dangerous for falling stones for the second member of the team!!! Station has to be made on the tree.

R4-R5: 50 meters long, 5c. Belay can be organized on the bolts (so-called "traverse across the mirrors"). Station has to be made on the juniper, on the ledge.

R5-R6: 50- 55 meters long, 5a. Belay can be organized on the bolts (eye of these two bolts are meant for karabiners "Irbis"). Station has to be made in the interior angle near the tree on the hook + channel.

R6-R7: 50- 55 meters long, 5b+. Belay can be organized with the help of bolts and hooks. It is better not to make a station above a small tree near fall ( 48 meters) as 5 meters later there is an "inventory station" on two bolts.

R7-R8: 50 meters long, 6a. Belay can be organized with the help of hooks and bolts. The tree with a wedged stone should be rounded to the left, from the stone you can fasten the rope to the hook, hammered to the shell. Station has to be made on the edge of the plateau on two bolts.

Recommended equipment:

Rope 50- 60 meters long, 12 quickdraws, 5-6 middle cam devices, set of nuts, 3-4 big and 2-3 middle loops. Hammers are not necessary.

General impression:

Easy beautiful route of the third grade of difficulty. It can be recommended for the first route of the third grade of difficulty for passing it as a leader. The grade of difficulty is given too high, it looks like difficult 3A.

The second variant of the route:

R0-R1: 50 meters long, 5b. You have to start from the tree on a huge ledge. Easy plate climbing, but there some problems with organizing belay. Station has to be made in the end of the crack on a big tree.

R1-R2: 50 meters long, 5b. Easy climbing up to the ledge, then along the ledge. Station has to be made on the tree on the ledge.

R2-R3: 50 meters long, 5c. It is easy to organize the belay. In about 40 meters from the start of the route there is coming out to the classical variant. It is better to make a station on a small tree after climbing up to the second ledge. Further your should move to the station R3 of the classical variant.

Third variant of the route:

R0-R1: Traverse from the tree on the ledge to the left in the direction of a big tree. It is easy to organize the belay. Station should be made on the tree, it is rather uncomfortable.

R1-R2: 40 meters long, 5b. It is easy to organize the belay a lot of trees can be used. Station has to be made on the ledge on two bolts. The second member can not be seen or heard from the station.

R2-R3: 50 meters long, 5c+. Pleasant climbing along the interior angle, belay can be organized with the help of hooks + if it is necessary on your own points. Station has to be made of the ledge on a small juniper. Station is not reliable, it is better to make addition belay with the help of the roots of the tree!!!

R3-R4: 50 meters long, 5c. Rather interesting coming out to the big ledge to join the classical variant. Station has to be made as the station R3 of the classical variant on the ledge on the bolt.

The forth variant of the route:

R0-R1: 45 meters long, 5c+. Belay can be organized with the help of trees and hooks and if it is necessary on your own points. It is rather meandering rope, with a small "upright" in front of the station. Station has to be made on the ledge near the big tree.

R1-R2: 45 meters long, 5c+. Pleasant climbing along the interior angle with belay organized on hooks and bolts. Station of the big ledge on two bolts coincides with the station R2 of the third variant.