The Chinese Tien-Shan

(Third expedition)

Report about mountain travel along the Eastern part of the Central Tien-Shan ( China , area of the settlement Tomur), that was made between the 18 th of July and 28 th of August 2006.

Leader's annotation.

We have held the third expedition to the Chinese Tien-Shan, the main aim of which was to make an ascent to the peak Voennih Topografov (6873m) along the Southern edge (the route hadn't been passed yet, we have become the pioneers). So the expedition can be considered to be successful although we didn't manage to hold a full-fledged travel.

In general the route includes:

• Approach by the caravan with horses (2 days)
• Approach to the Base Camp, organization of the Base Camp, exploring (5 days)
• Acclimatizing (traverse 5853-5960, 9 days)
• Three days-off
• High-altitude part (the ascent, 23 days)
• Rest, way back from the region

Part 1. Introduction.

Approach to the region was ordinary: from Moscow to Urumchi and then to Ak-su we went by plane, then we took jeeps, bought provisions, and went to the bottom of the pass Kokyardavan. As usual we had problems with horses, there were only three of them instead four we had expected. And Alex – our Chinese went away, having left us face to face with Kirghiz . As a result on the third day he vanished (we nearly scuffled with him). So we had to carry the cargos ourselves. Fortunately we had minimum of things. Two more days and we were at the place of our future base camp, waiting for the rest cargos. And there we were starving a bit, as our plan to enrich our reserves at the expense of the provisions left in 2004 failed – it had become ransacked. Luckily, we had enough gas, it wasn't bad although it was Chinese. We had to reduce the first phase of acclimatizing and had got satisfied with exploring, the result of which was a decision to pass a traverse of the massif 5853-5960, named later in honour of Jury Vizbor. We also “touched” the wall of the Peak Voennih Topografov ( 6873 m ) in the beginning of our edge. And on the 24 th of July or cargos arrived and we, at last became able to make the Base camp. Passing the route started.

General information about the route.

Declared itinerary:

Settlement Talak – pass Kokyardavan (out of difficulty grade) – river Chon-Tereksu – glacier Chonteren (BC) – radial sashay to the peak 5960 (grade of difficulty: 3B) – Base Camp - Peak Voennih Topografov ( 6873 m ) along the southern edge (grade of difficulty: 3B*, had never made before) – glacier Southern Inilchek – pass Inilcheksky (grade of difficulty: 3B) – exploring the passes from the glacier Tugbelchi – pass of 3B grade of difficulty, had never passed before – exit.

Changes: during exploring we decide to make complete traverse of the peak 5960 instead of radial sashay – to get full-fledged obstacle. Because of health problems of D. Lehtman and A. Gorin we were obliged to deny the walk to the glacier Southern Inilchek from the Peak Voennih Topografov ( 6873 m ), we had to descend back to the south. So we had to recast the end of the expedition, although we had such a variant in reserve, but with passing a new difficult pass (3A-3B grade of difficulty). Because of the lack of time we used the simplest way out of the region, having come to an agreement it with Route Qualification Commission about it.

Passed itinerary:

Settlement Talak – pass Kokyardavan (with climb to the BC – 1B grade of difficulty) – river Chon-Tereksu – the eastern branch of the glacier Chonteren – BC – pass Chonteren (southern) + traverse of the peaks 5853-5960 4Bgrade of difficulty (alp.) (or 3B+3B) – BC – the eastern cell of the eastern branch of the glacier Chonteren – pass edge Topografov 3B* + radial ascent to the Peak Voennih Topografov ( 6873 m ) along the southern edge 5A grade of difficulty (alp.) (or 3B*+3B+3B*) (the route was passed for the first time by us), - the western cell of the eastern branch of the glacier Chonteren – Base Camp – pass Vspomogatelny 4515 1B grade of difficulty (the pass was passed for the first time by us) – pass Kichikteren 4700 1B (we were the second group passed the pass) – glacier Kichikteren – river Kichiktereksu - coal producer.

As a result we passed obstacles:

3B, 3B* - 2(as if there were five) all – passed for the first time

1B – 3, 1 passed for the first time.

Dates of passing the route: the 17 th of June – the 28 th of August 2006. Days of walking – 41, including 7 days-off (3 – waiting for cargos, exploring, 1 – bad weather, the rest were made according to the plan). The extension of the route – 155 km (accounted), totally (taking into consideration radial sashays, exploring, and mainly, passing one of the strips for three times) – about 209 km .

Composition of the group:

Anatoly Dguly – the leader, Moscow

1. Lehtman David, Vilnius
2. Leonenko Vladimir, Vilnius
3. Gorin Anatoly, Moscow
4. Dobriaev Nikolay, Desnogorsk
5. Kirienko Aleksey, Moscow .

While we were making ascent to the Peak Voennih Topografov ( 6873 m ) Lehtman David remained in the Base camp, at the time he climbed to several synoptical summits and passes in the region. Gorin Anatoly because of his chill didn't climb to the Peak Voennih Topografov, he waited for us at the altitude 6010 m (bivouac under the wall).

Walking diagram.

So, all in all by active ways of moving we had passed 208, 96 km , in account they could took 154.76 km , 41 days, 7 days-off, including 3 days we were waiting for cargos, one – for better weather.