The project "Snow Leopard" in winter. Winter Lenin peak ascent / Climb / Mountain.RU

THE PROJECT "SNOW LEOPARD" IN WINTER

Winter Lenin peak ascent

January - February 2004

Exactly three years ago climbers of the Center of Mountaineering Training for Rescuers and Guides made a suggestion of renewal of old tradition - "Snow Leopard". Also they made a decision to climb the all mountains above 7000m in the area of the ex-USSR in winter, i.e. to execute the program "Snow Leopard" in winter.

Within the framework of this project in winter of 2000-2001 for the first time the traverse of two tops Karlytau (5450 m) - Marble Wall (6400 m) was successfully done. This ascent took the third place in the Open Championship of the CIS on mountaineering in a class of high-altitude ascents. Further in winter of 2001-2002 the full independent (without support of small aircraft) traverse of Khan Tengri peak (7010 ל) was accomplished. In winter 2002 - 2003 an attempt of a winter ascent on Pobeda peak (7439 m) was launched but because of plentiful snowfalls and the avalanche dangerous conditions of the route the team had to stop climbing.

According to the planned program, in winter 2003 - 2004 it is planned to make an ascent on Peak Lenina (7134 m). A planned route of the ascent: via "Lipkin’ rocks" or "Metla" (Broom) depends on a condition of a snow cover. Style of an ascent - Alpine.

On January, 6 in the evening in the International department of Service of Rescue of city Almaty (051) the organizational meeting concerning coming winter expedition on peak Lenina took place.

The head of action is Nikolay Chervonenko, the chief of the Center of Mountaineering Training of Kazakhstan. Ten sportsmen from Kazakhstan are going to take part in this expedition:

1. Samoilov S. - the trainer
2. Krynin A.
3. Samoilov A.
4. Mynzhysarov D.
5. Mynzhysarov K.
6. Vilytsen N.
7. Klunniy I.
8. Barbashinov K.
9. Raisov K.
10. Urubko D.

All the climbers have experience of ascents in winter conditions. N. Chervonenko, S. Samojlov, A. Krynin, K. Barbashinov climbed in the winter Khan Tengri Peak two years ago, and before that had done the traverse of Kyrlytau (5300m) - Marble Wall (6400) in winter conditions too.

Some climbers from Georgia and Kyrghyzstan are planned to take part in this expedition, so numerous and skilled team will gather soon.

The date of departure is fixed on January 20. The team is passing through the cities of Bishkek and Osh to Alaiskaya valley on automobiles of Service of Rescue and then to the foot of peak Lenina. The Base camp will be settled in Achik-Tasha. The final decision about the route of the ascent will be made in the Camp I (4200). At the present moment there are two the most comprehensible variants - a way through "Skovorodka" (Frying pan) and Razdelnaya (Separate) top, as the most true route for the big team, or through Lipkin's rocks and further on "Metla" (Broom), as the shortest and guaranteeing fast dump of altitude in case of unforeseen circumstances. Executives are appointed to solve all questions of preparation. Before departure the collective will be broken on groups according who and how will live in tents during the ascent. Besides it is planned to spend two nights in conditions approached to "fighting" at the altitude more than 4000 meters for acclimatization before departure.

The ORGANIZERS OF the EXPEDITION

Sports Committee of the Ministry of Defense of Republic Kazakhstan on behalf of chairman Novikov P.M.

Service of Rescue Almaty 051 On behalf of director Khaybullin R.R.

The center of Mountaineering Training of Rescuers and Guides

The SPONSORS OF the EXPEDITION

Tourist agency " Asia Tourism ": registration of passings and permissions, transport support, material maintenance of the expedition.

Mountaineering Camp "Tuyuk-Su": carrying out of the training winter gathering on the base of mountaineering camp, Zailiysky Alatau.

The International Mountaineering Camp "Akkol - Khan Tengri": the help in the organization and carrying out of a summer ascent on Khan Tengri peak (7010 m), via Kuzmin's route.

INFORMATION SUPPORT

MASS-MEDIA of Republic Kazakhstan,

www.mountain.ru, www.russianclimb.com, www.mountain.kz

Chronology of winter Lenin peak ascents

Lenin peak, North face, Yakov Arkin’s route ("Metla" (Broom)), 1960, 5A - 31.01.88ד. - V.Hrishchatyj, S.Arsentjev, V.Balyberdin, V.Dedy, J.Moiseev, I.Tulaev. (5ֱ). The temperature during the ascent reached 50 degrees below zero. The leader of the expedition - Leonid Troshchinenko (St.Petersburg). Spending the night were at 5500, 6000 and 6500m in snow caves.
The same route - 3.02.90 - A.Koren, S.Jastrebov (St.Petersburg)
The same route - 4.02.90 - L.Troshchinenko, A.Gumenjuk, A.Glushkovsky, A.Dorofeev, V.Ivanov, A.Mozhaev, A.Tsekoev (St.Petersburg), P.Totov, A.Matkalikov (Bulgaria).
The same route - 02.90. I.Razuvaev, A.Brattsev (Moscow), used the ropes fixed by St.Petersburg's team climbing up from the altitude 6100m.

These data is given by Gennady Starikov, chairman of the classification commission of Federation of Mountaineering of Russia, and taken from Valery Hrishchatyi's book " We are dissolved in elements "

On www.mountain.ru there is an information, that the fifth winter ascent to Lenin peak (27.02.93) was done by M. Shtarkov and Michael Afanasjev via the same route. Practically without using the ropes, in alpine style with the approach on skis.

The ascent of M.Shparo's team about which there were wrote a lot was accomplished in March 2002, so it wasn't winter ascent according to the definition.