Koskulak peak (7028m), China Pamir, first ascent and attempt to climb Muztagh-Ata Southern Ridge / Climb / Mountain.RU

Authors: A.Novik, D.Komarov, L.Fishkis

Koskulak peak (7028m), China Pamir, first ascent
and attempt to climb Muztagh-Ata Southern Ridge

The Western slope of Koskulak peak represents two wide and flat snow fields, connected at 6000 m with a narrow and sharp snow ridge.

According to available information in the same terms two expeditions (a team led by Andrey Ershov and MAI-team) were going to climb more obvious southwest ridge. We decided not to herd there and try Koskulak's western ridge.

Expedition current events:

29.07.05. Three-man team (A.Novik, D.Komarov and L.Fishkis) set base camp at 4500 m under Koskulak West Face.

30.07.05. Camp I at 5200 m on the last taluses of the western ridge.

02.08.05. Camp II at 5900 m at the beginning of a sharp ridge.

07.08.05. The team left BC and climbed up to 5900 m.

08.08.05. Camp II was transferred up to 6200 m through a sharp ridge.

09.08.05. Forced rest due to bad weather.

10.08.05. Summit bid's start. We left our snowshoes at 5900, and had to break trail through extremely deep snow for 12 hours. At 20:00 the team reached the summit plateau. After climbing on hardly inclined summit plateau about 30 minutes more we stopped approximately in hundred meters from its east edge. More to the left we noticed a characteristic eminence with three sharp snow drifts (to the north). Because of a fog and twilight we decided not to come nearer to the edge of the plateau and left on this eminence. At 20:30 we started descending via the track already snowbound in the top part. Descent to the camp took 3 hours.

11.08.05. Descending right below the sharp ridge we met MAI-team (Andrey Petrov and Vyacheslav Odokhovsky). We wished them success and accepted their congratulations and at 15:00 we were in base camp.

After having rest for several days we started our next ascent Muztagh-Ata Southern Ridge. For a day we could come on Kalaxong glacier to a saddle 6100 m - the planned start point of our route. Through bad weather and heavy snow up to the beginning of abrupt part of the ridge (6400) we went two days with one forced rest pause: on abrupt snow rises we dug a trench, and on rocky sites fixed the rope. On August 20 we reached 6800 m on a firn site at fine weather - the start point of our summit push planned for the next day.

21.08.05. Weather spoiled again; zero visibility; strong wind and snowstorm began. We did not have plenty of time to sit and wait out the foul weather. And on August 21 at 12:00 after some doubts we began to descend. Having organized safe belay and making all needed provisions we descended to the glacier by 19:00 in conditions of bad visibility. Weather improved and hardly later we met two-man team from S.Peterburg led by V.Shamalo. On August 17 they ascended Koskulak via North Face buttresses. They also followed us on Muztagh-Ata southern ridge and finally passed it! (21.08 - 6100m., 22.08 - 6800m., 23.08 - 7200m., 24.08 - summit and night descent to base camp under the classical route).

We congratulate them! And also we'd like to congratulate climbers of MAI-team: they climbed technically complex northern ridge of Koskulak!

We'd like thank MAI mountaineering club for their kindliness and hospitality, Vyacheslav Odokhovsky and Andrey Petrov for using their base camp. We thank Vladimir Biryukov for precise work and his manager Adele for the pleasant company, and also cook Vitya and driver Anatoly.