Description of Pass Seventeen. Multi-day hike: p

Oz. Rechepsta Nizhneye - lake. Perevalnoye - lane Seventeen South (1B)

Today the fate of the further route was to be decided. Either the weather will smile at us and allow us to pass the Seventeen Pass, or we will have to say goodbye to Abishira at the Rechepsta Pass.

Rechepst really didn’t want to go, I had heard a lot about the unpleasant long descent, about the wandering of groups drilling into the canyon of the river of the same name. Having studied the experience of others, I was quite well prepared for the correct descent from Rechepsta. But I still didn’t want to end the hike with this pass.

Vaska, succumbing to my unflattering statements about Rechepsta, even suggested, instead of the dreary descent on the grass, to make a traverse from Rechepsta to Chilik, which was even more difficult, but then allowed us to walk along a wonderful path without breaking our legs. In general, we don’t like descents on grassy slopes...

However, the morning was so lovely that Vaska and I decided that we would devote this day to the Seventeen Pass. Connoisseurs of Abishira may quite reasonably demand clarification - which of them, Northern or Southern? Southern, of course, Southern! Seventeen North, in my opinion, it is more logical to go in the other direction, from Lake Lazurnoye to Rechepsta.
Someone asked if the pass would be difficult, and I had to answer “about as difficult as Kynhara.” And there was not a drop of lies in this answer of mine, I was really sure that category 1B was assigned to the Seventeen South Pass a little undeservedly. And if there really is 1B, is it really more difficult than Ak-Ayra Zapadny or Orlyonok?

We can handle it! To help us there were very informative photographs with the direction of descent marked on them. We studied the photographic material, trying to remember what and how.

Yes, I almost forgot to mention how the lake changed over the past night. An evening thunderstorm washed a fair amount of bizarre snow and ice blocks from the rocks into the lake, and by morning a “flock of ice swans” was driven by the wind to the lake’s drainage.

We ran along the shore, photographing them this way and that, and they swayed proudly on the surface of the lake, mostly submerged in the water, as befits real icebergs. This breathtaking sight prompted me to give the lake, which already has several names, another one - “Swan Lake”.

At 8-17 we say goodbye to the picturesque parking lot by the lake. We jump over Kyzylchuk and head to the lintel made of “ram’s foreheads” leading to the upper terrace. There must be a path there somewhere.

Indeed, the path quite unexpectedly appears from somewhere on the left, from the Kyzylchuk valley, and begins to climb the rocks in a serpentine way. The quality of the trail is excellent, the steepness is acceptable, it was in vain that we did not dare to go here in October 2008, being afraid of the steep, icy rocks from a distance.

On the right, along the path, a stream flows from Lake Perevalnoye. We rise higher and higher above Swan Lake, its blue becomes deeper and deeper. In the background, the Chilik ridge stands like a sheer wall, frightening with its steepness. It is clear that this picture is quite deceptive, but looking at Kynhara, you involuntarily ask the question - how did we get down there yesterday?

After half an hour of leisurely ascent with constant looking back and taking photographs, we emerge onto a spacious hilly terrace, and Lake Rechepsta Nizhneye disappears from our field of vision. It doesn’t matter, soon we will meet another lake - Perevalnoe, which is not yet in a hurry to appear from behind the hills. But finally, a soft blue strip of water flashed ahead. Let's run there.

In total, the transition from lower lake the top one took about 40 minutes.

Lake Perevalnoye is located in a picturesque high-mountain circus at an altitude of 2769 m. Above it there are only a couple of nameless lakes on the way to the Seventeen passes, so among the lakes of Abishir, which have their own names, Perevalnoye is the record holder for height.

Compared to the lower lake, we rose only 187 m, but how the surrounding landscape has changed: there is not a single rhododa or juniper bush here, thick and tall grasses have been replaced by short ones, and the lichen bed crunches under our feet.

Lots of stones. Many colors.

Low-growing yellow anemones, forget-me-nots and whole fields of bluebells. It’s even scary to imagine that if they really knew how to ring, then we would probably know what “deafening beauty” is.

Fortunately for us, the bells are silent, and the silence is broken only by the sound of the waterfall carrying water from the upper lakes to Perevalnoye.

The color of the lake water is rich blue, the water is surprisingly clear and cold. Near the ridge of Abishira, the shores are still covered with ice, broken ice floes drift towards the drainage of the lake, along with them dirty debris of snowfields that have slid down the slope sway on the surface.

The ascent from the lake to the Rechepsta Pass is clearly visible; it does not present any difficulty.

Rechepsta pass area - alpine meadows, and as already mentioned, this is my least favorite type of terrain, my preferences are stones and snow, I hope the group agrees with me. At least no one even mentioned whether we should go to Rechepsta...

True, after the hike the toad was strangling because we didn’t go there, but not with the goal of going down, but to go to the peak of the same name. Highest point Abishiry, 3214.8 m, and we slipped past. Or rather, we had thoughts about the top of Rechepst, but due to the novelty of the area, we did not estimate the time we could spend on the radial trek, and were afraid that after such a radial trek we would probably have to descend from the Seventeen Pass in bad weather. Eh, if only we had one more day in reserve... but it was already gone.

We spent about fifteen minutes at the lake, climbing the surrounding hills and photographing the lake in different angles. The shape of Lake Perevalnoye is very bizarre, as can be seen on the map. It reminded me of the dome of a jellyfish with three tentacles trying to break through the rock wall of Abishira.

The Abishira ridge gently covers the lake with its smooth bend between the peaks of 2926.8 m and 2974.0 m. An observer standing on Kynkhara can see Pshish, Psysh and Tokmak-Kaya lined up in a row just in the depression between these peaks.

It's a pity that yesterday we were deprived of the pleasure of seeing this with our own eyes. But believe me, this sight is worth climbing Kynhara.

However, we got distracted... Kynhara is behind us, the Seventeen Pass is ahead.

At 9-20 we begin the ascent to the Seventeen Pass along the rocky ridge to the left of the waterfall. There are many paths visible on the loose stones, but here the path is clear even without them.

Rechepsta, which was never worthy of our visit, remains behind, and as we climb, its sharp-angled peak gradually takes a dominant position on the horizon.

At approximately 2880 m, leveling begins.

We go around on the left a snow-clogged hollow with a stream flowing from a miniature lake (2884.0 m).

A surprisingly spacious pre-pass circus, overgrown with lush young grass, opens up to our eyes. A large selection of parking spots and the availability of water make this place very attractive.

In the future, we will take into account this opportunity to spend the night in close proximity to the pass.

Directly ahead is the Seventeen Northern Pass. The approach to it looks so banal (through a meadow with a meager elevation gain) that some comrades have the idea of going there. Of course - after all, the Seventeen South Pass we need is led by a steep-looking snowfield and stones, and then one or two along the grass - and you’re at the pass saddle.

But none of these comrades saw what awaited us on the other side. I must say that Vasya and I also didn’t see the Southern one from the Lazurny side (it was in the fog), but we had the opportunity to observe the Northern one, and my opinion is that you can go up there, but you shouldn’t even try to go down without equipment.

I’m not saying you can’t go down at all, we just don’t need this unjustified risk. So we won’t change our choice and will go to Seventeen South.

Before starting our ascent through the snowfield, we rested for about ten minutes and munched on some Snickers and nuts.

At about 10-00 we went up. The snowfield turned out to be not as steep as it seemed from a distance, but surprisingly flat and compacted, holding well. However, this did not prevent me from stepping too close to the stones a couple of times and effectively walking down to my knees, cursing no less effectively.

On the right along the way, dirty remains of snowfields hang from the steep cliffs of Abishira, a rounded rocky peak 3097 m looms ahead. We are getting closer and closer to the wall of Abishira, a pass saddle is already visible ahead. She's covered in snow.

At 10-15 we rest on the rocks a little higher and to the left of the saddle, it’s more comfortable here than on the snow.

From the tour we extract a note dated July 11 from tourists of the House of Children's Creativity in the Kalinin district of St. Petersburg under the leadership of Maria Alexandrovna Valyukovich. They visited here radially, rising from the Azure Lake.

The note indicates an incorrect height of the pass - 2956 m. In reality, this is the height of the Seventeen Northern Pass, and here it will be at least 50 meters higher. My GPS shows 3015 m right next to the tour. I believe that, allowing for some measurement error, we can confidently say that the Seventeen South Pass is at an altitude of at least 3000 m. The 500-meter map, by the way, agrees with me, we had to cross a three-kilometer isoline on the way to the pass.

The highest point of our route. Although no, still not the highest. We climb up the rocks to the observation deck north of the pass, here, perhaps, there will be a maximum. The view down is simply stunning!

Lakes! A large oval-shaped lake - Azure; Looking at it, one cannot help but notice how well the name is given. The piercing deep color speaks quite unambiguously about the depth of the lake, as much as 42 meters! The most deep lake Abishirs. The second lake, the view of which is partially obscured by rocks, is small, round and has no proper name; it is emerald in color and bound with ice around its perimeter. Directly from the pass saddle, the view of the lakes is not so gorgeous - only part of Lazurnoye is visible from there.

Rise at 7:00. We are discussing plans for today. Several participants go down to the camp of the victim and those accompanying them to take them food and equipment for the next few days. The rest rest in camp until lunch. We have lunch at 12:15. Meanwhile, the snow is ending and the sky is clearing up a little, so we decide to cross the lane. Fedoseeva this afternoon.

We leave at 13:20, go left (along the way) from the camp (Photo 7), and then up the path. The surrounding area is shrouded in fog, fortunately, the trail is marked with tours, and in the fog they are found, albeit with difficulty. Without tours, it would be difficult to walk along the trail - everything around is covered with snow. The rise is gentle (~15°). After two walks we approached the pass takeoff. Due to recent snowfalls, the pass is snowy (usually, according to descriptions, it is scree). We go up, cutting down the steps. At the steepest point of the pass takeoff, the slope is 20-25°. We pass the transfer takeoff in 50 minutes. At 15:20 at the pass. At the pass there is a large tripod that can serve as a guide.

At 15.40 we begin our descent from the pass. Dense fog sets in, visibility is no more than 20m, which makes orientation very difficult. First, we traverse the scree slope to the left, towards the intended location of the lane. Agur South, along a path barely noticeable under the snow, but soon we hit rocks on a ridge clearly above the pass. Therefore, having returned 100 meters, we descend along a scree ravine with a steepness of about 20 degrees.

5.2.3 Agur North Pass (1A)


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upon passing
Height
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GPS coordinates	43° 35 "39.43" N 41°11"10.08"E
Character
Orientation	West East
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba
Connects	R. Zap. Agur - r. South Agur
Required Equipment
Walkthrough
Note removed	Groups of tourists of the “Vershina” club, Belgorod-Dnestrovsky (Ukraine), m/kn No. 41/12 under the direction. Lekhai S.A. from 2012-06-24

We are walking in continuous fog along a relatively flat part of the circus, to our left are the steep slopes of the spur that we need to cross. In some places we walk on scree, in others we have to follow a path. We are looking on the slope (to our left) for a hint of the location of the Agur South pass. We pass by a narrow rocky-talus couloir, the upper part of which is lost in the fog. There is no convenient place to climb anywhere in sight. Finally, we were lucky: for a few seconds the wind carried the fog away, and we saw a beautiful, gentle, wide scree slope leading to some saddle in our ridge (Photo 8).

The closer we get, the more confident we are that the saddle is a lane. Agur North, and we passed the Agur South pass we needed in the fog. Confidence is reinforced by the appearance of the rock to the left along the path from the saddle; it is very similar to the rock that, judging by the photographs in the reports, divides the lane. Agur Sev. and Agur Yu. - from the side of the northern saddle it is vertical. In about half an hour we overcome the takeoff, which is covered with snow and has a scree steepness of about 15-20°. At 17:30 we are at the pass. Height 2996m. The note does not specify whether this is the South or North Col, but it is already clear to us - this is the lane. Agur Northern.

The descent from the pass is a gentle scree slope, in our case covered with a fairly thick layer of snow (Photo 9). In the fog, we veer far to the left because we choose the path by feel and try to follow the slope of the least steepness. Most likely, you can go straight down from the pass faster. We descend to a hollow, on one side of which there is a ridge with the Agur passes, on the other - a low scree ridge. We set up camp here, since the time is already 18:20 and visibility is still about 20m - it will be difficult to look for something better.

Photo 9. Descent from the lane. Agur Northern in the village Zap. Agur

As reconnaissance later showed, liquid water – the nearest lake – is 350 m down the valley. We partially take water from there, partially melt the snow. The only drawback of the found site is the remains of a mountain goat nearby, half covered with snow. A gift for a zoologist, but for the sake of impressionable girls, we bury it almost completely with snow.

5.2.4 Mylgval Pass (1A)


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Height
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GPS coordinates	43°35"52.23"N 41°10"22.45"E
Character
Orientation	West East
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.2. Northern and eastern spurs
Connects	East source of the river Kyafar - r. Zap. Agur
Required Equipment
Walkthrough	2012-07-03 from the east. The description is given from the camp in the village. Zap. Agur to the lake Lazurnoe
Note removed	Group of amateur tourists (Dmitry P. and Shtyrov A.), Moscow from 2012-07-02

Valley West Agura is closed from the south by the Abishira-Ahuba ridge, from the east by a spur with the Agur passes, from the west by the Black Rocks ridge with the pass. Mylgval and Kyafar. There are several small lakes in the upper reaches of the valley. Our camp was located 400 m (horizontally) above the lakes between the talus ramparts.

We leave the camp site at 8:05. The weather has improved, clear and sunny. We move northwest towards the upper lake (Photo 11). Behind the scree shaft there is a view of the lane. Mylgval. The path to it is clearly visible and passes through talus hills with virtually no gain or loss of height (Photo 10, Photo 11). On the right as you move along you have a view of the lakes.

Takeoff lane Mylgval is short (~30m) and not steep, snowy (Photo 12). The climb is not difficult. Directly below the pass there is a small lake.

We climb to the pass in one walk from the camp in 40 minutes. The saddle is wide, scree (Photo 13), extending also in the west-east direction. The tour is located in its eastern part. Height 2825 m.

We begin our descent at 9:00. There are 2 groups of lakes under the pass - upper (large (sometimes called Podskalnoye) and small) and lower (one of them is called Provalnoye) (each of the groups of lakes is indicated on the map as one lake). The upper ones are located directly under the pass takeoff. The path of descent to them runs along the right side of the pass takeoff along the middle scree. The left side of the takeoff ends abruptly with rocky outcrops to the upper lake (Photo 14). The scree slope along which the descent to Lake Podskalnoe passes is short, but quite steep (up to 30°, Photo 15) and moving along it requires certain personal equipment. Our beginner group took 40 minutes to descend.

Valley of the eastern source of the river. Kyafar with Lake Kyafar is closed from the south by the rocks of the Abishira-Ahuba ridge, from the east - by the Black Rocks ridge and from the west - by a short spur of the ridge. Abishir-Ahuba, in which the lane is located. Seventeen South and North. Below the Seventeen passes there is a lake. Azure and Small Lake are slightly higher.

On the way to the lower lakes under the lane. Mylgval we overcome the second stage of descent - a fine scree slope with a steepness of up to 30° (Photo 16). There are many good anchorages near the lower lakes.

Further path to Lake Lazurnoe and lane. Seventeen is clearly visible (Photo 17). It runs along the grassy ridge that separates the upper part of the valley from the lake. Kyafar (Photo 18). At a noticeable rocky ridge in the central part of the valley we are forced to drop and gain altitude again - the traverse of its steep northern slope looks difficult. We move down along a gentle grassy-talus slope (Photo 19), up along a grassy slope along a stream towards a small snowfield (Photo 20).

The further path to the lake is not difficult. In the descending thick fog, we cross the lake flowing out of the lake on the stones. Take the Azure stream to the left bank and move along it with a slight climb. The northern shore of the lake is grassy, gently sloping, and there are plenty of parking spots. We stop for lunch at 12:10 at the first site we come across, which has a gentle exit to the lake. The path from the upper lake under the lane. Mylgval to the lake. Lazurnoe took 2 hours. South coast The lake is steep, rising to a rocky spur.

Passing the combination of passes Fedoseeva-Agur (Northern or (more often) South)-Milgval (in total 1A) is an easy and very popular element of beginner hikes. In our case, passage was difficult and significantly slowed down by fog, but in good weather There shouldn’t be any difficulties with orientation and the whole route can be easily completed in one walking day.

5.2.5 Seventeen South Pass (1B)


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upon passing
Height
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by GPS
GPS coordinates	43°36"30.59"N 41° 7"27.61"E
Character
Orientation	West East
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.2. Northern and eastern spurs
Connects	Zap. and east the origins of the river Kyafar
Required Equipment	helmets, ice axes, if there is little snow - safety systems and rope
Walkthrough	2012-07-03 from the east. The description is given from the lake. Lazurnoye to the lake 2767 under lane Rechepsta Verkhn.
Note removed	Groups of tourists t/c “Romantic”, Odessa (Ukraine) under the leadership. Gnatovsky A.Yu. from 2012-06-26

The Seventeen South and North passes are located in a short spur of the Abishira-Akhuba ridge in close proximity to each other. On the eastern side, both passes are clearly visible from the valley of Lake Kyafar (Photo 17, Photo 18). From the east lane Seventeen North clearly more complicated than the translation. Seventeen South, several ropes may be required (Photo 22).

The ascent to both passes begins from the lake. Azure. We leave the lunch place at 13:20. We move along poorly visible paths along the grassy slope of the northern shore of the lake, crossing talus outcrops (the nature and steepness of the slope can be assessed in Photo 22). After going around the small rocky outcrops from below, we climb to the bridge between the lake. Lazurnoe and a small lake above it (Photo 23). There are many flat areas on the lintel, beautiful place for the camp.

The first stage is a steep (up to 35° in the upper part) slope, scree in the lower part and grass-talus with areas of moving small scree in the upper part (Photo 25). The slope is dangerous with rocks! It is necessary to move in a tight group. The climb to this step was difficult for us because of its great length and steepness and took 1:10 minutes.

The key section of the climb to the pass is the climb from the second to the third stage. The steps are separated by rock faults, tapering towards the end of the second step (Photo 24). The classic version of the climb includes the transition between steps in this narrowest part. Apparently, the snowfield under this section in a snowy year reaches directly to the third step, and then the ascent to the pass can be accomplished along it without resorting to the use of rope equipment. Our reconnaissance showed that the snowfield does not reach the third stage and rests on a scree slope with rocky outcrops that is quite steep (up to 50°). For safety, we decide to hang a rope here (Photo 27, Photo 28). We fix it on a rocky outcrop. To overcome a difficult section, about 30 m of rope is enough.

On the rocks orographically to the left there were no places for safely securing the rope, as well as places for safe free climbing. The whole group of 17 people climbed along one corridor for quite a long time.

The third step is a gentle grassy-talus slope (Photo 29), and in the upper part there is a snowy slope (Photo 30). The climb from the second to the third step and overcoming the third step took a total of 1:50.

The group gathered at the pass at 18:35. The saddle is rock-snow-talus, framed by snowfields on the east and west. Height 3014m.

We begin our descent at 18:50. A short distance to the west of the pass tour, a panorama opens up overlooking the descent path and into. Rechepsta (Photo 31). The western side of the pass is not decisive, has a category of no more than n/c - 1A, and overcoming it is technically much simpler than overcoming the eastern side. The descent passes along gentle grassy-talus ridges towards two small lakes (on the map lakes 2884) under the pass (Photo 32). From the lakes we move on the right side of the stream flowing from them towards the lake. 2769 under the Rechepsta Vostochny pass (Photo 33, Photo 34). On the shore of the lake at 19:50 we stop for the night. Altitude according to GPS 2779m. The entire descent took 0:40 bpm.

Photo 31. Panorama from a point 50m west of the lane. Seventeen South to the west

Photo 33. Panorama from the point on the descent from the lane. Seventeen South to the west

When preparing the route, I happened to read a lot of heated discussions about the category of the pass. It is usually designated 1A*. Apparently, this is true, but a pass can only have category 1A before the season, that is, at the end of spring - very beginning of summer, or in a snowy year, when the snow cover is so large that there are transitions along the snow slope from the second to the third stage . The rest of the time, including the fact of our passage, the pass is 1B, and not the easiest, since to climb to the third step you definitely need to use insurance. In addition, the first step of the ascent to the pass is very dangerous with rocks. In general, the pass can be included in the 1st grade trekking routes, but only with very good technical and physical preparation of the group.

5.2.6 Rechepsta Pass (1A)


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upon passing
Height
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GPS coordinates
Character
Orientation
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.1.Main ridge
Connects	R. Kyafar - r. Rechepsta
Required Equipment	not required
Walkthrough	2012-07-04 only ascent from the north side. The description is given from lake 2769 to the saddle of the pass.
Note removed	Groups of tourists t/c “Romantic”, Odessa (Ukraine) under the leadership. Gnatovsky A.Yu. from 2012-06-25

We left the camp near lake 2769 at 8.30 am. We split up with Kikot's group: they went to the lane. Kynhara, and our group - to the Rechepsta pass. The ascent to the pass takes place along a gentle (up to 10°) grassy slope, starting at the western shore of the larger lake 2769 (Photo 35) and does not present any technical difficulty. The ascent path is clearly visible in panoramic photographs taken from the descent from the lane. Seventeen (Photo 31, Photo 33).

Photo 35. Climbing to the lane. Rechepsta. View from lake dam 2769 to the west

At 8.53 we reached the Rechepsta pass, the climb from our overnight stop took 23 minutes. The saddle is wide and grassy (Photo 36). GPS altitude 2890m.

Calculation of running time
From the lake 2769 to lane Rechepsta

The ascent to the pass from lakes 2769 does not reach category 1A; only the ascent from the valley of the western source of the river will have such a category. Kyafar, and possibly a descent along the southwestern slope (Photo 37).

5.2.7 Traverse of the southern slope of the Rechepsta peak (1B)


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Height
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GPS coordinates
Character
Orientation
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.1.Main ridge
Connects
Required Equipment	helmets, ice axes or trekking poles
Walkthrough	2012-07-04 from the east (from the Rechepsta lane) to the west (to the Chilik Lozhny lane). The description is given from the saddle of the lane. Rechepsta to the saddle of the lane. Chilik
Note removed

From the pass we go along the ridge towards ver. Rechepsta, the weather is starting to deteriorate. The slope is still grassy, with a steepness of up to 15°. When approaching ver. In Rechepsta, small and medium scree begins (Photo 38, Photo 39).

At an altitude of 3085 m at 10:00 we make a stop for the next communication session with the Kikot group. There is a slight flattening here - the last one on the way to the top (Photo 40). Approximately fifty meters above this point, movement along the ridge becomes difficult - the steepness increases and you have to overcome sections of rocks.

Therefore, we go out onto the southern slope. Rechepst and begin its traverse. The slope is steep (up to 30°), scree with rock outcrops (Photo 41). It is necessary to choose a path along the slope, changing the height (sometimes significantly, up to ±50m in height) to avoid rock outcrops. In our conditions of dense fog, this task was difficult to solve. In addition, our movement was hampered by the unmelted snow and the onset of rain, which also made the slope slippery. The slope is also very inconvenient for organizing rest stops, because there are no level areas.

Movement becomes easier only at the final stage of the traverse, on the approach to the western ridge. Rechepsta. The steepness decreases (to 25°), rock outcrops remain behind (Photo 42). We are moving towards the saddle east of the. 3043.9 (Photo 42, Photo 43, Photo 44) along a medium scree slope. In his report on the 2011 campaign (1), Novoselov called this saddle “lane. Chilik False.” On the approach to the pass, animal trails are found running along the ridge traverse. These trails further obliquely traverse the southern slopes. 3043.9 go down towards the lake. 2625.

The traverse ends at the lane. Chilik Falzhny, we reach the saddle at 11:45. Height 3013m. Traverse to the saddle from the lane. Rechepsta finished in 2:15.

Further path to the lane. Chilik lies across the. 3043, 9. The ascent to the top is along a gentle grassy-talus slope. At the top they found a shelter made of stones with low walls that could accommodate a person. The building may have military purposes.

We move further along the ridge to the lane. Chilik. The ridge is grassy-fine scree, on the approach to the pass - rocky-talus (Photo 45). Moving along it is not difficult - the ridge is not steep, and there are sections of the trail on it.

From lane Chilik False to lane. Chilik reached in 25 minutes. chv.

From the described traverse, in good weather, beautiful views of the southern part of the area should open. However, the traverse to the lane. Chilik False - a little difficult for beginner groups. We recommend including it in trekking routes for strong groups of at least 2 class.

5.2.8 Chilik Pass (1A)


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Height
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GPS coordinates
Character
Orientation
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.1.Main ridge
Connects	R. Chilik - r. Rechepsta
Required Equipment
Walkthrough	2012-07-04 only on the descent to the south towards the lane. Atsgara
Note removed

The saddle of the pass is not wide, scree. GPS altitude is approximately 2890m.

The northern slope is steep, scree with areas of snowfields (Photo 46).

A path goes to the southern slope from the saddle of the pass. The slope is not steep, grassy (Photo 47). First, the trail traverses to the left for about 20m in height, then turns with a gentle traverse to the right and does not change direction again. After passing near small snowfields, the trail leads directly to the lane. Atsgara, without going down to the lake. 2625.

5.2.9 Atsgara Pass (n/a)


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Height
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GPS coordinates
Character
Orientation	West East
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.1.Main ridge (bridge between Abishira-Akhuba and the Zagedan ridge)
Connects	R. Upper Atsgara - r. Rechepsta
Required Equipment	Helmets, ice axes
Walkthrough	2012-07-04 from the east from the side of the lane. Chilik. The description is given from the lane. Chilik b.b. Atsgara Upper
Note removed	Groups of tourists t/c “Pilgrim”, Molodechno (Belarus) under the leadership. Vysotskaya I.F., m/k 247-P-12 dated 2012-07-03

The path from the lane Chilik to lane Atsgara took 0:30 bw. Eastern slope of the lane Atsgara – grassy, gently sloping. The saddle of the pass and the path to it are clearly visible from the lane. Chilik (Photo 48).

On the western side on the lane. Atsgara is a snowfield, the width of the entire saddle. The height of the snowfield is 3-4 meters. At both ends the snowfield abuts rocky slopes, so we decide to descend directly along the snowfield. Unfortunately, the snow turns out to be dense, the steps do not break in it. The leader is the first to slip down, followed by two more participants. The remaining participants first lower their backpacks down the snowfield (they are caught at the base of the snowfield), and then only descend themselves.

A horse trail leads from the snowfield down a gentle grassy slope (Photo 49). From the pass you can also see the paths going from it to the right along the Abishira-Ahuba traverse. The steep descent ends at the next snow patch, then we walk along a gently sloping grassy clearing on the right side of the stream.

Photo 49. Per. Atsgara from the west

In the place where the slope increases slightly, we have lunch at 13:50. We leave the lunch spot at 15:35. Bypassing the rocky ledge on the left, we descend into the river valley. Atsgara Upper along the grassy slope along the stream (Photo 50) and we come out onto a small plateau with a lake in the middle (height 2490m).

The only difficulty when passing the pass is the snowfield on its western side if its size, as in our case, does not allow us to go around it on one side. Therefore, an ice ax must be on the list of necessary equipment.

5.2.10 Atsgara Upper Pass (1A)


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Height
by classifier
by GPS
GPS coordinates	43°36"54.42"N 41° 2"20.57"E
Character
Orientation
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.1.Main ridge (Zagedan ridge)
Connects	R. Upper Atsgara - r. Phiya
Required Equipment
Walkthrough	2012-07-05 from the north. The description is given from dr. Atsgara Upper to the saddle of the pass
Note removed

From a small plateau with a lake we move towards the lane. Atsgara Upper (Photo 51). We climb to lake 2572 under the pass along a gentle (up to 15°) grassy slope, in places overgrown with rhododendrons (Photo 52). We set up camp on the shore of the lake at 16:00 (altitude according to GPS 2587m).

A steep grassy and scree slope leads directly to the pass; climbing it is difficult. Therefore, the ascent to the pass begins along a grassy slope orographically to the left of the saddle, then traverses to the pass (Photo 52, Photo 53).

Photo 53. The ascent path to the lane. Atsgara Verkhn. from the lake 2572. Panorama from the overnight stay on the lake to the west

We leave the overnight stay at 7:10. We are moving along the northern shore of the lake with a gradual increase in altitude. We overcome a gentle (up to 15°) grassy slope, then begin the traverse to the pass. The traverse runs along a gentle grassy-talus slope (Photo 54) between two snowfields. There are sections of the trail here.

We climb to the saddle in 35 minutes. Height 2736m. The saddle is not clearly defined, extending from west to east (Photo 55). We didn’t find the tour on the saddle, so we packed up ours. However, according to the members of the Kikot group, who passed here the next day, there is still a tour at the pass; it is located approximately 50 meters west of ours.

The southern side of the pass is a grassy slope. As far as can be judged, its steepness is within 25° (Photo 56).

Calculation of running time
From the lake 2572 to lane Atsgara Verkhn.

5.2.11 Rechepsta-Phia pass (n/a)


by classifier
upon passing
Height
by classifier
by GPS
GPS coordinates	43°36"42.34"N 41° 2"50.12"E
Character
Orientation	southwest – northeast
Number in the classifier
Location	4.Abishira-Ahuba 4.1.Main ridge (Zagedan ridge)
Connects	R. Phiya - r. Rechepsta
Required Equipment	Not required
Walkthrough	2012-07-05 from the west traverse from the lane. Atsgara Upper. The description is given from the saddle of the lane. Atsgara Upper to the confluence of the river sources. Rechepsta
Note removed	1. Expeditions of the 1st mining construction company, accompanied by private security company “Energia”, St. Petersburg, dated 2012-06-27 2. Groups of tourists t/c “Horizon”, Poltava region. (Ukraine) hand in hand. Pukha V., m/k 18/2gor from 2011-07-16

From the Atsgara Upper pass there is a trail to the Rechepsta-Pkhiya pass traverse the Zagedan ridge (Photo 57). Along this trail we reach the Rechepsta-Phia pass in 20 minutes. On the final section of the traverse we overcome a grassy mountain pass with a steep slope of up to 25° (Photo 58). Trails can be seen descending west from the pass into the Phiya valley.

Photo 57. The path from the lane. Atsgara Upper on the lane. Rechepsta-Phia traverse the Zagedan ridge. View from the lane Atsgara Upper to the east

The saddle is quite wide, grassy and scree on the west; on the east there is a snow patch on the saddle (Photo 59). Height 2795m. There are two tours on the saddle, one empty, closer to its lowest point, the other, with a note, higher up, in its northern part.

We leave the pass at 8:35. We cross the snowflake at its narrow point and move along a low spur starting immediately from the pass a little north of the lower point of the saddle (Photo 60, Photo 61). To the east of the pass there is a gently sloping grassy valley, where numerous streams originate. Rechepsta. There are numerous paths and trails down the valley. Thinking that they will all sooner or later lead down to the river, we do not bother looking for the right path, and in vain. The path we chose takes us to the traverse of the ridge slope from the south of the valley (Photo 62). We have to drop the height to the river along a fairly steep grassy slope (Photo 63). We recommend choosing a descent path closer to the center of the valley.

To the confluence of streams that form the river. Rechepsta, we leave at 0:45 am, altitude 2530m.

5.2.12 River valley Rechepsta

Since the left bank of the river. Rechepsta is clearly on the right and from descriptions it is known that the river can be easily crossed downstream, at the confluence of streams from under the lane. Rechepsta-Phia and lake. 2625 we move to the left bank. The river here is no wider than a stream and can be easily jumped over.

We move along the gently sloping grassy bank of the river without a path. In principle, it is possible to move along the right bank, but its rather steep grassy slopes can cause trouble, especially in rainy weather. After some time we come to the kosh in the upper part of the valley (Photo 64, Photo 65). Almost immediately after the kosh there is a ford across the river (the river here also easily jumps over stones) and the path begins along the right bank.

Further, the trail goes on almost without a drop in height, climbing onto the grassy ridge on the right side of the valley (Photo 66). The path is obvious and we lose it only after 0:55 at the ravine (point 43°35"57.00"N, 41°5"36.00"E), on the right bank of which there is the skeleton of some building. Resting against a ravine, the path branches - one branch goes towards the building and then becomes smaller and gets lost in the thickets of grass, the second goes up the slope. Bearing in mind the advice of the ICC not to be afraid to choose a higher path in this section, we begin to climb the second branch, but after about 50m it also gets lost. We move further by traversing a grassy slope without a path, but after a while we notice it somewhat lower down the slope and return to it again.

The valley gradually turns to the south, the path also turns and traverses the grassy slopes (Photo 67). After some time, the slope flattens out and the obvious path disappears. Guided by GPS readings, we move down from one inconspicuous section of the trail to another towards the forest area. We have lunch at the edge of the forest at 11:50. There is no water here, since lunch is “dry”; we have enough of what we carry with us in bottles.

We leave the lunch spot at 12:50. We are moving down into the forest area. Catching barely noticeable sections of trails, after a while we come across a fairly large one and no longer lose it until the road itself. After passing through the forest, the path emerges on a grassy slope and descends quite steeply to the confluence of the river. Rechepst and the stream, along which, according to the map, the path to the lane should go. Phiya. There is a road along this stream, which then turns south and goes first along the right, then the left bank of the river. Rechepsta. How far is it to the lane? Phiya is led by a road - we don't know.

We descend to the road from the lunch spot in approximately 0:30 am. The path along the right bank of the river. Rechepsta after the valley turns south is schematically indicated in Photo 68.

The road crosses the river. Rechepsta crosses the (automobile) bridge and then goes along the left bank of the river, and after merging with the river. Dukka continues east along the river formed by the confluence. Arkhyz. We reach the confluence in approximately 0:30 p.m.

5.2.13 River valley Dukkah

The location of crossings across the rivers Arkhyz, Dukka, Bolshaya Dukka and Malaya Dukka at their confluence is shown in Fig. 5.

At the confluence of the river Rechepsta and R. Dukka across the river Arkhyz has a solid automobile bridge (on the diagram Bridge 1, Photo 69), which can also support trucks.

The road runs a couple of hundred meters along the right bank of the river. Dukkah, then goes to the left along the bridge (Bridge 2, Photo 70). We expected to see this bridge broken, but it was repaired this year. We watched as cars crossed the bridge, and trucks forded the river near the bridge.

Having crossed the Dukka River on this bridge, we find approximately 500 meters above it comfortable spot to organize a camp on the river bank. Dukkah. We set up camp at 14:40, 0:15 from the confluence of Rechepsta and Dukka. Height 1806m.

Having unloaded our backpacks and left two people in the camp, we go out along the road back and further to Moonlight Glade for transportation. Equipment is working on the road, we decided that the road is being widened, cutting down the forest where it comes close to it. Having collected the drop off and met with the three participants who were waiting for us here after the rescue operations of the first day, we return to the camp at 17:50.

The next day we leave after the (planned) half-day at 13:15 and move up the road. A little above the confluence of the Temirkulak River with the Dukka River, the road branches, and one branch across the bridge (Bridge 3, Photo 71) goes to the right bank of the river. Dukkah.

After the next fork, one branch of the road, having forded the Small Dukka, goes up the left bank of the Big Dukka, the other rises along the left bank of the Small Dukka.

We reach the confluence of the Big and Small Dukka from the camp site in 0:30 hours.

5.2.14 River valley Small Dukkah

We turn onto the road that runs along the left bank of the Malaya Dukka River. In the lower part of the valley the river is very winding; on the bank there are flat places suitable for organizing an overnight stay.

After approximately 0:25 hh the road leads to a kosh with two buildings. At the kosh the road turns into a path, the valley smoothly turns to the southwest. From here you can already see the spur separating the western and eastern sources of the river. Small Dukkah (Photo 72).

The path is very well paved and soon leads to the first ledge in the valley - a slight increase in the steepness of the slope (Photo 73). At this point the forest on the right bank approaches the river. Before the ascent, good overnight stays are visible. We should stop somewhere here according to plan, but there is still little time, the rested group is burning with enthusiasm, and we decide to climb under the pass today.

Malaya Dukka is formed by the confluence of two sources - eastern and western - streams flowing from lakes in two cirques raised above the valley, separated by a spur. The lakes are called Arkasarsky, there are 4 of them - two eastern and two western.

After the first rise, the valley flattens out again (Photo 74). The ascent routes to both circuses are visible. From the descriptions we know that the trail goes to the western cirque, and we can get to the eastern one we need by traverse the tip of the spur separating the cirques. Therefore, we continue along the path. It rises quite steeply to the western lakes along the left bank of the stream along a wooded slope (Photo 75). We stop for a rest on a flattening at the edge of the circus, altitude 2365m. The western lakes are not visible from here; you need to walk a few hundred meters more to the lower one. From the lower lake you can climb along the path to the upper one.

It is worth noting that the trail to the western circus is very well paved; PVD tourists and vacationers go along it to the lakes; along the way we met several groups of people without backpacks.

From the resting place we begin to traverse the spur to the eastern circus (Photo 76). We cross the stream to the right bank and cross the scree outcrop in search of a trail. After the scree we find the trail; it is clearly visible on the slope. The further traverse follows a path along grassy slopes with a steepness of up to 20°. At the final section of the traverse, the trail turns slightly east and passes through thickets of rhododendrons.

Photo 76. The path from the western to the eastern Arkasar lakes by traverse of the tip of the spur. View from a point slightly east of the northern end of the lower eastern lake to the west

The trail leads to the northern end of the lower eastern lake, altitude 2427m. There are several sites for tents here, but a strong wind is blowing from the valley and we decide to look for a higher place to spend the night. We find such a place above the southern edge of the lake (Photo 77), quite far from the water, but sheltered from the wind by a low hill.

Calculation of running time

From the confluence of the river Big Dukkah and river Small Dukkah before Kosha

From the kosh to the start of the ascent to the western circus of the Arkasar lakes

Ascent to the Western Circus

Traverse of the tip of the spur to the lower eastern Arkasar lake

From the northern end of the lower east lake to the overnight site above the southern end

From the lake we rise to the left of a stream flowing down the slope over mossy stones. Having risen to the level of the sheep's foreheads, a path appears that leads along a gentle, grassy slope to the cirque, located under the very Abishira-Ahuba ridge. On the right remains the wide saddle of the Rechepsta Pass. There are two more lakes in the circus, one of which is quite large, similar to a jagged crescent (photo 23). From this lake we rise along the stream to another, small circus, at the bottom of which two small lakes are hidden, connected by a channel. From this circus we rise to a plateau as flat as a football field. The wide saddle of the pass opens on the left Seventeen (1A, 2890m, sk.os.) , lying almost on the same level as the “football field” (photo 24).

On tourist maps, the Seventeen Pass is indicated under the very peak, located in the Abishira-Ahuba ridge (3097). Indeed, there is a pass there that can be conditionally called “Seventeen South”. From " football field“First, a gentle scree of flat stones (no more than 15°) leads to it, then the same, non-steep snowfield, which leads to a large snow trough under peak 3097. The saddle of the pass is a narrow rocky ridge. The descent from the pass is unreasonably difficult. These are two belts of steep sheep's foreheads, separated by equally steep snowfields and long moving scree descending into the lake. For this reason, no one walks this pass (obviously, except for those seventeen who satisfied their ambitions). It is much easier to go down through the saddle mentioned above. It starts right from the “football field” (1m rise) and 50 meters below the one indicated on the maps. From the round lake in the lower cirque it is no more than two hours' walk. From the pass in the west you can clearly see the passed Kynhara pass, in the east there is an excellent view of the upper reaches of the Kyafar River, which is a giant circus formed by the Abishira-Ahuba ridge and its northern spur from the south and west and the Currant Rocks ridge from the east (photo 25). The upper reaches of Kyafar are very picturesque and represent a powerful karst formation made of limestone and Dolomites.

The descent at the beginning passes along small moving scree (60m, 35°), then the slope narrows and enters a couloir (40m, 50°), in which a stream appears. We move along the left side of the couloir, holding onto the rocks (rock danger!), then we move onto the light rocks along the same left bank and descend to a steep (45°) and short (8-10m) snowfield. Here we cross the couloir to the right side and again use light rocks to descend below the snowfield. From the snowfield begins a scree tie (20m, 35°), which is replaced by an equally steep snowfield (40m, 35°). Closer to the bottom, the slope flattens out and leads to a slight round lake ultramarine color. The bottom of the lake is icy, the shores are snowy. Traversing the slope, we go around the lake from left to right and go down to the second, large lake of bright blue color with steep banks. We go around it on the left, traversing a steep grassy slope along a barely noticeable path passing a few meters above the lake. By the stream flowing from the lake, good places for overnight stays. The descent from the pass to this place takes 1.5-2 hours. The total time for passing the Kynhara and Semnadtsati passes from the lake. Chilik about 9 o'clock.

The upper reaches of Kyafar, as already mentioned, is a gigantic circus made of karst rocks. A huge number of pores (filters) collect water that flows from underground river in a big and very beautiful lake Kyafar. From above, this lake resembles a guitar, the neck of which is the same river flowing from the rock mass (photo 28).

IN Arkhyz through the passes Mylgval (1A, 2860, os.), Agur (1A, 2800 os.) and Fedoseeva (1A, 2850, os.)

From the western group of Kyafar lakes, where we descended from the Seventeen Pass, we go east, in the direction of the black triangular peak that locks the eastern part of the circus. If there is no need to go down to Lake Kyafar, we go to the right, right under the Abishira-Akhub ridge, leaving the stream and going around a small peak covered with rhododendron, we descend into a gully with a stream. There are also good places to spend the night here. From the gully, along a noticeable path, we climb a gray dolomite ridge and along its green back, like a road, we walk in the direction of the Currant Rocks ridge. After 1.5 hours from spending the night at the lake, we approach the eastern group of lakes, one of which (the largest) drains excess water in a powerful stream into a large karst funnel, clogged with snow until mid-summer (photo 29). Having gone around the lake on the left, we climb the step of old, destroyed sheep's foreheads and walk along the stream near the Currant Rocks ridge (there is a path). From here, from above, you have a view of the entire valley of the upper reaches of Kyafar. In the west, the Seventeen Pass and the entire path to it are clearly visible (photo 30).

In the east, very close, between two triangular peaks, a pass opens Mylgval (1A, 2860, sn.os.). Under the pass lies big lake(photo 31). We go around the lake on the left. In this place you need to be extremely careful. Having gone around the lake, we come out onto a large scree on the left along the way, bypassing the sheep's foreheads blocking the path to the pass. Having risen above the sheep's foreheads (60m, 45°), we come out onto a small snow plateau with a scree island in the middle. This is the Mylgval pass. From the pass in the west, the upper part of the Kyafar River valley, the Seventeen Pass, is clearly visible. In the east there is a view of the Agur plateau, cramped and gloomy; the Agur pass, located in the very corner of the circus, is clearly visible (photo 32).

From the Mylgval pass, with virtually no loss of altitude, we reach the upper reaches of the Agur River, the so-called Agur Cauldron. Surrounded by high black cliffs from the south and west, and gray, impenetrable walls from the east, often shrouded in clouds and fog. We cross the plateau towards the pass Agur (1A, 2800, os.) , which is clearly visible in the southeast corner of the circus. At the same time, we try not to lose height while avoiding large and small karst sinkholes. Approaching the slope, we go out onto its traverse with a climb. The trail goes along scree (dolomite tiles) and an hour later from the Mylgval pass we climb to the Agur pass. From the pass in the west you can see the entire Agur cauldron with the Mylgval pass (photo 34), the gray peak of the Turie plateau, under which lies in a deep square small lake with a rocky island in the middle. In the east, the Agur plateau is clearly visible, the Turiy pass leading to this plateau, below, in the vast scree circus, glistens upper lake. In the south, to the right of Dinnik Peak, very close, you can see the Fedoseev Pass and the entire path to it, both from the valley and from the Agur Pass (photo 35). From the Agur pass you can go to the Turye plateau, going around the gray peak, similar to an iron, along the ridge both on the left and on the right.

From the Agur pass, without losing altitude, we traverse the ridge towards the pass Fedoseeva (1A, 2850m, os.), (photo 37) clinging to the rocks. After 20 minutes we climb along the scree to the Fedoseev Pass. The pass is named after famous traveler, surveyor and writer G.A. Fedoseev, who was born and lived in the village of Kardonikskaya, not far from these places. From the pass to the south there is a wonderful view of mountainous country Arkhyz, the panorama of which stretches from the Marukh peaks to the Sanchar group of mountains (photo 36). In the north you can see the deep cirque of the upper reaches of the Agur-Kyafar River, with a large blue lake, above which the high-mountain plateaus rise - Agurskoye from the west, Turye from the east. Above the pass itself, from the west, impregnable towers of gray dolomite rocks rise up - the abode of the mountain beauties of the Turs. A relatively gentle rocky and scree slope of Dinnik Peak goes east from the pass.

The descent from the pass takes place along a well-paved path, which falls like a serpentine onto the upper terrace under the pass takeoff (100m, 35°, small scree). The terrace is covered with snow most of the summer. Before reaching the terrace, the path splits in two - the left one, crossing the snowfields, goes to the left side of the valley, bypassing the gullies deeply cut into the Abishir-Ahuba ridge and then descends along the ridge to the kosh. The right one below the snowfield also forks: one of them goes straight down along the stream, bypassing its eroded sections, the other traverses the slope of the ridge far away with almost no loss of height, then descends down a narrow ridge to the forest border. All these paths connect at Lunnaya Polyana (that was the name of the camp site, now completely destroyed). The entire descent from the Fedoseev Pass will take no more than 1.5 hours. The total time for passing the Mylgval, Agur and Fedoseeva passes from overnight stays at the western group of Kyafar lakes is 8-9 hours, including time for small rests. The road to the village of Arkhyz is 16 km or 3-4 hours.

The night road from Rostov to Arkhyz was not easy. And although periodic stops to refuel ourselves with coffee and Red Bull happened often, Antokha and I wanderedclearlyalong the border of sleep. The last section from Zelenchukskaya was especially difficult. And now, under the monotonous patter of the morning rain

We finally stopped at the Arkhyz store to catch our breath and have breakfast with fresh Khychin with aromatic herbal tea. After an hour, we, having united with our future companions - the Sochi residents, decided on plans for the first day of the hike and immediately began to turn them into reality. It was decided to leave the cars at Romantika, then, using the tablet caught in Arkhyz, we reached the lower reaches of Rechepsta (where the descent from the Phiya Pass ends), after which, strictly speaking, the walking part of our hike began.
The sleepless night made itself felt throughout the entire climb up the Rechepsta; if the legs obediently moved upward, then the head clearly refused to work, in addition, the stability of the weather and the climb in altitude were felt. On the first day we gained 700 meters and stopped before climbing to the Rechepsta Pass. By dinnertime the high winds had brought in low clouds. And if at first the weather only surprised with glare and changes in light and shadow, then by 7 pm a half-hour thunderstorm broke out in the valley, driving everyone into the tents and clearly hinting that it was time to go to bed. It didn't stop raining throughout the night. And by morning the weather had not changed much. Abandoning thoughts about a reserve day, closer to noon we finally began climbing the pass. The relentlessly dripping rain did not cause much irritation, but the very strong, piercing wind and thirty-meter visibility in the clouds did not add to the joy. Having crossed the pass, almost by touch, we immediately began our descent to the place of our future overnight stay near Lake Perevalnoye. Low clouds left the pass circus in the evening, but a strong wind tried to press the tent to the ground all night and did not allow us to get a good night's sleep. However, the next day the weather firmly decided to stop mocking us and by noon we had completed the climb to the 17th South Pass (1b). After a long reconnaissance, Antokha and I finally found a good couloir along which we could go down without a rope without risking life and health. Approximately once every three minutes at the pass the roar of stones breaking off from the rocky walls of the spur was heard, replenishing the immense reserves of scree. The overnight stay near Lake Provalnoye was memorable for the incredibly beautiful starry sky. What added to the exoticism of the hike was a herd of wild bison grazing on the opposite bank. Well, the program of this wonderful day was completed with an awesome express walk on a light bike to Podskalnoye Lake and the subsequent Mylgval Pass. And the Italian pasta with mushrooms and parmesan from Antokha, needless to say, was fantastic.
The final day was, to some extent, phenomenal for me. Three passes - Mylgval, Agur and Fedoseeva were given to us in just two trips and we, having eaten our fill of pass chocolates, began the painfully long descent from Fedoseeva, under which an iron horse was obediently waiting for us, ready to soon take us home!

Arkhyz greeted us with morning rain!