angelolivares - Aug 30, 2007 11:22 am - Hasn't voted
Campo Base
Las condiciones del campo base no son buenas. Todos los que han estado esta campaña intentando escalar el pico Comunismo han sufrido diarreas permanentemente.
I totally agree. The BC (there is only one) is very rundown (2010) and could be renewed entirely. Only the bare necessities have been repaired since sovjet times. When you arrive, make sure that you get a new tent. The 25-year old green/orange tents are not waterproof at all. When BC is crowded, try to eat fast and order some extra shashlic to become sated. When tea tastes like singed plastic, don't worry, its just because of the PET-Bottle-Oven.
The shits may arise from another cause. Drinking water is pumped from the drain of the lower lake. In its water there swim some rusty barrels, oil and other things that you refuse to believe. Not to mention the algas and the nearby helicopter landing place. The best medicine to bypass "Flitzekacke" (the shits) is drinking enough vodka - not kidding. But stock up early enough. After middle of august the replenishment for coke, beer and vodka is likely to stay away.
One more thing: Never ever buy refill cadridges!!! And wear sunglases, when ever you cook.
In 2010 we did an alternative ascent on borodkin spur to avoid the ice-fall danger on the usually used ramp. Rock is very loose up there. We found some 10-30 year old unusable fixed ropes and some old "tank"-icescrews. Certainly relicts from sowjet times.
So the hardest section is about Mixed 3+ (UIAA) with lots of loose rock (and the 30kg backpack). Most of the time it is grade 1-2. As you're not allowed to fall in such terrain anyway, some slings will be enough for protection. For best conditions wait until temperatures drop below zero, otherwise you'll find yourselve in the middle of rumble city and you have to play hide and seek with the rockfall.
We descended over the normal ramp. When you hurry, the exposure to the seracs takes about 10-20 minutes. Thats acceptable in contrast to 1.5-2.5h when going uphill.
So when conditions are fine, visibility is good and you feel comfortable with such terrain, it's a safe alternative with acceptable risks.
Another reasonable (but untested) route to avoid the dangerous ramp, would be the following:
Thats the route we found to be feasible (in 2010) by avoiding most of the seracs. Be early and move fast in the flat section.
The route passes many crevasses. Therefore we took the rocky alternative as described before. Moreover we were 3 climbers and wanted to rope up as little as possible.
Re: Icy alternative and safe route on Borodkin spur
Actually, KKK, I have seen this route marked by Vladimir Kopylov in his topo as the original Borodkin Route, and the 'normal route' now is a variant done later that became popular as it is easier, despite being more dangerous.
Hi Corax, in the four years since you were there there have been quite a few changes, particularly with transport / logistic arrangements. I was there last year on a commercial trip with adventure peaks (uk) (made it to c2 on the plateaux then turned back due to heavy snowfall, no summits 2013) and will be back in a couple of months hopefully for a summit this time! I'll post some updates when I get back
Ismoil Somoni at 1:100,000 scale, j-43-037
Pik Korzhenevsky at 1:100,000 scale, j-43-025
Moskvina base camp at 1:100,000 scale, j-42-036
Warning: The datum is Pulkovo 1942. This datum was not in my Garmin Etrex 20. At Ismoil Somoni, the UTM/UPS East-West coordinates are precise enough, but the North-South ones are 1.8 km of difference compared to the UTM coordinates on the map grid. This difference does not change on an entire map.
For example: at the summit of Ismoil Somoni, Google Earth reads: 43S 241.380, 4314.696 km.
On the map, this point is at: 13241.3, 4316.5 km.
E / W difference: <100 m
N / S difference: 1.8 km
1) Field technique:
Physically go to a location that can be identified on the map.
Compare the UTM WGS 84 psn on GPS receiver with UTM coordinates on the map.
Calculate correction distances E / W and N / S.
2) Google Earth technique:
Pick a point on Google Earth that can be identified on the map.
Compare the UTM psn on Google Earth with UTM coordinates on the map.
Calculate correction distances E / W and N / S.
Once you have the correction distances, add or subtract them to your GPS UTM coordinates to find your position on the map.
On the Ismoil Somoni map, add 1.8 km to the N / S coordinates only.
angelolivares - Aug 30, 2007 11:22 am - Hasn't voted
Campo BaseLas condiciones del campo base no son buenas. Todos los que han estado esta campaña intentando escalar el pico Comunismo han sufrido diarreas permanentemente.
kkk - May 4, 2013 5:30 pm - Voted 10/10
BC sucksI totally agree. The BC (there is only one) is very rundown (2010) and could be renewed entirely. Only the bare necessities have been repaired since sovjet times. When you arrive, make sure that you get a new tent. The 25-year old green/orange tents are not waterproof at all. When BC is crowded, try to eat fast and order some extra shashlic to become sated. When tea tastes like singed plastic, don't worry, its just because of the PET-Bottle-Oven.
The shits may arise from another cause. Drinking water is pumped from the drain of the lower lake. In its water there swim some rusty barrels, oil and other things that you refuse to believe. Not to mention the algas and the nearby helicopter landing place. The best medicine to bypass "Flitzekacke" (the shits) is drinking enough vodka - not kidding. But stock up early enough. After middle of august the replenishment for coke, beer and vodka is likely to stay away.
One more thing: Never ever buy refill cadridges!!! And wear sunglases, when ever you cook.
runout - Dec 22, 2018 12:00 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: BC sucksSame in 2012. For shashlik the charged extra. Food was not good. Water for cooking came from below the toilets. BC-Team was unfriendly.
I heard that the situation was not better in 2016, 2017, 2018.
kkk - May 4, 2013 11:59 am - Voted 10/10
Rocky alternative and safe route on Borodkin spurIn 2010 we did an alternative ascent on borodkin spur to avoid the ice-fall danger on the usually used ramp. Rock is very loose up there. We found some 10-30 year old unusable fixed ropes and some old "tank"-icescrews. Certainly relicts from sowjet times.
So the hardest section is about Mixed 3+ (UIAA) with lots of loose rock (and the 30kg backpack). Most of the time it is grade 1-2. As you're not allowed to fall in such terrain anyway, some slings will be enough for protection. For best conditions wait until temperatures drop below zero, otherwise you'll find yourselve in the middle of rumble city and you have to play hide and seek with the rockfall.
We descended over the normal ramp. When you hurry, the exposure to the seracs takes about 10-20 minutes. Thats acceptable in contrast to 1.5-2.5h when going uphill.
So when conditions are fine, visibility is good and you feel comfortable with such terrain, it's a safe alternative with acceptable risks.
kkk - May 4, 2013 2:23 pm - Voted 10/10
Icy alternative and safe route on Borodkin spurAnother reasonable (but untested) route to avoid the dangerous ramp, would be the following:
Thats the route we found to be feasible (in 2010) by avoiding most of the seracs. Be early and move fast in the flat section.
The route passes many crevasses. Therefore we took the rocky alternative as described before. Moreover we were 3 climbers and wanted to rope up as little as possible.
Damien Gildea - Oct 28, 2014 8:34 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Icy alternative and safe route on Borodkin spurActually, KKK, I have seen this route marked by Vladimir Kopylov in his topo as the original Borodkin Route, and the 'normal route' now is a variant done later that became popular as it is easier, despite being more dangerous.
jasperreed - May 14, 2014 11:56 am - Hasn't voted
Info out of datesHi Corax, in the four years since you were there there have been quite a few changes, particularly with transport / logistic arrangements. I was there last year on a commercial trip with adventure peaks (uk) (made it to c2 on the plateaux then turned back due to heavy snowfall, no summits 2013) and will be back in a couple of months hopefully for a summit this time! I'll post some updates when I get back
Corax - Oct 15, 2014 6:01 am - Voted 10/10
Re: Info out of datesHow did it go? Did you summit? I have plans to add a lot of new info to the page and perhaps you have some fresh news from the area?
chris_goulet - Feb 21, 2016 8:06 pm - Hasn't voted
Soviet topo mapsThe University of Berkeley link is dead, but this one has thousands of topos in reasonable resolution from 1:50,000 to 1:1,000,000 scale:
http://maps.vlasenko.net/soviet-military-topographic-map/
Ismoil Somoni at 1:100,000 scale, j-43-037
Pik Korzhenevsky at 1:100,000 scale, j-43-025
Moskvina base camp at 1:100,000 scale, j-42-036
Warning: The datum is Pulkovo 1942. This datum was not in my Garmin Etrex 20. At Ismoil Somoni, the UTM/UPS East-West coordinates are precise enough, but the North-South ones are 1.8 km of difference compared to the UTM coordinates on the map grid. This difference does not change on an entire map.
For example: at the summit of Ismoil Somoni, Google Earth reads: 43S 241.380, 4314.696 km.
On the map, this point is at: 13241.3, 4316.5 km.
E / W difference: <100 m
N / S difference: 1.8 km
1) Field technique:
Physically go to a location that can be identified on the map.
Compare the UTM WGS 84 psn on GPS receiver with UTM coordinates on the map.
Calculate correction distances E / W and N / S.
2) Google Earth technique:
Pick a point on Google Earth that can be identified on the map.
Compare the UTM psn on Google Earth with UTM coordinates on the map.
Calculate correction distances E / W and N / S.
Once you have the correction distances, add or subtract them to your GPS UTM coordinates to find your position on the map.
On the Ismoil Somoni map, add 1.8 km to the N / S coordinates only.
Corax - Feb 23, 2016 6:56 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Soviet topo mapsThanks for the info. I added it all to the main page.
Alberto Pedrotti - May 18, 2023 1:40 pm - Hasn't voted
PhotosA photo gallery
https://bit.ly/2ZtcVO5
and GPS track
http://www.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=5583652
Corax - May 21, 2023 6:41 am - Voted 10/10
Re: PhotosThanks!
Nice photos and info.
I have added links on the main page.