View from the east wall of Peak 4810. Photo Y. Koshelenko

• Asan
• pik Slesova
• pik 4810
• Pyramidalny (the highest in the area)
• Ortotyubek
• Kyrkchilta (4507m)- 1000 years anniversary of the baptising of Russia
• Bird

There are 62 climbing routes of the highest 6B grade on the territory of the CIS, all scattered in the Caucasus, Pamirs, Pamiro-Alai and Tien Shan. Yet, there exists a fairly small spot where 14 of them are concentrated, a spot limited by a day's walking distances. It is the upper reaches of two rivers: Aksu and Karasu. Both flow into the Karavshiy river after which the spot was named. It is a part of the Turkestan range, west of the Matcha area. It belongs to Kirgizia, but to come there one has to cross another two Central Asian countries. Normally they start in Tashkent (Uzbekistan) and via the town of Isfara reach Vorukh village (Tadzhikistan), where donkeys can be hired. It is 50km from here to Base camp or 1,5-2 days: the first 10km by truck, further up on foot. Having passed the sun-dried Karavshiy valley, up the Djaupaya, past the apricot grove and deserted stone huts one gets to either the Karavshin or Aksu green valleys, in Kirgizia. (When writing this article the grade classification of 1998 was used. Since 1999 it is different)

The majority of routes are on the solid rock of sheer walls with insignificant ledges and very little snow even for drinking water, which has to be fetched along.

From left to right. Peaks: Kotina, Kyrkchilta, 4810, Usen, Asan. Photo Y. Koshelenko

The area has been discovered by climbers twice. First in 1936 when, prospecting for tin, geologists came there accompanied and helped by climbers, the "farther of the Russian mountaineering", Vitaly Abalakov, among them. After their abortive attempt at Pyramidalnyu peak (5509m) the area remained untouched for 50 years.

Photo from the "Voskhozhdenie" magazine, Krutoy Mir 4

The second time the Karavshiy was discovered in 1986 when new harder objects (besides Yarydag and Peak 4200) were much needed for the All-Union Championship (rock routes class). Three teams, from Odessa, Dnepropetrovsk and Rostov put applications for routes in the area unknown to most climbers. That was Asan.

The three climbs (Gorbenko, Moroz, Pogorelov) on the north-west wall of Asan peak (4230m) got the first three prizes.

Now the area is quite developed, well known, has about 50 routes, 12 of them of grade 6A, 14 - of 6B. Until now the most popular summits have been Asan, Slesova and 4810 with the biggest number of routes on them. Each of the three in its turn became a "visiting card" of the area.

Asan was in vogue in 1986-1988. Now there are 7 routes on its sheer, 700m high, north-west wall. In 1988 two more, of grade 6B (in the middle part of the wall, Rusyaev's and Timofeev's) were added. The Timofeev's had been very popular until 1993 when it was lowered to 6A and lost much of its appeal. Now the most favoured ones are in the middle (Rusyaev, 1988, 6B) and on the left side (Pogorelov-Moroz, 1986, 6A).

In 1988 Asan was put aside by Slesov peak, seen from the Aksu valley as a monolithic tower.

p.Slesov (Russian Tower) Photo: Y.Koshelenko

p.Slesova. Photo GHM

Peak 4210, or Slesov (after Ivan Slesov from Rostov), or "Russian Tower" as it was nicknamed by foreigners is just 2hr walk from Asan, yet it remained unknown for 2 years after Asan had been discovered.

The first ascents of its north wall were made by the teams of "Planeta" (Rostov, A. Pogorelov) and "Dnepr" (Dnepropetrovsk, S. Moroz) climbing clubs, getting the first and second prizes accordingly in the USSR Championship. These routes are the most fashionable now, the "Moroz" leading. It has a ledge good for a tent right in the middle, so is convenient for the classic siege tactics repeated twice: to the ledge and from it. On the routes without such facilities they have to fetch along hammocks or platforms. On the routes without such facilities they have to fetch along hammocks or platforms. On Slesov it is the "Klyonov-Pogorelov" route (1993) on the right side of the north-west wall, the hardest, and as far as I know, not yet repeated.

Now 6 routes (3 of them 6B) on Slesov are known. The middle of the north wall was climbed in 1993 (S. Semiletkin, 6A). A year earlier a Spanish line had been put by Miguel Angel Galero on its left side. A solo climb was attempted by Valery Babanov in 1994.

At the moment the visiting card is Peak 4810

Peak 4810 with 14 super hard routes on its two walls, the east (1000m) and that facing the Karasu valley (1200m). Unlike the former two, this mountain does not have any surprises in its history. The first ascent was made in 1986 by Mikhail Sitnik?s team from Odessa by the north ridge. Graded 5B, it is the easiest route on it.

Peak 4810 Photo Y. Koshelenko

Bivouac on East Wall Y. Koshelenko

East Wall Y. Koshelenko

Nearly sacred became in 1988 the routes on the west and north-west walls of 4810. By then it had been known to everyone, its monolithic, smooth, challenging rock. Obviously the decision to hold the championship there (in the rock routes class) had been influenced by this. The competition formula had instigated the best climbers to come to the Karasu valley. The result was 7 new high graduated routes and all the winning ones were on 4810. St.-Petersburg's team (Alexey Rusyaev) did the "mirror" on the west wall and got the first prize. The second St-Petersburg's team (A. Kritsuk) climbed the centre of the north-west wall, the 2d prize. The Ukrainian group (G. Kopeika) the north-west wall, the 3rd. There are 6 routes 6B on 4810 starting from the Karasu. Besides the above-mentioned, it is the routes at the centre of the north-west wall (A. Voronov, 1988; V. Igolkin, 1990, and K. Sakharov, 1994) and on its edge there are routes 6A (S. Ovcharenko, O. Nazarenko and V. Skripko, all done in 1988).

Now the first in popularity is the "Rusyaev" route. Being 6B, or 7A by the French grading, (and much in vogue) the route has 3 good ledges and most of it can be climbed free. The speed record belongs to the team from Donetsk (1995, 28hr, 2 nights). The first in popularity does not mean you have to queue at its bottom. So far it has seen 12 teams, and only the climbers from Donetsk have done it twice.

In 1989 there came the turn of the East wall of 4810 peak to be discovered. Climbers from the "Odessa" climbing club (M. Sitnik) put their line in the middle (6B). The surprise was they did not bother with the Championship! The other "first" on this wall was also 6A, done by Vedernikov's team.

The top climb of the area was done in 1995 by A. Odintsov and I. Borikhin from St-Perersburg. The top climb of the area was done in 1995 by A. Odintsov and I. Borikhin from St-Perersburg. It took them 11 days, partly due to the lack of ledges in the lower third of the route, which made them spend more time on fixing ropes. The main problem of this direttissima turned out to be the bad upper layer of the rock, the so called "metamorphosed crust".

According to Shabalin?s grading table the next in difficulty on 4810 is the "Sakharov" (Moscow, the north-west wall) and the "Klyonov" (Ekaterinburg, 1993, east wall). The Muscovites had made their first, abortive, attempt in 1993, but were successful the next year. Their route is the leftmost on the north-west wall, without ledges and practically all was climbed with aids. This one, plus "Odintsov" and "Voronov" have not yet been repeated.

The highest peak of the area, Pyramidalny, should be mentioned here.

Having aroused climbers interest as far back as 1936, it was climbed only in 1987 (5B, the east spur, O. Nazarov). In 1989 there came the turn of the central spur (1000m, 6A, Voronov). With their mixed routes Pyramidalny and Gornyak peaks stand apart in the area. The north-east wall of Gornyak was climbed in 1992 by St-Petersburg's team (D. Sidorov, 6B) and they gave it its present name.

Ortotyubek peak in Aksu should be noted as well. It has two walls more than 700m high, west and north-west, with 6 routes, two "6A"s among them.

The first ascent was made in 1988 by the "Planeta" club's team (Rostov) by the north-west wall. The "6A" ("Papillon") on the west one was climbed in 1993 by St-Petersburg's team (V. Ivanov).

Among foreigners it was the French who took to Gornyak peak. In 1991 the "French Spur" (5B) on the west wall was done by their young climbers (P. Faivre) and in 1993 a new "6A" (F.Pallandre) appeared on the north-west wall. It should be noted the area has acquired quite a reputation abroad. The first foreigners (Spanish and French) were brought to the Karavshin by the Centre of extreme tourism in St-Petersburg.

On Slesov peak a French route ("Perestroyka Fissure", P.Faivre) appeared in 1991, on Mt.Kyrkchilta in 1993 (the right side of the east wall, 6A, L. Djurion). Now Kyrkchilta has 4 "6A"s. Except the "Djurion", it is the "Igolkin", "Skripko" (1988) and "Grigoryev" (1992).

There remains to tell about one peak, Ptitsa ("Bird"). A St-Petersburg's team made the first ascent in 1989 (north wall spur, 6A, E. Mayorov). There remains to tell about one peak, Ptitsa ("Bird"). A St-Petersburg's team made the first ascent in 1989 (north wall spur, 6A, E. Mayorov).

The Karavshin is for ambitious hard men who come there to test their style or to put a new line. As a rule they take part in some championship.

p.3850. Photo: Y.Koshelenko

Yet, the deepest impression the area makes on climbers who come here without such serious routes in their record. Huge smooth faces sweeping up straight from your feet fascinate them into a sort of trance, which, depending on their morale, grows either into depression or elation.

However, worry seizes you and will not leave you until you start climbing. And to attain the immense freedom that awaits you on the summit you have to climb THIS.

Help in getting information or organising trips and climbs in the area you can get at the Tashkent Climbing Club. Tel. (371-2) 67-23-96.

Translated by Y. Kolomiets