Lenin Peak Expedition

Lenin Peak Expedition. Climb Lenin Peak.

Lenin Peak Expedition. Climb Lenin Peak. Lenin peak's range climbing

More info in Russian

Base Camp Achik-Tash will be active between 1st July and 1st September 2015

Situated in the Pamirs on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tadjikistan, close to the borders with China and Afghanistan, Lenin Peak is one of only five 7000 meter peaks in the former USSR. At 7134 meters it is the third highest, the others being Peak Communism (7495m) and Korzhenevsky (7105m), both in the Pamirs, and Peak Pobeda (7,439m) and Khan Tengri (7010m) in the Tien Shan. To climb all five admits you to the elite group of Russian climbers known as Snow Leopards. Lenin Peak is considered the most accessible 7000-meter mountain. There is a high way going almost to the foot of the peak. Also Lenin Peak by the normal Razdelny route is practically no technical climbing involved.

Route Description

Base camp is situated on a raised meadow between two steep river valleys. The ground is a carpet of wild garlic and alpine flowers. From BC we head over the Puteshestvinnikov Pass (4200m). The ascent usually takes 1-1.5 hours by a good path. Sometimes there is snow on the pass. Then we descend to the left moraine of the Lenin glacier. Further we should cross the river carefully. The best time for crossing is early morning, as the river rises rapidly throughout at this time. Across the left moraine of glacier to the Lenin glacier (4100m) and hike to camp 1 (4400 m).

 From camp 1 at 4400 meters, we cross the dry Lenin Glacier and ascend the long snow slopes which run directly to the summit (north face). At 5000 meters we traverse to the west and, ascending gently, we arrive at the rim of a large snow basin. We cross this, traversing beneath Razdelny Peak. A short climb up a scree/snow slope leads to camp 2. There are a few crevasses on this section of the route but it is straightforward snow plodding. It is, however, a long and tiring day, and an early start is needed to avoid the worst effects of the sun. Directly above camp 2 is an easy-angled couloir which leads to the north ridge of Razdelny Peak (6148 meters). Initially the ridge is almost level, but as we approach Razdelny Peak the angle steeples.

  The final 400 meter climb to the summit of Razdelny Peak is straight-forward but the effects of altitude make it hard work. The views from the summit are superb. To the north we can finally get the true perspective of the Alai Plain while to the south there are a multitude of snowy peaks. Peak Communism and Korzhenevsky dominate our view of the south Pamirs. Further east the Wakhan and Hindu Kush are clearly visible, and on a good day it is possible to make out Tirich Mir. From Razdelny Peak the ridge dog-legs to the west and drops down 100 meters to Razdelny Pass at 6000 meters. It is here that we will make camp 3.

From camp 3 the whole of the summit ridge is visible. From here we will have two options. Either we climb directly to the summit and back to camp 3 in one long day, or we place a fourth camp at about 6400 meters. From camp 3 we follow the broad ridge to a plateau (the site of camp 4) at 6400 meters. We traverse this back to the ridge proper where it steepens to form a short step which is turned on the north side. Above this the ridge is broken and rocky until we reach a large snow plateau. We traverse this and rejoin the ridge just below the summit.

 The summit at 7134 meters is crowned by a number of plaques, including one of Lenin himself. The views, as you would expect, are outstanding and stretch right across the Pamirs to Mustagh Ata and Kongur in China. Further in the distance is the Hindu Kush and further west still the Karakoram.

Basic program: 21 days               

Day 1. Arrival in Bishkek, accommodation in a hotel

 Day 2. Flight to Osh, transfer Osh-Achik-Tash BC.

 Day 3. Acclimatization ascent of Petrovskogo peak.

 Day 4. Descent to the base camp.

 Day 5. Preparation day

 Day 6. Climb to the camp1. 4400 m.

 Day 7. Climb to the camp2. 5300 m.

 Day 8. Climb to the camp3. 6200 m.

 Day 9. Descent to the camp1.

 Day 10. Descent to the base camp 3600 m.

 Day 11. Rest day.

 Day 12. Preparation day.

 Day 13. Climb to camp1.

 Day 14. Climb to camp2.

 Day 15. Climb to camp3.

 Day 16. Climb to camp4. 6400 m.

 Day 17. Ascent of the summit 7134 m. and descent to the camp3.

 Day 18. Descent to the camp1.

 Day 19. Descent to the base camp. 3600 m.

 Day 20. Transfer to Osh.