원정 개요

C1 below small couloir and rock wall just below
C2 beginning of couloir above rock wall
C3 in couloir - no fixed tent
C4 site of normal route's C4 (or C6 by some counting).

Fixed ropes 2000m from bergschrund (6700m) to C3 (8000m). From C4 alpine-style push for summit 18th May by Zakharov, Bakaleinikov, Kohanov, Bekassov, Kouznetsov, Semikolenov at 11:00 am Chinese time and reached top of couloir (65 degree+) at 8200-8300m where Bakaleinikov, Bekassov, Kouznetsov traversed to normal route's C3 while other 4 slept at top in bivouac (C1 and C2 had already been pitched and some supplies left in them). 19th May all six men slept in C4 (normal route C3). 20th May 6 men started for top: Kouznetsov at 8:00 am and other 5 men at 9:00 am; Bekassov turned back 8400m very cold; Kouznetsov on top at 15:10; Kohanov and Semikolenov on top at 17:00; Zakharov and Bakaleinikov reached 8800m at 18:00 hours and thence back because too late and snowing so hard couldn't see way ahead and strong wind (weather like 10th May storm); all 5 back to 8300m at 23:00 hrs and all 6 slept there. Descended normal route and slept at North Col in Hungarian tent. Kouznetsov, Semikolenov and Zakharov and other 3 in ABC. Climb finished since goal of climbing new route had been achieved.

Couloir difficult rock with no place for screws at 65-70 degrees and snow 40 not so bad.

9 June 96 - route went up a couloir between North and NE Ridge to North Ridge to North Face. This is same couloir which was attempted in spring 1994 by new Zealand, etc. team led by Russell Brice, but was up left (east) sick of this couloir rather than up its center, where Brice team climbed. Russians then decended via normal route.