Solo ascent to Lenin Peak, cost, documents and other details

This article is written as a summary of all the useful materials I found in preparation for climbing Lenin Peak in 2016. It is not an instruction for climbing, and it is not the ultimate truth, it is just a generalization of some articles on this topic. Remember that staying in the mountains can be life-threatening, if you do not have enough experience, it is better to use the services of local guides and travel agencies than to add yourself to the list of accidents.

Lenin Peak is a mountain peak, height 7134 m, located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Until 1928, the mountain was called Kaufman Peak, and since 2006, the government of Tajikistan has changed the name of the mountain to the peak named after Abu Ali ibn Sina. But the old name of Lenin Peak remained in everyday use.

Lenin Peak is one of the "seven thousandth peaks" — the highest peaks of the former USSR and one of the highest peaks of Central Asia. Lenin Peak is located in the Pamir mountain system, in the north of the Himalaya mountain range. Pamir is the highest mountain system in the south of the former USSR.

The Lenin Peak massif is located between the Razdelny Pass (height 6080m) in the west and the Krylenko Pass (height 5820m) in the east, length 9,350 m, and from the western shoulder (6442m) to the eastern shoulder (6601m) length 6,370 m.

From the slopes of Lenin Peak to the north into the Alai Valley flow: Lenin Glacier and Vostochny Lenin Glacier, and to the south into the valley of the Sauksai River flow the glaciers Bolshaya Saukdara, Malaya Saukdara and Dzerzhinsky Glacier (from the western shoulder of the peak).

The top of Lenin Peak is a wide plateau that rises to the south. The highest point is located on the southern edge of this plateau next to the tour, the so-called "southern peak". However, most climbers are limited to visiting the tour in the northern part of the plateau.

The first ascent of Lenin Peak was made in 1928 by German climbers Karl Wien, Eugene Allwein and Erwin Schneider. Read more about the history of climbing Lenin Peak in this article.

The northern side of the Lenin Peak massif faces the Alai Valley, which is very convenient for entrances from Osh. And the southern slopes overlook the rather inaccessible area of the Sauksai River, so almost all ascents of Lenin Peak are made from the north side.

Lenin Peak is characterized by strong winds on its crest coming from the Razdelny Pass.

The best time to climb Lenin Peak is the second half of July and August. In September, the conditions are also quite favorable, but the temperature is already lower than in August. Winter ascents of Lenin Peak are quite rare due to weather conditions and snowy conditions, they are usually made along the shortest route - "head-on" from the north.

The route of climbing Lenin Peak from the north along the route through Razdelnaya peak

Driving to Lenin Peak along the classic route starts from the Base Camp, located at an altitude of 3500 m.

More precisely, several camps of various travel agencies are scattered on the ancient moraine, but the whole area is usually called by one name - base camp, also known as bazlag or BL. There is still scant vegetation in the form of grass and there is still enough air to breathe at a normal pace.

Trails start from the camps of all travel agencies, which as a result merge into one road. This road goes up the valley and goes into the gorge from which the river flows in the right part of the valley (if you look up).

Memorial plaques about the climbers who died at Lenin Peak are located on the rocks at the entrance to the gorge.

Along the gorge, the trail runs parallel to the river to the Travelers' pass (4,200 m), through which you need to cross into the neighboring valley. Then the trail continues along the glacier to Camp 1 (4,200 - 4,400 m). Then the path goes through the cracked glacier and the snow plateau "skovorodka" to Camp 2 (5300m). The third camp is an assault camp, it is located at an altitude of 6100 m, on a bridge behind the top of Razdelnaya (6200m). Further ascent takes place along the ridge, through the plateau at 6400m, the snow- ice takeoff "knife" and the pre-summit snowfields to the peak designated by the tour.

The cost of climbing Lenin Peak

To climb Lenin Peak, you can use the services of one of the travel agencies, which can be easily found on the Internet. The cost of such an ascent will be from $ 400 per person, in the economy version, and up to several thousand. And it should be borne in mind that this amount does not include the cost of a flight to Osh or Bishkek, equipment rental and much more.

The second option is an independent ascent to Lenin Peak. This option will be much cheaper, but it has its drawbacks. The main drawback is the lack of an experienced guide who can save your life in case of a dangerous situation, although it may not save you, everything depends on the guide and the situation itself.

The approximate exchange rate of the local currency is 73-74 Kyrgyz som per euro.

Below is a list of all expenses for the option of independent climbing in 2016:

• registration of a border pass to the Lenin Peak area - 40 euros per person
• insurance, I got about 20 euros
• flight Moscow - Osh - Moscow - from 250 euros, if you take 3 months in advance. And we still need to get to Moscow
• travel from Osh airport to the city - meeting by minibus of a travel agency - 25 euros per bus or 8 euros per person, a taxi costs 200 - 400 som (as you bargain), which is approximately equal to 3-5 euros.
• transfer Osh - bazlag Lenin Peak - Osh - 40 Euros one way per person by minibus of one of the travel agencies, a total of 80 euros in both directions. You can take a taxi, for about 50 euros one way.
• gas - in the bazlag, a small Kovea cylinder (230 gr.) is 8 euros, an old refilled one is 6 euros, a large cylinder (450 gr.) is 12 euros, in the camp alone, all cylinders are a couple of euros more expensive, but you can bargain everywhere
• possible expenses in bazlag (accommodation + food) - accommodation in your tent - 1 euro per night, in a stationary yurt - 3 euros per night, lunch / dinner, about 6-7 euros. 
• storage of things in the bazlag and camp 1 - 10 euros per person for the entire period
• crossing the river by horse - 5 euros or 5 dollars
• accommodation in Osh is possible - the cheapest option, the Rai hotel 350 som per night + an additional 50 som per shower, normal options from 500 som per night
• local fruits in Osh - peaches - 60-65 som per kg, grapes - 60-65 som per kg, figs - 100 som per 10 pieces
• food in a cafe in Osh - from 120 SOM per person

Preparation for climbing Lenin Peak

The preparation for climbing Lenin Peak includes several different aspects, each of which plays a very important role in the success of the entire event. Here are the main of these areas of training:

• physical training - climbing requires tremendous strength, so without good physical shape, it will be very difficult and unsafe to do it
• climbing tactics - it is necessary to think in advance about the timing of the ascent, the composition of the group, the acclimatization schedule, and many other organizational issues
• equipment - the lack of necessary equipment (including clothes and shoes) will not only prevent you from climbing, but can lead to such unpleasant consequences as frostbite, and do you need it?
• psychological preparation - you need to be prepared for all the difficulties and hardships that are inevitable during the ascent of Lenin Peak. The hardest test will be the height. The main thing in climbing is to calculate your strength correctly and be able to either go further when possible, or turn back when necessary.

Also, during the preparation, you will need to issue a border pass, due to the fact that Lenin Peak is located in the border area. And recently, in order to obtain a border pass, you must issue an insurance policy - that's what I was told by the agency that dealt with this pass. They also sent the following list of requirements:

Requirements for insurance policies for Lenin Peak:

• 1) The insurance assistant SHOULD NOT BE GLOBAL VOYAGER 
• 2) the amount of the insurance policy is not less than $ 30,000 
• 3) in the "activity" field (or "sports activity") it must be specified "MOUNTAINEERING" 
• 4) the host country is Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan) 
• 5) the dates of the insurance policy must coincide with the dates of stay in Kyrgyzstan 
• 6) the insurance policy must cover the "transportation of the victim" (please specify this when applying for the policy) 
• 7) reliable insurance companies: 
  • - RESO warranty 
  • - Surgutneftegaz 
  • - Uralsib 
  • - Sogaz 
  • - Consent 
  • - Yugoria 

Before applying for an insurance policy, be sure to specify which assistant this insurance company works with. 

 I found two travel agencies that are ready to issue a border pass to Lenin Peak and provide a transfer from Osh to bazlag:

• LLC “Turkestan Tour”, Sergey Pyshnenko, E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , http: www.turkestan.biz
• Fortuna Tour, Ainura Madmarova, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Both seem to be normal, there were no problems.

Physical training

In order for climbing to bring pleasure and not turn into a continuous torment, you need to be in good physical shape. A person who sits in an office chair all day and has not been doing any sports in recent years will most likely not be able to climb to the top. Or, even worse, he won't be able to get down from it. Moreover, training should not begin a couple of weeks before departure, this option will only hurt, but at least six months in advance, and it's best to do something all the time.  

First of all, it is necessary to train the circulatory and respiratory system, that is, the heart and lungs, this is necessary to ensure the normal process of saturation of muscles with oxygen in conditions of low air pressure at altitude.

The best sports for this are those that provide moderate exercise for a long time, such as running, cycling, cross-country skiing, etc..
A lot of materials have been written on the topic of physical training before hiking in the mountains, from “classical” to experimental techniques.  An example of the classical approach is the book “Mountaineering Technique" (http://tourlib.net/books_tourism/gutman03.htm ). Moscow 1939

An experimental technique of dubious usefulness to the body (IMHO) - the acclimatization technique of V.M.Bozhukov and A.K.Belopukhov - includes running in a gas mask and sitting in a plastic bag without access to oxygen...

The main factors that affect the result of training are that classes should be regular, a gradual and smooth process of increasing loads.

Climbing tactics

This includes all organizational issues related to the organization and the process of climbing.

• Choosing a route is the main thing to correctly assess your strengths and difficulties on the route in order to enjoy the hike, and most importantly, return home alive and well.  If this is the first ascent of Lenin Peak, then it is best to choose the classic route through Razdelnaya peak.
• Dates and dates of the trip. The optimal time for climbing is July - August, during this period the weather is most stable and most ascents of Lenin are made during this period.
• Drop-in and drop-out at the beginning/end of the route. Climbing the classics is the most convenient in terms of entrances. The most convenient way to get to the Achik-Tash base camp is from the city of Osh. Many travel agencies provide drop-in/drop-out services to the Lenin Peak base camp, the cost is about 40 euros per person one way (2016). You can also hire a taxi from Osh, in some cases it may even be cheaper. You can get to Osh by plane from Moscow or Bishkek, the price of tickets strongly depends on the timing of purchase and on the airline.
• Paperwork (border passes, visas, itinerary, etc.). Since Lenin Peak is located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, permission to visit the border zone is required from Kyrgyzstan to climb it. You can apply for a permit with the help of travel agencies, the cost is about 40 euros per person (2016). Documents for registration must be sent no later than a month before the hike.
• The composition of the group is a very important factor that affects the success of the ascent. If you plan to use the services of a tour company, then you probably will not be able to influence the composition of the group, but it is quite possible to choose a group with a good and professional instructor. If you plan to climb as part of a non-profit group, then you need to carefully assess the strength of the group and the experience of the leader and all participants, especially if they do not have experience climbing Lenin Peak.
• Maps/route description. If you plan to climb Lenin Peak along the classic route during the season, then there is no special need for a map - a wide path will be trodden. But you need to look at Google images, maps and read the description of the climbing route in order to imagine where to go and what awaits you on the route. GPS with a map, track and coordinates of all camps will be very useful, so that you can navigate even in poor visibility conditions and find the way to the camp.
• The acclimatization schedule. A very important factor in the success of climbing Lenin Peak is getting high-altitude acclimatization. It is the process of getting acclimatization that will take most of the time of the entire trip. It is good if you manage to get acclimatization during other ascents (for example, on Elbrus or Mont Blanc) or by hiking along high-altitude routes before the ascent. You can read more about acclimatization here. 

The schedule of acclimatization and the duration of climbing Lenin Peak

The best way to acclimatize to climb Lenin Peak, as well as to other peaks, is a gradual climb and subsequent descent down for rest and recuperation. The number and duration of such acclimatization exits depends on your physical form, the presence of previous acclimatization and generally past altitude experience, as well as, possibly, on individual characteristics and physical predisposition.

If you are an ordinary person who works in an office and does not climb to great heights in the mountains every month, then climbing the seven thousandth mountain will not be an easy test. Probably the best option when climbing Lenin Peak is to make several acclimatization exits with a gradual climb and descent. 

For example, you can follow such an acclimatization plan as a basis:

1. Radial exit bazlag (3500 m) - camp 1 (4400 m) - bazlag (3500 m)

2. Exit with overnight stay in camp 1 (4,400 m) and ascent to the second camp (5,300 m, possibly overnight in the second camp) followed by descent to camp 1 (4,400 m)

3. Ascent from camp 1 to camp 2 and, the next day, a radial exit to the top of Razdelnaya (6100 m) followed by descent to camp 1 or to bazlag with a rest day below

4. Assault exit from bazlag or camp 1 to the top of Lenin Peak with overnight stay at the top of Razdelnaya. 

Although this method of climbing is correct from the point of view of acclimatization, it takes quite a long time, especially if you lay down spare days in case of bad weather. This option will take at least three weeks, taking into account the road. But if you do not have altitude experience and pre-acclimatization, but you want to increase your chances of climbing, then you should think about this schedule.

But if you consider yourself strong enough and physically hardy, or you have the opportunity to get acclimatization somewhere else before climbing Lenin Peak, for example, to climb Elbrus, Kazbek, or, for example, as in my case, Mont Blanc, then you can try to keep within two weeks plus a couple of spare days.

Considering that I already have the initial acclimatization, I have developed my own climbing schedule:

Day 1 - arrival in bazlag - radial exit to the Travelers' pass (4100 m)

Day 2 - transfer from bazlag to camp 1 (4,400 m)

Day 3 - transfer from camp 1 to camp 2 (5,300 m)

Day 4 - radial exit from camp 2 to Razdelnaya peak (6100 m)

Day 5 - descent from camp 2 to bazlag

Day 6 - rest in bazlag

Day 7 - transfer from bazlag to camp 1

Day 8 - transfer from camp 1 to camp 2

Day 9 - transfer from camp 2 to camp 3 at Razdelnaya peak (6100 m)

Day 10 - assault on the top of Lenin peak 7134 m with descent to camp 3 on Razdelnaya

Day 11 is a spare day, in my case the second exit to the top

Day 12 - descent from camp 3 to camp 1

Day 13 - descent from camp 1 to bazlag

The schedule is quite tight, with almost no spare days, and quite physically difficult, so it's still better to count on more days. 

Equipment for climbing Lenin Peak

Climbing Lenin Peak requires a fairly standard set of equipment, as for all such ascents. Except that the sleeping bag, clothes and shoes should be designed for weather conditions and temperature at Lenin peak.

• the tent is the main requirement that it be wind-resistant and generally reliable. You can read how to choose a tent for climbing here. There are usually no strong winds in base camp, camp 1 and camp 2, but in camp 3, at the top of Razdelnaya, there is almost always a very strong wind, especially at night.
• sleeping bag (sleeping bag) - everything is simple here too, the warmer and lighter the better. It is necessary to calculate that the sleeping bag has a minimum “extreme temperature” of -25 -30 degrees. It is most likely that it will not be so cold at the height of the summer season, but anything happens. A down sleeping bag for such a temperature will be noticeably lighter than a synthetic one, but also much more expensive.
• The mat - Camp 2 and Camp 3 are located in the snow, so the mat should be warm enough to sleep in such conditions. An ordinary Izhevsk rug will not be enough. It is better to use mats made of modern materials with low thermal conductivity or inflatable mats.
• A backpack for climbing Lenin Peak should be roomy enough to fit all your belongings, food and other equipment into it. But at the same time convenient and not very heavy. How to choose a backpack for climbing, you can read in this article. It is also convenient to have some kind of duffel bag - a shipping bag that can be left as a drop in one of the camps.

If you are going to climb not alone, but at least in pairs, then it is better to take two tents with you. In this case, during the first acclimatization exit, you will be able to leave one tent in Camp 1, and bring the second one to Camp 2, and then during the assault exit you will not have to carry the tent up to Camp 2 and this will save energy for climbing to the top. In addition, there is usually no very strong wind in camp 2 and below, so you can use a simpler tent there, and already in camp 3 at the top of the Split it is better to use a more wind-resistant tent.

Here is an approximate list of equipment for climbing Lenin Peak:

Clothing and shoes:

• high-rise boots - you can use special ones for high-altitude climbing, good plastics, I went in leather, but with extra warm shoe covers
• sneakers for approaches - from bazlag, to the first camp it is quite possible to go in sneakers, unless of course a lot of fresh snow has fallen
• socks, two or more pairs - trekking and warm for sleeping
• windproof storm jacket
• a powder puff - there's nothing to do there without a good powder puff
• fleece - or something from polartek
• storm pants are windproof or softshelny - the main thing is not to blow through
• thin trekking pants - separate to the top, in good weather, it is quite possible to go in thin trekking pants
• thermal underwear is thin and thick - starting from the first camp, you can wear it without taking it off before going down
• The gloves are thin
• mittens are warm - the warmer the better, mittens will be better than gloves
• hat + buff or balaclava or bandana

Special equipment:

• cats
• ice axe
• the safety system is, in principle, needed only on the way from the first to the second camp. where the trail goes along the glacier through the cracks
• self-insurance mustache
• carbines
• rope for bundles
• a trigger and lifting device (but in principle you can do without them, if you are lucky and no one falls into the crack)

Other equipment:

• mountain glasses or ski mask - glasses are better at the bottom, from a separate one to the top of Lenin Peak, a mask is better - because of the strong wind
• a thermos is a very useful and convenient thing, especially when storming the top
• burner - it is better to use jetboil, MSR reactor or similar systems, snow needs to be heated separately, in camp 2 you can find a stream with water
• dishes - mug, plate, spoon, knife, maybe a cooking pot, if you do not use jetboil/MSR reactor
• GPS with maps and a recorded track to the top, it is very easy to get lost on the pre-summit dome, especially with poor visibility + spare batteries
• a watch preferably with an altimeter is very convenient to keep track of time and altitude during the journey
• sun cream is mandatory with a protection factor of 50+, smear from the very beginning to the very end, do not forget to smear the chin and the lower part of the nose so that they do not burn out from the sun reflected by snow
• flashlight - access to the summit is usually before dawn or just before dawn
• the first-aid kit is a standard set + vitamins + rehydrate, it can be added to meltwater to replenish the supply of salts in the body

Optional, but useful equipment:

• snow shovel - on a separate one you need to dig a hole in the snow or build a windproof wall, but in principle, in the season you can borrow from neighbors
• helmet

 

Reports and stories about climbing Lenin Peak

The story of my ascent to Lenin Peak in 2016

Maps and GPS tracks for climbing Lenin Peak

Maps and GPS tracks of Pamir and Pamir-Alaya - http://bardjur .fizteh.ru/maps/pamir.html

Lenin Peak Map for Garmin GPS http://zelpanov.ucoz.ru/load/skhema_quot_pik_lenina_sever_quot/1-1-0-11

Maps and other materials in English http://www.summitpost.org/pik-lenin/150355