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Min-Teke Expedition Report

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French team summer 2019

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Tobokel - The film

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Kyrgyzstan, Turkestan Range

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Florian Geoffre - florian.geoffre@gmail.com
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IV. Min-Teke Valley

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Situation and access

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Min-Teke base camp coordinates: 39°39'27.30\"N 70°29'43.45\"E (3300m)

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We landed at Osh airport, took a car to reach Batken city and then Uzgorush village. It was made in one day. All logistics was organized by Batken Travel Service (contact: Zhunusbek Karazakov). We contracted a cook for the 5 five weeks (highly recommendable).

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We climbed 2 weeks in Kara Su and Ak Su before going to Min-Teke .

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We started the first trek at Uzgorush and finished it at Sary Jaz. We visited Kara Su, Ak Su, Tamingen, Min-Teke valleys. Every trek is approximately 2 days long.

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Min-Teke valley is located between Tamingen and Jiptik valley, just next to an unnamed valley which includes Min-Teke Peak (Min-Teke Peak is not in Min-Teke Valley, just next to it …).

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Min-Teke Description

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Tobokel and Kamini peaks ascent

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Ascent made on August 6th - 7th – 8th, after establishing advanced base camp.

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No signs of previous climb. We only let 2 pitons and rope rings for abalakov abseils.

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We first planned to climb Kamini, Tobokel and peak 3, but we didn't reach peak 3 because of bad ice and snow conditions.

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Topo attached here under.

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Atchu peak ascent

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Ascent made on August 11th after establishing advanced base camp.

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We found rope rings in the south face of the peak, so we were not the first ones to climb it. We think (giving the old kind of rope it was) the previous ascent was made by Russian climbers at the end of Soviet Union.

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We equipped the abseils with bolts when necessary. French climbing level V+.

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Topo attached here under.

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VI. Future climbing possibilities

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We made 2 inspections in the cirque with binoculars. We mainly observed very interesting climbing lines (high quality granite cracks) in the face under the main Min-Teke peak. The problem was often that the lines were exposed to rock falls or serac falls (we saw various falls every day). However, a lot of routes are still possible to be opened, here below a few examples:

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The photos we took are available by following this link.

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VII.-Topos

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Tobokel Peak (Adventure in Kirghize) - 5004m, North Ridge 39°37'47.3\"N 70°30'12.8\"E

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Face seen from BC. The snowy N ridge is visible in the top right corner
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Seen from Atchu peak
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Start of the climb, before start of the difficulties
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Turn left towards the face
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General comment

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We opened this route thinking it would give us access to Peak 3 through the snow pass between Peak 3 and Peak Tobokel. Unfortunately, the route was in poor snow conditions. The itinerary is still interesting for its snowy part without major difficulty but on a very aesthetic ridge. Some parts of the rock ridge are exposed to rock falls.

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Opening

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Route opened on 5/6/7/8 august 2019 by H.Crochet, F.Geoffre et M.Jooris (France)

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Difficulty

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AD+ (French alpine grading), 45°snow/ice, 4+ rock climbing

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Timing

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  • It took us 4 days from BC but could be done in 2 big days with stable weather and light backpacks (bivy bag vs tent for example)
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  • Day 1: BC → ABC: 3 hours with big backpacks
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  • Day 2: ABC → Camp 1: 10h but doable in 7 with no itinerary mistake
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  • Day 3:\n
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    • Camp 1 (start at 3h30) → Kamini Summit: 4h
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    • Kamini → Tobokel: 1h
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    • Tobokel (10h20) → Camp 1: 4h, good snow conditions, descending the ridge later on maybe tricky
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  • Day 4: Camp 1 → BC: 8h with breaks
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Gear

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  • 1 set of friends up to 2 + 1 set of nuts
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  • Abseil pitons in place
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  • 6 to 8 ice screws
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  • 50 m rope
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  • 2 technical ice axes per person
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Route

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ABC → Camp 1 (4600m)

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Join the ridge

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From ABC at the base of the face, get up the rock scree on the right to join the ridge at a small pass (overhang). It is possible to join the ridge through a small couloir that can be snowy but there is a risk of rockfall between members of the team.

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Rocky ridge

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From the pass, follow the ridge looking for the easiest way. Go around the needles by the east face. The itinerary is first very easy before getting more complex with some parts in sandy stone, easy but hard to protect (1 piton). After a descending traverse under a roof, join the ridge that can be covered with snow. Continue up to a needle that looks uncrossable and get around it by the left side. After a muddy slope, take left again until you can see the face.\nWARNING Do NOT take a scree couloir on the right which seems to join the ridge line through a wide sandy chimney : rock quality is very low, choss (bail bolt on the top, where we turned back).

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Follow a fine ledge down below to the left which crosses a small stream (be careful, frequent rockfall in the couloir!) until you are protected by the small spur on the other side. (see photo)

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Spur and terraces

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Get up the spur up to its summit (IV then III) then go up-right in terraces with relatively good rock.

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Get back to the ridge with 15m of straight crack (IV), a scree and finally a few meters of grade IV until we reach the rocky bivy ledge at the base of the ice field.

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Beware of rockfalls that follow the stream in the ice field. Try to take water as far right as possible. Camp 1

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Camp 1 → Tobokel Summit

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Follow the ice slope then the obvious snow ridge (45° snow/ice parts) until Kamini Peak pass (cairn, 4h).

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Get to Kamini summit (4985m) by a few easy moves in very bad rock before following the ridge toward Tobokel Peak.

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There is one grade IV move in chossy rock that leads to an easy rocky ledge to the summit.

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Descent

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Descent by the same itinerary. At least 4 abalakovs to get back to camp 1. One abseil on the spur after the grade III terraces at the start of the slabs, behind a big bloc (piton + nut + quick link).

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Atchu Peak (Kirghize for spicy), South West Edge - South Face 39°38'52.05\"N 70°32'23.02\"E

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General comment

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Very nice little route (French V+ max) on a good granite even if there are some little screes at some points. The ridge segment has very good rock quality. Abseils equipped with 10mm spits.

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Elevation of the difficulties 350 m

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Material

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  • 1 set of friends (until 3 and doubled until 2)
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  • 1 set of nuts
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Approach

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From advanced base camp (39°38'28.70\"N 70°32'19.99\"E), go up along the south west ridge in the scree to reach the base of the difficulties.

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South West Ridge

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Various ways possible to reach the top of the ridge. We chose an easy diedral oriented north. One pitch of french V+ (55m) and then 30m easy metres enable to reach the ridge (one V+ move).

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Then 150m of very good quality ridge with various IV moves.

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The ridge reaches the south face (old white rope under a bloc) where it is possible to let stuff. Abseil for the descent with 2 bolts a few meters down the east face of the ridge.

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P3 V+ (55m)

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Continue straight forward under a block with an obvious crack, and bypass it by left to reach a wide diedral. Go up crossing on the right (easy field with a snatched old piton abseil with white rope on the floor) and then zigzag left in cracked blocs. Abseil in a ledge, 2 bolts.

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P4 III (45m)

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Go right horizontally to continue in direction of the summit (big block), easy. Abseil with friends/nuts.

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P5 (option A) 6a+ (20m)

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Directly climb the summit block by an obvious crack. One 6a+/6b move hardly protectable with nuts and little friend (0.1).

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P5 (option B) IV+ (30m)

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Bypass the summit block by right and follow various easy steps.

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P5 (option C)? (25m)

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Beautiful 5 meters finger crack then hand crack between option A and option B.

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Start of the south face picture
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Descent

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Downclimb the summit block by the easy side (east), and then follow P4 until the 2 bolts abseil. 60m abseil arriving below a block with 2 bolts (seen during P2). Exposed to rock falls.

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50m abseil arriving at P1 abseil (rope ring around a block and 1 bolt). Exposed to rock falls.

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50m abseil arriving under the departure of P1 (2 bolts).

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50m abseil arriving in the east face (2spits).

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40m abseil arriving at the base of the east face.

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Walk down until the base of the ridge, and then walk back to the advanced base camp by the sree.

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South West ridge and 2 last abseils
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