Boris Štupar 30.12.1985 06:17 2898 0

Tien Shan, alplager Ala Arča in Kirgizian Ala Tau

Tien Šan ’85 - Marija Frantar: Bulletin of the Slovene Alpine Association

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Free Jun 20 to July 18 in 1985 a group of 10 Yugoslav alpinists visited the Tien Shan mountains in the Soviet Union. It was an exchange visit. The leader of climbers was Marija Frantar. This was her third visit to the mountains of the Soviet Central Asia. In Chinese the name Tien Shan means Celestial Mountains. Eastwards these mountains stretch deep into China, while westwards they break up into several lower parallel groups. Yugoslav alpinists visited, one of these groups: the Kirgizian Ala Tau, the most NW group of Tien Shan.

The Kirgizian Ala Tau rises from an extremely arid country. Although the peaks are very jagged, icy and alpine in character they receive heavy snowfalls and frequent storms. Even in summers the weather can be very bad.

The Yugoslavs climbed in the area of Ala Arča base camp. It is only 50 km south from the Kirgizian capital Frunze and it is accessible by car. The region is very beautiful therefore proclaimed a national park. The Russian climbers are very active hereabouts.

The most interesting peaks are those around Ak Sai glacier. The highest point in this area is the Peak of Simon Tienshansky 4875 m. Other motable summits with difficult faces are the Free Korea Peak, 4740 m, the Korona Peak, 4860 m, with many pinnacles spikes, Baljan Bashi 4700 m, Ak Too, Teke Tor, Boks, Bajchechekej etc. The rock is granit but is very crumbling. The access from base camp Ala Arča to the mountains is 4 to 6 hours long.

The 10 Yugoslav alpinists maneged to accomplich about 60 climbs, althouh they had a few problems. It was early in the year with lost of snow and ice on the rock routes, which made them very difficult to climb. The conditions on ice-slopes were very bad, too. The weather was an additional problem, and so was the food which was lacking vitamins and variety (pap and partly rotten meat three times a day), so that the alpinists had constant stomach-aches. After July 10 the Russians didn't permit them to climb in the mountains any more. They were preparing a competition and one week before it nobody was allowed to climb in the region.

Some of the routes the Yugoslavs climbed (among thew a few first ascents) are very difficult and interesting. The most important routes they climbed are:
- The Free Korea Peak, the first repeat of Henry Barber's route from 1976, 900 m, ice and combined route, by Edo Kozorog - Ivan Kotnik - Vid
Preložnik.
- The Free Korea Peak, the right pillar, V, 850 m combined route, 10 hours, by Marija and Slavko Frantar, and by Matej Banič - Aco Pepevnik.
- The Free Korea Peak, Lowe's coloir, 850 m, ice route, by Pepevnik, solo in 3 hours, and by Marija and Slavko Frantar in 5 hours together.
- The Free Korea Peak, a new route right from Lowe's coloir, 800 m, ice route, by Cene Berčič - Edo Kozorog - Ivan Rejc.
- Baljan Bashi, the left pillar, 700 m, 9 hours, ice and combined route,
VI/IV+, very bad rock, by Marija and Slavko Frantar.
- The Korona Peak, the sixth spike, the pillar, 800 m, VI, rock route (very
bad conditions), by Kotnik and Preložnik.
- Boks, a new route, 750 m, rock, 18 hours, VI, A2/V+, IV, by : Kozorog and Rejc.
- Bajchechekej, the third pillar, VI, 500 m, rock route, by Kotnik - Preložnik
and by Banič - Pepevnik - Bojan Pollak.

They also accomplished climbed new routes in Bajchechekej (the
left coloir, 400 m, 80/50-65 degrees, by Pollak and Berčič), Ak Too, two coloirs (both 600 m, about 75 and 65 degrees, by Kozorog and Rejc, and by Banič - Pepevnik - Pollak) and in the Peak of Simon Tienshansky 2 routes (both about IV/40-70 degrees, 900 m), one by Marija and Slavko Frantar, and the other by Pollak - Pepevnik.

Leader
Marija Frantar *
Vižmarska 16
YU 61210 ŠENTVID

Marija Frantar * slovenska alpinistka, * 1956 † 1991