Ascent of a mountain Almaty.

"But we will always strive there -
To places elevated above the bustle,
Since man, like a bird,
Is given such joy - height"

Yuri Vizbor. "To the climbers-climbers of Everest".

Rock climbing in North Tien-Shan.

Mayakovsky Peak, 4190 meters above sea level, is located in watershed of Malaya and Left Talgar rivers, 1 kilometer northwest of Ordzhonikidze Peak, 4409.8 meters above sea level, 805 meters southwest of Urkho Antkainen Peak, 4146 meters above sea level, in eastern branch of Malay Almatinsky Spur on northern slope of Zailiysky Alatau ridge in Talgar district of Almaty region.
To the north of Ordzhopikidze Peak, in the Malo-Almatinsky Spur system, rises the beautiful Mayakovsky Peak, soaring into the sky. The slopes are steep, composed of marbled limestone and red granite. On the northwestern slope is a glacier of the same name.
The summit was first conquered in 1940, under the leadership of E. Alekseev along the western ridge; according to other sources, the first ascent was made in 1944 by climbers P. Semenov and L. Karapetyan. The summit is named after the poet Vladimir Vladimirovich Mayakovsky - a Russian Soviet poet, one of the greatest poets of the XXth century. In addition to poetry, he distinguished himself as a playwright, screenwriter, film director, film actor, artist, editor of the magazines "LEF", "Novy LEF". 
Geographical coordinates of summit of Mayakovsky: N43 ° 03'56 E77 ° 06'30

Ascent routes to the summit of Mayakovsky prepared by V. I. Stepanova.

1. Ascent to the top of Mayakovsky along the western ridge and northern ridge - For difficulty categories.

"The ascent begins from the Mynzhilki weather station. Having overcome the terminal and lateral moraines of the Tuyuksu glacier in the direction of the northwestern lateral ridge of Ordzhonikidze peak and 50 meters before reaching the ridge, turn left.
Along the steep scree, reach the end of the Western Ordzhonikidze glacier, along it to the drop. Having gone around it on the right, climb the scree at the foot of the western lateral ridge of Mayakovsky peak and continue the way to the last ridge of rocks descending from the summit.
From here, the ascent to the western ridge of the summit along destroyed light rocks or to the right of them along a couloir filled with medium and small scree. The path from the Mynzhilki weather station to the foot of the couloir is overcome in 3 - 4 hours.
Having climbed the ridge, turn right and go to the main northern ridge of the summit. Move along its eastern side, traverse 15 - 18 meters along the terrace, which is interrupted by an external corner and leads to a narrow, almost vertical couloir, which at the top turns into a chimney with a plug.
This section of the route requires careful hook belay. From the exit from the chimney, traverse to the left and after 5 - 6 meters along the wall come out to a platform in front of a smooth 5-meter wall with a narrow crevice, along which the second wall is overcome, behind it there is an exit to an inclined platform with loose stones (be careful!).
A gendarme rises above the platform, he goes around on the left along the inclined ledge. Then climb along the steep internal corner to the rock tower under the peaks. The rocks are heavily destroyed. From the summit, descend to a sharp 20-meter horizontal ridge, which is partially overcome by skating, partially traversed from the eastern side.
The ridge leads to slabs with a steepness of up to 45 °. This is the last technically difficult section before the summit, its length is up to 60 m. Almost the entire route runs over a steep cliff with a large fall depth, so careful hook belay is required everywhere.
The summit is a pile of large rock fragments, on one of which a tour is difficult. Descent along the ascent route, the ascent time is 7 - 9 hours.
The first ascent along the western ridge and northern ridge - 3b difficulty category was made in 1940 by instructors of the Tuyuksu mountaineering camp E. Alekseev, V. Senokosov. The first traverse of the summit from north to south was made on July 8, 1945 by instructors of the mountain training school G. Kolenov, V. Nearonsky under the supervision of M. Grudzinsky.

2. Ascent to the summit of Mayakovsky from the south - 3b difficulty category.

The ascent begins with an ascent to the Ordzhonikidze Pass (it is possible to organize an initial bivouac). From here, go down towards the so-called palisade and, having gone around the large gendarme on the right, go under the palisade connecting the summits of Ordzhonikidze and Mayakovsky.
Then, along the scree, go out to a narrow saddle, from which a wall with good holds leads to a slab (piton belay, 1 hook). Having overcome the isthmus on heavily destroyed rocks, approach the foot of the chimney (belay with hooks, 2 hooks).
Behind the chimney there is a shelf, climb along a crevice leading to an inclined shelf and a second chimney (belay with hooks, 3 - 4 hooks), which leads to a ridge of monolithic rocks (belay through ledges). Rocks of medium difficulty, difficult in places.
Climb along the ridge to the summit. Descent along the ascent route. The ascent takes 8 - 9 hours.
The first ascent from the south - 3b category of difficulty was made on August 18, 1945 by a group of instructors of the mountain training school consisting of: N. Divari, N. Petrovich, P. Semenov under the leadership of K. Strekalov.

3. Ascent along the north-western wall - 4b category of difficulty.

Approaches to the beginning of the ascent are described in the first section of routes to Mayakovsky Peak. The route starts to the left of a clearly visible chimney, climbing up the right wall along the middle rocks (belay with hooks). Behind the first wall is a shelf, on the right is a 3-meter wall, behind it is a triangular platform and an approach to a 1 5 -20-meter wall (belay with hooks).
After it is a shelf with a control tour and a third 10-meter wall (belay with hooks). Then traverse to the right along the shelf 9 - 10 meters under the wall, go to the recommended place for the night. Here is the second control tour. The fourth wall is 40 meters long, the rocks are difficult (belay with hooks) ends with a narrow shelf, behind it is the fifth wall of a slab structure (few holds).
Go to the shelf, traverse along it to the left to a chimney 30 - 35 meters high (difficult climbing, belay with hooks). At the end of the chimney is the third control tour. Behind the chimney is the last section of difficult climbing on gray slabs, an exit to the ridge, and along it to the summit.
Descent along the northern option through the chimney with a plug or to the south towards the Ordzhonikidze Pass. The ascent takes 18 - 20 hours.
This route was first laid in May 1962 by a group of Almaty climbers consisting of: G. Petrashko, V. Savin, G. Shklyar under the leadership of V. Reznik.

4. Ascent along the northwestern wall - 4b category of difficulty.

Approaches to the beginning of the ascent are described in the first section of the routes to Mayakovsky Peak. The path begins to the left of a clearly visible chimney, with an ascent to the right wall along medium rocks (belay with hooks). Behind the first wall is a shelf, on the right is a 3-meter wall, behind it is a triangular platform and an approach to a 15 - 20-meter wall (belay with hooks).
After it there is a ledge with a control tour and the third 10-meter wall (belay with hooks). Then traverse to the right along the ledge 9 - 10 meters under the wall, go to the recommended place for the night. Here is the second control tour.
The fourth wall is 40 meters long, the rocks are difficult (belay with hooks) ends with a narrow ledge, behind it is the fifth wall of a slab structure (few holds). Go to the ledge, traverse along it to the left to a chimney 30 - 35 meters high (difficult climbing, belay with hooks).
At the end of the chimney is the third control tour. Behind the chimney is the last section of difficult climbing on gray slabs, an exit to the ridge, along it to the summit. Descent along the northern option through the chimney with a plug or to the south towards the Ordzhonikidze Pass. The ascent takes 18-20 hours.
The first to lay this route was in May 1962, a group of Alma-Ata climbers consisting of G. Petrashko, V. Savin, G. Shklyar under the leadership of V. Reznik.

5. Ascent to the summit of Mayakovsky along the south-eastern wall - 4a category of difficulty.

Approach to the south-eastern wall of Mayakovsky Peak through the Ordzhonikidze or Antikainen passes. Pay special attention to the descent from the Antikainen pass along a steep snow slope. When moving, strictly adhere to the middle of the slope (rockfalls).
Go around the massif of the Antikainen and Otechestvennoy Voyny peaks, go out under the south-eastern wall of Mayakovsky Peak. The initial bivouac is on the moraine of the Eastern Ordzhonikidze glacier. To study the rockfall regime, spend two days under the south-eastern wall.
Start the route very early. Climb the wall along light rocks alternating with scree. Then a section of slabs with a steepness of 25 - 30 ° (the first control round), which lead directly to the foot of the south-eastern wall of the summit. At the first stage, move along an unclear crevice, the walls of which are made of monoliths, their steepness is 75 - 80 °.
The first person has to climb the full length of the rope with extreme caution, slightly deviating to the right. Only after 30 meters on a small ledge, above it there is a 3-4-meter wall, there is a crack (belay with hooks). Only one person can be accepted onto the platform.
On the belay with hooks, the first one goes up 8 meters, where there is a ledge for belay. From here, traverse to the right along an inclined platform strewn with stones. Go 8-10 meters under a rocky section of medium difficulty. Go up with a slight deviation to the left to a platform covered with moss.
Above it, to the left there is a smoothed narrow (no more than 50 cm), inclined terrace 10-12 meters long. Straight up - a wall with a negative slope, to the right - a rock cave. Here in the crack, a note is left for orientation. Go to a steep wall along a narrow terrace (belay with hooks), then turn right and walk along a very difficult rocky section without cracks for 25 - 30 meters to a platform where it is possible to organize belay through a ledge.
This inclined platform with loosely lying stones is up to 3 meters wide and up to 15 meters long. Only here can the whole group gather. In case of bad weather, this is the only place on the wall where you can organize an overnight stay. This is the control tour.
To the left of the platform is a wall of red rocks, to the right is a chimney with a pile of stones, straight ahead is a section of rocks of medium difficulty. After 5 meters, difficult rocks begin. You need to go straight up. After 10 meters, it is possible to hammer in a rock hook.
Then move left along a steep smooth terrace up to 50 cm wide, which will lead to a steep smooth slab (belay with hooks), resting against a 15-meter inner corner. It is necessary to go around it to the right along a very difficult rocky section, then, moving to the left over the right ridge of the corner, go to a small cornice along medium rocks (belay through a hook and a ledge).
Here is a control round, the group can gather together again. Using a hook belay, climb 15 meters to a platform with a slope inside the massif, then along rocks of medium difficulty - to a large ledge. From it, the route goes to the left along rocks of easy and medium difficulty.
After 20 - 25 meters, an exit to a platform littered with debris, and through it to the pre-summit on the southern side. From here to the summit there is a wide, heavily destroyed ridge. Descent from the southern side to the Ordzhonikidze Pass, and from it to the original bivouac.
The first ascent along the south-eastern wall was made on July 5, 1957 by a group of Alma-Ata climbers under the leadership of V. Savukhin.

5. Ascent to the top of Mayakovsky along the eastern wall - 4a category of difficulty.

Having descended from the initial bivouac on the Ordzhkonikidze Pass to the Eastern Ordzhonikidze Glacier, walk along the wall of the Mayakovsky summit. Approximately from the middle of it, a ridge goes south, behind which the eastern wall with gray-black streaks rises.
In the ridge, there is a noticeable saddle, from which the route begins. The saddle stands out on the bright red rocks of the ridge. To the right of it are red rocks, to the left - black, stepped structure. Here is the first control round. rom the saddle, climb along black, then gray rocks straight up under the wall with a crevice (70 - 80 meters).
Then go out onto a large ledge (belay with hooks). There is a large stone near the wall. Here is the second control round. From the tour, move left along a 5-meter shelf, then turn right onto a shelf located to the right of the chimney (the lower belay point).
The chimney is wide at the bottom, with cracks on the left that are convenient for hook belay. When leaving the chimney, traverse 6 meters to the left and up. There is a large feather here that is convenient for belaying in the chimney; there are cracks for hook belay.
From here, turn left along the shelf around the rocky corner, then move slightly down, then along a wide shelf to the junction of the routes along the southeastern and eastern walls of the summit. Mayakovsky (belay with hooks). The whole group can gather here.
The final part of the route is described in the previous section. The ascent takes 13 - 14 hours. Descent from the southern side to the Ordzhonikidze Pass.
The first to lay this route in 1956 was a group of rated climbers from the Kok Bastau mountaineering camp led by L. Aleksashin.

6. Ascent to the top of Mayakovsky along the western wall - 3b category of difficulty.

For the ascent to the top of Mayakovsky along the western wall, the initial bivouac can be organized on the moraine of the Tuyuksu glacier. The starting point of the route is the couloir. Start moving slightly to the left of it, about 50 meters up towards the isthmus in the northern ridge.
After 15 - 20 meters there is a ledge 30 - 40 meters long, which leads to a couloir (belay with hooks, 2 hooks). The movement continues along the couloir (belay with hooks, 2-3 hooks) to the ridge. Before reaching it, overcome slabs with a steepness of 40 - 45° (difficult climbing, belay with hooks, 3 hooks).
Then go through a section of rocks of medium difficulty, 50 - 60 meters long (belay with hooks, through ledges). Overcoming the rocky ridge goes with alternating belay to the very top. Descent along the western ridge or northern ridge. The ascent takes 7 - 8 hours.
The first ascent was made in July 1952 by a group of instructors from the Tuyuksu mountaineering camp, consisting of: Yu. Karas, A. Kolegov, N. Sokolov, under the leadership of I. Cherepov.

Authority:
Brief encyclopedia of the Kazakh SSR, volume 2, Nature, Alma-Ata, 1990.
"Across the Trans-Ili Alatau." V.I. Stepanova. Almaty, Kazakhstan, 1976.

Photos by:
Alexander Petrov..