Communism Peak (7495 m)

 

Area description

On area in nine hundred square kilometers, in system of sharp ranges rises the whole bunch of the tops with enormous absolute heights.

This region after expeditions 1928-1933 yy started to name northwest Pamir, which possible considers as a part of high-mountain Pamir, it occupies around ten thousand square kilometers.

The Main map unit of northwest Pamir is a range of Academy of Sciences, opened by N. L. Korzhenevskiy. In its north part range forms the most high-mountain area of C.I.S. Here, in butting of ranges Academy of Sciences and Peter the First, high-altitude pole of our country - Communism Peak (7495 m) is situated. 

Directly from Communism Peak on north flows down the glacier Fortambek, on east - Bivachnyy, on west - Garmo. 

In northward 12 kilometers from Communism Peak, in powerful spur of Range Academy of Sciences rises one more "7-thousander" – the fourth by height top in USSR - Evgenii Korzhenevskoy Peak (7105 m).

One of the particularities of the relief high-mountain Pamir is presence of plain surfaces, similar to firn plateau of Communism Peak. They nearly around here exist in pool of the Grumm-Grzhimaylo glacier. The big part of ranges, forming boards of this glacier, rises above 4700 m, has round tops and plain protuberant slopes. Remainders of plain surfaces exist on height from 5 to 6 km even among high-mountain alpine relief in west and south parts of the region.

Certainly that one of the most interesting map particularities of high-mountain Pamir relief is Pamir firn plateau in headwaters of the Fortambek glacier on North Slope of Communism Peak.

Pamir firn plateau is high-mountain horizontal surface with enormous area, preserved among sharp ranges and deep gorges. It is located on height around 6 km above sea level and is limited with steep slopes with relative height to 2 km. Surface of plateau is dressed by snow and firn covers, thickness is measured by many tenth of meters. Plateau spreads from ridge of range of Academy of Sciences to the west, along the main watershed of Peter the First range, by its north side. It has following most sizes: length on axial line (from east, from northeast to west, to south-west) around 12 km, width (from south, from southeast to north, to northwest) around 3 km, area - 20 km2, but with framing slopes - around 31 km2.

Planed ancient surfaces last at east slope of Communism Peak. Tilted surface of basis of top ridge of Communism Peak is located in the east, approximately at level of 6800 m, but on the west - 7100 m. And here ancient horizontal surfaces occupy the area equal on length 3,5 km, on width - 2 km. Thereby, top from three sides girds the planed area, inherited from ancient relief of Pamir.

 

The Climatic peculiarities 

The most rich with drafts windward slopes, turned to winds, which carry wet. For Central Asia this basically opened west slopes though external slopes of mountains of any exposures catch the part of wet. Leeward slopes are poor with drafts, especially in cold seasons, when water vapor is not carried on heights by local circulation. In this regularity there is one peculiarity, very important for practice of alpinist ascents: leeward slopes of mountains close to mounting passes are vastly moistened on length of ten kilometers and more. This occurs for a variety of reasons. First, lines of the flow of the drafts repeat the sidebars of ranges in planed form and behind of ranges their downward occurs not immediately. Secondly, ascendant flows can extend to higher part of the leeward slope and catch the cloudy particles, droplets, but particularly snowflakes, and several raise them. Thereby, a part of drafts is carried to over wind slope. Finally, snowstorms carry the snow from windward declivity in valleys.

For high-altitude climber one of the main factors of the climatic feature of the region will be amount of rains and clouds, which in the first place influence upon success and safety of the ascent.

In August and September repeatability of clear weather is more than 50% and even gets to 70%, but repeatability of the dull weather vastly falls.

Cool invasions in region of the glacier Fedchenko accompanied with sharp reduction of temperature, significant cloud and ample draft - rain near the tongue of the glacier, and snow in average and higher parts of its flow. Naturally that on 11 slopes of surrounding tops, and, on slopes of Communism Peak first of all, drafts are in hard type only.

Long-lasting cold snaps are replaced for a short time (2-3 days) by few-cloud weather with small increasing of the temperature. In the first half of September weather patterns are not changed. 

Routes

 

Personal expedition equipment

• Snow shovel 
• Hi altitude tents for intermediate camps 
• Sunglasses 
• First-aid Kit 
• Headlamp with extra batteries 
• Cooking equipment 
• Multifuel stove 
• Sun-blocking cream Ice-axe 
• Plastic double boots for snow climbing 
• Crampons 
• Teleskoping sticks 
• Seat harness with locking carabiner 
• Rope (not more than 8 mm) 
• Sleeping bag 
• Sleeping pad