Burchula

Burdzhula rises at the south-west corner of the western branch of the Karaugom plateau, on the Main Caucasus Ridge above the Karaugom gorge of North Ossetia. From Dzinaga follow the left bank of the Karaugom by road and then a pack trail through pine forest to a large meadow with narzan springs high above the Karaugom glacier (3–5 hours). Descend onto the glacier, follow its left side to a small icefall, cross onto the left-bank moraine past a lake and continue along the glacier to the side gorge of Gulari, where there is a meadow bivouac (8–10 hours from Dzinaga). Next day climb the left side of the Gulari gorge onto the Gulari glacier and cross it to a 150–200 m steep ice-snow slope (or smooth moderate rock to its right) in the couloir of the north-west buttress of the Western shoulder of the Karaugom massif, then a snow couloir and loose rock onto the buttress. Traverse a hanging glacier 250–300 m to the right to the scree saddle of the west rib, cross unstable scree with a slight descent onto the plateau above its icefall, and go round the big crevasses onto the plateau (8–12 hours from Gulari). The guide places the start bivouac for Burdzhula on the middle plateau of the western branch, below the mountain's east slopes; carry a tent, as the bivouac is hard to find in fog. From the bivouac go up snow (hidden crevasses) to the first low saddle on the north ridge, cross the bergschrund and climb the steep ice-snow left couloir (stone fall from rock islands on the right) to the ridge (cornice). Follow the snow ridge left to the first rock step: steep, very loose moderate rock with piton belays to the first shoulder. A gentle corniced snow ridge, a slope steepening to ice and 40–50 m of loose moderate rock lead to the second shoulder, then a nearly level and later sharp, steep snow crest (cornices) to the third. Continue on the broad, partly sharp ridge and finally a steep ice-snow section (piton belays) to the summit ridge and the top, 6–10 hours from the bivouac. Descend the same way.