Chizdzhytykhokh
2,823 m
Russia
Also known as ЧизджытыхохAlso known as
Чизджытыхох
- Elevation
- 2,823 m
- Prominence
- 1,034 m
- Difficulty
- 3/10
- Mountain hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1A treeless, steady climb of about 1,000 m from the Dargavs (Zeleny) pass (1,791 m) on the Dargavs–Kani road: a farm track towards Kani to the foot of the mountain, then grassy south slopes past rocks and a short stretch of loose scree to a small summit platform with views over the Genaldon valley, the Karmadon gorge and the Maili glacier.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.5 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,403 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 2,823 m
- Time Up
- 5h 22m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 31m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start in Dargavs (about 1,500 m) or drive up the road from the City of the Dead, which climbs in wide, gentle zigzags to the plateau of the Dargavs or Zeleny pass (1,791 m) between the Gizeldon and Genaldon (Karmadon) valleys. You cannot miss it: there is an apiary and, a little further on, a memorial. The only spring is just below the pass on the Dargavs side; there is no water higher up. From the pass you can head straight up the grass from the memorial, but it is easier to follow a broad track a little further towards Kani, which leads almost to the foot of the summit. From there the climb is long and unrelenting: past rocks and, in places, short sections of loose scree, up the gentle grassy south side to the summit, a small platform running west to east. The west side is rocky and the north side is cut by sheer canyons, so stay on the southern slopes. Descend the same way. There is no shade or shelter on the whole route, so start before dawn in summer (the party that wrote the route up left Dargavs at 03:30) to reach the top before the clouds build.
Start
Даргавс1,426 m
- No public transport to Dargavs was confirmed; drive or take a taxi from Vladikavkaz (about 40 km) via the Gizeldon (Karmadon) gorge or Verkhny Fiagdon.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Даргавс1,426 m
- Summit: Чизджытыхох2,823 m
Key Passages
- Dargavs (Zeleny) pass
- Long steep grass slope with short loose scree below the summit
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 50%Overview
Chizdzhytykhokh, the 'Maidens' Mountain' (2,823 m), is a treeless summit of the Rocky Range rising above the Dargavs basin in North Ossetia, opposite Tbaukhokh. A steep but straightforward grass-and-scree walk of about 1,000 m from the Dargavs pass leads to one of the best viewpoints over the Genaldon valley, the Maili glacier and Vladikavkaz.
Chizdzhytykhokh (also spelled Chizdzhinkhokh or Chidzhitykhokh) stands on the Rocky Range between the Gizeldon valley and the Dargavs basin to the west and the Genaldon (Karmadon) gorge to the east, directly above the Dargavs or Zeleny pass that carries the road from Dargavs to Kani. Its west side is rocky, its north side is cut by sheer canyons, and its south slopes are gentle grass. The summit is a small platform running west to east.
The name means 'Maidens' Mountain' in Ossetian; one legend tells of orphan girls who carried lunch to the haymakers on the mountain and were turned to stone. The view is the reward: the Gizeldon reservoir and Vladikavkaz to the north, the Genaldon valley and the Dargavs City of the Dead below, and to the south the Khokh range with Dzhimara and the Maili glacier above the Karmadon gorge.
The ascent from the pass is a long, shadeless climb with no technical difficulty, best started before dawn in summer.
Climbing Notes
A fit hill walker can do the round trip from the Dargavs pass in a day. There is no water above the spring just below the pass on the Dargavs side and no shade or shelter on the mountain, so carry plenty of water and sun protection, start early (before dawn in July and August) and be off the top before afternoon cloud and storms. The upper slopes have short sections of loose scree. Keep to the southern side; the west and north faces are cliffs. If your plans include the Genaldon (Karmadon) valley beyond Kani, which has been in the border zone, check the current border-zone rules and register with the MChS rescue service in Vladikavkaz.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Good
- November: Possible
- December: Not advisable
- May
- Snow patches on the upper slopes
- Jul
- Start before dawn; afternoon cloud
- Aug
- Spring below the pass still running in August
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts. Guesthouses in Dargavs and Karmadon/Kani; camp sites on the pastures.
- Rules
- 2012 reports place the Genaldon (Karmadon) valley in the Russian border zone, with a border post near Kani; the Dargavs side was not reported as needing a pass
- Getting There
Dargavs; Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz (OGZ)
- By car or taxi from Vladikavkaz to Dargavs (about 40 km) via the Gizeldon (Karmadon) gorge or Verkhny Fiagdon
- From Dargavs the road climbs in wide zigzags from the City of the Dead to the Dargavs (Zeleny) pass, 1,791 m
Hazards
- Weather
- Rockfall