Gvandra
3,985 m
Russia, Georgia
Also known as გვანდრა, გვანდრა - Гвандра, +1Also known as
გვანდრა · გვანდრა - Гвандра · Гвандра
- Elevation
- 3,985 m
- Prominence
- 825 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: 1B (Russian), main summit from the Myrdy (Mordy) glacier (Soviet guide 'Vershiny Zapadnogo Kavkaza' (kmvline.ru)) · 2A (Russian) via Gvandra Central from the Myrdy glacier (1B) and the Central–Main traverse (Uzunkol alpine camp route list) · 1B (Russian) for the main summit from the west, from the Indryukol gorge (I. Yuryev, 1931) (Uzunkol alpine camp route list)
The classic line from the Uzunkol alpine camp: up the Myrdy valley to a bivouac by the Myrdy glacier icefall (about 2,800 m), then crevassed firn slopes right of the icefall to a snow plateau at about 3,700 m below the Central and Main summits, and a short snow slope over a bergschrund to the saddle just east of the top. Corniced ridge; snow conditions decide the difficulty.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 13.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,061 m
- −112 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 3,985 m
- Time Up
- 8h 50m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 6h 14m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the Uzunkol alpine camp (about 2,000 m) follow the path up the Myrdy (Mordy) valley past the shepherds' huts (koshes), crossing the river by bridges, to the boulder field at the head of the flat valley floor. Climb beside the last stream before the glacier and follow a path up over glacier-smoothed slabs to the last grassy terrace below the moraines: the Myrdy bivouac (about 2,800 m in the Soviet guide), 2–3.5 hours from the camp depending on the source. After long rain the valley floor is boggy; keep to the foot of the right-hand slopes. Leave very early (02:00–03:00) while the snow is frozen, in crampons. Go up snowfields or moraines to the level part of the Myrdy glacier above its icefall, then climb steep firn south-west, keeping right of the icefall that falls from the upper plateau and avoiding large crevasses; in good snow about 3 hours to the almost level snow plateau at about 3,700 m below the Central and Main summits. Follow the plateau south-west below Gvandra Central, cross the bergschrund and climb the snow slope right to the saddle between the Main and Central summits (about 1 hour). The ridge carries big cornices overhanging the north side, so stay 2–3 m below the crest on the south side for the last few minutes and the final 30 m to the summit. Descend the same way with great care on sun-softened snow, especially on the steep upper slope below the plateau: 2.5–3 hours to the bivouac and about 2 more to the camp. This description is from a Soviet guide of the late 1930s. The modern Uzunkol route list gives the main-summit 1B as from the west (Indryukol gorge) and lists Central from the Myrdy glacier (1B) plus the Central–Main traverse (2A); the current Uzunkol guidebook warns that glacier melt has changed all Gvandra routes, mostly making them harder, and bare ice can appear on the slopes in late summer.
Start
Альплагерь "Узункол"2,036 m
- None to the camp: train to Cherkessk or Nevinnomysskaya, or fly to Mineralnye Vody, then road via Karachayevsk and Khurzuk; the camp arranges transfers
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Альплагерь "Узункол" → Ночёвки Мырды | 8.3 | 671 | 101 | 3h 28m |
| 2 | Ночёвки Мырды → Гвандра | 5.6 | 1,390 | 10 | 5h 22m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Альплагерь "Узункол"2,036 m
Uzunkol alpine camp; elevation approximate
- Bivouac: Ночёвки Мырды2,604 m
Myrdy bivouac (the Soviet guide's 'Lokomotiv' bivouac by the Myrdy glacier icefall, about 2,800 m); tents only
- Feature: Ледник Мырды3,153 m
Upper snow plateau of the Myrdy glacier below the Central and Main summits (not on route line)
- Summit: Гвандра3,985 m
Key Passages
- Steep firn right of the Myrdy icefall
- Bergschrund below the Main–Central saddle
- Corniced summit ridge (keep to the south side)
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 50%Overview
The highest point of the Uzunkol area (3,985 m), a three-summited, heavily glaciated massif on the Main Caucasus Ridge between Karachay-Cherkessia and Georgia. Snow and ice routes of Russian grade 1B–3A start from the Uzunkol alpine camp in a border zone.
Gvandra is a massif of three summits at the head of the Myrdy valley, in the Uzunkol district of the Western Caucasus. The main summit stands on the Main Caucasus Ridge, which here forms the Russia–Georgia border; the Central and East summits (about 3,950–3,968 m and 3,896 m) begin a northern spur. Its north side is snowier and icier than anything else around Uzunkol, with ice walls under all three tops and a long summit ridge carrying cornices. The rock is mainly granite and gneiss. Neighbouring Dalar is only a few metres lower.
The mountain is climbed almost entirely by Russian alpinists working through the classification system from the Uzunkol alpine camp. All routes are snow, ice or mixed: 1B on each summit (the main summit from the west, the Central summit from the Myrdy glacier, the East summit from the Ak-Tyube pass), 2B ridges on the East summit and 3A ribs and traverses. The East summit is the most popular. The guidebook warns that glacier melt has changed and mostly hardened every route on the massif.
From the Myrdy valley the main summit sits far back in the cirque and is easy to overlook; from the north it shows as a white wall, which is why the botanist N. Busch called it the White Mountain in 1899. Expect glacier travel, corniced ridges, avalanche-prone slopes after snowfall and a long approach with a tent camp.
Climbing Notes
Suitable for parties with glacier skills who are comfortable on steep snow and ice and on corniced ridges; the normal route is a Russian 1B, roughly PD-, and much harder with fresh snow or bare ice. Plan three to four days from the Uzunkol camp: one day to the Myrdy bivouac (2.5–3.5 hours), a summit day starting before dawn, and spare days for weather. Acclimatise first on lower peaks around Uzunkol. Bring full glacier kit, crampons, ice axe, helmet and a tent; there are no huts above the camp.
The Uzunkol camp offers training courses, transfers and gear rental, and can help arrange the border-zone pass, which must be organised in advance. Snow slopes on the massif become avalanche-prone after snowfall, the ridges carry large cornices on the north side, and in late summer bare ice can appear on the ridges. Stay on the Russian side: the south side of the main ridge drains to Svaneti and to Abkhazian-controlled valleys, and crossing the border is illegal.
History
N. Busch explored the area in 1899, measured the Ak-Tyube glacier (then a single tongue over 7 km long, now much retreated) and called the peak the White Mountain. The first recorded ascent of the main summit was by I. Yuryev with P. Nastenko, from the west via the Indryukol gorge (dated 1931 in the modern route list; the 1930s Soviet guide gives 1932, from the north-west). D. Sukhodolsky made the 1B on the East summit from the Ak-Tyube pass in 1936, and L. Chasovnikov's party traversed Main to East (3A) in 1937. The Uzunkol alpine camp, opened in 1959, was first named Gvandra and renamed at the demand of the local authorities. A Yugoslav team later climbed four routes on the north side and traversed the massif in both directions in a day, but left no descriptions.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; camp not operating for climbers
- May
- Deep snow; avalanche risk
- Jun
- Lots of snow; good snow on slopes but avalanche risk after storms
- Jul
- Main climbing season
- Aug
- Main season; ridges may have bare ice late in the month
- Sep
- Icier routes, shorter days, early snowfalls
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Border-zone pass (FSB Border Directorate, Cherkessk)Required
The Uzunkol gorge is in the Russian border zone; a border-zone pass issued by the Cherkessk border detachment must be shown at the border post at the entrance to the gorge. Arrange it well in advance; the Uzunkol camp handles applications as a service (send the group list and completed application forms to uzunkol@mail.ru). Satellite phones must be registered with the border detachment beforehand.
alpuzunkol.ru
- Hut Booking
- No huts on the mountain; base at the Uzunkol alpine camp (contact uzunkol@mail.ru) and camp at the Myrdy bivouac.
- Fees
- Accommodation, meals and transfers at the Uzunkol camp are paid services
- Rules
- The main summit is on the Russia–Georgia border. Do not cross to the south side: the main ridge passes lead to Svaneti and to the Sakeni valley in Abkhazian-controlled territory, and there is no legal crossing.
- Carry your passport and border-zone pass at all times; expect checks by border guards
- Getting There
Khurzuk (village); Karachayevsk (district town)
Mineralnye Vody (MRV)
- Train from Moscow to Cherkessk or Nevinnomysskaya, or fly to Mineralnye Vody; then road to Cherkessk (3–4 hours from the airport) and Karachayevsk (1 hour)
- From Karachayevsk by arranged transport 80 km to Khurzuk, then a dirt road up the Uzunkol gorge past the border checkpoint to the camp; the camp arranges transfers
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Cornices
- Avalanche
- Rockfall
- Weather
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,036 m