Koshtan-Tau (5,144 m): Route, Season & GPX

Routes

1

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Approximate line — not for navigation

An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.

Why? 8 check notes

danger scan: Mizhirgi Glacier → Koshtan-Tau: straight line 5165 m (limit 200 m)
danger scan: Mizhirgi Glacier → Koshtan-Tau: straight line: 67° over 25 m (> 60°, high-res DEM)
danger scan: Mizhirgi Glacier → Koshtan-Tau: sustained 65° > 45° on a straight line
danger scan: Mizhirgi Glacier → Koshtan-Tau: straight line dips 1312 m below both ends
last routed vertex 5165 m from the summit (closed by straight)
32% straight-line fallback
ascent 4971 m is 1.7× the net gain 3010 m: the line probably detours down and back up (not a traverse)
100% approximate geometry

AlpineDMixedNormal route

Sources differ: 4A (Russian) (SummitPost; SummitX ascent reports)

The only 'easy' route on Koshtan-Tau: a long approach from the Bezengi camp up the crevassed, four-step Mizhirgi icefall to the camp at about 3,900 m, then a steep (about 60°) snowfield to the corniced North Ridge, usually with a bivouac on the ridge. Russian 4A, equated with D.

Elevation Profile

approximate line

Distance: ≈ 16.3 km; one way
Ascent: ≈ +4,971 m; −1,961 m lost on the way up
High Point: 5,144 m
Time Up: ≈ 22h 32m; DIN 33466
Time Down: ≈ 18h 31m; DIN 33466 · same way back

From the Bezengi alpine camp (about 2,180 m) follow either bank of the Mizhirgi glacier to the junction of glaciers, a grassy spot where most parties camp and stash gear; reaching the foot of the peak in one day is hard, especially before acclimatisation. Above, three icefall steps must be climbed: keep to the left side for the easiest passage, watching for occasional rockfall, and rope up. On top of the third step a flat snowfield known as 'Camp 3900' makes a good camp. A fourth icefall step leads to the upper plateau below the mountain. From the plateau aim for a steep snowfield of about 60° that gains the North Ridge, then follow the line of least resistance along the crest. Cornices build up on the first half of the ridge, so keep below the highest point; the second half is less exposed to cornice collapse. Bivouacking on the ridge is common, as summit and back from the plateau in one day is hard. Descend the same way; the North Ridge is also the usual descent from the harder north-face and south-east-ridge routes. Allow about four to five days from the Bezengi camp and back, plus reserve days.

Start

Bezengi alpine camp2,134 m

None to the camp: fly to Nalchik or Mineralnye Vody; the Bezengi camp arranges transfers from Nalchik with border-zone passes.
Parking at the trailhead

Waypoints

Trailhead:
Bezengi alpine camp2,134 m
Feature:
Mizhirgi Glacier4,860 m
Follow either moraine to the junction of glaciers (camp and gear stash)
Summit:
Koshtan-Tau5,144 m

Key Passages

Three (four) icefall steps of the Mizhirgi glacier
Snowfield of about 60° to the North Ridge
Corniced lower half of the North Ridge

Equipment

0/11 packed

Downloads

Route confidence 34%

Overview

A huge ice-clad pyramid (5,144 m) at the eastern end of the Bezengi region's northern massif, one of the 'Brothers of Bezengi' with Dykh-Tau. Its easiest line, the North Ridge, is a long, corniced Russian 4A climb reached through the four-step Mizhirgi icefall.

Koshtan-Tau stands in the Koshtan massif of the Central Caucasus in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia, a few kilometres north of the Georgian border. Together with Dykh-Tau, Mizhirgi and Krumkol it encloses the northern cirque of the Bezengi valley, Dykh-Tau at the western end and Koshtan-Tau at the eastern. The name comes from Karachay-Balkar and is usually translated as 'paired mountain'. It is the fourth- or fifth-highest summit of the Caucasus depending on which height for Shkhara and Janga is accepted.

Seen from the Mizhirgi glacier, its north-west face shows how serious Caucasus climbing can be: ice-covered rock, avalanche-swept couloirs and long distances from help. There is a single route that is not technically hard, the North Ridge (Russian 4A, about D), but it is long and committing, approached through a heavily crevassed icefall, with a 60° snowfield to gain the ridge and cornices along it. Most other routes are 4B to 5B and dangerous.

Access is from the Bezengi alpine camp in Russia's border zone; passes must be arranged in advance through the camp. Most Western governments currently advise against all travel to Russia.

Climbing Notes

Only for experienced alpinists: you need confident movement in a complex icefall, the ability to lead a 60° snow or ice slope, judgement with cornices and the self-sufficiency to camp for several nights above 3,900 m. Acclimatise on lower Bezengi peaks first and plan for about four to five days from the camp plus reserve days, as weather in Bezengi is notoriously unstable.

Register your route with the Bezengi camp, which runs the local rescue service; for harder routes the camp has required parties to carry its radio and report every three hours. The camp's office has route photos and sketches, and the camp shop has sold 1:50,000 maps of the area.

The season is July and August. Winter ascents are rare because of avalanche danger on every route.

History

In 1888 the British climbers William Donkin and Harry Fox, with two Swiss guides, disappeared while attempting Koshtan-Tau. In 1889 a search party of Douglas Freshfield, Clinton Dent, Hermann Woolley and Captain Powell with the guide Maurer found their last bivouac below a pass on the ridge towards Dykh-Tau, and Woolley's party made the first ascent of Koshtan-Tau the same year. The North Ridge is credited in Russian sources as first climbed by W. Merkl, F. Bechtold and W. Raechl in 1929.

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; avalanche danger on all routes
Jun: Early season; more snow and cornices
Jul: Main season
Aug: Main season
Sep: Late season; colder, unstable weather

Access & Permits

Permits

Border-zone pass (propusk)Required
The Bezengi valley lies in Russia's border zone. Bezengi camp clients send passport details in advance and passes are brought by the camp's driver; military checkpoints turn back anyone without them.
mountain.ru
National park passRequired
Visitors not staying at the Bezengi camp need a national park pass from the park office in Kashkhatau; camp clients are covered through the camp.
mountain.ru

Hut Booking

No huts on the route; book the Bezengi alpine camp directly.

Fees

Bezengi camp registration and national park fee (camping in the park is free)
Camp transfer from Nalchik

Rules

Border zone: entry only with a valid pass
UK FCDO (and most other Western governments) advise against all travel to Russia
Register with the Bezengi camp before climbing

Getting There

Kashkhatau; Nalchik is the regional capital

Nalchik (NAL) or Mineralnye Vody (MRV)

Camp transfer by minibus from Nalchik via Kashkhatau and the border checkpoints to the Bezengi alpine camp; no public transport

Hazards

Crevasses
Glacier
Cornices
Avalanche
Rockfall
Altitude
Weather
Remoteness

Huts & Shelters

1

Bezengi alpine campHotelStaffed
2,180 m