Mount Addala-Shukhgelmeer
4,152 m
Russia
Also known as Гӏадамал щолареб мегӏер, Addala-Šuchgelmeer, +5Also known as
Гӏадамал щолареб мегӏер · Addala-Šuchgelmeer · Adalla-Schuchrelmeer · Gora Addala Shukgelmezr · ადალა-შუხგელმერი · Аддала-Шухгельмеэр · Адалла-Шухгельмеэр
- Elevation
- 4,152 m
- Prominence
- 1,792 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: Nesser pass 1B (Russian pass grade) on the approach (youth hiking route list (sutur.balticbereg.ru))
The usual line from the north: from the road end at Tsobe-Godari in the Kila valley to the Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station (2,927 m), then up the north-west ridge past the subsidiary top of Nesser (about 3,500 m) and along a sharp, rocky ridge to the summit. No official grade; about 1,200 m from the station, with loose scree and route-finding above 3,500 m.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.2 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +2,127 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 4,152 m
- Time Up
- 8h 11m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 23m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From the old village of Tindi a rough road runs up the Kila gorge for about 8 km to the summer hamlet of Aknada and 6 km further to Tsobe-Godari, a single summer farmstead where the road ends and the valley forks: south to the Belengi pasture and glaciers, east to the weather station. The path to the east climbs steeply for about 4 km to the Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station at 2,927 m, the highest in Russia. Most climbers spend the night there, in an empty room offered by the staff or in a tent; water comes from a stream by the path or from the North Addala glacier. From the station the path up the north-west ridge is simple and well trodden almost to the subsidiary top of Nesser (just over 3,500 m), where it fades among rocks. The ridge then runs roughly level, even dropping slightly, for about 30 minutes, after which rock steps on the sharp ridge must be climbed or bypassed; without prior knowledge of which side to pass them, much time can be lost. Higher up there is loose scree and a narrow, exposed rocky crest above the glaciers; the last metres to the summit follow a sharp ridge. In 2008 a dry tree trunk marked the summit. Descend the same way. Local climbers also start from the Tsabigadari base camp below the station and climb about 2,000 m in one push via the Belengi glacier cirque, a much longer day. Strong, gusty wind on the ridge is common.
Start
Tsobe-Godari2,061 m
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tsobe-Godari → Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station | 4.5 | 849 | 0 | 3h 23m |
| 2 | Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station → Addala-Shukhgelmeer | 3.7 | 1,278 | 36 | 4h 48m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Tsobe-Godari2,061 m
End of the road from Tindi via Aknada; summer farmstead
- Hut: Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station2,910 m
Staffed weather station; climbers usually sleep here
- Shoulder: Nesser3,474 m
Subsidiary top on the north-west ridge, just over 3,500 m; position not located
- Summit: Addala-Shukhgelmeer4,152 m
Key Passages
- Steep path from Tsobe-Godari to the weather station
- Rock steps on the north-west ridge above Nesser (about 3,500 m)
- Loose scree and the sharp, exposed summit ridge
Equipment
0/8 packedDownloads
Route confidence 45%Overview
The highest point of the glaciated Bogos range (4,152 m) and the third-highest summit in Dagestan, a star-shaped peak of crumbling black shale above the Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station, the highest in Russia. A remote, little-documented ascent by a sharp rocky ridge.
Addala-Shukhgelmeer rises in the Bogos range, a high transverse ridge of the eastern Greater Caucasus in Dagestan, between the basins of the Andi Koysu and the Avar Koysu. Ridges converge on the summit from several directions, giving it a star shape from the air, and the Bogos range carries significant glaciers because it intercepts the last moist westerly air before the drier ranges further east. Neighbours include Bochek (4,116 m) to the south-west, Belengi (4,053 m) and Anchobala (4,111 m) to the west, and Ijena (4,025 m) to the east.
The usual approach is from the north, up the Kila gorge past the old village of Tindi and the summer hamlet of Aknada to the end of the road at Tsobe-Godari, then on foot to the Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station at 2,927 m, which serves as a base. From there the north-west ridge leads over the subsidiary top of Nesser to a sharp, rocky upper ridge. The black shale is loose, the rock steps above 3,500 m are hard to find a way around, and strong wind is common.
Few foreign climbers come here; information is mostly in Russian trip reports and local accounts, and the area has little tourist infrastructure. Glaciers, the Shukhgel lake and an ice cave below the North Addala glacier attract trekkers even without a summit attempt.
Climbing Notes
Treat this as a remote alpine ascent: about 1,200 m from the weather station, with loose scree, exposed rocky ridge and possible snow and ice. Bring a helmet, ice axe and crampons, and a short rope for the rock steps, and allow a long summit day starting before dawn. Acclimatise with a night at the station or higher. A GPS track and, ideally, a local guide or someone who knows the ridge save a lot of time; solo attempts have failed through route-finding on the upper ridge.
The weather station staff have long hosted climbers, but space is not guaranteed and a tent is advisable. Plan for a day from Tindi to the station and a long summit day, plus a reserve day for weather. Check current travel advice for Dagestan and any local registration requirements before going.
History
The first recorded ascent was made in 1892 by the German geographer and mountaineer Gottfried Merzbacher from the Belengi gorge, at the end of an expedition through the Caucasus; he measured the height at about 4,140 m, settling a dispute over whether nearby Bochek was higher, and recorded the peak under the name Saaratl. In 1935 the academician August Letavet and the physicist Igor Tamm climbed it, as did Professor Delaunay in the same year. The Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station has operated on its slopes since about the 1960s–70s.
Season
Best Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Good
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; road to Tsobe-Godari likely impassable
- Feb
- Winter
- Mar
- Winter
- Apr
- Deep snow
- May
- Snow on the ridge; spring floods on the Kila road
- Jun
- Snow on the upper ridge
- Jul
- Summer season; storms and cold nights
- Aug
- Best month; reported successful ascents in August
- Sep
- Colder; early snow possible
- Oct
- Early winter
- Nov
- Winter
- Dec
- Winter
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- No huts. Climbers usually stay at or beside the weather station by arrangement with the staff, or camp; in Aknada local families sometimes host travellers.
- Rules
- The Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather station is a working state facility; ask the staff before staying or camping beside it
- Getting There
Agvali (Tsumadinsky district); Makhachkala is the regional capital
Makhachkala Uytash (MCX)
- By road from Makhachkala to the Tsumadinsky district and the village of Tindi, then about 14 km of rough track up the Kila gorge via Aknada to Tsobe-Godari (heavy rain can block the track with rockfall)
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Exposure
- Weather
- Glacier
- Remoteness
- Altitude
Huts & Shelters
1- 2,927 m
Sulak-Vysokogornaya weather stationRefugeStaffed
Staffed year-round as a weather station; informal shelter for climbers