Sofiya

From Arkhyz drive (or take one of the 4x4 shuttles) up the Sofia valley to the Lednikovaya ferma area at about 2,000 m, where there are campsites and stalls. Follow the trail towards the Sofia lakes along the Ak-Ayry stream; after about 1.5 km the route leaves it to the left and traverses grassy slopes above a large rock step with a series of waterfalls to the Spartakovskie nochevki campsites in the valley above. A clear path continues up the stream, with a steep pull on scree of mixed sizes, to the Peschanye nochevki ('sandy bivouac') on the stony debris of the Ak-Ayry glacier, about 800 m above the start. Some parties camp higher, nearer the lakes below the glaciers. On the summit day go up the Central Sofia glacier. Between the central and western glaciers two rock ribs enclose a snowfield; the 2012 party reached the left rib up a 30–35° glacier slope (stonefall below the right one), crossed to the right rib and back to the left by scree, then followed the bergschrund before climbing to the crest of the ridge, which is easy walking. The popular line goes up a scree couloir to the ridge and then 50–70 m along the ridge to the summit. The 2012 party took 13 hours from Peschanye and back, including an hour on top. Descend the same way; the Okno pass between the central and western glaciers looks like an easier way down but the 2012 party regretted trying it. Conditions vary a lot with snow cover; late in summer the snowfields shrink and the ribs and scree are looser.