Tbaukhokh Glavnaia
3,007 m
Russia
Also known as Тбаухох ГлавнаяAlso known as
Тбаухох Главная
- Elevation
- 3,007 m
- Prominence
- 1,267 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: 1A (Russian tourist classification) (tkmgtu.ru; hiker.ucoz.ru)
The standard radial ascent of the main summit of the Tbau massif above the Dargavs basin: a dirt road from Dargavs to the hamlet of Lamardon and pastures at Dzalaykom (camp at about 1,730 m), grass slopes to a long scree-and-snow couloir of 25–30°, a short traverse past gendarmes onto a summit plateau and the top. About 1,050–1,250 m of ascent from the camp, 4–6 hours up and 2 hours down.
About 52% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 4 check notes
- 52% approximate geometry
- DIN time down 4.31 h vs published 2.0 h (+116%)
- Ламардон → Тбаухох Главная: dem (snap_failed, 4.7 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Dzalaykom camp, Dzalaykom couloir, Gendarmes below the summit plateau
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 8.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,586 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 3,007 m
- Time Up
- 6h 25m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 4h 19m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
From Dargavs (about 1,500 m) take the dirt road west past the hamlets of Fazikau and Lamardon to the Dzalaykom pastures on the southern slopes of Tbaukhokh, where there is a winter hut and camp sites at about 1,730 m with water from a stream and springs. Groups coming from Verkhny Fiagdon reach the same area over the Kakadur pass (1,788 m) and across grassy slopes below Uatsillakhokh. A gentle climb on grass (about 1½ hours) leads to the foot of the couloir. A long rock outcrop splits it; take the left branch on scree of 20–25°, then stay in the main couloir (25–30°, snow-filled in winter and spring) to the gendarmes at about 2,700 m. A May 2012 party went right too early onto grass and reached a narrow ridge with gendarmes, from which they traversed back right into the correct couloir. Above, traverse on grass, pass a wide shallow cave, climb about 20 m onto the snowy summit plateau, and follow a rock band to the top. Loose stones are the main hazard, so keep the group tight. Descend the same way, about 2 hours to camp. Allow 4–6 hours up from Dzalaykom: 225 minutes' moving time in January 2012 and just under 6 hours in May 2012 with a route-finding detour. In winter and spring the couloir can hold hard snow needing crampons and an ice axe, and fresh avalanche debris has turned parties back.
Start
Даргавс1,426 m
- Dargavs is about 40 km from Vladikavkaz by road, via the Gizeldon (Karmadon) gorge or via Verkhny Fiagdon; a taxi is the usual option, as regular public transport was not confirmed.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Даргавс1,426 m
- Feature: Ламардон1,569 m
End of the dirt road from Dargavs
- Summit: Тбаухох Главная3,007 m
Key Passages
- Fork in the Dzalaykom couloir (keep left)
- Main couloir at 25–30°
- Traverse past the gendarmes onto the summit plateau
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 64%Overview
Tbaukhokh Main (3,007 m) is the highest summit of the Tbau massif in North Ossetia, a sacred mountain for Ossetians that rises above the Dargavs basin and its 'City of the Dead' necropolis. A Russian 1A scree-and-snow couloir leads to a summit plateau with views of Kazbek and the main Caucasus range.
The Tbau massif stands between the Kurtatin (Fiagdon) gorge to the west and the Dargavs basin and Gizeldon (Karmadon) gorge to the east, north of the main Caucasus range. It has several summits: Main (3,007 m), North-west (2,980 m), Central (2,832 m) and East (2,285 m). Tbaukhokh is regarded as a sacred mountain, and the Dargavs basin below it, at about 1,500 m, is famous for the City of the Dead: 95–97 stone crypts built mainly in the 14th–18th centuries, the largest such complex in the North Caucasus.
The usual ascent is a one- or two-day trip from Dargavs or Lamardon: pastures to a camp at Dzalaykom, a long couloir of 25–30° on scree (or snow in winter and spring) and a short traverse past gendarmes onto the summit plateau. Russian tourist clubs rate it 1A and often add it as a radial climb to hikes in the middle mountains of Ossetia, combined with the Kakadur pass to Verkhny Fiagdon. From the top you look south across the Genaldon valley to Kazbek and the main range, and east to Chizdzhytykhokh.
Climbing Notes
Fit hill walkers with some experience of steep scree can do it in a long day from Dargavs or more comfortably with a camp at Dzalaykom (water from springs). Wear a helmet and keep the group close together, as stones are easily knocked down in the couloir. In late summer the line is mostly scree and grass; from late autumn to early summer the couloir can hold hard snow, so bring crampons and an ice axe and watch for avalanche debris, which has turned parties back. Carry a GPS track: the couloir forks and it is easy to end up on a gendarme ridge. Register the trip with the MChS rescue service in Vladikavkaz. If your plans include the Genaldon (Karmadon) valley or crossing towards the main range, arrange a border-zone pass in advance.
Season
Best Jul–Sep- January: Possible
- 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
- Jan
- Winter ascents possible in settled weather; deep snow on the plateau
- Mar
- Avalanche risk in the couloir
- May
- Snow in the couloir; avalanche debris possible
- Jul
- Afternoon storms
- Oct
- First snow possible
Access & Permits
- Permits
- Russian border-zone pass (only for the Genaldon/Karmadon valley and beyond)Optional
Trip reports from 2012 say the Genaldon (Karmadon) valley and Suargom gorge lie in the border zone, with passes checked by border guards. The Dargavs–Tbaukhokh route itself was not reported as needing one; check the current limits with the FSB Border Directorate for North Ossetia.
tkmgtu.ru
- Hut Booking
- No huts. Camp at Dzalaykom or stay in guesthouses in Dargavs.
- Fees
- Entry to the Dargavs City of the Dead museum is paid (80 roubles in 2012)
- Rules
- Tbaukhokh is regarded as a sacred mountain; respect shrines and local customs. At the City of the Dead, crypts may not be entered and remains may not be photographed
- Pastures at Dzalaykom are used by livestock; camp away from herds and keep water sources clean
- Getting There
Dargavs; Vladikavkaz
Vladikavkaz (OGZ)
- By car or taxi from Vladikavkaz to Dargavs (about 40 km), via the Gizeldon (Karmadon) gorge or via Verkhny Fiagdon
- From Dargavs on the dirt road to Fazikau and Lamardon
Hazards
- Rockfall
- Avalanche
- Weather