The south buttress of Peak of the Army Topographers. Red line marks the ascent route; blue line marks the descent. Courtesy of www.mountain.ru.
A Russian expedition has climbed the remote Chinese (southern) flank of 22,549-foot Peak of the Army Topographers via its beautiful central buttress. The team approached the peak from Aksu, China, and climbed in classic expedition style, using numerous camps and fixed ropes. They summited on August 19, after about two weeks on the mountain.
In 2002 and 2004, some of the same team members explored this region, south of well-known Pobeda Peak; in 2004 they climbed and traversed Kashkar, making the first ascent of the 21,112-foot peak.
The south flank of Peak of the Army Topographers. The new route climbs the second buttress from the foreground, directly to the highest point. Courtesy of www.mountain.ru.