On August 15 Denis Urubko and Gennadiy Durov climbed a new route on the north face of Peak Pobeda (7439m). Their route Dollar Rod (6b) climbs to the right of the 1982 Smirnov route, Dollar Route (6b) and to the left of Verblud (6b, 65 degrees, Gorelik-Sokolov, 2009), a climb for which Gleb Sokolov and Vitaly Gorelik were nominated for the 2009 Piolet d’Or.
The northern aspect of Peak Pobeda (7439m) showing in green the “Abalakov Route” (6A, 1956, 2939m),
Dollar’s Route (Smirnov, 1982),
Verblud (Camel) (6b 65 degree, Sokolov-Gorelik, Pobeda West (6918m, Vazha Pshavela) 2009),
West Ridge (D.Medzamariashvili, 5B, 1961, via Pobeda West (6918m, Vazha
Pshavela), 8650m, 35 degrees), and in red “Dollar Rod” (6b, Durov, Urubko) In Russian Pobeda means “Victory”, the peak was renamed following the end of WWII. Originally it was called Pik 20 Jahre Komsomol, a name given in 1938 by first the ascensionists to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Communist Youth Group. [Photo] Mountain.Ru Archives
Urubko and Durov climbed Dollar Rod between August 10 and August 15 through inclement weather. On their second day the pair became mired in sixty to seventy centimeters of fresh snow. The threat of avalanches prevented the pair’s descent back to their base camp and instead the team sought refuge higher up on a formation known as the “Pedestal”. The next day brought better weather and Durov and Urubko were able to continue their climb. After two more days of simulclimbing through “scary” conditions the pair topped out on the summit in poor weather. This climb wrapped up an expedition to Kyrgyzstan that Urubko described on his blog as “dizzying.”
Pik Pobeda, as it is known in Russian, or Jengish Chokusu in the local Kyrgyz is the northernmost peak above 7,000m in the world and the tallest mountain in the Tien Shan range. Urubko had been eyeing the face for nineteen years and according to Anna Piunova (of Mountain.ru) the new Dollar Rod route replaces the 1982 Dollar Route as the hardest and most dangerous route on the face. Dollar Rod is not Urubko’s first new route of the season in July he and Boris Dedeshko established a new route on Peak Przewalksi (6240m).
Readers unfamiliar with Denis Urubko or Gennadiy Durov can find more information on them here and here. For readers unfamiliar with the Russian Grade of 6B the Grade Comparison Chart lists it as “6A and 6B: Multi-day routes with considerable VI or harder climbing.” –