Northern Tien Shan. Exploration of the Tien Shan. Expedition of Peter Semenov-Tian-Shansky Kyrgyzstan Tien Shan mountains

Tien Shan or " Heavenly Mountains» - one of the highest and most visited mountain systems by tourists throughout the CIS countries. This grandiose mountainous country located mainly in the western part Kyrgyzstan a and on eastern China. Its northern and northwestern ranges reach Kazakhstan a, and the southwestern spurs ran through the territories Uzbekistan a And Tajikistan a. Thus, throughout the post-Soviet space, Tien Shan mountains stretched in a kind of arch, more than 1200 km in length and almost 300 km in width.

Scientists attribute Tien Shan to fairly old mountains of the Caledonian and Hercynian folding period, which underwent subsequent uplift in the Alpine era.

However, it must be said that the tectonic activity of this mountain system continues today, as evidenced by its high seismic activity.

Many glaciers give rise mountain rivers - tributaries of Naryn like a river going down a huge staircase from Tien Shan, covering 700 km of travel and gaining gigantic power. It is not surprising that the number of large and medium-sized power plants built on Naryn e, exceeds ten.

Remarkable in beauty Tien Shan lakes, and its main pearl - Issyk-Kul, which occupies a giant tectonic depression between mountain ranges Kungey- And Terskey-Alatau. Its maximum depth reaches 702 m, and the water surface area is 6332 sq. m. The lake is the seventh largest and third deepest natural reservoir in the entire post-Soviet space.

The most significant lakes of the Inner Tien Shan are also Song Kel And Chatyr-Kel, by now, considered to be drying up. On the territory of the Syrts and in the zone of low moraine relief there are quite a lot of small lakes; in the highlands there are glacial and subglacial reservoirs, they are interesting in themselves, but of no serious significance for the climate Tien Shan don't imagine.

Mountaineering potential of the Tien Shan.

Central Tien Shan.

Two areas stand out here - glacier areas South Inylchek And Kaindy.

South Inylchek.

It is located in the extreme eastern part of the country, on the border with Kazakhstan om And China, and includes eastern slopes of the Kokshaltau ridges, Inylchek-Tau, Saryjaz, and Tengri-Tag ridges And Meridional. This area is home to one of the largest glaciers in the world - South Inylchek, the length of which is 62 km, and the width reaches 3.5 km, with an average thickness of ice up to 200 m. There are also two " seven thousandths» peaks- Pobeda Peak And Khan Tengri Peak, 23 peaks over 6000m and about 80 peaks with a height of 5000-6000m. There are more than 70 routes in the area, but two “ six thousandths"tops and about 20" five thousand meters"remained unconquered.

The marked mountain areas have practically not been visited by climbers and still contain great prospects for pioneers.

On the borders of five countries of Central Asia there are beautiful and majestic mountains - the Tien Shan. On the Eurasian mainland they are second only to the Himalayas and Pamirs, and are also one of the largest and most extensive Asian mountain systems. The Heavenly Mountains are rich not only in minerals, but also in interesting geographical facts. The description of any object is built from many points and important nuances, but only complete coverage of all directions will help to create a complete geographical image. But let's not rush, but let's dwell in detail on each section.

Figures and facts: all the most important things about the Heavenly Mountains

The name Tien Shan has Turkic roots, because the peoples of this particular linguistic group have inhabited this territory since time immemorial and still live in this region. If translated literally, the toponym will sound like Heavenly Mountains or Divine Mountains. The explanation for this is very simple, the Turks from time immemorial worshiped the sky, and if you look at the mountains, you get the impression that with their peaks they reach the very clouds, most likely that is why the geographical object received such a name. And now, some more facts about the Tien Shan.

• Where does the description of any object usually begin? Of course, from numbers. The length of the Tien Shan mountains is more than two and a half thousand kilometers. Believe me, this is a pretty impressive figure. To compare, the territory of Kazakhstan extends for 3,000 kilometers, and Russia extends for 4,000 kilometers from north to south. Imagine these objects and appreciate the scale of these mountains.
• The height of the Tien Shan mountains reaches 7000 meters. The system has 30 peaks with a height of more than 6 kilometers, while Africa and Europe cannot boast of a single such mountain.
• I would especially like to highlight the highest point of the Heavenly Mountains. Geographically, it is located on the border of Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of China. There has been a very long debate around this issue, and neither side wants to give in. The highest peak of the Tien Shan mountains is the ridge with the triumphant name - Victory Peak. The height of the object is 7439 meters.

Location of one of the largest mountain systems in Central Asia

If you transfer the mountain system onto a political map, the object will fall on the territory of five states. More than 70% of the mountains are located in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China. The rest comes from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. But the highest points and massive ridges are located in the northern part. If we consider the geographical position of the Tien Shan mountains from a regional perspective, then this will be the central part of the Asian continent.

Geographical zoning and relief

The territory of the mountains can be divided into five orographic regions. Each has its own unique topography and ridge structure. Pay attention to the photo of the Tien Shan mountains, which is located above. Agree, the grandeur and stateliness of these mountains evoke admiration. Now, let’s take a closer look at the zoning of the system:

• Northern Tien Shan. This part is almost entirely located on the territory of Kazakhstan. The main ridges are Zailiysky and Kungey Alatau. These mountains are distinguished by their average height (no more than 4000 m) and highly rugged terrain. There are many small rivers in the region that originate from glacial peaks. The region also includes the Ketmen Ridge, which Kazakhstan shares with Kyrgyzstan. On the territory of the latter, there is another ridge of the northern part - the Kyrgyz Alatau.
• Eastern Tien Shan. Of the largest parts of the mountain system, we can distinguish: Borokhoro, Bogdo-Ula, as well as medium and small ranges: Iren-Khabyrga and Sarmin-Ula. The entire eastern part of the Heavenly Mountains is located in China, mainly where the permanent settlement of the Uighurs is located; it is from this local dialect that the ranges received their names.
• Western Tien Shan. This orographic unit occupies the territories of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The largest is the Karatau ridge, and then comes the Talas Alatau, which got its name from the river of the same name. These parts of the Tien Shan mountains are quite low, the relief drops to 2000 meters. This is because this is an older region, the territory of which has not undergone repeated mountain building. Thus, the destructive power of exogenous factors did its job.
• Southwestern Tien Shan. This region is located in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. In fact, this is the lowest part of the mountains, which consists of the Fregan ridge, framing the valley of the same name.
• Central Tien Shan. This is the highest part of the mountain system. Its ranges occupy the territory of China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. It is in this part that almost all six-thousanders are located.

"Gloomy Giant" - the highest point of the Heavenly Mountains

As mentioned earlier, the highest point of the Tien Shan Mountains is called Victory Peak. It is easy to guess that the toponym got its name in honor of a significant event - the victory of the USSR in the most difficult and bloody war of the 20th century. Officially, the mountain is located in Kyrgyzstan, near the border with China, not far from the autonomy of the Uyghurs. However, for a long time the Chinese side did not want to recognize the ownership of the object by the Kyrgyz, and even after documenting the fact, it continues to look for ways to take possession of the desired peak.

This object is very popular among climbers; it is on the list of five seven-thousanders that must be conquered to receive the title “Snow Leopard”. Near the mountain, just 16 kilometers to the southwest, is the second highest peak of the Divine Mountains. We are talking about Khan Tengri - the highest point of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Its height is only slightly less than seven kilometers and is 6995 meters.

Centuries-old history of rocks: geology and structure

In the place where the Tien Shan Mountains are located, there is an ancient belt of increased endogenous activity; these zones are also called geosynclines. Since the system has a fairly decent height, this suggests that it was subject to secondary uplift, although it has a rather ancient origin. Research shows that the base of the Heavenly Mountains is composed of Precambrian and Lower Paleozoic rocks. The mountain strata were subjected to long-term deformations and the influence of endogenous forces, which is why the minerals are represented by metamorphosed gneisses, sandstones and typical limestone and slate.

Since much of this region was flooded during the Mesozoic, the mountain valleys are covered with lacustrine sediments (sandstone and clay). The activity of glaciers also did not pass without a trace; morainic deposits stretch from the highest peaks of the Tien Shan mountains and reach the very border of the snow line.

The repeated uplift of the mountains in the Neogene had a very significant impact on their geological structure; relatively “young” volcanic-type rocks are found in the parent basement. It is these inclusions that are the mineral and metallic minerals in which the Divine Mountains are very rich.

The lowest part of the Tien Shan, which is located in the south, has been exposed to exogenous agents for thousands of years: the sun, winds, glaciers, temperature changes, and water during flooding. All this could not but affect the structure of the rocks; nature greatly battered their slopes and “exposed” the mountains to the very parent rock. The complex geological history influenced the heterogeneity of the Tien Shan relief, which is why high snowy peaks alternate with valleys and dilapidated plateaus.

Gifts of the Heavenly Mountains: minerals

A description of the Tien Shan Mountains cannot do without mentioning mineral resources, because this system brings very good income to the states in whose territories it is located. First of all, these are complex conglomerates of polymetallic ores. Large deposits are found in all five countries. Most of the minerals in the depths of the mountains are lead and zinc, but you can find something rarer. For example, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have established antimony mining, and there are also separate deposits of molybdenum and tungsten. In the southern part of the mountains, near the Fregan Valley, coal is mined, as well as other fossil fuels: oil and gas. Rare elements found include strontium, mercury and uranium. But most of all, the territory is rich in building materials and semi-precious stones. The slopes and foothills of the mountains are strewn with small deposits of cement, sand and various types of granite.

However, many mineral resources are not accessible for development, because the infrastructure is very poorly developed in mountainous regions. Mining in hard-to-reach places requires very modern technical means and large financial investments. States are in no hurry to develop the subsoil of the Tien Shan and often transfer the initiative to the private hands of foreign investors.

Ancient and modern glaciation of the mountain system

The height of the Tien Shan mountains is several times higher than the snow line, which means it is no secret that the system is covered by a huge number of glaciers. However, the situation with glaciers is very unstable, because in the last 50 years alone, their number has decreased by almost 25% (3 thousand square kilometers). For comparison, this is even larger than the area of ​​the city of Moscow. The depletion of snow and ice cover in the Tien Shan threatens the region with a serious environmental disaster. Firstly, it is a natural source of nutrition for rivers and alpine lakes. Secondly, this is the only source of fresh water for all living things that inhabit the mountain slopes, including local peoples and settlements. If changes continue at the same pace, then by the end of the 21st century, the Tien Shan will lose more than half of its glaciers and will leave four countries without a valuable water resource.

Non-freezing lake and other water bodies

The highest mountain of the Tien Shan is located near the highest lake in Asia - Issyk-Kul. This object belongs to the state of Kyrgyzstan, and is popularly called the Unfreezing Lake. It's all about low pressure at high altitude and water temperature, thanks to which the surface of this lake never freezes. This place is the main tourist area of ​​the region, covering an area of ​​more than 6 thousand square kilometers, with a huge number of high-mountain resorts and various recreational areas.

Another picturesque water body of the Tien Shan is located in China, literally a hundred kilometers from the main trading city of Urumqi. We are talking about Lake Tienshi - this is a kind of “Pearl of the Heavenly Mountains”. The water there is so clean and transparent that it is difficult to realize the depth because it seems that you can literally reach the bottom with your hand.

In addition to lakes, the mountains are cut by a huge number of river valleys. Small rivers originate from the very tops and are fed by melted glacial waters. Many of them are lost on the slopes of the mountains, others unite into larger bodies of water and carry their waters to the foot.

From picturesque meadows to icy peaks: climate and natural conditions

Where the Tien Shan Mountains are located, natural zones replace each other with height. Due to the fact that the orographic units of the system have heterogeneous relief, different natural zones may be located at the same level in different parts of the Heavenly Mountains:

• Alpine meadows. They can be located both at an altitude of more than 2500 meters and at 3300 meters. The peculiarity of this landscape is the lush, hilly valleys that surround bare rocks.
• Forest zone. Quite rare in this region, mainly in inaccessible high mountain gorges.
• Forest-steppe. The trees in this zone are low, mostly small-leaved or coniferous. To the south, the meadow and steppe landscape is more clearly visible.
• Steppe. This natural area covers foothills and valleys. There is a huge variety of meadow grasses and steppe plants. The further south the region, the more clearly visible is the semi-desert and in some places even desert landscape.

The climate of the Heavenly Mountains is very harsh and unstable. It is influenced by opposing air masses. In summer, the Tien Shan Mountains are under the rule of the tropics, and in winter, polar currents dominate here. In general, the region can be called quite arid and sharply continental. In summer there are often dry winds and unbearable heat. In winter, temperatures can drop to record levels, and frosts often occur in the off-season. Precipitation is very unstable, with most of it occurring in April and May. It is the unstable climate that influences the reduction in the area of ​​ice sheets. Also, sudden changes in temperature and constant winds have a very negative effect on the topography of the region. The mountains are slowly but surely being destroyed.

An untouched corner of nature: animals and plants

The Tien Shan Mountains have become home to a huge number of living beings. The fauna is extremely diverse and varies significantly depending on the region. For example, the Northern part of the mountains is represented by European and Siberian types, while the Western Tien Shan is inhabited by typical representatives of the Mediterranean, African and Himalayan regions. You can also safely meet typical representatives of mountain fauna: snow leopards, snowcocks and mountain goats. The forests are inhabited by common foxes, wolves and bears.

The flora is also very diverse; fir and Mediterranean walnut can easily coexist in the region. In addition, a huge number of medicinal plants and valuable herbs are found here. This is a real phyto-pantry of Central Asia.

It is very important to protect the Tien Shan from human influence; for this purpose, two reserves and one national park have been created in the region. There are so few places left on the planet with untouched nature, so it is important to devote every effort to preserve this wealth for posterity.

Central Tien Shan

The Central Tien Shan is the highest and most majestic part of the Tien Shan mountain system. This is a huge “knot” of mountain ranges with a total length of about 500 km from west to east and 300 km from north to south. This is the most picturesque region of the Tien Shan, which is a complex system of intertwined mountain ranges (Terskey-Ala-Too, Sary-Jaz, Kui-Liu, Tengri-Tag, Enilchek, Kakshaal-Too, Meridional Ridge, etc.), crowned with majestic peaks the northernmost of the highest mountains on the planet - Lenin Peak (7134 m), Pobeda Peak (7439 m) and the fantastic Khan Tengri Pyramid (7010 m, probably the most beautiful and difficult peak of the Tien Shan to climb). In the north, the Boro-Khoro ridge connects the Tien Shan with the Dzungarian Alatau system. Almost the entire territory of this region is located above 1500 m above sea level, and the mountain peaks are covered with centuries-old snow caps, giving rise to many dozens of glaciers, rivers and streams. There are over 8,000 ice fields and glaciers here, the most representative of which are the Southern (length about 60 km) and Northern (35 km) Inylchek (Enilchek, “The Little Prince”), Jetyoguz-Karakol (22 km), Kaindy (26 km) , Semenova (21 km) and others, whose total area exceeds 8100 sq. km.

The relief of most of the Tien Shan ridges is high-mountainous, strongly dissected by numerous valleys (the northern slopes are much more rugged than the southern ones), with highly developed glacial forms. There are many screes on the slopes, there are glaciers, on glaciers there are moraines, and at the foot there are numerous alluvial cones. Mountain river valleys have a large difference in height and a clearly visible stepped profile with flat swampy terraces - “sazs”. Many large valleys are surrounded by high-mountain plateaus - "syrts", whose height sometimes reaches 4700 m. On the plateaus and highlands of the mid-altitude part of the ridges there are high-mountain pastures "jailoo", covered with forbs and alpine meadows. At altitudes from 1000 to 2000 meters, the foothills of the ridges are bordered by foothill adyrs. There are about 500 lakes here, the largest of which are Song-Kol (Son-Kul - “disappearing lake”, 270 sq. km) and Chatyr-Kel (Chatyr-Kul, 153 sq. km).

The Central Tien Shan is a real Mecca of international mountaineering, therefore it is the vicinity of the seven-thousanders that is the most studied part of the Tien Shan. The most popular points of attraction for climbers and trekkers are the areas of the Tengri-Tag ridge and Khan Tengri peak ("Lord of the Sky", 7010 m), Tomur Pass, Pobeda Peak (7439 m) and the Inylchek glacier, the basin of the unique Merzbacher Lake in the eastern part of the mountain system, Semenov-Tien-Shansky peak (4875 m), Free Korea peak (4740 m) and the famous Crown (4855 m) as part of the Kyrgyz ridge, Communism peak (7505 m) and Korzhenevskaya peak (7105 m, this is already the Pamirs, but few climbers would agree to pass by these great mountains), the ice walls of the Kakshaal-Too (Kokshaal-Tau) ridge, which includes three peaks with a height of more than 6000 m and about a dozen peaks with a height of more than 5000 m, the Ak-Shyyrak massif and many other, no less attractive regions.

Despite the harsh climate and mountainous landscape, the territory of the Tien Shan has been inhabited since ancient times, as evidenced by numerous stone sculptures, rock paintings and burial grounds scattered in abundance throughout the territory of this mountainous country. Historical and cultural monuments of the medieval period are widely represented - fortified settlements like Koshoy-Korgon, which arose on the basis of nomadic camps, khan headquarters and on caravan routes from the Fergana Valley through the Tien Shan. One of the most famous and popular tourist sites in this region is the Tash-Rabat caravanserai (X-XII centuries), built in the inaccessible but picturesque Kara-Koyun gorge. Also widely known are Saimaluu-Tash or Saimaly-Tash (“Patterned Stones”) - a whole gallery of rock paintings in the gorge of the same name (more than 107 thousand petroglyphs of the 2nd-3rd millennia BC) not far from Kazarman, stone sculptures of Kyr-Dzhol (VI -VIII centuries) on the shores of Lake Song-Kol, petroglyphs of the Chumysh rocks (III-I thousand years BC, Fergana Range), numerous rock carvings of the Issyk-Kul, Naryn and Talas regions. The ancient caravan route through the Torugart pass (height 3752 m) is also worthy of attention. This long (total length about 700 km) route from Central Asia to Chinese Kashgar (Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) passes through cold gorges and narrow passes of Terksey-Ala-Too, Moldo-Too, At-Bashi and Maydantag, through spectacularly beautiful landscapes and the most ancient caravan routes of the Great Silk Road.

Western Tien Shan

The Western Tien Shan mountain system lies on the very edge of the Tien Shan mountainous country, reaching out with its spurs to the hot sands of the deserts of Central Asia. The relief of these places is somewhat lower than in the central part of the mountain system, the leveling surfaces are more extensive, and the elevated plateaus are less numerous (Palatkhon, Angrenskoye, Ugamskoye and Karzhantau - all in the west of the region). The highest points of the Western Tien Shan are Chatkal Peak (4503 m) in the ridge of the same name, Manas Peak (4482 m) in the Talas Alatau and Mount Baubash-Ata (4427 m) in the western part of the Fergana Range. Glaciation is insignificant, the snow line runs at altitudes of 3600-3800 m on the northern slopes and 3800-4000 m on the southern ones. The rivers of the Western Tien Shan (Angren, Akbulak, Itokar, Karaunkur, Koksu, Maydantal, Maili-Suu, Naryn, Oygaing, Padysha-Ata, Pskem, Sandalash, Ugam, Chatkal and others) have rapids, are fed by glaciers and snow, and flow along narrow gorges (in the upper reaches), in the middle reaches they usually have wide valleys, but in the lower reaches they again form canyon shapes. It is simply difficult to find better places for rafting and rafting than local rivers.

The vegetation of the Western Tien Shan, despite the low amount of precipitation that falls here, is quite diverse - steppes and deciduous forests in the lower belt, shrubs and meadows in the middle, as well as alpine meadows and high-mountain heaths closer to the peaks. About 370 species of animals and approximately 1,200 species of higher plants live here, and the complex topography leads to the formation of numerous local ecocenoses inhabited by unique species of plants and animals. Therefore, the mountainous regions of the Western Tien Shan, although developed by tourists to a much lesser extent than the eastern regions, have their own undoubted set of attractions. The level of difficulty of the hikes carried out here is much lower, so less prepared tourists can take part in them, and their relatively short length makes it even easier. The easiest routes are laid through the Keksuysky, Kuraminsky, Sargardon-Kumbel, Ugamsky and Chatkalsky ridges. Somewhat more difficult, II-III categories, go through the Talas Alatau, Pskem and Maydantal (Maidantag) ridges, along the Baubash-Ata, Isfan-Dzhaylyau, Kekirim-Tau (Fergana ridge) mountains, and the most difficult routes pass in these same areas, capturing the surroundings of the peaks Chatkal (4503 m), Manas (4482 m) and Kattakumbel (3950 m) and Babayob (3769 m), fortunately the terrain here is so diverse that it allows you to pass sections of all difficulty levels within one route.

The most favorable time for trekking in the mountains of the Western Tien Shan is from the end of April to the end of October, but already in March-May there is a huge number of both organized groups and “wild” tourists.

History of the discovery of the Tien Shan peaks

Inaccessible mountain steeps, always snowy, with almost sheer slopes, the highest peaks piercing their sharp peaks into the blue sky, harsh glaciers and snowstorms have protected the geographical mysteries of the Tien Shan for many centuries.

The honor of studying this mountainous country belongs to our domestic science.

The first explorer of the Tien Shan was the famous Russian geographer P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, who penetrated into the very heart of the Heavenly Mountains, to the Tengri-Tag massif. Following P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky explored this little-studied area of ​​the country by N.A. Severtsov, I.V. Mushketov, I.V. Ignatiev and other Russian scientists, who with their works made an invaluable contribution to the study of the Tien Shan. But, not having the means to organize large expeditions and not finding support from the tsarist government; lone explorers could not penetrate the remote areas of this mountainous country.

The Great October Socialist Revolution radically changed the life of the peoples of former Tsarist Russia. In the Soviet Union, the national economy, science, and culture reached their peak. From the first days of Soviet power, scientists of our country were provided with comprehensive state assistance; hundreds of large scientific institutions were created, large complex expeditions were organized to study many regions of our great Motherland.

Soviet people also came to the peaks of the Tien Shan. Neither stormy rivers nor high mountain ranges stopped them - they penetrated into the kingdom of eternal winter and tore off the mysterious covers from the mountain giants.

The discovery in 1943 of Pobeda Peak, the main peak of the Tien Shan with a height of 7439 m, was one of the largest geographical discoveries of the last twenty years.

Pobeda Peak

The vast mountainous country of Tien Shan lies in the very heart of Asia. Its mountain ranges stretch from west to east for more than two and a half thousand kilometers.

The spurs of the westernmost ranges of the Tien Shan - Talas, Chatkal, Fergana and Kuramin descend to the capital of the Uzbek SSR, the city of Tashkent. The Fergana, Chatkal and Kuramin ridges enclose the Fergana Valley from the north. The eastern spurs of the Tien Shan ranges reach the western edge of the Gobi Desert.

A characteristic feature of the Tien Shan is the latitudinal elongation of both the entire mountain region as a whole and most of its mountain ranges and ridges. In the meridional direction from north to south, the boundaries of the region extend only 300-400 km, and all of it fits within 40-44 degrees. northern latitude.

From the south, Tien Shan is separated from the mountainous regions of Kunlun and Altyn Tag, adjacent to Tibet, by the wide sandy Taklamakan desert. The Western Tien Shan is connected with the Pamirs by the Pamir-Alai mountains; The border between them is the fertile Fergana Valley.

The high, ever-snowy ridges of the Soviet Tien Shan feed many large rivers in Central Asia - the Ili, Chu, Naryn (upper reaches of the Syr Darya), Ak-sai, Uzengegush, Sarydzhas, Tekes. A common feature of all Tien Shan drainages is that not a single drop of their water reaches the ocean, feeding the internal basins of rivers and lakes in Central Asia.

The entire mountainous region of the Tien Shan is usually divided into four parts. The Western Tien Shan includes mountain ranges and ridges located to the west of Lake Issyk-Kul. The Central Tien Shan includes the highest ridges of the mountain region located to the south of Lake Issyk-Kul, as well as to the east of it all the ridges up to and including the Meridional. The Kungei and Zailiysky ridges, located north of Lake Issyk-Kul, rise in the Northern Tien Shan. To the northwest of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau rise. Chu-Ili mountains. Western, Central and Northern Tien Shan are located on the territory of the Soviet Union.

The Eastern Tien Shan includes all mountain ranges located to the east of the Meridional Range and located mostly on the territory of the western provinces of the People's Republic of China.

The Western Tien Shan is a widely branched system of mountain ranges and ridges located mainly on the territory of the Kyrgyz and partially Kazakh and Uzbek union republics. These include the Kyrgyz, Talas, Chatkal, Fergana, Kurama and a number of smaller ridges and their spurs, located over a wide area from west to east from Tashkent to Lake Issyk-Kul and from north to south, from the Ili River valley to the Fergana Valley.

The Western Tien Shan ranges are relatively accessible and explored. In terms of mountaineering, the most studied is the Kyrgyz Ala-Tau, whose ever-snowy peaks have been climbed many times. Soviet climbers also visited the peaks of the Chatkal ridge more than once;

To the north of Lake Issyk-Kul, on the territory of the Kazakh SSR, there are two mountain ranges of the Northern Tien Shan, the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau and the Kungey. Ala-Tau, connected with the Chiliko-Kemin mountain cluster into one powerful mountain system. On its northern slopes, facing the Ili River valley, lies the capital of Kazakhstan - the city of Alma-Ata. The part of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau adjacent to the capital is the most studied and developed by climbers.

Several mountaineering camps operate in this area, numerous peaks have been climbed, and the training of Central Asian mountaineers is mainly concentrated here.

The Central Tien Shan includes the highest mountain ranges and ridges. Here is the area of ​​the most powerful glaciation.

South of Lake Issyk-Kul, on the territory of the Kyrgyz SSR, there are two large mountain ranges of the Tien Shan - Terskey Ala-tau and Kok-shaal-tau

Terskey Ala Tau

Between them, on a vast highland, there are several smaller ridges Naryn-tau, At-bashi, Ak-shiyryak, Chakyr-korum, Borkoldoy and others.

Kokshaal-tau is the southernmost and, perhaps, least studied and developed by climbers ridge of the Tien Shan with peaks of about 6000 m (Kzyl-Asker 5899 m, Dankov Peak 5978 m, Alpinist Peak 5782 m, etc.).

Kok Shaal Tau

In terms of height, shape of the peaks and inaccessibility, this entire area is of very great scientific and sporting interest, so it attracts the attention of researchers and climbers.

To the east of Lake Issyk-Kul is the highest and most inaccessible part of the entire Tien Shan - the Khan Tengri massif. The largest (60 km) glacier of the Tien Shan - South Inylchek - is located here. There are many peaks in this area above 6000 m, the highest of which are Khan Tengri - 6995 and Pobeda Peak - 7439 m, the second highest mountain peak in the Soviet Union. The northernmost peaks on the globe are seven thousand meters, covered with masses of ice and snow; they, naturally, give rise to the most severe conditions and special inaccessibility. Many centuries ago, people passed by these mountains, saw a cluster of eternal snow giants from afar, but could not get close to them. Therefore, human imagination populated them with mysterious spirits and gave them appropriate names. Thus, the entire mountainous region is called Tien Shan, which in Chinese means “Heavenly Mountains”, the Khan-Tengri massif has the local name Tengri-tag translated from Uyghur - “mountains of spirits”, and the top of the massif acquired the name Khan-tengri. Tengri - in Russian "Lord of Spirits".

Khan Tengri

The Khan Tengri massif, consisting of a number of ridges and peaks, occupies the eastern part of the Central Tien Shan and until recently attracted the attention of scientists and climbers, promising them a lot of unknowns. The peaks of its ridges are extremely numerous, and the ascents made in this massif can be counted on one hand.

The orographic structure of the Khan Tengri massif is very unique. In its eastern part there is the Meridional Ridge, which crosses this part of the Central Tien Shan from north to south. From this ridge, in the latitudinal direction, the highest ridges of the Tien Shan extend to the west - the Stalin ridge, Sarydzhas, Boz-kyr (Eastern Kok-shaal-tau); to the east - Severny and Halyk-tau.

The Terskey Alatau ridge extends from the Sary-Dzhas ridge to the northwest, and the Kuylyu-Tau ridge serves as a continuation of the Sary-Dzhas ridge in the west. From the Boz-kyr ridge the Inylchek-tau ridge branches off to the west and from it, in turn, the Kaindy-katta ridge branches off.

The highest peaks of the massif stand near the Meridional Ridge and on it itself. Pobeda Peak rises in the Boz-kyr ridge, and to the north of it, in the Stalin ridge, stands Khan Tengri Peak.

The South Inylchek glacier flows west from the Meridional Ridge and receives tributary glaciers from the slopes of the Stalin, Sary-jas, Boz-kyr and Inylchek-tau ridges.

There are many forests in the Tien Shan. High mountain valleys, plateaus and mountain slopes are covered with lush grasses. Rich herds of collective and state farms graze on mountain pastures. The abundance of wild animals - mountain goats (tau-teke) and sheep (argali) - creates favorable conditions for the widespread development of hunting. Many minerals have been explored in the depths of the Tien Shan, promising broad prospects for the development of the mining industry.

The proximity of the snowy Tien Shan ranges to the capitals of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz Union Republics provides a wide field of activity for the development of mountaineering, one of the favorite sports of brave Soviet people - this unique school of courage. The governments of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan pay due attention to the development of mountain sports in the republics; mountaineering in the area of ​​the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau ridge, near the city of Alma-Ata, ranks second after the Caucasus, and climbers of Kyrgyzstan have become famous for holding alpiniads - mass mountaineering training trips.

In the area of ​​the Khan Tengri massif, on an area of ​​about 10,000 square meters. km concentrated the highest peaks and the largest glaciers of the Tien Shan. Deep valleys separate the ridges. Their powerful glaciations are often associated with common firn basins.

The inaccessibility of the Khan Tengri region delayed its exploration for a long time. People did not go deep into this kingdom of eternal winter and told tales and legends about the mysterious country of Tengri Tag.

Only in 1856-1857. the great Russian geographer P. Semenov managed to lift the veil of mystery that covered this part of the Tien Shan. He was the first explorer to see Tengri Tag and set foot on its glacier. The remarkable description of his journey to the Tien Shan that he compiled still serves as an example of the work of scientific thought and amazes with the clarity and breadth of observations and conclusions.

Unfortunately, P.P. Semenov did not go into the depths of the Khan Tengri massif, and this area, until very recently, kept many mysteries. P.P. Semenov visited the Tien Shan only twice, but during his further activities he sent many Russian scientists there who continued his work. In 1886, I.V. Ignatiev visited the Tien Shan with the special purpose of penetrating the Khan Tengri massif. In addition to the Semenov and Mushketov glaciers, flowing north from the Sarydzhas ridge, I.V. Ignatiev was in the Inylchek valley, but did not reach the huge glacier lying in this valley. Without special equipment, he was unable to overcome the stone cover of his twenty-kilometer surface moraine. Other researchers of the Tien Shan were also frightened for a long time by its inaccessibility. The glory of the entire massif, especially the Khan Tengri peak, attracted several foreign scientists and climbers to it, but they also failed to unravel its secrets. Thus, in 1899, the Hungarian zoologist Almásy went to the Sary-Dzhas valley, but he failed to unravel the complex orography of the Khan Tengri massif. The following year, Swiss guides appeared with the Italian climber Borghese, but they were unable to climb the Inylchek glacier, which seemed impassable to them.

In 1902, a famous researcher of the Altai and Tien Shan mountains, professor of botany V.V. Sapozhnikov, was in this area. He did not limit himself to working in his specialty, but, in the tradition of famous Russian travelers; covered a very wide area of ​​research, made measurements of many peaks of the Khan Tengri massif, climbed glaciers and passes.

He determined the height of the Khan Tengri peak at 6950 m, reducing its actual height by only 45 m, and did this much more accurately than many previous and subsequent researchers.

V. at the same time, in 1902-1903. The Khan Tengri massif was visited by the German geographer and mountaineer Merzbacher. He managed to make several ascents to minor peaks and even walk the South Inylchek glacier to the foot of the Khan Tengri peak, the height of which he determined to be 7200 m. This scientist took overview photo panoramas and wrote up descriptions of the places he actually visited. But, unfortunately, he put some of his hypotheses and assumptions, which were later refuted by reality, on a par with facts. This caused great confusion in the orography of the Tien Shan, which Soviet scientists and climbers had to understand and put in final order.

To solve many of the mysteries of the Tien Shan, Soviet scientists and climbers penetrated deep into the Khantengri massif and overcame all its difficulties and dangers. Merzbacher justified his failures by saying that “the high peaks of the Tien Shan are an unsuitable place to satisfy the love of mountaineering.” Soviet climbers were able to prove that they do not single out the love of mountaineering as something self-sufficient, but always subordinate it to the main tasks set for the development of the Soviet physical education movement. Very often they use their mountaineering activities to serve research purposes. And if we talk about the love of sports, the satisfaction that athletes receive from mountaineering, or the fact that they are attracted to high and harsh mountains, then Soviet climbers have their own standard for this. They receive the more satisfaction the more difficult the ascent was, the higher and more inaccessible the peak was, the more interesting information for scientists was collected, the more obstacles were encountered and overcome, the more friendly and strong the team was, p. who share the joy of victory.

Much work on the study of the Tien Shan was carried out by Soviet scientists and climbers in a very short period. In 1929, the map of the Tien Shan was still full of blank spots, which had to be filled in by subsequent expeditions, specially prepared and equipped for work on glaciers and peaks.

Soviet climbers came to the Tien Shan together with scientists and entered its unexplored areas not only for sporting purposes. They solved scientific research problems, unraveled the complex orography of the region, studied glaciation, and compiled maps.

M. T. Pogrebetsky, now an Honored Master of Sports in mountaineering, headed the organization of the Ukrainian expedition to the Tien Shan, which worked in the Tengri Tag region for a number of years - from 1929 to 1933. At first it was a mountaineering sports group. It later grew into a comprehensive Ukrainian government expedition that did a lot of topographic survey work; geological exploration and geographical study of the Khan Tengri massif.

Pogrebetsky set the main sporting goal of his mountaineering group to climb Khan Tengri Peak. After two years of work on Inylchek, detailed reconnaissance of approaches and study of the route, on September 11, 1931, the Lord of Spirits was defeated. Soviet climbers climbed to its peak, dispelling the myth of the inaccessibility of Khan Tengri and conquering the first seven-thousandth peak. Soviet Union Pogrebetsky's group made this remarkable ascent along a route laid from the South Inylchek glacier.

In 1929-1930 on the other side of the Stalin Ridge, from the Northern Inylchek glacier, Khan Tengri was stormed by Moscow climbers V.F. Gusev, N.N. Mikhailov and I.I. Mysovsky. They were the first to lead horses to the South Inylchek glacier. However, in 1929 they were stopped by Lake Merzbacher, which separates the tongue of the North Inylchek glacier from the South Inylchek glacier, and they decided to change their route. In 1930, they found a pass in the Sary-Dzhas ridge (Soviet Press Pass) and passed through it to the Northern Inylchek glacier, explored it and explored the approaches to Khan Tengri. The following year, G.P. Sukhodolsky’s group went to the Northern Inylchek glacier through Lake Merzbacher, using a rubber inflatable boat, and along its rocky shores. The group climbed from the north to the slopes of Khan Tengri to an altitude of about 6,000 m, but retreated, making sure that there was no way to the top from this side. Having completed the reconnaissance task, she went downstairs.

Inylchek

In 1932, the work of Pogrebetsky’s expedition to Tengri Tag continued. At the same time, a mountaineering group from the Moscow House of Scientists under the leadership of Professor A. A. Letavet appeared for the first time in the Tien Shan. This small group, consisting of only 4 people, visited the sources of one of the main water arteries of Central Asia - the Syr Darya River, climbed Sary-tor (5100 m) - the main peak of the Ak-shiyryak ridge, then walked south to the sources Dzhangart River. Here Letavet and his companions saw large glaciers and groups of high and difficult peaks of the Kok-shaaltau ridge. From here, through another pass, through the Terskey Ala-tau ridge, they returned to Przhevalsk, then crossed the northern Tien Shan ridges of Kungei Ala-tau and Trans-Ili Ala-tau and ended their route in the city of Alma-Ata.

Thus, the group crossed the entire high-mountainous Tien Shan from south to north and, with this kind of reconnaissance, determined several of their routes for the future.

In the next two years, A. A. Letavet’s group visited the sources of the Uzengegush River, in the middle part of the Kokshaal-tau ridge. On the way to this southernmost and most remote ridge of the Tien Shan, the climbers climbed one of the peaks of the Borkoldoy ridge, near its junction with the Chakyr-korum ridge.

They entered this area by going to the sources of the Dzhagololamai River, and discovered there a kind of mountaineering reserve - a group of glaciers and peaks up to 4500m high (5200) "It was an incredible chaos of peaks and glaciers, especially at the junction of it (the Borkoldoy ridge.) with Chakyr -corum; the earth here seemed to bristle with an endless number of needles and thorns"

“Dry fog” - the dust of the Taklamakan desert - hung over the mountains and did not make it possible to examine the peaks of the Kok-shaal-tau ridge from afar, and A. A. Letavet’s group moved further to the Kubergenty pass. From this pass one could see the sources of the Uzengegush and Ak-Sai rivers, collecting their waters from the glaciers of the northern slopes of the Kokshaal-tau ridge, which rises here in peaks close to 6,000 m in height. Having examined this part of the ridge, the climbers mapped a number of glaciers and peaks, gave names to the nameless peaks Kyzyl-Asker (Krasnoarmeyets, 5,899 m), Dzholdash (Comrade, 5,782 m) and named the large glaciers of the sources of Uzengegush in honor of the Soviet geographers S.G. . Grigoriev and N. N. Palgov.

In 1934, Letavet's expedition again headed to the Kok-shaal-tau ridge, to the Kyzyl-Asker peak, and also somewhat east of it to the place where the Uzengegush River broke through the ridge. The expedition was replenished by young climbers I. E. Maron and L. P. Mashkov.

The group attempted to climb Kyzylasker Peak. In two days, the climbers crossed the glacier and climbed the slopes of this majestic peak to a considerable height. However, deep loose snow and the onset of bad weather delayed the ascent, and on the third day, the group descended into the valley, heading east, down the Uzengegush River, to the sources of its right tributary, the Chon-tura-su River. A glacier named after N. L. Korzhenevsky was examined here. In the middle of the glacier, the group discovered an isolated peak with a height of about 5,000 m and gave it the name Alpinist. Having climbed one observation peak at a height of 4,900 m, Professor Letavet finished his work. A two-day snowfall covered everything around with deep snow, so we had to leave this little-explored area, which still has many mysteries and awaits a well-equipped mountaineering expedition prepared for difficult sport ascents.

In 1936, A. A. Letavet laid out the route for his next expedition to the main peak of the Terskey Ala-tau ridge - Karakol Peak (5250 m) and to the Kuilyu-tau ridge. This year, the group of expedition participants was supplemented by V. S. Klimenkov and V. A. Kargin.

The Kuilyu-tau ridge remained little explored until 1936. Its snowy peaks were clearly visible from all the surrounding ridges and passes, but none of the researchers had ever gone into the depths of the Kuilyu-tau massif except Professor V.V. Sapozhnikov, who walked along its slopes and was in some of its gorges.

The Hungarian traveler Almásy, who also observed this ridge only from afar, expressed an unlikely, but intriguing assumption to scientists and climbers, that the main peak of Kuylyu-tau is only slightly inferior in height to Khan Tengri. Exploration of this ridge was therefore the main goal of the expedition. Karakol Peak was of great sporting interest. It attracted climbers with its height, steep icy slopes, sharp ridge and trapezoid-shaped peak.

This peak is located deep in the gorge of the Karakolka River, only 40 km from the city of Przhevalsk. Having approached its foot, the climbers overcame the ice wall within two days and reached the long summit ridge, reaching almost 5000 m in the lowest eastern part of the peak height.

On the south side of the summit ridge one could see the Kuylyu-tau ridge and a glacier covered with a dense network of cracks with the Kuylyu River flowing from under its tongue. Pointed peaks of Kuilyu-tau, half-covered. clouds approaching from the west, looked unapproachable, and the climbers tried in vain to determine the gorge along which they could approach them. It was obvious that the Kuilyu glacier in the western part of the ridge could not serve as a path to the main peak, and the “keys to the door” should be looked for in the east.

For the purpose of further reconnaissance, Letavet's expedition passed Terskey Ala-Tau through the Chon-ashu pass to the Ottuk valley and, further, through the Tornu pass to the valley of the Kuilyu River. From the Tornu pass, the Kuylyu peaks are located relatively; far away, but they were hidden by continuous clouds.

From the beginning of the Sary-Dzhas gorge, the expedition turned into the gorge of the Malaya Taldy-su River and settled in a clearing, near the tongue of the glacier of the same name. On the second day, Letavet’s group walked the entire Maly Taldy-su glacier and in its upper reaches discovered an accessible pass leading to one of the glaciers of the Terekty river system. Near the glacier there was not a single prominent peak that could be mistaken for the lava peak of the ridge. The disappointed climbers, having returned to the camp, decided to change the further exploration plan in such a way as to exclude the descent into the Sary-Dzhas valley and the long climb into the neighboring gorge. This could be done by crossing the spur separating the gorges of the B. Taldy-su and M. Taldy-su rivers, and sending the horses as a guide to go around, towards. And so, the next day, the climbers achieved their goal. The brilliant completion of the reconnaissance replaced all doubts and disappointment. Letavet himself talks about this well: “We decided to try to find a passage directly to the upper reaches of the Bolshaya Taldy-su River, directly to the glaciers that feed it.

Sarah Jazz

Having climbed the right (eastern) branch of the Maly Taldy-su glacier and crossed the rocky ridge rising above the glacier circus, we actually found ourselves at the pass point of the ridge separating the Malaya and Bolshaya Taldy-su gorge. Below our feet lay the Bolshoi Taldy-su glacier, and right in front of us rose a powerful trapezoidal peak, sparkling with ice, rising about a one and a half kilometer sheer wall above the glacier. However, this peak could hardly be the one we were looking for. Its contours did not correspond to the descriptions of travelers who observed the peak from the upper reaches of the Sary-jas.

We quickly descended along a steep rocky slope onto the Bolshaya Taldy-su glacier in order to immediately begin the ascent to the saddle visible in its upper reaches. The last section before the saddle is very steep. Containing our excitement, we quickly force it. An involuntary exclamation of amazement escapes us and right in front of us, in the rays of the evening sun, a slender, pointed peak, amazing in its beauty, sparkles. With a two-kilometer wall it rises above the glacier and is almost not connected with the surrounding mountain system; climbing it must present exceptional difficulties. The peak is very close - we are separated only by a narrow cirque of a glacier flowing to the south and apparently belonging to the Terekty River system. It is quite obvious that this, finally, is the very peak in search of which we went to the heart of the Kuilyu ridge. But it is also obvious that its height can hardly exceed 5,500 m above sea level. Evening is creeping up unnoticed. We place our tent on the snowy area of ​​the saddle. Despite the severe frost, we didn’t zip up the tent for a long time and still admired the peak in the light of the moon; it was even more beautiful. Indeed, this is one of the most beautiful peaks I have ever seen. We decide to give the peak the name Stalin's Constitution Peak. We name the massive ice peak that we saw from the pass in memory of the then deceased president of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Alexander Petrovich Karpinsky."

The group did not attempt to climb the newly discovered peaks due to the obvious complexity of the route, the need to select a much stronger climbing team and better equipment. The discovery in 1943 of Pobeda Peak, the main peak of the Tien Shan with a height of 7439 m, was one of the largest geographical discoveries of the last twenty years.

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