Dykh-Tau

Gora Dykh-Tau
Highest point
Elevation5,205 m (17,077 ft)
Prominence2,002 m (6,568 ft)
Isolation64 km (40 mi) Edit this on Wikidata
ListingSeven Second Summits
Ultra
Coordinates43°3′N 43°8′E / 43.050°N 43.133°E / 43.050; 43.133
Geography
Gora Dykh-Tau is located in Caucasus mountains
Gora Dykh-Tau
Gora Dykh-Tau
Location of Dykh-Tau in the Caucasus mountains
Gora Dykh-Tau is located in Kabardino-Balkaria
Gora Dykh-Tau
Gora Dykh-Tau
Gora Dykh-Tau (Kabardino-Balkaria)
LocationKabardino-Balkaria, Russia
CountryRussia
Parent rangeLateral Range
Caucasus Mountains
Topo mapMap and Guide to the Caucasus: Bezingi, Bashil, Adaikhokh[1]

Dykh-Tau or Dykhtau (Russian: Дыхтау, Karachay-Balkar: Дых тау that is derived from Turkic "dik dagh" which means Jagged Mount), is the second-highest mountain in Russia and Europe, standing at 5,205 m (17,077 ft) above sea level. It is located in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia; its peak standing about 5 km (3 mi) north of the border with Georgia.[citation needed]

Access[edit]

Dykh-Tau is best accessed from the north (Russia). Bezingi village may be reached from Nalchik in Kabardino-Balkaria with infrequent public transport, here a 4WD vehicle must be hired. Thus Bezingi Alpine Camp is reached at 2,180 meters (7,150 ft). From here it takes a further 2 days to reach the base of the climb.[2]

Climbing routes[edit]

This is one of the Caucasian Peaks, facing the Bezingi Wall across the Bezingi Glacier. The first ascent in 1888 by Albert Mummery and Heinrich Zurfluh of Meiringen was a major achievement at the time.[3] Their route up the SW Ridge is no longer used as the normal route which is now the North Ridge graded 4B (Russian Grading).[citation needed]

Starting from Misses Kosh the ridge is accessed by crossing the West Ridge of Misses-Tau then continuing to the Russian Bivouac located by a hanging glacier descending from the North Ridge of Dykhtau, 4 hours from Misses-Kosh. Once a notch between Misses-Tau and Dykhtau is gained, the North Ridge is followed to the summit. Allow 2 and a half days from the Russian Bivouac, there are several good bivouac sites on the North Ridge (Details and map Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine).

Mapping[edit]

Various Soviet military maps annotated in the Cyrillic script can found on the internet; two of the maps cover the Dykhtau area.[1]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Map and Guide to the Caucasus: Bezingi, Bashil, Adaikhokh (Map) (1st ed.). 1:100,000 with mountaineering information. Cartography by EWP. EWP/WCP. 1994. ISBN 0-906227-53-4.
  2. ^ Caucasus from Elbrus to Kazbek (Map) (1st ed.). 1:200,000 with general information. Map Guides. Cartography by EWP. Robin Collomb and Andrew Wielochowski. 1992. ISBN 0-906227-54-2.
  3. ^ Mummery, Albert. My Climbs in the Alps and Caucasus (1908)/Chapter 12  – via Wikisource.

External links[edit]