The First All-Female Ascent on Chegem Peak’s NE Face via Forostyan Route, 6A

The Rostov Team—comprising Inna Kravchenko, Irina Vasilyeva, and Tanya Shchekinova—became the first women’s team to ascend the Forostyan route (6A category of difficulty) on the NE face of Chegem Peak (4351 m, Caucasus).

Irina Vasilyeva

Nominee for the “Steel Angel” award in 2022 and 2023.
Prize winner of various stages of the Russian Climbing Cup in the rock class in 2021, 2022, and 2024.
Irina was born and raised in Rostov-on-Don. She followed in her parents' footsteps into mountaineering, initially starting with rock climbing and transitioning to mountaineering in 2006. She has been regularly climbing mountains since then, with breaks for two maternity leaves. Irina currently resides in Rostov-on-Don and is a member of her home and only club, “Planeta.”

Inna Kravchenko

Nominee for the “Steel Angel” award in 2022 and 2023.
Prize winner of various stages of the Russian Climbing Cup in the rock class in 2022 and 2024.
Inna was born in Taganrog and began hiking with her school’s mountaineering section. After graduating from school, she moved to Rostov-on-Don. Initially, her husband took up mountaineering, and she gradually got involved too. She is a member of the “Planeta” club in Rostov-on-Don.

Tatyana Shchekinova

Nominee for the “Steel Angel” award in 2022.
Mountaineering Instructor.
Mountain guide since 2015.
Coach of the mountain tourism section of the “Planeta” club.
NLI “B” instructor in alpine skiing and snowboarding.
Winner of various Championships in the technical class in 2022 and 2023.
Prize winner of the World Mountain Tourism Championships in 2017 and 2022
Tatyana was born in Bataysk and now lives in Rostov-on-Don. She is a member of her home club, “Planeta.”

Overview of Chegem Peak and the Forostyan Route

Chegem Peak, situated in the central Caucasus, is a remote mountain with little infrastructure. Its northern face is one of the most technically challenging climbs in the Caucasus.

Route Details:
- Height of the route: 1160 m
- Total length: 1700 m (including 900 m of the wall section and 800 m of a snow slope to the summit)
- Length of technical sections (V–VI difficulty): 350 m (V — 250 m, VI — 100 m)
- Average steepness of the wall section: 92 degrees
- Average steepness of the entire route: 44 degrees

This marks the first ascent of this route by an all-female team. They completed the climb with preliminary preparation and two nights on the wall, maintaining a good pace. Reports from other teams indicate that the average duration to the summit, including preparation, is typically around four days.

Technical Details

Route Composition: The technical part, consisting of rock sections with V–VI difficulty, was primarily climbed using aid climbing techniques.
Challenges: The Forostyan Route is a classic Caucasian “six” that starts with a steep rock bastion with overhangs. The first day was spent preparing three and a half rope lengths of the route. The second day was used for weathering out a storm. On the third day, they completed the rock bastion (seven rope lengths from the glacier) and reached a good ledge for the first bivouac. From there, the terrain simplified, with scree ledges and short walls of IV category leading to the snow-ice dome. The second bivouac was set up under the dome. The following section involved physically demanding snow and ice climbing to the summit tower and then an easy 15 m rock climb to the summit.

Tatyana Shchekinova’s Account of the Climb

Preparation and Approach

Despite its central location in the Caucasus, Chegem Peak is in a remote area with no infrastructure. The team chose Chegem for its beauty and interesting varied terrain. They began their journey with a motivational stop for khychiny, trout, and kebabs. They set up camp near the “Bashil” base and began their hike up the Djailik-Su Valley with heavy backpacks, taking nine hours to reach their first campsite.

Climbing Days

Day 1: Inna Kravchenko and Tatyana began by preparing the lower, most challenging overhanging section. They started early and managed to complete their goal, though it was tiring.
Day 2: A storm and rain gave them a day of rest, which they welcomed.
Day 3: They continued climbing the prepared overhangs, making it to the first ledge for the first bivouac. They had to camp without water, food, or warmth due to the late hour.
Day 4: The terrain became easier, and they aimed to reach a snow-ice section for the second bivouac. They set up a comfortable campsite, melted snow for water, and enjoyed a photoshoot with the “Monk” rock formation.
Day 5: They started early, climbing a steep snow slope and then alternating between snow and ice sections. They reached the summit tower and made the final climb to the summit of Chegem at noon.

Descent

The descent followed a different route (2B) into the Malyy Chegem Valley, involving a long, steep scree slope and large moraine blocks. They camped near the glacier for the night, enjoying the starry sky and discussions. The next day, they descended further through steep grass, which was exhausting, but eventually reached their car and headed for a well-deserved rest and meal.

Conclusion

The team successfully completed their ascent and descent, celebrated with trout, kebabs, coffee, and croissants in Mineralnye Vody, and felt a deep sense of accomplishment. This climb was a significant achievement for the team and a landmark in women’s mountaineering.