Open Alpine Cup between an all-female team in the Caucasus

A Competition is About Ethics, Not Speed

The Cup format sparked a lot of interest and inspiration. What made it truly unique was its focus on climbing style over speed. Each team was free to choose its own routes and style of ascent, and the final score depended not only on the difficulty grade but also on how cleanly the route was climbed — with trad ascents (placing one’s own gear) earning more points than bolt-protected or aid climbs.

This approach reflects global trends in modern alpine climbing, where style, ethics, and commitment are valued just as much as physical performance.

Judging was based not only on final results but also on self-reporting. While judges supervised team departures and monitored overall safety, each rope team was also responsible for honestly documenting their own performance pitch-by-pitch — including rests or hangs, even the gear they had placed themselves. This trust-based model is a core element of the festival’s ethos.

The Winning Team

The first-place team included Olga Paducheva — a previous Steel Angel Award nominee — and Maria Chukhno.

Olga Paducheva:

    “For me, mountaineering is about freedom — freedom from outside expectations or societal pressure. When I’m in the mountains, I’m alone with myself. Up on a wall, I feel completely free — it’s just me and the rock, me and the nature. It’s meditative, and it helps you to push past your internal limits. You return from the mountains feeling renewed, able to see the world with fresh eyes.”

    Maria Chukhno:

    “Mountaineering is a way to experience the world without filters. You’re in an aggressive environment, completely immersed, learning to adapt to terrain, weather, and the unknown. It teaches you to live with less and make the most of what you have — which carries back into everyday life. It also trains your endurance, strength, coordination, and mental resilience. Every route is a puzzle, and you have to solve it with your body. That’s why I love this sport.”

Beyond the Podium

Maria and Olga weren’t the only standouts. Tatyana Shchekinova and Inna Kravchenko, also Steel Angel Award nominees, aimed to climb a long line “Zalyot” (270 m, 11 pitches, 6b/7a) by trad but were caught in a storm halfway up. Although they considered switching to aid, they stuck with clean climbing and ultimately bailed after pitch seven — just four pitches from the summit. Their commitment to ethics cost them a podium spot, but earned deep respect from the community.

  Olga Paducheva:

    “We were impressed by how well the event was organized — from route cleaning to scoring transparency. It really motivated us to come back next year and aim for even harder lines. And the scoring system was spot on: trad climbing earns more points because it’s not just harder physically — carrying and placing gear — but mentally, too.”

A Space for Growth and Community

The Women’s Alpine Cup was designed not just as a competition, but as a platform for growth and exchange — connecting:

• Beginners and experienced female climbers
• Hands-on masterclasses and real multi-pitch ascents
• Competitive drive and partnership-based support

It’s not just about summits or scores — the true value of a gathering like Skaly Rossii is in the knowledge passed on, the friendships formed, and the new goals that grow from shared experience.

Tyrnyauz: Russia’s Emerging Climbing Destination

The granite walls of Tyrnyauz have been used for mountaineering training since the Soviet era. In the 2010s and 2020s, a group of climbing enthusiasts began developing the first sport climbing sectors. By 2024, the region hosted the first major “Skaly Rossii. Elbrus 2024” festival, with 18 sport multi-pitch routes bolted for the event.

For the 2025 edition, more than 100 sport routes were cleaned and equipped. In the multi-pitch sector, five new routes were added, along with a via ferrata descent line and comprehensive rockfall cleaning.

What makes the Elbrus region truly special is its combination of technical granite walls (up to 300 meters) and the presence of Europe’s highest summit, Mount Elbrus, right around the corner. With its high-quality rock, growing infrastructure, and inclusive format, Tyrnyauz is quickly becoming a go-to destination for climbers from across Russia.