Type: Trad, Ice, 8 pitches
FA: unknown
Page Views: 876 total · 7/month
Shared By: Amadeus DeKastle on Dec 7, 2013 · Updates
Admins: Amadeus DeKastle

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Description Suggest change

Sharkaraktma is the Kyrgyz word for waterfall. This waterfall is generally one of the first to freeze each year. The approach is quite easy, although a long hike. From the Ala Archa parking lot, follow the trail to base camp. After the long flat section of the trail you'll go down into a river gorge where usually you cross to continue to the Ak Sai waterfall or to the Ratsek Basecamp further up the valley. Instead, put on your crampons and start hiking up the frozen river. You'll eventually see the first in a series of falls.

The first "waterfall" is only about 3-4 meters tall. you should be able to solo up this no problem.

The second fall is about 4-5 meters tall. Again, solo this one.

The third waterfall is 3-4 meters tall. This one you may solo with a bit of dry-tooling mixed in.

The fourth waterfall is a bit bigger at 8-10 meters. You can solo this one as well, but you may feel the need to rope up for this one.

Then there is a 5 minute walk to the fifth section. You can climb the ice or dry tool your way up the left hand side.

The sixth waterfall is about 6 nice meters. Solo or roped.

The seventh section is a good 15-18 meters. If you've got a good year of ice, then it has a couple options, one on the left and one on the right with an optional mixed route through the middle.  Left side is the easier side as it is a lower angle around 65-70 degrees. Solo or roped.

The eighth waterfall is the one you came for. 25 meters of (near) vertical ice. Rope up and have some fun!  

The ninth waterfall (right above the eighth and maybe close enough to include on the same rope as the eighth) is a pretty cool little piece of ice.  About 8-10 meters of climbing, but fairly easy with easy protection placement.

Waterfall 10 is approximately 1 km up the river valley and on the left fork of the river.  (The river forks about .7km up the valley).  It consists of multiple steps with some short sections of vertical ice.  No more than 20 meters.  

 

Waterfall 11 is a short waterfall approximately 1 km above waterfall 10.  10-15 meters in height.  It tops out in a scree valley about 500 vertical meters below the Komsomol trail.  

 

The recommended walk-off is to link up with the right fork of the river by crossing the steep terrain to the south east and walk down the ice to the traditional walk-off location.   

The right fork of the river has not been fully explored and may have additional waterfalls in it.

Protection Suggest change

Bring enough screws for a 25 meter pitch of ice. You might consider bringing some cams and nuts for some of the sections with lots of exposed rock, but likely you wouldn't bother with them.

Rappel anchors have been placed at most of the sections (although there may be anchors at each waterfall. I have just not been able to find them all). ***Note*** The anchors have all been chopped.  In 2020 I was unable to find any of them at all.  Your options are to either V-thread your way back down, or you can finish out the climb past the 9th pitch and then hike up and out to the left eventually connecting up with the Komsomolets trail.  

Photos

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