The Bezengi area is the highest region in the Caucasus, with six of the range’s eight 5,000m peaks. I’d never been there, but the pandemic gave me the opportunity to visit. In mid-August, Sergey Nilov and I drove for 24 hours in Sergey’s old Toyota to reach the Bezengi Alpine Camp.

After a short period of acclimatization and a couple of days on nearby climbs, we began to search for a more significant goal. We were prevented from accessing the main ridgeline by border guards, but unexpectedly we found a potential new line elsewhere. We were lucky: Pik Ural East (4,273m) is neither the biggest nor the most famous of these mountains, and maybe this is why the left side of the southeast face remained untouched.

We were joined by our good friend Eugene Yablokov. We took one day to reach the face from the camp, half a day to reconnoiter, and another half day to fix the first three 50m pitches. Sergey took the lead and generally used aid up to A2.

Next day, August 20, we jumared the ropes and continued above to the summit. The ascent took 10 hours. The first five pitches are the crux, with free climbing up to 6b; above, the terrain is relatively easy and enjoyable, at least if you are lucky enough, as we were, to have the warmth of the sun. The descent took a further six hours. The face is 600m high, with an average angle of 60°. Belays were bolted on the first five pitches, and several protection bolts placed. Hooks and cams were useful. The overall grade was 5B.

— Dmitry Golovchenko, Russia