Peak Lenin
Peak Lenin is the Osh oblast, known as the southern capital of Kyrgyzstan among tourists, lies on the border with Tajikistan - it rises to a height of 7134 m and was the third highest mountain in the former Soviet Union, shaped something like a "high armchair". Osh is visited during this kind of tours in Kyrgyzstan and also cultural tours. The outline, however, is not always obvious because the summit is almost always covered in cloud due to changeable weather conditions in Kyrgyzstan that is well known among tourists who travel to Kyrgyzstan. In this case it is necessary to look at it over a period of time to make out the profile. The peak takes the form of a pyramid with a large base, the northern slope being very steep compared to the others among mountains of Kyrgyzstan. It was "discovered" and mapped by the famous Russian explorer of Central Asia A.P. Fedchanko, on his journey to the territory of Kyrgyzstan and the Northern Pamirs in 1871. He was the first person to provide a reliable account of the geography of the Pamir Mountains including the part that belong to Kyrgyzstan. Once called Peak Kaufman after a Russian Governor General, it was renamed in honor of the Soviet leader, and has now been renamed Kuh-i-Gamo (Warm Mountain). The first expedition to the slopes of the mountain ascent took place during the expedition in 1929. Only two people reached the glacier, but they realized that it could be the ideal base to start the climb up the highest mountain in the Zaalaiskii range. Five years later there was a second expedition in Kyrgyzstan by "professionals" mountaineers from Soviet Red Army. It took them two attempts to reach the summit and erect a statue of Lenin - the highest in the world and on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, with a spectacular backdrop of high, snow covered peaks and ridges.
They also left a note saying that the first ascent from North face was accomplished by three participants of the expedition on 8th of September in 1934.
Sometime after this there were only a relatively few attempted ascents in Kyrgyzstan. Perhaps, the most significant was in 1967 - in an expedition involving 301 people and dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Soviet Union. Indeed it was the largest expedition ever made on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. Sixty of the mountaineers were representatives of foreign countries and there were 20 women amongst them. As a result of the expedition, four new routes were discovered - the most difficult one, on the Southeast face. There are now, apparently, 16 routes to the summit of Peak Lenin.
The mountain now has a reputation as a high altitude "walk-up" (easy climb) and so is popular climbers - it is one of the most climbed 7000 m mountains not only in Kyrgyzstan but also in the world.
Although many mountaineers gain high altitude experience here, dozens of experienced climbers have also died on the mountain, especially, as a result of extreme and unpredictable weather. In particular it was the scene of two major mountaineering tragedies. In 1974 a women team was caught by a storm. Unfortunately, after their tents had been shredded by the wind, they perished one by one. Then in 1991 an earthquake triggered and icefall which trapped 44 climbers in the camp below. Only one survived, another body was found - but no one of the remaining 42 was ever found. It is said to be the world's worst mountaineering tragedy. The main base camp is known as Achik Tash. Nearby is Lukovaya Polyana (Wild Onion Field) - last greenery before the stony moraines of the mountain slopes. This place is also popular among tourists who travel to Kyrgyzstan not only for mountaineering but also for standard cultural tours.
