Snow Leopard award

Snow Leopard award

The Snow Leopard award (Russian: Снежный барс) was a Soviet mountaineering award, given to very experienced climbers. It is still recognised in the Commonwealth of Independent States. To receive this award, a climber must summit all five peaks of 7000m and above located in the former Soviet Union.^[1]

In Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains there are three Snow Leopard peaks, Ismail Samani Peak (formerly Communism Peak) 7,495 m (24,590 ft), Peak Korzhenevskaya 7,105 m (23,310 ft), and Ibn Sina Peak (formerly Lenin Peak) 7,134 m (23,406 ft) on the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan border. In the Tian Shan there are two Snow Leopard peaks, Jengish Chokusu (formerly Peak Pobeda) 7,439 metres (24,406 ft) in Kyrgyzstan (divided by the border with China), and Khan Tengri 7,010 m (22,998 ft) on the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border.

Khan Tengri's geologic elevation is 6,995 m (about 22,950 ft.) but its glacial cap rises to 7,010 m. For this reason, it is considered a 7000m peak.

In order of difficulty, Peak Pobeda is by far the most difficult and dangerous, followed by Khan Tengri, Ismail Samani Peak, Peak Korzhenevskaya, and Lenin (Ibn Sina) Peak.

There are more than 600 climbers, including 31 women, who have received this award since 1961 till 2012.^[2]

Igor Plyushkin was a Snow-Lepard awarded climber who died high on Mount Everest in 2006, one of about 11 people that died that season.^[3]

Records

• Boris Korshunov (Russia) - 9 times Snow Leopard (1981 – 2004)
• Boris Korshunov (Russia) - last Award at the age of 69
• Andrzej Bargiel (Poland) - all 5 ascents in 29 days 17 hours 5 minutes from the exit of ABC July 15 (summer 2016)

Peaks

Peak Korzhenevskoi

Snow Leopard lass peaks according to one source:^[4]

1. Ismoil Somoni Peak 24,590 ft (7,495 m)
2. Jengish Chokusu 24,406 ft (7,439 m)
3. Ibn Sina Peak 23,406 ft (7,134 m)
4. Peak Korzhenevskaya 23,310 ft (7,105 m)
5. Khan Tengri 22,999 ft (7,010 m)

Further reading

• The Snow Leopard mountains at Summitpost

References