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]

Snow Leopard award

In Tajikistan's Pamir Mountains there are three Snow Leopard peaks, Ismail Samani Peak (formerly Communism Peak) 7,495 metres (24,590 ft), Peak Korzhenevskaya 7,105 metres (23,310 ft), and Ibn Sina Peak (formerly Lenin Peak) 7,134 metres (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 metres (23,000 ft) on the Kyrgyzstan-Kazakhstan border.

Khan Tengri's geologic elevation is 6,995 metres (22,949 ft) but its glacial cap rises to 7,010 metres (23,000 ft). 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 (not all of them gained five peaks)[2]

Records
  • Boris Korshunov (Russia) – nine times Snow Leopard (1981 – 2004)
  • Boris Korshunov (Russia) – last award at the age of 69
  • Andrzej Bargiel (Poland) – all five ascents in 29 days 17 hours 5 minutes (time counted from leaving the Advanced Base Camp under Lenin Peak, 15 July 2016)

Peaks
Peak Korzhenevskoi

Snow Leopard lass peaks according to one source:[3]

  1. Ismoil Somoni Peak 24,590 feet (7,500 m)
  2. Jengish Chokusu 24,406 feet (7,439 m)
  3. Ibn Sina Peak 23,406 feet (7,134 m)
  4. Peak Korzhenevskaya 23,310 feet (7,100 m)
  5. Khan Tengri 22,999 feet (7,010 m)

Further reading

References
  1. "Альпинисты Северной столицы. История появления жетона "Покоритель высочайших гор СССР" ("Снежный барс")". www.alpklubspb.ru.
  2. "Wejherowo - Wikipedia, wolna encyklopedia". www.russianclimb.com.
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-29. Retrieved 2016-06-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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