Just returned from 13 days on the West Ridge of Mt Hunter (14,573 ft) - Alaska Range. It was the most physically demanding thing I have ever done.
We flew in to the Kahiltna Base Camp on a beautiful afternoon (see video on photolink below)- the intimidating Moonflower Buttress of Mt Hunter is the predominant feature across the Kahiltna from base camp. It has only been climbed by a handful of world class Alpinists (2 of whom we later met). After setting up camp at Kahiltna for one night we roped up and moved about 3 miles on the glacier with packs and sleds around to the base of the Bocarde Variation to the West Ridge Route and set up our advanced base camp on the glacier. From there we climbed mostly capsule style, ferrying loads on carry days and moving camp up the mountain.
Our first foray out of base camp was through a large crevasse field with huge seracs on either side. The route wound through the crevasse field in a big "S", avoiding the larger seracs to the right. We decided to load up and skip a carry to camp 1 (fewer trips through this minefield of objective hazards was the incentive). My pack was at least 60 #. We cached the snowshoes/trekking poles and shifted to crampons/mountaineering axes just above the crevasse field as the terain steepened in the couloir leading to camp 1. The climbing here was steep consolidated snow with the axe in the 2 handed stake position. Running belays were a combination of rock pro and snow pickets. At the top of the couloir we traversed a narrow ridge (just wide enough to place your 2 feet side by side) with a steep drop on one side and a cornice on the other to reach camp 1 at about 8950 ft. Climbing terrain that steep with a pack that heavy was exhausting. Camp 1 had great views of Denali (particularly the West Rib and the Cassin) and Foraker (Sultana Ridge).
Camp 1 to Camp 2 was even more challenging. We cached loads since there was no way we could single carry that much weight on this terrain. The first challenge was getting past the 'schrund just above camp 1. There was a thin narrow snowbridge that accessed a 10 ft vertical section of snow. I punched through with one foot while crossing but made it over by sinking my axe in the near vertical wall until I could kick in both crampons. Following this was another steep traverse across avalanche terain with running protection that was mostly pickets with a few good pieces of rock pro to the base of the "Entrance Couloir".
The "Entrance Couloir" was about 1000 ft of climbing on "Snice" and Glacier Ice ranging from NEI 3 at the bottom to NEI 4 at the top. We shifted to technical axes midway up the couloir, clawing desperatly through the snow seeking some kind of hook or stick you could trust. Thankfully, protecion was very secure ice screws. Glacier Ice must be the hardest substance known to man. It is blue, featureless, and more bulletproof than any ice I've sunk a pick in! This was another exhausting section with a "light weight" pack of about 40 #. At the exit of the Couloir was camp 2 at about 10,200 ft.
Above Camp 2 was a huge cornice that we needed to move up and to the right to get around. This was a mixed climb with a few good jugs and some laybacks that got us onto the West Ridge itself. From here the terrain was steep traverses with snow pickets to the "High Camp" at 10,820 feet.
High Camp was a narrow ledge that if you dug back deep enough you could shovel out enough of a platform to fit a tent. If you took 3 steps in the wrong direction coming out of our tent it was a 4000 ft tumble back down to the Kahiltna. We reached high camp with 3 potential summit days and group of 3 Canadians from Alberta had just come back from the summit, meaning trail was broken. Things were looking good, until the snow started.
2 British climbers came into camp shortly after we arrived. They had just made the second ascent of the French Couloir on the Moonflower Wall and had been climbing 48 hours straight - Alpine style with very small packs. They were descending the route we had climbed so we gave them some Beta and told them where we had left fixed lines for the rappel so they could use them and save time. They were quite thankful.
As I said, the snow started and did not stop for 36 hours - I'm talking Valentine's Day 2007 snow. 3 times the back end of our tent was buried in small avalanches and had to be dug out. After the snow stopped the avalanche potential was too high to attempt the summit so 2 of our 3 days were gone. The third day had a brief break in the weather but there were high winds on the summits (Lenticular clouds) and another storm was supposed ot be moving in. We took advantage of the opportunity to get outta there while we could.
We left high camp at about 10 am and were back in camp 2 by noon. We got stuck behind 2 slow climbers in the entrance couloir who were using our fixed lines. After about 3 hours of delays we reached the bottom of the entrance couloir. The rappels were on single strands using a reverso with 2 biners on the thicker rope and a Muenter on the thinner rope.
We traversed back towards camp 1 and had to jump the 'schrund since the snowbridge was about gone. I actually tried to take a big step over it and both my feet went in. My hips and pack were on solid snow, so I was able to wiggle out of it.
After traversing the narrow ridge and some more steep downclimbing, we were back at our snowshoes. As I was belaying the next guy on the rope in to the snowshoe cache, he broke through a crevasse and went in up to his neck. I was sitting when it happened and my ascender easily held the fall. A combintation of us pulling and his hard work got him out quickly. We made another spooky trip through the crevasse field/seracs and were back on the Glacier by about 9 PM.
After some hot drinks and soup we decided to just make the last leg of the trip back the the Kahiltna that night. The fact that we could use our sleds and ditch the heavy packs we had been carrying for 11 hours was a big factor. We roped up and marched through the dark arriving at base camp in another snowstorm at 0230 am. Walking on a glacier at night with clouds enveloping you was the most surreal thing I have ever experienced. We set up the tents quickly and crashed.
At about 8 am we found the weather was good enough to fly and we could get the second plane out if we were ready. We quickly got dressed and broke camp in time to make it.
The climbing was tough, but enjoyable. The weight of the packs was the biggest problem.
The waiting was horrible - too many days stuck because of weather or avalanche conditions. On average we could only climb about every other day.
The weather was brutal, it snowed just about every day above base camp and the morning temps were well below zero. The sun did not hit camp 1 until 11 am and camp 2 until about 0930.
Am I glad I did it - yes I am.
Link to pics and videos:
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x176/KZKlimber/?start=all
We flew in to the Kahiltna Base Camp on a beautiful afternoon (see video on photolink below)- the intimidating Moonflower Buttress of Mt Hunter is the predominant feature across the Kahiltna from base camp. It has only been climbed by a handful of world class Alpinists (2 of whom we later met). After setting up camp at Kahiltna for one night we roped up and moved about 3 miles on the glacier with packs and sleds around to the base of the Bocarde Variation to the West Ridge Route and set up our advanced base camp on the glacier. From there we climbed mostly capsule style, ferrying loads on carry days and moving camp up the mountain.
Our first foray out of base camp was through a large crevasse field with huge seracs on either side. The route wound through the crevasse field in a big "S", avoiding the larger seracs to the right. We decided to load up and skip a carry to camp 1 (fewer trips through this minefield of objective hazards was the incentive). My pack was at least 60 #. We cached the snowshoes/trekking poles and shifted to crampons/mountaineering axes just above the crevasse field as the terain steepened in the couloir leading to camp 1. The climbing here was steep consolidated snow with the axe in the 2 handed stake position. Running belays were a combination of rock pro and snow pickets. At the top of the couloir we traversed a narrow ridge (just wide enough to place your 2 feet side by side) with a steep drop on one side and a cornice on the other to reach camp 1 at about 8950 ft. Climbing terrain that steep with a pack that heavy was exhausting. Camp 1 had great views of Denali (particularly the West Rib and the Cassin) and Foraker (Sultana Ridge).
Camp 1 to Camp 2 was even more challenging. We cached loads since there was no way we could single carry that much weight on this terrain. The first challenge was getting past the 'schrund just above camp 1. There was a thin narrow snowbridge that accessed a 10 ft vertical section of snow. I punched through with one foot while crossing but made it over by sinking my axe in the near vertical wall until I could kick in both crampons. Following this was another steep traverse across avalanche terain with running protection that was mostly pickets with a few good pieces of rock pro to the base of the "Entrance Couloir".
The "Entrance Couloir" was about 1000 ft of climbing on "Snice" and Glacier Ice ranging from NEI 3 at the bottom to NEI 4 at the top. We shifted to technical axes midway up the couloir, clawing desperatly through the snow seeking some kind of hook or stick you could trust. Thankfully, protecion was very secure ice screws. Glacier Ice must be the hardest substance known to man. It is blue, featureless, and more bulletproof than any ice I've sunk a pick in! This was another exhausting section with a "light weight" pack of about 40 #. At the exit of the Couloir was camp 2 at about 10,200 ft.
Above Camp 2 was a huge cornice that we needed to move up and to the right to get around. This was a mixed climb with a few good jugs and some laybacks that got us onto the West Ridge itself. From here the terrain was steep traverses with snow pickets to the "High Camp" at 10,820 feet.
High Camp was a narrow ledge that if you dug back deep enough you could shovel out enough of a platform to fit a tent. If you took 3 steps in the wrong direction coming out of our tent it was a 4000 ft tumble back down to the Kahiltna. We reached high camp with 3 potential summit days and group of 3 Canadians from Alberta had just come back from the summit, meaning trail was broken. Things were looking good, until the snow started.
2 British climbers came into camp shortly after we arrived. They had just made the second ascent of the French Couloir on the Moonflower Wall and had been climbing 48 hours straight - Alpine style with very small packs. They were descending the route we had climbed so we gave them some Beta and told them where we had left fixed lines for the rappel so they could use them and save time. They were quite thankful.
As I said, the snow started and did not stop for 36 hours - I'm talking Valentine's Day 2007 snow. 3 times the back end of our tent was buried in small avalanches and had to be dug out. After the snow stopped the avalanche potential was too high to attempt the summit so 2 of our 3 days were gone. The third day had a brief break in the weather but there were high winds on the summits (Lenticular clouds) and another storm was supposed ot be moving in. We took advantage of the opportunity to get outta there while we could.
We left high camp at about 10 am and were back in camp 2 by noon. We got stuck behind 2 slow climbers in the entrance couloir who were using our fixed lines. After about 3 hours of delays we reached the bottom of the entrance couloir. The rappels were on single strands using a reverso with 2 biners on the thicker rope and a Muenter on the thinner rope.
We traversed back towards camp 1 and had to jump the 'schrund since the snowbridge was about gone. I actually tried to take a big step over it and both my feet went in. My hips and pack were on solid snow, so I was able to wiggle out of it.
After traversing the narrow ridge and some more steep downclimbing, we were back at our snowshoes. As I was belaying the next guy on the rope in to the snowshoe cache, he broke through a crevasse and went in up to his neck. I was sitting when it happened and my ascender easily held the fall. A combintation of us pulling and his hard work got him out quickly. We made another spooky trip through the crevasse field/seracs and were back on the Glacier by about 9 PM.
After some hot drinks and soup we decided to just make the last leg of the trip back the the Kahiltna that night. The fact that we could use our sleds and ditch the heavy packs we had been carrying for 11 hours was a big factor. We roped up and marched through the dark arriving at base camp in another snowstorm at 0230 am. Walking on a glacier at night with clouds enveloping you was the most surreal thing I have ever experienced. We set up the tents quickly and crashed.
At about 8 am we found the weather was good enough to fly and we could get the second plane out if we were ready. We quickly got dressed and broke camp in time to make it.
The climbing was tough, but enjoyable. The weight of the packs was the biggest problem.
The waiting was horrible - too many days stuck because of weather or avalanche conditions. On average we could only climb about every other day.
The weather was brutal, it snowed just about every day above base camp and the morning temps were well below zero. The sun did not hit camp 1 until 11 am and camp 2 until about 0930.
Am I glad I did it - yes I am.
Link to pics and videos:
http://s181.photobucket.com/albums/x176/KZKlimber/?start=all
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