Kraken

Interesting.

Reading this seven years later really just cracked me up. Jesus. The things I claimed...wow.

nevermind, found the TR. Beautiful mountain...glad to say i'll take their advice and never ever ever ever climb it! I have that same shitty choss in the Chugach.

Beautiful. Not being as much of a Cascades aficianado...when was the Zorro face first climbed? Ever? And then in the Winter?

yeah wtf? why did they take down the great dolomite climbing video?

Maaaaaaaaybe Kautz Glacier on Rainier.

FILGO by the way means Fuck It, Let's GO!

Wooooooooooot!!!!!!

Trip: Revelation Mountains - Apocalypse (First Ascent) - A Cold Day in Hell Date: 4/7/2013 Trip Report: Well, since I'm now back in the normal "work world" and the adventures of the spring are nothing more than a distant memory, I guess it's time to spray about them. This was the first big Alaska climbing trip I did this year when I made my annual pilgrimage to the Revelation Mountains, located at the extreme western end of the Alaska Range. Since 2008 I have been to the "Revs" every year and have plucked off quite a few hidden gems in this seldom visited range. This year was particularly frustrating since we had to wait nearly two weeks to fly in due to the Revelations' fickle weather patterns. Apocalypse Peak is one of the highest peaks in the Revs at 9,340 feet. It was also the tallest unclimbed peak in the area and has always been on my hitlist. The 4,500 foot West Face is one of the most impressive walls in all of the Revelations. This peak looks like it belongs more in the Kichatnas. Several big walls, that are larger than El Capitan, jut skyward in daunting profile. April however, is a time for ice routes, so Aaron Thrasher, Jason Stuckey and I went sniffing around the West Face for a weakness that just may allow us access to the upper mountain. We were pleased to find the perfect "sneak" as Aaron called it. On the right side of the West Face, a weakness revealed a thin vein of ice dribbling several thousand feet down from a long and narrow couloir. It was an obvious line and we wasted no time in giving it an attempt. Aaron was out of time and had to fly out, so Jason and I started the next morning. The climb began with a beautiful rivulet of grade four ice, which we simulclimbed over about 300 feet. A steep gully of snow lead to more lower angle ice which went on for nearly 1000 feet. More steep snow lead to one of the route's crux pitches, a rapidly melting vein of grade five alpine ice that was no more than shoulder width for almost 200 feet. Just as Jason began seconding the pitch, my friend Conor flew by as he picked Aaron up from the glacier. They took an amazing shot of us on route. We continued up a steep gully that offered scant protection and eventually found a great narrow bivy just as the sun faded behind the peaks to the west. We chopped the ledge out for about an hour and then set up our First Light and enjoyed the rest. The next morning we set off early and immediately encountered more steep, cruxy ice pitches before the angle kicked back to 60 degrees. We simulclimbed most of the upper face, placing tons of ice screws and the occasional piece of rock gear. We eventually exited the technically challenging terrain but had lots of steep and very exposed snow plodding to contend with. We got to the summit ridge and could see that the north summit, a quarter-mile away, was about ten feet taller. We had to tag it...it was a first ascent. With only two pickets we resorted to trust. I wouldn't fall, if he wouldn't fall. Deal. The notoriously bad weather of the Revelations was no where to be found and we enjoyed perfect views the whole trip. The summit was extremely small, only one of us could stand on top at a time. The Apocalypse is one of the few Revelation peaks with a detailed history. It was been attempted several times by crusty Alaskan climbers in the 1980s, but has not even been tried for almost 30 years. Dick Flaharty of Fairbanks spent ten days on the central big wall, climbing 1,500 feet before encountering a band of poor rock. He was so enamored by the mountain however, that he named his clothing company, Apocalpyse Designs, after the peak. A year or two later, Karl Swanson of Talkeetna attempted the central snow line on a solo mission, but turned around when an avalanche poured over his head and nearly took him for the final ride. I was astounded to discover that he was less than 500 vertical feet from the summit. So close!!! We rappelled back to our high camp and had enough food to stay for another night. We had perfect weather and didn't feel rushed so we decided to enjoy our success and the perfect bivy. In the morning we continued our descent and touched ground by late afternoon. A major inversion had me shivering all the way to camp, and we were not surprised when our thermometer had bottomed out at -20. The next morning it was even colder, and when Paul Roderick from Talkeetna Air Taxi picked us up, he said it was -35. Another wonderful trip to the Revelations is in the books. Can't wait to go back next year! Hey Jens...you game? Check out my feature article in the 2013 American Alpine Journal (available in August), which fully details the history and potential of the Revelation Mountains. Thanks for reading! -Clint Helander Gear Notes: Tons of ice screws, a few pickets, a handful of rock gear (pins, a few nuts, some cams). Approach Notes: You gotta pay to play! A very expensive flight!

And yes...Billy (WFinley), I definitely had more excitement than experience back in 'those' days. It's funny to think how much I thought I knew all those years ago. I'm sure I'll feel the same way in another 10. Funny stuff.

My feet sweat like bastards. It's always been an issue...more out of pure funky stank than with any form of trench foot. I changed my socks on the First Ice Band, Cornice Bivy and then never had a chance to change them again. It was only on the descent when things warmed up (plus they were probably already sweating) that they felt really damp. Not until we were almost out of the Ramen Valley did they hurt. I don't think foot powder really helps for drying my feet, but I do use it to control the horrendous odor they have been known to emit. Here is a lovely photo by my friend Andres Marin. I'm doing some MUCH needed sock laundry. It was one of the grossest smells I've ever smelled. This was post-Hunter.

Traversing in to the Approach Gully for the Harvard. Denali's South Buttress and Isis Face are in the background. Photo by Kurt Hicks Me leading near the bottom of the Phantom headwall. Photo by Kurt Hicks. Seconding on a wonderful mixed pitch midway up the lower headwall. Photo by Kurt Hicks. Me about to start up the crux 5.10/A1 pitch. Photo by Kurt Hicks "Oh shit, look at that weather coming in..." We had lots of climbing to do and had not even begun to suffer. Photo by Kurt Hicks.

Trip: Mount Huntington - Phantom Wall Date: 4/27/2013 Trip Report: This spring I spent a total of 60 days in the Alaska Range. First I started in the Revelations, then immediately flew in to the Eldridge Glacier and skied out to the road. Several days after that, I met up with Kurt Hicks had a trying soiree on the Alaska Range's most iconic peak, Mount Huntington before bumping over to the Kahiltna. Huntington has always fascinated me. Despite its modest height it is one of the most difficult summits to reach in all of the Range. Most parties nowadays climb the West Face Couloir. In my personal opinion I find the route to be way over rated and would never recommend it, but then again I may just be a snob when it comes to ice routes. The WFC is a long stretch of iron-hard glacial ice with few interesting features and hanging belays. (PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: I have not climbed the WFC, but I have descended it and that was enough to kill any interest in ever ascending it!) Anyways, back to the regularly schedule program... Kurt and I met in Alaska several years ago and I'd been wanting to climb with him ever since. Fortune befell us in February and we met in Canmore to climb many of the area's incredible ice lines including Rainbow Serpent, Pilsner Pillar and a five hour round trip ascent of Polar Circus. It seemed like we would get along just fine! Both of us were excited about Huntington, and were in the mood for a seldom-traveled route. Several years ago my friend Jared Vilhauer made the long awaited second ascent of the Jay Smith/ Paul Teare Phantom Wall, which was established back in 1992. Vilhauer gave me some beta and after reading about it in the "50 Favorite Climbs" book, I was hooked. Both parties before us dropped in to "Death Valley", narrowly dodging massive seracs and navigating a huge ice fall. Then they climbed 3,000' of that pesky moderate glacial ice to get to the base of the Headwall that comprises the Phantom Wall. I didn't like that idea too much and I was convinced that we could climb the Approach Gully on the Harvard Route, climb through the Alley and then traverse down and over to the base of the headwall. In the end, that is just what we did. From there we angled up and right through some crazy lightning strike-like xenoliths of diorite amidst otherwise impeccable granite. Several moderate pitches lead to some testy mixed climbing, which Kurt styled. The headwall loomed above and we both wondered where in the hell we were going to sneak through the seemingly impenetrable wall. Consistently challenging climbing lead to the route's 5.10/A1 crux pitch. Wouldn't you know it was my lead. I will say it was not as technically difficult as it was scary. A narrow cleft made the climbing awkward, and I very nearly took a big leader fall, but somehow managed to escape to easier ground. To this point the weather had been incredible. Suddenly clouds and winds ripped around the side of the mountain and we were blindsided by a serious and cold storm. Snow started to fall and we were now quite scared, but the only descent was up the mountain and down the West Face Couloir. We made a quick brew after much simul-climbing at the only protected alcove and then made the long exposed and often unprotected simul-climb to the summit. In a total whiteout and with numb hands and faces, we miraculously found a pee stain and then the descent to the rappels rigged from previous climbers. As we walked away from the crowned dome, we looked back through a brief clearing in the otherwise impenetrable clouds and could barely make out a bump a little farther away which was actually the tallest point several meters higher (and I'm talking meters, here) than where we had stood. We thought we were on the top when we got there. Call it what you will. It was meters. When we arrived at the "top," there was no obvious slope leading to a higher place. We summited. If you want to argue, go climb it in those conditions and decipher at your will. I suppose it is the nature of the beast. We rappelled through the night in horrendous conditions...cold, tired, miserable, numb and scared. We left several screws when our brittle fingers could not tie cord through a V-thread. In a haze, I lead the rappels while Kurt excellently cleaned and used his innumerable guide skills to keep us safe and focused. I threw several temper tantrums when V-thread holes instantly plugged with spindrift, when my eyes froze shut from wind, and when I dropped my new pair of $100 gloves. In my child like state, I maintained a focus on staying alive, but it was like looking through a key hole. Kurt was the glue that held the team together as we made our way down, ever closer to survival. He proved to be an invaluable partner, one I hope to share many future adventures with. Our ropes got stuck on the last rappel and I screamed at them, hiding deep within myself and hoping Kurt would retrieve them. The man has class...he got them unstuck after climbing 10 feet up. Like a boss! We staggered back to camp, slogging in a foot of new snow. We had left camp 22 hours earlier but it looked like a forgotten wasteland. We threw our gear on the ground, stuffed our faces with food and went to bed, trying to forget our trying affair. I had a dime-sized bit of frostbite on my wrist of all places and Kurt was worried about his fingers being numb several days later. With that, he flew out to Talkeetna and I bumped over to Kahiltna, where I waited for several weeks before eventually climbing the Moonflower on Mount Hunter. Thanks for a great climb, Kurt!!!!! This was only the third ascent of this route and I think it is a great candidate for future ascents. Go get it!! Gear Notes: set of cams to #2, nuts, a few pins, six screws, several pickets, a better weather forecast than we had. Approach Notes: Up Harvard Route Approach Gully, climb several mixed pitches up the Alley and then descend to the long lateral snow ledge to the base of the Phantom Headwall

Trip: Mount Hunter - Moonflower (Bibler Klewin) to Summit Date: 5/21/2013 Trip Report: "Mount Hunter is a siren. Its seductive song captivated me the fist time I heard it. I have thrown aside logic and maybe even reason to try to climb it. I am not alone in this bewitchment. Those of us who have been drawn to Mt. Hunter have never been the same. Few successful ascents have been achieved without epics; many have come to disaster on its sides. Yet the mountain is not malevolent. It sings the song it was meant to sing. Only our passion, our curiosity and our hubris make us vulnerable to the pull. The song Mt. Hunter sings is that of possibility...And it is possibility combined with vision and courage that has always been the hallmark of a great ascent" -Scott Backes, Alpinist 9 I'll never forget the first time my eyes and mind absorbed the enormity of Mount Hunter's iconic North Buttress. I was 23, naive, impatient and arrogant. What I postured on the outside merely shelled what I concealed deep within. I had made a few first ascents here and there in remote parts of Alaska and allowed my ego to blossom like a weed. And then I stood beneath Mount Hunter. It tore away my hubris and forced me to confront my unwarranted pride. For the next several years I mostly avoided the Central Alaska Range, instead choosing to focus on remote exploration in the Revelation Mountains. There I learned about myself, grew as a climber and ultimately, pushed myself to the limit of what I thought possible for myself. Yet in the back of my mind, Mount Hunter always loomed. In 2011, I set my sights on Hunter's North Buttress. Fear still choked me when I envisioned myself on the route's many cruxes: the Prow, Tamara's Traverse, the Shaft, the Vision and ultimately, the descent. We ended up climbing the West Ridge in a 3.5 day trip, a tour that would prove invaluable in the future. The next year I returned with a partner I had met just days before. We climbed well and pitch after pitch fell away. I had just lead the Prow and was beaming with excitement. The First Ice Band, where we would bivy for the night, was only a few feet away. Then my crampon sheered in half and fell to the glacier while I lead the final pitch. We core shot a rope, descended on a single 8mm line and kissed the ground when we reached our skis many hours later. We flew out, cursed our bad luck, and drowned our sorrows in a multi-hundred dollar bar tab at the Fairview in Talkeetna. For the next year, every waking thought was clouded by Hunter. A pretty blond would say something to me and she would be lost amidst a cold shadow under the North Buttress. At work as my boss shouted numbers over a howling wind, I would hear "on belay." I trained extensively from December to May. From Joshua Tree, to the Cascades, to a dozen pitches of Grade 6 ice in the Canadian Rockies, a Grade V first ascent in the Revelations, the Phantom Wall on Huntington...every pitch, inch of ground gained or shivering belay was aimed at the North Buttress of Mount Hunter. When I finally arrived in Kahiltna Base Camp, the cape of fear that had always been cloaked around me had, somewhere along the way, been stripped away. After several partner changes, I met two guys from Canmore eager to have a third join their party. We set off at 9 PM, opting for the less traveled Mugs Start. Last year it took me nearly 11 hours to reach the base of the first Ice Band. This year, we made it in less than nine. A Dutch Team refused to let us pass, so we were forced to wait for twelve hours at the First Ice Band as ice reigned down the Shaft. Eventually we were able to continue moving and, in two amazing pitches, we were through the route's crux of the Shaft. It is important to note for other interested parties that the 5.8 pitch before the Shaft is actually quite difficult, yet never stated as being so. We stopped for a brew at the Second Ice Band and caught a very short nap. Mark took us to the base of the Vision and then I lead it mostly free, with a few moves of A0. The topo shows two pendulums, but we only did one, and found it to be not too bad. Above the Vision we encountered mostly moderate, but incredible mixed climbing to the Third Ice Band. Here we tried once again to pass the Dutch, but as soon as they saw us coming they resumed climbing. We lost several hours here, mostly not being able to move. As we waited for them to climb through the Bibler/Come Again, we wavered on continuing to the summit. I have always considered the summit my ultimate goal, and when people ask if I'm going to climb the Moonflower, I use my friend Ryan's response: "No, we want to climb Mount Hunter via the Moonflower." Above the Bibler/Come Again (which we found substantially easier than the M5 OW rating) (again, probably due to conditions), we were surprised to see the Dutch team rigging a rappel. This fueled our fire and in a burst of effort, I kicked steps all the way up the Final Ice Band, to the Cornice Bivy at 12,700'. Here we enjoyed our first real bivy of the climb. We took off harnesses and, ahem, slept...almost comfortably. Without sleeping bags, we were still fairly warm with our two bivy sacks. Early in the morning, we were awoken by violent shivering. The weather was beautiful and there was little question that we would continue to the summit. Several moderate pitches of ice culminated in easy step kicking to the summit. We were excited to find snow conditions to be near perfect...boot top deep neve. We followed tracks left by Kyle Dempster and his girlfriend Jules (this was her first trip to Alaska and she climbed Deprivation to the summit!!!!) and were on top within a few hours. On the summit, my emotions ran high. It felt surreal, almost unbelievable. I questioned how I had made it to this point. Was it through skill or simply luck? I was less excited about the descent down the North Buttress and had long romanticized the idea of traversing down the West Ridge. Familiar with it from several years before, we opted for the West Ridge descent, planning on taking the Ramen Couloir, which I had also descended in 2011. A Japanese team had climbed through the Ramen Ice Fall and we hoped to find steps, otherwise we would use the standard rappel descent through the notch on the hump, described in Joe Puryear's book. We found the entrance to the Ramen and rappelled in the ever warming day. Water ran down the rocks and we stripped down to our base layers. We reached the base in less than two hours and were psyched to find remnants of the Japanese team's trail. I think it is important to note that we were from the summit to the Ramen Valley base in less than five hours and only had to make three rappels as opposed to nearly 30 on the North Buttress (all teams who rappelled the North Buttress had multiple stuck ropes). I would rather walk a long distance and deal with complex glacier travel as opposed to dealing with stuck ropes/difficult rappelling when I haven't slept for three days. The ice fall went quickly, but it was not without peril. Soft snow bridges made the going spooky and we dodged a few considerable wet slide avalanches. All in all. From the base of the Ramen Couloir we hiked seven miles to base camp. By the time we arrived, my feet were suffering and I was in extreme pain. Walking was so painful, due to a type of immersion or trench foot, that I had to crawl the final 500 feet back to camp. All in all, we were 73 hours camp to camp. We could have easily cut 10-12 hours off that time had we not been stuffed by the Dutch, who ultimately refused to let us pass. The next day, I woke up to a big party from my friends in base camp. We had a few kegs flown in and enjoyed our success. A few days later, we skied up Denali and enjoyed another two weeks, hoping to try the Denali Diamond. Weeks later it still didn't feel real. Logically, I knew I had just climbed one of the biggest routes of my life, but my emotional synapses hadn't yet formed the connection. Only now, several months later, does the feeling become real. I am filled with humble respect, awe and a sense of completion. Already my mind drifts back fondly to those days and then quickly flirts with dreams of the future on the massive bulk of Hunter. Thank you for reading. -Clint Helander Here is a video from the summit of Mount Hunter: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=732016052443&l=354603671358417459 Please note that my opinions/comments here are highly subjective. We had warm weather, good conditions and a familiarity with the lower 1/3 of the route as well as the descent down the West Ridge/Ramen. All of these aspects made our decisions different from what others may encounter. Important notes about the Moonflower (Bibler/Klewin): -The (now) standard start is becoming increasingly more difficult to gain due to the ice apron melting away from the rock. The schrund required multiple parties to aid up it with pickets. -If it is in, the Mugs Start is (in my opinion) far superior. The climbing is fun, moderate and much, much quicker to the base of the Prow. -The pendulum bolt at the top of the Prow ultimately needs to be replaced. It is an old 1/4" buttonhead that is quite rusted. -Don't underestimate the 5.8 pitch before the shaft. I would recommend the central line (look for a fixed pin directly above the belay). -We waited for several weeks in camp for the perfect window. -The key for us feeling so good with so little sleep was keeping VERY hydrated. We made many many many stops to brew water. We were all drinking AT LEAST six liters per day, with electrolyte enhancers. I noticed a huge difference from other climbs where i have allowed myself to get dehydrated. My mental state was always sharp and physically I felt strong. -We didn't bring aiders, mechanical ascenders, pins, pulleys, sleeping bags, cups/bowls, etc. We went light. The new Petzl microscender and a tibloc worked great for the few times we had to haul/jug. -because of light packs we only jugged one pitch (the prow) and only hauled on the Shaft. I hope that info helps future parties!!!!! Gear Notes: Single rack to #3, a few nuts, 11 ice screws, 2 pickets (very nice for the final ice band)

Get in touch with Ryan Johnson of Juneau. 'Nough said.

just to chime in and add to what alistair and gene said... First...I've seen the mission 75 tear at the shoulder seams. Also the hip belt is NOT going to feel good for day in, day out carrying 60# AND hauling a sled. Second...when you're busting ass to move up or down and pack up camp, you really want a pack taht you can quickly shove everything in to. If you have to meticulously pack your shit and it just barely fits, everyone else on the guided trip is going to hate you as they sit around freezing waiting for you to find out where to stuff your shit. Gregory Makalu Pro...a simple pack that is much lighter than their Denali pro...more of just a sack with a huge detachable clam shell that in and of itself can carry almost 20L. Light and has a great harness. It's what I use up there for the W. Buttress. Cheap...$300. And Durable.

Kraken must have the step in, super rare 555 version. but thanks Sween!

If you have them, I want 'em! PM Me!

If you have them I'd love to buy them off of you. PM me! Clint

Want money for a cool Alaska Trip? There's only two weeks left to apply for the first annual SHARE Grant. www.SHAREGrant.com

I've climbed it twice in the summer and there are several rappels on good anchors. These will deposit you on a slope heading straight for Asgard Pass. It is quite straight forward.

My buddy Josh and I found excellent conditions on the Sherpa Glacier/Couloir route of Stuart last week. Go getchyaself some!

Ryan leading Tamara's Traverse on the Moonflower Buttress of Mount Hunter, Alaska.

Mark Allen on the West Ridge of Mount Hunter in Alaska.

I'd love to do any of the other options but I don't have my gear here yet (being shipped to WA). Let's climb Index. PM Me. Clint