SnowDrifter

If you don't really care about whether you actually summit or not that's fine. I've done a lot of routes where the interesting climbing stops a few 100 feet from the summit and I don't bother finishing it off but those are climbing routes not summit attempts. When you fly into some unclimbed peak for the purpose of doing a FA and are 100 yards away, if you want to tell everyone that you did it spend the extra effort to run up there. 100 yards should take what, 20 min at 8000m and 5min at 7000'? I just don't get why someone that's so excited to tell everyone that they're the first person to climb a peak, wouldn't put in 5 min. to make it a reality???

I respect Fred and his many true summits, that's why I highly doubt he's going around telling people the trip was a success. To have some local claiming this so he can name the peak and maybe one day see his name next to a great in a guidebook is embarassing. I mean who says "I consider our effort a summit"???? I've had a lot of nearly successful trips but they I didn't ever claim that they were summits because the weather was shitty, I had a tired partner or we really were close anyways. Like I said I thought it was a great trip report but when I hear shit like this it gets me steamed. Why not sit at home with a guide book and add every summit to your resume' that doesn't have any technical difficulties between your couch and the summit. Considering the amount of people that freak over a bolt placed next to a crack, I'm surprised that I'm the only one saying something. I know this isn't the FA of any notable mountain but claiming a first ascent when you never stood on the summit definately deserves a few comments.

Mount "Chakachamna" First Ascent???? What the hell is this crap??? Great trip report and sounds like an awesome area but I gotta call you on this. If you were only 100 yards with "really no technical difficulties", why didn't you just run up there and tag it? You're excuses aren't justification as to your summit claim but rather as to your need to turn around before the summit. You are not the FA of Chakachamna but only the snow couliour. I sat in Mt. Baker parking lot and saw no technical difficulties from where I stood to the top but I don't tell people I summited it!!! I don't care if you had 15 feet of rambling to go but ran out of rope or if you tripped and slid back to the bottom or had a psycho girlfriend that wanted you back before dark... there is no way you can claim that you summited!!! Do people climbing everest stop and turn around at the top of the Hillary Step because there is no more technical difficulties and there is no difference between continuing on to the real summit or not? Sorry for having to play the but as much as I'd like to see Fred tick another mountain at his age, none of you did. Is he claiming he was the FA too? If so I'm surprised!!I do appreciate your honesty by not simply saying that you summited but to put your name anywhere as the official first ascent would be a lie!!! I lose all respect for people that over claim their achievments and those that undstate them gain my respect.