TR- Wrangell-St. Elias, Alaska

[bubblebutt]

Trip Report for attempt on Atna and Rime peaks in Wrangell-St.Elias range, Alaska

 

I with two buddies had planed a trip to this remote range in eastern Alaska to attempt Atna and Rime peaks. Although I have Alaska experience, we had based our trip upon the new " Alaska, A Climbing Guide"book which described both peaks as Alaska Grade 1 and being very moderate although remote.

 

We flew into Anchorage on Friday , June 6th and were supposed to be picked up by Pual Klaus of Ultima Thule on the Saturday morning for a 6 hour car ride to Chitina for fly in by ski-equipped plane.

Three hours after the scheduled pickup time we got an e-mail to the Bed & Breakfast we where staying in telling us that they had forgotten us because they where moving some cabins at their lodge and we should go to a certain motel in Anchorage where an Ulitma Thule mini-van was parked and drive ourselves to Chitina by 7.00 pm. We got the message at 1.30pm and after much confusion we drove to Chitina at a terrifying speed. After arriving at this dirt strip in the middle of nowhere, the plane arrived at 7.30pm and we threw our bags in and where heading for the Nebesna Glacier.

 

We landed on the glacier at 7,300 ft at 8.30 pm, threw our bags out and Paul was gone in a matter of minutes. As the plane receeded from view the utter remoteness of where we where sunk in. The nearest human was probably 40 miles away, there where no other climbers,no nothing, not like the Kalhitna on Denali one bit.

 

First realization was that the guide book was full of shit, the West ridge of Atna looked like Alaksa Grade 3/4, knife edged, 50-60 degrees, super exposed ,the Ptarmagin ridge on Rainier on steroids. Rime Peak looked moderate, similar to Emmons Glacier on Rainier . There was lots of new snow and the crevasses were mostly covered. We put on AT skis,roped up and at 9.00 Pm set off for our first camp wich we wanted to establish at 9500 ft.

 

At about 1.00 am I was crossing a large open crevasse by what seemed a large snow bridge. 30 feet out, the snow bridge started disintegrating towards me like a zipper, two quick steps and I managed to get onto what seemed like firm ground as the ground behing me disappeared. The snow bridge collapsing set of a chain reaction and the 10 foot of overhanging cornice on the side of the crevasse peeled off for approximately 60 feet from where I was standing and fell into the crevasse with a roar. I was lucky, a spilt second too late and I would have faced a 30-40 fall into the crevasee with a 85 lb load on my back. I was shit scared and had to traverse a considerable distance laterally to find another snow bridge to bring my buddies across. Nerves shot we found what we hoped was a firm area and after probing, set up camp.

 

Next morning, we tried to use our sattelite phone to let our SO's that we were Ok. It wouldn't pick up a signal. Without that we had no means of communication and that coupled with the snow conditions really made me nervous. We decided that the first thing we had to do was find a new route back to the landing zone as the way we had come up was too dangerous.

 

We waited out the heat of the day. It was terribly hot, avalanches where crashing down everywhere and the snow became really mushy. By evening, a lenticular had formed over the mountains above us and a cool breeze helped firm up the snow but it was still dangerously warm.

 

We wanded a new way back to the LZ and I decided that the trip was over. Conditions where just too dangerous and we too remote without communications other than a pre-arranged pick up time, six days hence. Although we all had good crevasse experience, the chances of a serious injury in the event of a big fall where too large. My gut said pack it in and I always follow my gut.

 

We moved camp back to the LZ and set in for a long wait. One of the guys started working on the phone and managed to get it working . The attenna was not properly connected and must have got loose during packing as we had tested it before departure. The only way to contact Paul was to phone my wife in Seattle and ask her to e-mail him for and early pick up. This we did but she had got no reply by the following evening and being more confident now we had the phone working decided to attempt a smaller peak across the glacier we felt we could get up in one night. Conditions where cooler and we travelled about 2miles across the glacier crossed a massive bergshund and simu-climbed using pickets for protection up an approximately 45 deg slope for about a 1000 ft. We reached a saddle but the ridge ahead was heavily corniced and by this time temps where rising again and the sound of avalanches starting to be heard. We down climbed, crossed what was now a soggy, sagging bridge over the bershund and went back to camp after 5 hours on the go. Next day we where picked up by Paul at 11.00 am and drove his van back to Anchorage.. We then went to Skagway and decided to use up our excess energy by hiking the Chilkoot trail into the Yukon which we did, and that's antother story.

 

Many lessons learnt, friendships solidified and adventure had.

The Wrangells are awesome but extremely remote. I'll go back but will go to less remote areas until I feel experienced enough to tackle them again.

 

[dkemp]

Wow, sorry things didnt work out the way you wanted. Dang, I guess June is too late maybe - perhaps that area has to be early May.

 

Still, you got in there and saw an area that few others get to see. I've seen pics of the Nebesna - looks awesome. Could you see Jarvis from there? I bet Blackburn was huge.

 

Score one for Alaska, eh? I know how that goes. I've been to Alaska six times and AK always gets lots more points than I do. All you can do is raise your glass - Alaska!

Dox

 

[bubblebutt]

Yep, we could see Jarvis, Wrangell and Blackburn. Blackburn is huge and the whole time we where there it had a lenticular and storm clouds over it even though we where 5 miles away in perfect weather. Paul Klaus says Blackburn is a real scary mountain and that he doesn't like it because it seems to have a dangerous micro-climate.

I agree Aslaka is the tops and don't mind losing one to her. Here's to Alaska and glorious failure.

[snafflehound]

Great TR and a great area. No trip to a place like that is a failure. Being remote is a good reason to climb there. The snow seems to melt back pretty fast in that range. I was on the south side of that area 3 weeks ago and the glaciers were dry to 5500 or so and the icefalls were WIDE open up to 9000 or so. When I return I'll be coming OUT no later than the middle of May. cheers on your adventure

[mtnnut]

Seems like one of the problems was having the Sat phone and thinking this made you more "connected". The problem is you can't rely on scheduled times for flying anyway so you just have to plan on being self-sufficient and safe. That is sort of the price for admission to be able to experience a place as wild and isolated as it is.

 

If that is not comfortable, maybe that isn't your style of trip. You can work up to it though. There are plenty of places in the Cascades and BC that give you the chance to arrive somewhere multiple days away from help. At least if you arrive there under your own power, it provides some feeling of control that you can get out when you want. Even then, you don't want to do things that will get one of your party hurt.

[Dru]

Yes. Some people LIKE being remote and out of contact. They find it fosters a pleasant feeling of self sufficiency.

[bubblebutt]

mtnnut said:

Seems like one of the problems was having the Sat phone and thinking this made you more "connected". The problem is you can't rely on scheduled times for flying anyway so you just have to plan on being self-sufficient and safe. That is sort of the price for admission to be able to experience a place as wild and isolated as it is.

 

If that is not comfortable, maybe that isn't your style of trip. You can work up to it though. There are plenty of places in the Cascades and BC that give you the chance to arrive somewhere multiple days away from help. At least if you arrive there under your own power, it provides some feeling of control that you can get out when you want. Even then, you don't want to do things that will get one of your party hurt.

 

We where self-sufficient anf if the phone hadn't worked we would have happily sat it out until the plane arrived. The problem for me was that with the heavy packs we where carrying and the snow conditions. a large crevasse fall would have probably resulted in an injury that potentially coundn't be treated for a long period.

 

Even Jack Tackle when he recently had an accident in the St. Elias range on Mt. Augusta had a satellite phone with him that was used to call in a rescue and potentailly saved his life. Tackle is one of the most experienced Alaskan climbers and if he thinks he needs a working sattelite phone then so do I.

Going into that area without one is fucking stupid IMO.

 

 

 

 

[Dru]

who was it that said all his climbs had been done in alpine style, "No Oxygen in the Himalaya, no fixed rope in Patagonia, and no radios in Alaska" - Donini?

[bubblebutt]

Dru said:

Yes. Some people LIKE being remote and out of contact. They find it fosters a pleasant feeling of self sufficiency.

 

I agree and I enjoyed the feeling of remoteness even though it's scary aswell and we planned etremely well for the trip and had extra fuel, food, a pretty good medical kit and bomber camps so we could pretty much weather anything. However when the option was sitting for 4 days watching avalanches I'm glad I had a sattelite phone.

 

[bubblebutt]

Dru said:

who was it that said all his climbs had been done in alpine style, "No Oxygen in the Himalaya, no fixed rope in Patagonia, and no radios in Alaska" - Donini?

 

True, but I ain't no Donini and will never be. Just an ordinary guy living the dream, trying hard, having fun, growing and learning every trip.If you take you argument to the extreme and can only attempt things in the style that the ultimate alpinist has accomplished e.g. Donini-no radios ,then you shouldn't use a rope on some of your climbs on your beloved Chief as they have been free-soloed before.

The best climber is the one having the most fun-Alex Lowe

[gregm]

we were on the bagely icefield this time of year 2 years ago and it was mostly too warm for the climbing we wanted to do. i'm thinking you want to be earlier in the season for colder temps, particularly as with the sun never setting it doesn't get cold enough at night.

 

we thought we were getting a sat phone, but screwed up somewhere so paul klaus gave us a radio and said we'd be able to contact jetliners flying into ancorage, but i guess this depends on exactly where you are sitting.

[erik]

sounds like a nice place to visit!

 

did you get any kewl pics of the avalanches??

 

[bubblebutt]

gregm said:

we were on the bagely icefield this time of year 2 years ago and it was mostly too warm for the climbing we wanted to do. i'm thinking you want to be earlier in the season for colder temps, particularly as with the sun never setting it doesn't get cold enough at night.

 

we thought we were getting a sat phone, but screwed up somewhere so paul klaus gave us a radio and said we'd be able to contact jetliners flying into ancorage, but i guess this depends on exactly where you are sitting.

 

I agree, i think it would be better in early May. Much colder but more solid, awesome area though, eh!

 

[j_b]

snafflehound said:The snow seems to melt back pretty fast in that range. I was on the south side of that area 3 weeks ago and the glaciers were dry to 5500 or so and the icefalls were WIDE open up to 9000 or so.

 

could this be due to warmer than usual/low snow year?

[snafflehound]

J_B I think so. I don’t know what the norm is in the Wrangells yet but it was a low snow year through out Alaska similar to here. Snow levels caught up in April but the snow density of a usual winter wasn’t there. I expected the snow to melt back quickly. I need to study more of what a normal snow pack looks like there to better plan my next trip.

[Ade]

I've usually gone earlier, early May until early June. Even then it can still get too warm. We had major melt out on the last trip and it even rained a bit of the glacier. Two friends of mine were up there in May this year and reported low snow in the Logan/Vancouver area also. Their pilot was very concerned about being able to get them in/out.

 

Don't know where you got your phone but my friends got one from Day Wireless in Seattle. It worked for them. I'm in the Donini camp on that one. Tackle left his at BC. They never work when you want them to anyway.