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Who Requested This?


jordop

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I know who requested that one, but I'll let him speak up, as he's a regular poster here.

 

Guy Edwards still has/had the highpoint, right? Someone'll do it one of these days. Is there any cooler route name than "The Heart of Darkness?"

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I didn't request it as much as point out to John that if he was going to create a gallery full of Slesse pics he should probably include "THE LAST GREAT PROBLEM..BLAHH..BLAHHH..SPEWW..SPEWWW...HEART OF DARKNESS".

 

I've seen John fly by in mountains and the guy flys fuckin FAST. It's unbelievable the image quality he gets going a 150 mph with one hand on the camera and another on the controls. Very nice shots he managed there. Awesome looking line but what a friggin bowling alley that one would be.

 

So what turned Guy around? Objective hazards or technical difficulties?

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As there are no secrets, a brief explanation of how the photographs were taken.

 

I was not completely satisfied with the shots from April 12 so immediately thereafter began planning another effort. Darin's intriquing suggestion led me back to the first photographs to consider how I might obtain definitive images of the route and, particularly, the crux. Weather seemed perfect the morning of the 19th, so I left a detailed flight plan with Karen and departed. Once aloft it was evident that strong wind out of the NE would be a factor.

 

I flew to Mt Larrabee and circled just south of the border at 8500'. I then contacted Vancouver Center (air traffic control), requested and got a clearance into Canadian airspace, to remain in contact with them for about 15 min., then proceeded NE while descending, crossing the SE ridge to begin circling N/NE of Slesse at about 7500', clockwise. (I would normally circle CCW but decided to go CW to stay to Slesse's N, out of turbulence downwind of the pk).

 

Once in position, I verified that I was at an altitude that would provide safe clearance over the N ridge, since I would cross it each time I circled. I set power to provide an airspeed of 100 to 110 MPH, since the route is in the shade and I knew the shutter speed might be a little slow. Faster speed can mean blurry shots in these situations.

 

With everything set up and stabilized, I began photographic passes. The camera was set in 'burst' mode, shooting off ten or so images in about five or six seconds. I was also using telephoto mode to provide some distance away from the N/NE face. A left bank is required to get the wing out of the picture. This results in a turn towards the mountain, another reason to stand away at a safe distance. Using this technique I made about eight or nine circuits. This is the same method I have used many times in the past to get shots of certain geological features or other climbing routes.

 

I then moved farther to the N in order to get images of a wider perspective. Once I had a hundred or so shots I climbed back up and proceeded south, bidding farewell to ATC and Slesse. At this point, results were still uncertain, needing review and confirmation at home on the computer. So now I give thanks to Darin for presenting me with a most interesting little project that generated some quite useful images.

 

Having successfully photographed 'Heart of Darkness', I leave shortly in my quest for that 'Everest' of aerial photographs, the mythical Mt. Britney Spears and its fabled Kid Rock Buttress. It is a sight I fear to see, yet cannot turn away from. I believe Mt. BS lies near the center of that mist-shrouded 'blank on the map' to the N of Big Bosom Buttes - a region feared by aviators perhaps more than the Bermuda Triangle. So wish me good luck, and, Oh Yes, if I return safely I WILL post pictures.

 

Kindest Regards,

John Scurlock

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i always thought this was the De Jong-McGregor line (Artic Wing)

 

http://www.pbase.com/nolock/image/42292872

 

De Jong-McGregor's "Arctic Wing" takes the righthand couloir. Fraser and Ourom's "Fraser Ribber" climbs the rib to its left. the Beckham-Serl-Wittmayer "North Couloir" ascends the next gully left. Lowe and Keisel's "North Rib" takes the sharply defined rib leading to the notch north of the upper mountain, then climbs the upper face direct. (Note: the notch is not the obvious one on the skyline, but a snowy notch below and in front of it. Note also: McLane and Murrell climbed the upper portion of the North Couloir prior to the B-S-W winter ascent, having been forced off the North Rib by bad early season snow.) "The Heart of Darkness" is the distinct shadowed line - and while Guy deserves great credit for his bold attempt, so does Jeremy Frimer for being bold enough to go up with him - not to mention Peder Ourom, Perry Beckham, and others who made a couple determined attempts in the early '80s. these guys were REALLY good wall climbers, and the fact that they failed ought to indicate something about the compactness of the rock at the crux.

 

as Colin says, it'll get climbed one day. aside from the technicality of the crux, the major problem is the requirement for completely calm weather, cuz the "ditch" collects ALL the spindrift from the entire north face, and when it gets running, even in "good" weather, the flow is immense (as Peder can attest)...

 

cheers,

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  • 9 years later...

Colin and Dylan's climb is pretty cool and all, but what I am really interested in is whether or not John was successful in his quest from all those years ago:

 

Having successfully photographed 'Heart of Darkness', I leave shortly in my quest for that 'Everest' of aerial photographs, the mythical Mt. Britney Spears and its fabled Kid Rock Buttress. It is a sight I fear to see, yet cannot turn away from. I believe Mt. BS lies near the center of that mist-shrouded 'blank on the map' to the N of Big Bosom Buttes - a region feared by aviators perhaps more than the Bermuda Triangle. So wish me good luck, and, Oh Yes, if I return safely I WILL post pictures.

 

Kindest Regards,

John Scurlock

 

 

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Colin and Dylan's climb is pretty cool and all, but what I am really interested in is whether or not John was successful in his quest from all those years ago:

 

Having successfully photographed 'Heart of Darkness', I leave shortly in my quest for that 'Everest' of aerial photographs, the mythical Mt. Britney Spears and its fabled Kid Rock Buttress. It is a sight I fear to see, yet cannot turn away from. I believe Mt. BS lies near the center of that mist-shrouded 'blank on the map' to the N of Big Bosom Buttes - a region feared by aviators perhaps more than the Bermuda Triangle. So wish me good luck, and, Oh Yes, if I return safely I WILL post pictures.

 

Kindest Regards,

John Scurlock

 

 

What I didn't explain back then was that I was doing it all for Layton. Then he moved to Utah, likely because of the polygamy thing, and my spirit was broken. Once in a while, while soaring above the mists, I gaze over towards BS... but then the cold sweats begin, and I turn for home.

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