TR: North Central Spur - LV Ray Peak

[Kraken]

On Friday night, we were ready to go to bed and wake up at 4 AM to head down to Moose Pass, where we would attempt a new route on what we believe to be an entirely unclimbed face on LV Ray Peak. (No amount of digging could bring anything up, please let me know if you know of any previous ascents!)

 

We went to a few parties and a half-six pack later I was still awake at 2 AM. I got a call from Ben who admitted that he also was awake as well. We agreed to meet up and just leave straight from there instead of sleeping for a few hours.

 

After getting some food at Huffman Carrs, we drove South for two hours before finally arriving at the base of the face.

 

Thinking (and hoping) to do some mixed climbing or 5th class climbing, we brought a few screws, a full set of stoppers, some pins, and a few small cams up to a #3.

 

We negotiated deep snow pockets for the first quarter mile before finally reaching a nicely froze avalanche path, which we determined posed no threat at all, from above or below. We made quick time up the first 2000 feet in a narrow avalanche gully with several minescule sections of grade 2 alpine ice, which we negotiated without roping up or placing any protection.

 

By 9 AM we were already more than half way up the face. The sun however was burning bright and once we were free of the gully, the snow went from very packed to very very loose and deep.

 

Ben began experiencing minor leg cramps at around 9 or so, so after some Cytomax, Gu, and a deep tissue massage, we kept going and I kept post holing so he wouldn't agrivate the problem any more.

 

The best climbing began at about 3000 feet on the Spur. The slope angle steepened from 45 degrees to more than 70 degrees at times, and the 4th class rock moves made things quite fun and tricky enough without being overly dangerous. We encountered numerous narrow snow corniced ridge traverses. The consequences were always high, but we felt confident enough to climb without protection or a rope, as we felt strong in both our abilities as well as the avalanche conditions.

 

We topped out on the summit at 1:15 after 7.5 hours of climbing. The summit was a quadruple corniced point only big enough for me to sit on while Ben sat just below. We enjoyed a nice summit lunch and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, took pictures, and discussed other BS, before eventually traversing back down and downclimbing the South face to Carter Lake. The hike out was so hot we stripped down and hiked out without shirts on. Unfortunately, the college co-eds were apparently in the other valley, and we didn't see another soul the entire day. After a quick hike up the road to our car, we ate a monster hoagie and I lost my cell phone.

 

All in all, a great day, new route, and one hell of a sunburn. It ended up not being quite as technical as I had thought it would be, or hoped it would be. There were several sections of this climb that resembled The West Ridge of Mount Hunter or Rainier's Liberty Ridge. A beautiful route with an amazingly easy approach and tremendous climbing. The views are pretty damned good too.

 

LV Ray Peak: 4,840 feet; Kenai Mountains - Alaska

North Central Spur: 4,300ft; AI2; 70*+; Grade 2

 

[Kraken]

oops...pictures posted. Enjoy.

Edited May 1, 2006 by Clintoris

[Alpinfox]

Cool!

 

...but 4300ft? Really?

[DirtyHarry]

Looks like a fun ski run.

[Kraken]

Topo map: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=6&...amp;layer=DRG50

[John Frieh]

Any photos of the crux pitch(es)? 70 degrees perhaps?

 

Seems like you'd want to show at least one or two to balance out all the phallic ice tools and ethanol research photos...

[wfinley]

Good job Clint! Looks like a really fun route. One question: how was the route similar to Hunter's West Ridge?

[Kraken]

not really John, we only had the camera out during the tamer stuff. The steeps aren't really the best places to take photos. Besides, it was a big camera (Canon Digital Rebel XT) and very expensive and spent most of the time in my pack.

 

The steeps weren't ever more than 200 consecutive feet, but some were run out. You can see the steep stuff in the pictures below us.

 

If I could go back and climb it again, I'd bring a few snargs, as the 4th to low 5th class rock was very mossy and would have been nice to protect. Those portions were the most technical.

 

Lots of mountains to ski around Moose Pass. We saw many point release slides on mostly eastern and southern aspects but no slabs. There were some pretty gnarly old avalanches that were very big from probably a month ago or so.

 

The climb ended up costing me a new phone, but that POS was about to die anyways.

 

Billy...about Hunter...there's this photo at the shop of a super HUGE corniced ridge section on the West Ridge and there was this part of the climb that looked just like it...only much smaller. It was just the formation of the cornices in relation to that picture that made me say that.

 

This climb wasn't quuuuuiiiiiiiite as hard as I would the West Ridge would be...but close, close.

[wfinley]

You should try Explorer Peak. The standard route involves a ski traverse of the glacier then you head up the heavily corniced W ridge to the summit. I've never been on it but I hear it's an excellent route.

[Kraken]

Donde esta?

[wfinley]

Explorer is the furthest west peak on the ridge S of the road to Portage. Here's the beta:

 

After you pass the 5 Fingers parking area continue on until you see where the powerlines come out to the road near the glacier. Hike up here -- staying in the powerline swath to avoid excessive bush whacking. Ascend the wide ave chute (staying climbers R) up to the upper glacier. Once on the upper glacier continue S and E towards the ridge coming off of the summit (which will be to the E of the glacier). Beware of possible aves caused by cornice failures. Once you get up high, trade your skis for boots and continue up the ridge to the summit. Conditions vary depending on year. There's not much snow on the Kenai this year so the cornices won't be too bad. Carry a couple pickets though b/c the cornices have been known to break.

[Kraken]

Sweet Billy. I've seen taht one before but just didn't know it's name. Portage is a place I want to explore more mountain wise. Bard, Byron, Explorer, Carpathian...all peaks I want to do out there.

 

I'm leaving the state tomorrow night though to head down to Rainier. I don't know if and when i'll be back this summer. It depends on if I get the job or not. BTW, when are you flying down to do the Liberty Ridge? I'm hoping to find a few days in May to do it or possibly Ptarmigan, but it depends on my schedule.

[DanielHarro]

clint-

my brother and I climbed that peak via the same route you did back in 2001. A good freind of ours (moose pass local) Charlie hooked us up with some cool climbs in that area. I think he has climbed damn near everything in that area including all of the Crown Point and surrounding area. A lot of that stuff he climbed in the early 80's

[WCC]

Daniel, can you provide any more information on your friend Charlie's climb of L V Ray or other peaks in the area? And what time of year was your 2001 climb? I'd like to hear more about the FAs of the Moose Pass area.

[Kraken]

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