John Frieh Posted September 15, 2011 Posted September 15, 2011 Trip: Burkett Needle - East Arête "Repeat Offender" (FA) Date: 9/11/2011 Trip Report: Summary: First Ascent of the East Arête of Burkett Needle on September 11th 2011. Dave Burdick, John Frieh and Zac West. “Repeat Offender” IV 5.9 M5 AI3 Details: On September 9th, 2011 Dave Burdick, Zac West and I (John Frieh) flew to the Burkett Glacier in the heart of SE Alaska’s Stikine Icecap. A rare two-day weather window had appeared in between the record storms and rainfall that had been hammering the area all summer long. Our intentions on Mt. Burkett were soon abandoned after observing how active and broken the hanging glacier on the approach was in its fall state. Instead we turned our attentions to the unclimbed East Arête of Burkett Needle, a 2300’ alpine tower immediately West of Mt. Burkett. The following day our team ascended a rock rib to access the icefall below the Needle’s Southeast Face. The glacier was quite broken and required climbing into moats and up a short serac to reach the gully that leads to the base of the East Arête. Deteriorating weather caused us to bivouac at the col and attempt the climb the next day. On September 11th, we ascended steep snow and low 5th rock up the lower aspects of the East Arête to a prominent gendarme. A short wall lead up and over the gendarme to exposed rock and mixed climbing along and right of the ridge crest to the false summit. A short rappel brought us to the summit tower where our route joined the 1964 Kor-Davis North ridge. Three mixed snow and rock pitches lead to the summit. We rappelled and downclimbed the Northeast face to descend. The East Arête “Repeat Offender” (IV 5.9 M5 AI3) represents the 6th ascent of the peak. Many thanks to the Copp-Dash Inspire Award and the Mazama Expedition Committee for supporting our trip, Dieter Klose for support and allowing us to climb while the Icecap was “closed for the season” and to our pilot Wally from Temsco Air. Dave Burdick John Frieh Zac West 2009 First Ascent of the West Ridge of Burkett Needle "Smash and Grab" Trip Report Pictures: Yes we have many more photos and video to share but in accordance with the grant we will be putting it all together into a multimedia presentation to share at a later date (a slideshow perhaps?) so... stay tuned! Approach Notes: Temsco Air Quote
Alpinfox Posted September 15, 2011 Posted September 15, 2011 Hell of an accomplishment and great style. Congrats guys! Quote
olyclimber Posted September 15, 2011 Posted September 15, 2011 Nice work brosef's! Way to crush on my brothers turf up there! Quote
spionin Posted September 15, 2011 Posted September 15, 2011 wow, awesome! great matching beards, too. Quote
wfinley Posted September 15, 2011 Posted September 15, 2011 And all the locals say you can't climb this stuff in September. Quote
John Frieh Posted September 15, 2011 Author Posted September 15, 2011 And all the locals say you can't climb this stuff in September. We had to petition Dieter to "reopen the icecap" and were warned to "beware the equinox!" by a local who shall remain anonymous Quote
John Frieh Posted September 15, 2011 Author Posted September 15, 2011 Beautiful line, btw. Thanks duder Quote
Zoran Posted September 16, 2011 Posted September 16, 2011 Very good work guys! Congratulations ... Amazing place to be! Quote
Dan_Miller Posted September 16, 2011 Posted September 16, 2011 Wow. The other unclimbed fin of the rocket ship preparing to take off has now been ascended. I vividly recall staring up at it (during the brief times it would peak through the clouds) for over two weeks in 1979 while camped directly underneath it. Way to perservere all summer while awaiting an acceptable weather window. It can get nasty and stay that way on the Stikine for weeks or more at a time, even in summer. Excellent job fella's! Quote
ezra Posted September 16, 2011 Posted September 16, 2011 Way to go John, another Bad A$$ FA, congrats!!!! Quote
DPS Posted September 16, 2011 Posted September 16, 2011 Correct me if I am mistaken, but haven't all the ascents on Burkett Needle been done by PNW climbers? If so, way to carry the torch! Quote
John_Scurlock Posted September 17, 2011 Posted September 17, 2011 haven't all the ascents on Burkett Needle been done by PNW climbers? 1999?, Frenchmen Lionel Daudet and Sebastien Foissac, SW buttress/S face, third ascent. and the north/northeast arete, that's had an ascent, right? anyway, great climb gents... fantastic area & a highly compelling peak.... amongst several in there... my guess is you had some nice views of DT's incredible nw face... Quote
John Frieh Posted September 17, 2011 Author Posted September 17, 2011 haven't all the ascents on Burkett Needle been done by PNW climbers? 1999?, Frenchmen Lionel Daudet and Sebastien Foissac, SW buttress/S face, third ascent. and the north/northeast arete, that's had an ascent, right? anyway, great climb gents... fantastic area & a highly compelling peak.... amongst several in there... my guess is you had some nice views of DT's incredible nw face... John is correct; the French have a line on it. Additionally the very first ascent was by Layton Kor... though he climbed everywhere I do believe Colorado was home base. Everything else was by PNW climbers I do believe Quote
kurthicks Posted September 18, 2011 Posted September 18, 2011 Great work guys. I can't wait for the slideshow! Quote
Gaucho Argentino Posted September 19, 2011 Posted September 19, 2011 What type / how solid is the rock over there? And awesome climb, BTW... I was so stoked with my TFT climb, way to raise the bar, Dudes ! Quote
John Frieh Posted September 19, 2011 Author Posted September 19, 2011 What type / how solid is the rock over there? granite Solid GOLD! Quote
Gaucho Argentino Posted September 19, 2011 Posted September 19, 2011 Sweeet, Prusik-like solid granite in the middle of Alaska? Paradise on Earth ... Quote
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