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[TR] Kahiltna Glacier, Alaska Range - SW ridge Mt. Francis, Radio Control, Bacon & Eggs 4/30/2014


christophbenells

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Trip: Kahiltna Glacier, Alaska Range - SW ridge Mt. Francis, Radio Control, Bacon & Eggs

 

Date: 4/30/2014

 

Trip Report:

Ryan Irvin and I spent a month on the Kahiltna Glacier in perfect weather from April 23rd to May 23rd.

 

We climbed Mt. Francis by the east ridge, (with a partial snowboard descent) Radio Control Tower by a technical-seldom climbed line, snowboarded steep spines and couliors on Annie's Ridge, Southwest ridge of Mt. Francis, and bacon and eggs on the micro-moonflower.

 

It was all in all a pretty productive trip for this relative newcomer to alpine climbing. I did my first snow and ice climb (Mt. Hood's south side) not more than 4 years ago (though I grew up in the snow and charging around the Sierra Nevada year round)and my first real rock climbing experiences not more than 3 years ago.

 

Here is a bunch of pictures... ryanirvinphotography.com

 

Spantiks on the plane save on baggage fees

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Beer by the river

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TAT and Paul Roderick, Denali and Hunter

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Base Camp locals

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We went up a big coulior to access the east ridge of Mt. Francis, different than the normal route.

 

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East Ridge crux

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snow bollard rap

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Snowboarding down the east ridge coulior

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Our line on radio control tower

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M4/5 crux

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on top

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Mt. Francis base climb

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steep powder snowboarding

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There were some super pro alpinists there (kyle dempster and scott adamson) and they were impressed by our snowboarding, was a nice ego boost.

 

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We rode both these couliors

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Mt Francis SW ridge (3,800', 5.8, 60 degree snow and ice)

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We bivied half way up

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rock step

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The absolute worst part of the entire trip.

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Almost done...but not before one more bivy :confused:

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on the summit, not the clumping on thy boots,

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Bacon and eggs

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We cut our trip short 3 days on the glacier, and we got out just in time. 60 mph winds and 5 feet of snow came in over the next 5 days, our friend Bobby got stuck in the ruth. TAT gave us an hour to tear down our camp we had been in for 23 days...we barely made it in time!

 

They picked us up with two tourists, the look on their faces when they asked "whats in the plastic buckets?" was priceless. I don't think they thought they would be on vacation with 5 gallons of human feces..

 

Talkeetna was a totally different place when we got back!

 

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Gear Notes:

DR> FRANKENSTEIN

 

Approach Notes:

Girlfriend drop off at pdx- dont stay at anchorage backpackers hostel- bummed ride off craigslist- TAT- splitboards w/phantoms and tlt's.

Edited by christophbenells
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