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Mt.
Hunter / West Ridge
ELEVATION:
14,573'/4,372M
ROUTE:
West Ridge, Alaska Grade III, 7,5700' Elevation Gain,
14 miles
GROUP LIMIT:
2 guides, 4 expedition members
COST INCLUDES:
Guides, glacier flight, group gear, food and fuel
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR:
Getting to Talkeetna, NPS entrance fee, personal equipment and clothing,
drinks, 6 lbs of lunches, hotel lodging (AMS campground is free, tents
are set up)
The
Mountain
Native Alaskan’s called Mt. Hunter, Begguya, meaning,
“Denali’s Child.” Towering 7000 feet above the
Kahiltna Glacier, Mt Hunter is the steepest and most technical of
the three great peaks in Denali National Park. Like Denali and Foraker,
Mt. Hunter has a north, (14,573’) and south summit (13,966’).
With the status of being the hardest 14,000’ mountain in North
America, it is sought after by many an aspiring mountaineer. Gaining
the higher north peak is difficult by any route and requires the
utmost in stamina, fortitude, and perseverance. We will attempt
to climb the West Ridge with a combination of expedition and alpine
climbing strategies. Our route will gain the West Ridge by the Northwest
Basin variation.
A guidebook description of the West Ridge can be found in, “Alaska:
A Climbing Guide” by Mike Wood and Colby Coombs, The Mountaineer’s
Books.
History
Bradford Washburn inspired the first ascent by publishing
an article with photographs of the West Ridge in the American Alpine
Club Journal urging someone to try it. The following July, Fred
Beckey, Heinrich Harrer, and Henry Mehbohm teamed up and made the
first ascent of the complete West Ridge which was the first ascent
of Mt. Hunter.
Grade/Difficulty
Alaska Grade III. It is difficult to judge the grade
of a climb such as the West Ridge as so much depends on current
snow conditions. Expect mostly 4th class terrain with the occasional
5th class section and fixed lines in the access couloir to the ridge.
Weather
It is often said that the greatest challenge in Alaska
is not the climbing, but the weather. While most of the world’s
highest mountains are near the equator, Mt. Hunter is closer to
the North Pole. Its location in the southern Alaskan mainland is
205 miles south of the Artic Circle at 63°. This is 35°
further north than Everest, the same latitude as northern Hudson
Bay and central Scandinavia. The weather is fickle and un-predictable
and determines the quality of the snow pack. It will force us to
be flexible and patient and sometimes spontaneous traveling at all
hours of the day and night. Hunter is a lower elevation mountain,
so we should not expect the extreme cold found on the upper slopes
of Denali or Foraker.
When
to Climb
Although it is impossible to predict when the storms
will roll through the Alaska Range, late May and early June is typically
the best window of time for favorable snow conditions on steeper,
lower elevation mountains such as Mt. Hunter.
Acclimatization
Mt. Hunter does not pose a significant risk for high
altitude related illnesses given it’s lower elevation, but
it pays to be cautious and we will always observant for the early
signs of problems. Our number one defense for any medical injury
or illness is avoidance via safe mountaineering practices and climbing
strategy. We will rely first on the basics of hydration, adequate
rest, and reasonable rates of ascent. If traditional means of acclimatization
fail, all members will have Diamox to try and medicate mild forms
of altitude distress. In an emergency, the expedition drug kit contains
prescription medications for pulmonary and cerebral edema to aid
in descent.
Prior
Experience
Mt Hunter is a tremendous challenge for people with
the experience and attitude to enjoy the rigors of expedition life.
As an advanced climb, Mt. Hunter requires a significant amount of
prior climbing experience and training beforehand. All applicants
must be in excellent physical condition and have climbed mountaineering
routes that require roped glacier travel, winter snow camping, extensive
use of ice axe and crampons, and the use of fixed lines. The figure
eight knot series, rope coiling, and belaying with a munter hitch
should be familiar. The ability to arrest a fall on a steep snow
slope with a pack is paramount to your safety and the safety of
your rope team. Mt Hunter is an exceptional climb, and will draw
on all your prior experience.
Leadership and
Team Work
Successful expeditions are properly equipped, have the
necessary skills, but most importantly they learn to become a strong
team. All members will be expected to maintain good expedition behavior,
a key ingredient to overall success. AMS guides take a leading role
in decision making and route finding, but will rely on you to stay
involved and aware of all aspects of the climb. Being organized
and able to take care of personal needs: hydration, eating well,
rest, and patience are all important leadership qualities which
start with one’s self.
Group Size and
Ratio
2 guides and 4 expedition members make a total group
size of 6.
Guides
AMS guides are professional climbers who love the mountains
and have a gift for climbing, teaching, as well as mountain guiding.
Just being a good guide is not enough to guarantee effective leadership.
Our employees are made up of talented climbers with extensive personal
climbing experience to draw upon. Lead guides have climbed the route
previously and all guides are comfortable leading rope teams on
the route’s terrain. AMS guides are knowledgeable with altitude-related
problems, extreme weather, and know how to set a pace for a successful
expedition. They have mountain rescue, avalanche safety, and wilderness
medical training. Their knowledge of the natural history and climbing
history and personal stories of climbing in Alaska add immensely
to the climb. AMS guides’ strength, stamina, and leadership
make the difference for a climb of this caliber.
Training
Members of this climb must adopt a goal of being in
excellent physical condition at the start of the expedition. On
any mountaineering expedition there are factors that are completely
out of the control of anyone, namely weather and individual acclimatization
rates. By joining a professionally run expedition, you leave expedition
logistics, food, equipment and leadership to us. You are responsible
for and have control over your physical fitness and climbing ability.
It is imperative that everyone joining our expeditions be physically
fit when the expedition begins. The better condition you are in,
the more you will enjoy the climb, the safer it will be for you,
and the better chance for summitting. The more climbing experience
you have prior to the climb, the better prepared you will be for
Mt Hunter.
The amount of time needed for training depends on the level of fitness
at the start. Climbers make it a priority of being in good shape.
Those that are able get out and climb. Climbers with less time exercise
to stay in shape: lift weights, run, bike, swim, martial arts, and
stair master. Fitness enthusiasts need only to adjust their training
habits to include specific routines which will help them on this
expedition. Others may have to plan a year or more of serious training
in advance to ensure preparedness.
Focus on developing stamina over brute strength. Upper body strength
is necessary for lifting your pack, shoveling snow, and building
camp, but most strength should be aerobic for the long hard days
breaking trail and moving camp. Train on irregular terrain in poor
conditions. Maintain a pulse rate 80% of maximum for a half hour
during the workout. Vary your routine to prevent overuse injuries
and push yourself without injuring yourself. Think about how much
stronger you will be in a blizzard with that 50 - 60 pound pack.
Exposing yourself beforehand to similar activities will condition
your body. Scramble up peaks, climb snow and ice routes, embark
on a rigorous multi-day winter backpacking trip, ski uphill as well
as down hill, go and break some trail. Pushing yourself in uncomfortable
environments while staying focused and alert is helpful training.
You cannot successfully prepare for this expedition in your office
or solely by training indoors. The more familiar you are with environmental
stress, the better you can pace, acclimate, and be a team player.
Equipment
Mt. Hunter is not the mountain to “just get by”
with mediocre equipment. Your gear will be put to the ultimate test.
A thought out layering system will be more comfortable, efficient,
lightweight, and hold up. “Quality” does not necessarily
mean “expensive” and a trip to the Army surplus store
often turns up many of the basics. Carefully read the equipment
list written for this expedition; it answers many questions and
gives recommendations for particular items. Try to have equipment
questions answered by a knowledgeable sales person in a local climbing
store; they are often the most informed about the pros and cons
of a particular brand or style. Please wait until the morning of
the first day to check equipment, as we are busy preparing for the
expedition a full three days before. Your guides will insure you
are properly outfitted before you go.
Food
AMS provides hearty, nutritious, and balanced meals
on its expeditions. Do not be surprised if you gain weight on the
expedition! A spreadsheet rations program and faithful recipes balance
calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and weight to create a
variety of tasty and creative meals that build strength and maintain
health. Typical meals hash browns, noodles, rice, mashed potatoes,
Ramen, couscous, soup, tortellini, dried vegetables. We avoid freeze-dried
meal-in-a-bags as they are typically inadequate portions and lack
taste. Our rations come from organic wholesalers from Washington
and Oregon and supermarkets in Anchorage. All our meals can accommodate
vegetarians; please call if you need more specifics. AMS provides
almost all of the food for this expedition. To ensure satisfaction,
we ask that you bring your preferred hot and cold drinks for 14
days: tea, cocoa, instant coffee, and cold drink mixes like Gatorade.
Go easy on the sugar mixes that can end up weighing a lot. We also
ask that you bring 4 pounds of your favorite lunch food to supplement
AMS rations. Please contact us if you have any dietary restrictions
or allergies.
Travel &
Logistics
Plan to arrive in Talkeetna one day before the expedition
starting date. This gives you the best chance to rest and be ready
to go at 8:00 a.m. the starting day. Fly to Anchorage, Alaska. Catch
a shuttle to Talkeetna or take a taxi to the Earth Tours B&B
and catch a shuttle in the morning. Once in Talkeetna, check into
the Chinook Winds B&B or other Talkeetna motel or camp at AMS.
Relax and walk around Talkeetna. Check out the river, ranger station,
and the climbing museum if you have time before your expedition.
Expect to leave Talkeetna late in the day on the last day of your
expedition or the following morning. Please read the Travel
and Logistics form for more information.
Talkeetna
Facilities
AMS is the only outdoor school and guiding company entirely
based in Talkeetna. Denali National Park is where we do the majority
of our climbing and we consider it out back yard. Our office, staging
area and climbing gym is located downtown at the end of 3rd street.
We are in an excellent position to outfit expeditions and support
our clients and students. A staging area allows us to check gear
and our climbing wall lets us fine tune our crevasse rescue equipment.
For those on a tight budget, AMS’ campground has tents already
set up and is located on a separate property across from the National
Park Service Ranger Station. In the event of un-flyable weather,
our facilities provide a comfortable area to teach classes, research
the route in more depth, and boulder at the gym.
References
AMS is a professionally run operation committed to high
standards at all levels. We urge you to carefully research and look
into climbing with us. Search for Alaska Mountaineering School and
the directors Caitlin Palmer and Colby Coombs on the Internet. Talk
to climbing rangers in the Talkeetna Ranger Station ph. 907-733-2231.
While they are not permitted to openly brag about AMS, many of them
were AMS instructors before becoming rangers. Try calling your local
climbing store and ask if they have heard of us. We are small, but
our word of mouth reputation extends far. Our guides and instructors
represent a tight group of over 50 professional educators and mountain
guides whose professional affiliation includes: Jackson Hole Mountain
Guides, Exum, AMGA, NOLS, Valdez Heli Guides, Mountain Trip, and
Mountain Madness. A note on certification: other than AMS’
Mountain Guides Course, there is not an available certification
in the US or Europe that takes into account the expedition skills
necessary to guide in the Alaska Range. AMS has spear headed an
initiative to develop an expedition component to the AMGA Alpine
certification, but it is a slow and political process involving
Europe’s UIAGM.
The
Climb
We climb the West Ridge of Mt. Hunter in a combination
of expedition and alpine styles. We will climb expedition style,
ferrying loads and placing fixed line, until establishing ourselves
on the crest of the West Ridge. The second camp on the ridge will
be made in a single move and be our high camp. The extra time built
in is to wait out bad weather or if conditions require a third camp
on the ridge.
AMS’ approach to guided climbs falls in line with our mission
as a school of mountaineering. Mt. Hunter’s summit is a logical
end goal, but we will focus on the means of getting there, pushing
every day to increase our mountaineering performance. We expect
all members to share a goal of becoming better climbers on our expeditions.
Itinerary
AMS approach to Denali falls in line with our mission as a mountaineering school. Denali's summit is a means, not an end, and we will be pushing every day to increase our performance. The mountain provides an excellent stage to practice good mountaineering. We expect everyone to share a goal of becoming better climbers on our expeditions.
Weather and snow conditions will ultimately determine our progress on the mountain. This itinerary is a rough guide and outlines the anticipated schedule. Our style on the mountain is flexible and will fluctuate on a 24hr. clock. We work with the weather.
Day 1 8:00 am meet for orientation, gear check, NPS registration,
pack lunches, fixed lines. 3:30 pm fly to Base Camp, 7,200 feet.
Distance: 60 miles, elevation gain: 6850 feet.
Day 2 Move to 7000 feet, Camp 1, at the entrance to
the Northwest Fork of the West Ridge. Distance: 3 miles, elevation
loss 200 feet.
Day 3 Move to 8,600 feet, Camp 2. Distance: 1\/2 mile,
elevation gain: 1600 feet.
Day 4 Carry to the West Ridge, 10,200 feet. Establish
fixed lines. Distance: 1 mile, elevation gain: 1600 feet.
Day 5 Move to 10,200 feet, Camp 3. Distance: 1/2 mile,
elevation gain: 1600 feet.
Day 6 Move to 10,800 feet, Camp 4. Distance: 3/4 mile,
elevation gain: 200 feet.
Day 7 Rest day
Day 8 Summit Attempt. Distance: 4 miles round trip, elevation
gain: 3770 feet.
Day 9, 10, 11, 12 Weather days or move high camp to 12,900
feet.
Day 13, 14 Return to Base, fly back to Talkeetna.
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