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Detailed Description PDF »Equipment List PDF »
Native Alaskan's of the area 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 summit, (14,573 feet) and south summit (13,966 feet). With the status of being the hardest 14,000 foot mountain in North America, few people attempt the climb and less than 40% typically succeed. 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.
The route is an 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 fourth class terrain with the occasional fifth class section and fixed lines in the access couloir to the ridge.
Route: West Ridge, Alaska Grade III, 14,573 feet / 4,372 meters, 7,373 feet elevation gain, 14 days
Deposit: $1000 (Balance Due: 90 days prior to the starting date.)
Group Limit: 4 expedition members, 2 AMS guides, maintaining a 2:1 ratio
Cost Includes: AMS guides, glacier flights, field food and fuel, group camping and climbing equipment, personal issue sleds, base camp fee, camping at AMS in Talkeenta.
You are responsible for: Transportation to and from Talkeetna, lodging in Talkeetna , National Park Service entrance fee ($10) to be paid in Talkeetna during the first day of the expedition, travelers' cancellation insurance, personal equipment and clothing, rental items from AMS, gratuities.
In 1953, 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.
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, fickle and unpredictable, 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.
Mt. Hunter does not pose a significant risk for high altitude related illnesses given its lower elevation; however, it pays to be cautious so we will always be alert 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 access to Diamox which can 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.
Members of this climb must adopt a goal of being in excellent physical condition at the start of the expedition. On any mountaineering expedition, some factors 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 summiting. The more climbing experience you have prior to the climb, the better prepared you will be for Mt. Hunter.
Mt. Hunter is not the mountain on which you can "just get by" with mediocre equipment. Your gear will be put to the ultimate test. A carefully planned layering system will be more comfortable, efficient, lightweight, and hold up. "Quality" does not necessarily mean "expensive"; 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 salesperson 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 at AMS, as we are busy preparing for the expedition a full three days before day one of the climb. Your guides will insure you are properly outfitted before you go.
AMS provides nearly all of the food for this expedition. To ensure satisfaction, we ask that you bring some of your preferred hot and cold drinks and four pounds of your favorite trail lunch or snack food to supplement the choices you have from the AMS rations. Part of this food will be saved for summit day. More information on food is provided on the expedition food sheet. Please contact us if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies.
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 serve as our high camp. The extra time built in is to accommodate for bad weather or conditions that might 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 skills and performance. We expect all members 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 a possible schedule. Our style on the mountain is flexible and will fluctuate on a 24 hour basis depending on conditions. With lucky weather, most expeditions return a day or two early. On the other hand, delays at the start with un-flyable weather and storms at high camp may result in extending the climb by a few days.
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