The steel pierces the frozen wind blown s
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now a mere half inch. Creaking with every step I take, is the satisfaction of making ground and the uneasy feeling of knowing that is another foot in addition to the already over five hundred I would fall if I were to slip. My thighs burn and I stop precariously in the steep gulley to look around. I see peaks glaring across the ancient valley that once carried a large glacier. Alaska seems barren and empty in the winter. Following the ridge line down from the summit I'm working on getting to are what looks to be several false summits. I try not to bother looking down incase I regret telling myself, oh its not that high, just go for it. What am I doing?... no rope, no helmet, or even a first-aid kit in the dead of winter, climbing in Alaska. I only have a mountaineering axe and crampons with which I would probably end up jabbing into myself on accident if I were to fall. Regardless of how I managed to convince myself to go ahead with the climb and my current situation, I couldn't help but smile and look out across the landscape. Its an odd feeling because as
much as I want to just turn around and enjoy the view, I really don't want to slip at this point. Ahead of me is a couple that I joined for the climb (I have no idea who the hell they are, I just met them in the parking lot but, the girls not bad looking.. working as a roped team they made quick work of the gulley and I followed suit quietly bitching to myself for not having any safety lines.Almost two thirds of the way up the gulley, the steepness decreased but, now it became so windblown that the crunching was turning into a scratching as i had to step on ice crusted scree minimally frozen into place. Eventually reaching the summit ridge, we stopped to add a layer for now we were getting beat by the wind from the adja
cent valley. The three of us began traversing up the ridge line which was littered with large rocks leading us through a maze of false summits and highly exposed corniced areas. After a good twenty minutes or so, we came to a large cornice overlooking the north face of the peak. After careful consideration we decided on a "safe" spot to take a look over the edge at the 2000' vertical foot drop. both amusing and thrilling. we continued on and I was starting to slow down a bit (it had been six hours of constant climbing by this point). The last obstacle we came to was an avalanche shoot... It didn't even phase me at this point in the day.. we were high enough on the mountain that the risk was minimal. I traversed straight across without even thinking about it.
We reached the summit shortly after and another amazing view came to be. This view is indigenous to Alaska. When you stand on top of a mountain in Colorado, the Rockies sprawl out in broad large peaks with occasional rock routes but, in Alaska, the peaks are jagged and jut straight up from the ocean with a lot of vertical gain.
cent valley. The three of us began traversing up the ridge line which was littered with large rocks leading us through a maze of false summits and highly exposed corniced areas. After a good twenty minutes or so, we came to a large cornice overlooking the north face of the peak. After careful consideration we decided on a "safe" spot to take a look over the edge at the 2000' vertical foot drop. both amusing and thrilling. we continued on and I was starting to slow down a bit (it had been six hours of constant climbing by this point). The last obstacle we came to was an avalanche shoot... It didn't even phase me at this point in the day.. we were high enough on the mountain that the risk was minimal. I traversed straight across without even thinking about it.We reached the summit shortly after and another amazing view came to be. This view is indigenous to Alaska. When you stand on top of a mountain in Colorado, the Rockies sprawl out in broad large peaks with occasional rock routes but, in Alaska, the peaks are jagged and jut straight up from the ocean with a lot of vertical gain.
I started rock climbing back in 1997 when my friend John Donahue invited me to go and have been off and on eve
r since.. I build up into the 5.12's then I don't climb for a while and then build back up... I'm currently in the building back up phase. Bar none, the best climber that I know is Nathanial Walker. We grew up in the same town and I've know him and his family for the better part of my life. Having climbed with him on several occasions, I've seen him make a 5.12 look like a 5.8. I've seen him climb a sixty foot 5.10 free-solo without flinching. Out of the few times I've climbed with Nathanial, it never failed that I would end up saying, "what the.. how the hell... no way you just did that.." and I'm pretty good!... Its truly crazy to go climbing with someone who is surely one of the best out there.
r since.. I build up into the 5.12's then I don't climb for a while and then build back up... I'm currently in the building back up phase. Bar none, the best climber that I know is Nathanial Walker. We grew up in the same town and I've know him and his family for the better part of my life. Having climbed with him on several occasions, I've seen him make a 5.12 look like a 5.8. I've seen him climb a sixty foot 5.10 free-solo without flinching. Out of the few times I've climbed with Nathanial, it never failed that I would end up saying, "what the.. how the hell... no way you just did that.." and I'm pretty good!... Its truly crazy to go climbing with someone who is surely one of the best out there. "This was the Shot of the Month a few years back (If I remember right, it was at Rifle in Colorado).
Working Strange Ranger 5.13d on the Project Wall. After having had only three ascents in previous six years. nathanial is finishing up the crux section here, a desperate rightward traverse on bad slopers capped with this big lunge to a jug."
Photo by: Dave Pegg.
I'm sure I'll put a bunch of my climbing pictures on here at some point along with other mountaineering stuff but alas, I have other stuff I need to be doing right now... Probably after my Kodiak trip.John Donahue working his way up Un-named 5.12 C/D a couple blocks from my parents house in Los Alamos, New Mexico. He's pretty much a badass as well except when he has sand in his vag. sometimes it takes a lot of arm twisting to get him going... especially these days...
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