Central Staunings Alps, various first ascents. Laubie Laubscher, Mark ...
Central Staunings Alps, various first ascents. Laubie L aubscher, M ark L itterick, Ken M oore, Stephen O'Sullivan, Heike Puchan-W hitw orth, Brian Shackleton, Brian W hitw orth, an d I co m prised the Scottish M ountaineering C lub expedition to Scoresby Land in N o rth East G reenland N ational Park. We d eparted the U.K. on April 29 an d were flown by a ski-equipped Twin O tter from a very w arm A kureyri in Iceland on the 30th. Traveling via C onstable P oint to collect fuel and freight, we arrived at base cam p early th a t a ftern o o n , m aking an exciting lan d in g o n the huge Lang Glacier (Stor G letscher on som e m aps) at 1,390m (N 71°59'43", W 24°48'44.2"). The nose w heel an d skid b u ried them selves in th e soft snow , so we d isem b ark ed from a jau n ty angled fuselage and were h anded shovels for the excavation needed to free the plane. O n M ay 1 we clim bed o u r first new peaks; D rum glas Beag (2,060m ) via th e n o rth face
from the Lang G lacier at A D +, an d th e m ain peak o f D rum glas (2,330m , N 71°58'41.5", W 24°52'49.5") via the n o rth ridge at AD an d descent o f th e west ridge. Snow a n d low cloud restricted activity from the 2nd to the 4th, b u t d u rin g this p eriod four m em bers did a 12-hour ski to u r to d u m p half the food and fuel at C rescent Col, w hich they could reach avoiding ava lanche-prone slopes. This cache was strategically placed for the retu rn ski jo u rn ey to th e coast. O n the 5th we clim bed a consolation peak close to cam p on the west side o f Lang Glacier, at F+, nam ing it M ollytinde (1,670m , N 71°59'21.1", W 24°50'47"). Next day we m ade ascents o f C ordulaspitze, (2,430m, N71°58'41.9", W 24°54'28.1"), via the n o rth face (AD) and east ridge from the W uss Glacier, and o f Jobjerg (2,330m , N 71°59'0.3", W 24°55'17.1") via its southw est ridge at AD. T his crest is th e c o n tin u a tio n o f C o rd u lasp itze's n o rth ridge. We also clim bed Juliasbjerge (2,058m , N 71°59'35.8", W 24°55'16.6") via its so u th ridge, ap p ro ach in g up a couloir on the west flank. O n the 7th we clim bed P u ch w h itstin d e (2,339m , N 72°00'38.8", W 24°45'39.1") and H asentinde (2,376m , N 72°01'24.5", W 24°47'08.4"), on th e east side o f the Lang glacier. We reached the col betw een th e peaks, th en clim bed th e n o rth flank o f P uch w h itstin d e an d the south ridge— Igel (H edgehog) ridge— o f H asentinde. The following day a party repeated Puch w hitstind e, this tim e via th e newly explored O 'S ullivan-M oore G lacier and a co u lo ir on the south face (S now bunting C ouloir, AD). T hat sam e day the d o m in a n t, shapely M argretabjerge (2,430m , N 71°58'34.7", W 24°50'58.0") was clim bed by two different routes: the southeast flank and southw est ridge at PD and the southeast-facing Presidential C ouloir (AD w ith an exciting exit) from the previously u n n am ed W itches' C auldron Glacier. O n the 10th we crossed Crescent Col and relocated base cam p in the up p er reaches o f the G ully Glacier, w hich lies in the real h eart o f th e S taunings Alps. O n o u r way we clim bed S kartinde, to the east o f C rescent Col. We ascended th is 2,400m peak via th e easy n orthw est flank (F). We believe th e peak was first clim bed in 1996 by a N orw egian ex p ed itio n , b u t we think o u r ascent m ay have been only the second. T he following day we clim bed H im m elstinde (H eaven's Peak, 2,492m , N 72°04'51.8", W 25°05'22.5") via th e so u th ridge (AD) an d th e col betw een it and adjacent Archangel Peak. O n the 12th we retraced o u r steps to the col and m ade
the first ascent o f 2,558m Archangel (N 72°04'31.5", W 25°05'23.5"), follow ing the east ridge at D +. We descended o n to th e glacier to th e west; finding it very crevassed, we nam ed it Devil's O w n Glacier, and were forced to re-ascend to the su m m it an d go back dow n o u r ascent route. T hat sam e day m em bers o f the expedition clim bed Cold Shoulder (2,450m ) by the west ridge (PD ). This po in t lies on the west ridge o f C.F. K noxtinde. We also clim bed the shapely H jornespids (2,870m ) by a new route, the 600m L aubscher-L itterick Gully on th e southw est flank at a grade o f D. We believe this to be th e sixth overall ascent an d fo u rth in d e p en d e n t ro u te on the peak. Farther east we clim bed An Caisteal (2,614m, N 72°03'31.9", W 24°59'52.6") by a face and gully on the east flank, then up n o rth ridge at a grade o f D /T D -. We clim bed two o th e r peaks on May 15th: C rescentinde (2,455m , N 72°03'38.0", W 24°57' 15.0") via the northeast face at PD, and E bensbjerg (2,510m , N 72°03'34.9", W 24°58'05.8") by its n o rth east face at AD. We th in k o u r ro u te on C rescentinde is pro b ab ly new, th o u g h th e peak m ay have been clim bed by the 1996 N orw egian team . T hree m em bers also m ade th e p robable th ird ascent o f S kartinde, repeating the route o f M ay 10. O n the 16th we m oved o u r base cam p to a stu n n in g location at the to p o f Col M ajor and next day clim bed the only tru e rock ro u tes o f th e trip : th e already established so u th ridge (B ritish M ild VS) on Ian's Peak (2,607m , N 72°07'13.3", W 24°55'01.3") an d a new varian t to the ridge th at we nam ed Accessory Rib (B ritish VS 4c). O u r ascent o f th e original ro u te on the south ridge is m ost likely the second, th e first d ating from 1960. M oving dow n en o rm o u s Bersaerkerbrae G lacier on th e 20th, we m ade the first ascent o f Skotsketinde (S cotland's Peak (1,775m , N 72°07'36.6", W 24°45'20.4"), via th e east ridge at PD +, and a su m m it n oted on the m ap as P an o ram ic Peak. We clim bed th e latter, th e m ost shapely o f the su rro u n d in g peaks, via an avalanche-prone couloir on the southeast flank and the shattered south ridge to the sum m it pinnacles (P D + ). We fo u n d a cairn on the low er pinnacle and co n stru cted an o th er on th e higher. A ltim eters show ed 1,988m, considerably h ig h er th an given on the m ap. T he follow ing day we skied dow n the glacier and m ade a safe exit from the
snout. O n the 22nd and 23rd we continued skiing to the coastal plain and over sea ice to the grav el airstrip at Mestersvig, w here we were collected on the 25th. A part from snow and p o o r visi bility from the 2nd to 4 th and again on th e ski o u t from the B ersaerkerbrae, th e w eather was sunny an d cold. Superficial frostbite was diagnosed in th ree m em b ers o f the team . However, the ex pedition was very successful, clim bing 16 new peaks an d n am in g four new glaciers. All coordinates are GPS readings. O f note is that three o f o u r five MSR stoves did no t w ork properly w ith Jet A1 fuel. These were the W hisperlite 600, a W hisperlite In tern atio n al, an d a D ragonfly and c an n o t be reco m m ended w ith this fuel, despite o u r carrying a full com plem ent o f different jets. Fortunately, two older MSR GSK II stoves w orked very well. The expedition gratefully acknow ledges the fin an cial su p p o rt received from the M o u n t Everest F oundation, the G ino W atkins Trust, The M o u n taineering C ouncil o f Scotland, and SportScotland. C o lw yn J o n e s,
Scottish Mountaineering Club
from the Lang G lacier at A D +, an d th e m ain peak o f D rum glas (2,330m , N 71°58'41.5", W 24°52'49.5") via the n o rth ridge at AD an d descent o f th e west ridge. Snow a n d low cloud restricted activity from the 2nd to the 4th, b u t d u rin g this p eriod four m em bers did a 12-hour ski to u r to d u m p half the food and fuel at C rescent Col, w hich they could reach avoiding ava lanche-prone slopes. This cache was strategically placed for the retu rn ski jo u rn ey to th e coast. O n the 5th we clim bed a consolation peak close to cam p on the west side o f Lang Glacier, at F+, nam ing it M ollytinde (1,670m , N 71°59'21.1", W 24°50'47"). Next day we m ade ascents o f C ordulaspitze, (2,430m, N71°58'41.9", W 24°54'28.1"), via the n o rth face (AD) and east ridge from the W uss Glacier, and o f Jobjerg (2,330m , N 71°59'0.3", W 24°55'17.1") via its southw est ridge at AD. T his crest is th e c o n tin u a tio n o f C o rd u lasp itze's n o rth ridge. We also clim bed Juliasbjerge (2,058m , N 71°59'35.8", W 24°55'16.6") via its so u th ridge, ap p ro ach in g up a couloir on the west flank. O n the 7th we clim bed P u ch w h itstin d e (2,339m , N 72°00'38.8", W 24°45'39.1") and H asentinde (2,376m , N 72°01'24.5", W 24°47'08.4"), on th e east side o f the Lang glacier. We reached the col betw een th e peaks, th en clim bed th e n o rth flank o f P uch w h itstin d e an d the south ridge— Igel (H edgehog) ridge— o f H asentinde. The following day a party repeated Puch w hitstind e, this tim e via th e newly explored O 'S ullivan-M oore G lacier and a co u lo ir on the south face (S now bunting C ouloir, AD). T hat sam e day the d o m in a n t, shapely M argretabjerge (2,430m , N 71°58'34.7", W 24°50'58.0") was clim bed by two different routes: the southeast flank and southw est ridge at PD and the southeast-facing Presidential C ouloir (AD w ith an exciting exit) from the previously u n n am ed W itches' C auldron Glacier. O n the 10th we crossed Crescent Col and relocated base cam p in the up p er reaches o f the G ully Glacier, w hich lies in the real h eart o f th e S taunings Alps. O n o u r way we clim bed S kartinde, to the east o f C rescent Col. We ascended th is 2,400m peak via th e easy n orthw est flank (F). We believe th e peak was first clim bed in 1996 by a N orw egian ex p ed itio n , b u t we think o u r ascent m ay have been only the second. T he following day we clim bed H im m elstinde (H eaven's Peak, 2,492m , N 72°04'51.8", W 25°05'22.5") via th e so u th ridge (AD) an d th e col betw een it and adjacent Archangel Peak. O n the 12th we retraced o u r steps to the col and m ade
the first ascent o f 2,558m Archangel (N 72°04'31.5", W 25°05'23.5"), follow ing the east ridge at D +. We descended o n to th e glacier to th e west; finding it very crevassed, we nam ed it Devil's O w n Glacier, and were forced to re-ascend to the su m m it an d go back dow n o u r ascent route. T hat sam e day m em bers o f the expedition clim bed Cold Shoulder (2,450m ) by the west ridge (PD ). This po in t lies on the west ridge o f C.F. K noxtinde. We also clim bed the shapely H jornespids (2,870m ) by a new route, the 600m L aubscher-L itterick Gully on th e southw est flank at a grade o f D. We believe this to be th e sixth overall ascent an d fo u rth in d e p en d e n t ro u te on the peak. Farther east we clim bed An Caisteal (2,614m, N 72°03'31.9", W 24°59'52.6") by a face and gully on the east flank, then up n o rth ridge at a grade o f D /T D -. We clim bed two o th e r peaks on May 15th: C rescentinde (2,455m , N 72°03'38.0", W 24°57' 15.0") via the northeast face at PD, and E bensbjerg (2,510m , N 72°03'34.9", W 24°58'05.8") by its n o rth east face at AD. We th in k o u r ro u te on C rescentinde is pro b ab ly new, th o u g h th e peak m ay have been clim bed by the 1996 N orw egian team . T hree m em bers also m ade th e p robable th ird ascent o f S kartinde, repeating the route o f M ay 10. O n the 16th we m oved o u r base cam p to a stu n n in g location at the to p o f Col M ajor and next day clim bed the only tru e rock ro u tes o f th e trip : th e already established so u th ridge (B ritish M ild VS) on Ian's Peak (2,607m , N 72°07'13.3", W 24°55'01.3") an d a new varian t to the ridge th at we nam ed Accessory Rib (B ritish VS 4c). O u r ascent o f th e original ro u te on the south ridge is m ost likely the second, th e first d ating from 1960. M oving dow n en o rm o u s Bersaerkerbrae G lacier on th e 20th, we m ade the first ascent o f Skotsketinde (S cotland's Peak (1,775m , N 72°07'36.6", W 24°45'20.4"), via th e east ridge at PD +, and a su m m it n oted on the m ap as P an o ram ic Peak. We clim bed th e latter, th e m ost shapely o f the su rro u n d in g peaks, via an avalanche-prone couloir on the southeast flank and the shattered south ridge to the sum m it pinnacles (P D + ). We fo u n d a cairn on the low er pinnacle and co n stru cted an o th er on th e higher. A ltim eters show ed 1,988m, considerably h ig h er th an given on the m ap. T he follow ing day we skied dow n the glacier and m ade a safe exit from the
snout. O n the 22nd and 23rd we continued skiing to the coastal plain and over sea ice to the grav el airstrip at Mestersvig, w here we were collected on the 25th. A part from snow and p o o r visi bility from the 2nd to 4 th and again on th e ski o u t from the B ersaerkerbrae, th e w eather was sunny an d cold. Superficial frostbite was diagnosed in th ree m em b ers o f the team . However, the ex pedition was very successful, clim bing 16 new peaks an d n am in g four new glaciers. All coordinates are GPS readings. O f note is that three o f o u r five MSR stoves did no t w ork properly w ith Jet A1 fuel. These were the W hisperlite 600, a W hisperlite In tern atio n al, an d a D ragonfly and c an n o t be reco m m ended w ith this fuel, despite o u r carrying a full com plem ent o f different jets. Fortunately, two older MSR GSK II stoves w orked very well. The expedition gratefully acknow ledges the fin an cial su p p o rt received from the M o u n t Everest F oundation, the G ino W atkins Trust, The M o u n taineering C ouncil o f Scotland, and SportScotland. C o lw yn J o n e s,
Scottish Mountaineering Club
