A New Route on The Wickersham Wall
A New Route on The Wickersham Wall M O U N T M cK IN L E Y , N O R T H
FA C E D IR E C T
H e n r y L. A b r o n s
Woeusg h t a challenge on ice and rock. T h e Alaska R ange is rich in possibilities, but after considering the tim e and cost o f such a venture we inevitably faced the question: why not try B ig M ac? I had been there before, but the prospect did not seem at all repetitious; M cK in ley is gigantic, and every face presents an entirely individual aspect. T h e W ickersh am W a ll is am ong the largest m ountain faces in the w orld, rising fro m the Peters G lacier at 5 4 0 0 feet to the N o rth Peak at 1 9 ,4 7 0 feet. T h e rou te* w hich we chose with the help o f B rad fo rd W a s h burn does not coincide w ith that o f previous attempts on the wall, nor is it that by w hich the first ascent o f this face was m ade 33 days b efo re our clim b. It is not the easiest route; however, it is the m ost direct, and we chose it because o f its challenges, its virgin character, and its aesthetic appeal. It begins directly beneath the N orth Peak on a rock spur that rises 2 5 0 0 feet between tw o prom inent icefalls w hich empty into the Peters G lacier opposite Jeffery D om e. From the top o f the spur, the route follow s a distinct snow arête leading straight up to the snowfield beneath the N orth Peak. T h e re is an altitude difference o f 2 .6 6 vertical m iles; the lower 8 0 0 0 feet average 4 4 ° in steepness. T h e rock spur is friab le schist w hich we judged difficult to descend after the snow and ice binding it m elts in July. T h erefo re, w e decided to descend via the W e st Buttress, w hich necessitated clim bing over the N o rth Peak w ith 50-pound packs. O ur high altitude gear had to be the lightest possible. Food was largely freeze-dried and weighed 18 ounces per m an per day. Several items o f equipm ent were designed and bu ilt by our m em bers, such as tubular alum inum snowshoes w eighing 2½
pounds per pair and three-m an tents
with double walls w eighing 11 pounds w ith poles. T h e expedition was com posed o f mem bers o f the H arvard M o u n tain eering C lub: Pete Carm an, Chris Goetze, Jo h n G raham , D on Jensen, * A detailed factu al and sta tistica l description M ou nt M cK in ley N a tio n a l Park H eadquarters.
of th e clim b is a vailab le from
the
AAC
or
R ick M illikan, D ave Roberts, and m yself. W e bought a d isreputable-look ing Volksw agen bus, stuffed it to the ro o f with gear and ourselves, and drove non-stop to Alaska. A t m idnight, Ju n e 18, we began the 30-m ile hike from the D enali H ighw ay to Base Camp where we expected an airdrop by D on Sheldon. W ad in g the M cK in ley R iver and Clearw ater Creek was uneventful, although Jensen did it like a Buddhist pilgrim — in bare feet. W e reached the trough o f the Peters G lacier in one and a h a lf days; its im m ense black cavity, m ore than a m ile across and six hundred fe e t deep, looked like the afterm ath o f T h e B om b. In the evening o f Ju n e 21 we set up our orange tents a half-m ile from the rock spur where our route begins. T h ese tents, designed and built by G oetze on the basis o f experience and testing in gales on M ount W ashington, have ripstop nylon walls supported so strongly by pull-outs and a ridge-pole that one can do pushups against the side. W e wanted to camp anywhere, in any storm. Fortunately, the tents were not put to the ultim ate test, since we did not encounter winds much above 50 m .p.h. T h e airdrop did not com e at once, because Sheldon was busy rescuing frostbite cases on the K ah iltn a G lacier. D u rin g the next four days we reconnoitered the icefall leading to the spur and studied the avalanches. T h ey originated in hanging ice at 1 4 ,0 0 0 feet, but were diverted to the righ t and le ft o f our arête by w ell-w orn chutes. T h e m ost impressive avalanches announced them selves w ith a dull distant boom. T h e spectators look with grow ing awe as the sm all w hite plum e tum bles carelessly am ong the colossal features o f the face. A fter a half-m inu te the onlookers, bored, turn back to their books. T e n seconds later they glance up again. I t is still com ing. Q uite a bit closer now. Y o u can hear boulders strike the rock at 7 0 0 0 feet. T h e y ’ve fallen a m ile and a h alf. Com ing straight toward B ase Camp, isn’t it? M adly, clothes and sleeping bags are snatched off the tents where they are stretched to dry. B u t the rushing figures feel a blast o f cool air in their faces. T o o late. Everything is knocked to the ground, covered with w ind-blow n snow. T h e m ist clears, the sun re appears, and we see that the body o f the avalanche has com e to a halt a few hundred yards fro m the fo o t o f the W a ll. Y e t after several o f these m onsters, the arête we planned to clim b rem ained untouched. T h e only exposed ground was the icefall to the righ t o f the spur, w hich we had to clim b at night. Ju st befo re we ran out o f food, Sheldon made his appearance. L ik e a kid in a window dropping spitballs on pedestrians, he seemed to aim each bundle at one o f us, or at the tents. A fte r the fun was over, all the gear lay undamaged w ithin ten steps fro m camp. O n Ju n e 2 6 w e were
ready to attack. W e packed loads up the icefall at nigh t and cached them beside the spur at 6 6 5 0 feet. F o r two nights, Jensen, M illik an, Roberts, and I reconnoitered the spur to a shelf at 7 1 0 0 feet. T h e route consisted o f eight pitches o f m ixed rock and snow w ith crux pitches o f 5.5 in the conditions under w hich we climbed them . T e n rock pitons w ere used for protection and to anchor fixed ropes. O n Ju n e 29, Graham and I attempted to clim b this part w ith loads o f 50 pounds. W ith great exertion and u n ashamed use o f the fixed ropes, we managed to clim b the first six pitches, but turned back after three and a h a lf hours o f repeated falls on a verglas-covered slab. It was plainly too difficult to pack all our gear up this section. A s an alternative, G oetze and Jensen clim bed w ithout packs and rigged a pulley 100 feet below the sh elf at 7 1 0 0 feet. A fte r several tries we devised an effective system o f hauling loads 3 5 0 feet with ¼ " hemp. T h e gear was placed in a burlap grain sack; three men heaved on the rope, one belayed the slack, and one pulled the sack off the face w ith a guy line. In this m anner 8 0 0 pounds o f gear w ere raised in six hours. Base Cam p was abandoned on Ju n e 30, and w hile G oetze and Jensen established Camp I I at 7 1 0 0 feet, the rest o f us spent the day at Cam p I at the 6 6 5 0 -fo o t cache. As the sun warmed the spur above, the clatter o f rockfall became frequ ent and regular, but we appeased our anxiety by reckoning that the tents w ere not in the fall line. H ow ever the rocks, being ignorant o f elem entary physics, punctured the tents twice and landed am ong the breakfast dishes. D angerously large boulders bounced over us or buried them selves in the slope above. T h e re was no chance o f m ov ing, so with wry fatalism w e put our faith in the name we had given our new tent design, " T h e B o m bsh elter” . W h e n we awoke we saw that our ice axes, le ft standing a few yards away, had been buried by an avalanche, and it took an hour o f searching the w hole slope to find them . D u rin g the nigh t o f Ju ly 1 we clim bed to Camp I I w hile G oetze and Jensen reconnoitered the spur above. Slightly less steep, nevertheless it posed several problem s: rock gendarm es; a slightly corniced, soft, snow crest; and a 7 0 ° ice headw all encrusted w ith rotten snow. T hey progressed as fa r as the m ost difficult gendarm e, w hich overhung on tw o sides and dropped off sharply on the other. T h e n ext night Carman and I clim bed this using a stirrup; the pitch also involved a strenuous retable which provoked unspeakable grunts the fo llow in g night, when, w ith our fellow "sh erp as,” we returned to the jo b o f lugging up equipm ent to keep pace w ith the advance rope. H appily, everyone was not only an experienced leader eager to take his turn in the reconnaissance party but also a team m em ber dedicated to carrying loads, digging tent platform s, cooking, etc.
Expeditionary m ountaineering has m om ents o f exquisite beauty, drama, and glam our, but they must be backed up by a love o f hard work and an appreciation o f victory slowly and painfu lly won. A bove the 7 0 ° icewall, called "Shady L ane” , the spur m erges into the less prom inent snow bulge w hich stands out in shallow re lie f from the broad north face. H ere, at 6 6 5 0 feet, we placed Camp I V below an enormous fluted bulge o f snow. O n Ju ly 3, w hile the others carried loads, G raham and M illik an clim bed this 5 0 0 -fo o t snow form ation. T h e final pitch was virtually vertical ice; the leader balanced on half-driven snow pickets w hile cutting steps. Like all the pitches above Cam p II, this was later clim bed w ith packs by the aid o f a fixed rope with knotted hand holds. T h e next m ajor problem , a 1 00-fo o t overhanging ice cliff at 1 0 ,3 0 0 feet, was solved by G oetze and Roberts the fo llow in g night. W h a t at first appeared to be a place fo r artificial ice technique turned out to have a convenient flaw: a narrow cleft form in g a w inding 6 0 ° chimney, which we called
"T h e
Iceb o x” . A bove this, broad slopes, broken by cliffs,
crevasses, and gullies presented no further technical obstacles, and routefinding was the only problem . W e now entered the zone where tem pera tures never rise above freezing and changed our schedule from nocturnal to diurnal; that is, to clim b by day and sleep at night, instead o f to sleep during the day and em erge from the tents at sundown like a band o f thieves. T h e plan we form ulated was econom ical concerning time, but straining on our reserve o f energy. W e made a short carry on Ju ly 5 from Camp V at 9 2 0 0 feet to a cache at 1 0 ,4 0 0 feet above the Icebox. T h en after a short rest we rose in the evening o f July 6 and worked through th e night and day until the next evening. In this fashion we packed a total o f 5 6 0 0 feet, establishing Cam p V I at 1 2 ,6 0 0 feet and stocking it w ith all our gear. O n Ju ly 8 we stayed in camp as it snowed and occasionally thundered outside. T h e next day we moved to Camp V I I , 1 4 ,5 0 0 feet, at the top o f the difficult arête and level w ith the huge snowfield beneath the N orth Peak. N o technical problem s stood above us — only 4 8 0 0 vertical feet. T h e fo llo w in g day was splendid and warm, and we traversed directly under the N orth Peak, placing Camp V I I I below a crevasse at 1 6 ,1 0 0 feet. O n Ju ly 11, the w eather slowly deteriorated below as we clim bed to 1 7 ,4 0 0 feet in knee-deep, wind-packed powder. T h e effect o f altitude was apparent —
weariness, head and stom ach ache, sneezing —
and
caused m ild suffering during the n ext few days. W e camped in an exposed place above a large outcrop o f rock. From Ju ly 12 until the 16th the N o rth Peak was swept by north and west
winds, and we were enclosed by a succession o f ground storms and white-outs. W e managed to clim b another 10 0 0 feet and deposit a small cache, but a summ it attempt seemed unwise. T h e food and fuel in camp had nearly run out when the storm abated on the m orning o f Ju ly 16. It was the break we needed and we took off quickly fo r the N o rth Peak. T h e crusty snow broke beneath us as we cramponed under anklecracking 50-pound loads. Stopping frequently to rewarm our feet, we reached 1 9 ,0 0 0 feet by noon. T h e w eather suddenly looked dismal, and the lead rope disappeared into the m ist like M allory and Irvine. It was agony to look ahead, for particles o f ice blew straight into our eyes. W e literally hugged the ridge, straddling it w ith our knees and gouging it w ith our heels, fo r in the wind it seemed to buck under us like a horse. Proudly, we reached the top and stood congratulating each other and thanking Lady Luck. T h en , our exultation tinged with amusem ent at w hat we had so brazenly done, we signed our names under a quotation from Brad ford W ashbu rn: "… O ne o f the greatest precipices known to m an.”
Summary of Statistics A r e a : A laska Range A s c e n t s : M ount M cK inley, N orth Peak, 1 9 ,4 7 0 feet —
first ascent o f
the central rib o f the W ickersh am W a ll, July 16, 1 9 6 3 (w h o le p arty ). M ount M cK inley, South Peak, 2 0 ,3 2 0 feet, Ju ly 19, 1963
(w hole
p a r ty ). P e r s o n n e l : H enry L. A brons, Peter T . Carman, C hristopher Goetze,
Jo h n A. Graham , D onald C. Jensen, Richard G . C. M illik an , David S. Roberts.
FA C E D IR E C T
H e n r y L. A b r o n s
Woeusg h t a challenge on ice and rock. T h e Alaska R ange is rich in possibilities, but after considering the tim e and cost o f such a venture we inevitably faced the question: why not try B ig M ac? I had been there before, but the prospect did not seem at all repetitious; M cK in ley is gigantic, and every face presents an entirely individual aspect. T h e W ickersh am W a ll is am ong the largest m ountain faces in the w orld, rising fro m the Peters G lacier at 5 4 0 0 feet to the N o rth Peak at 1 9 ,4 7 0 feet. T h e rou te* w hich we chose with the help o f B rad fo rd W a s h burn does not coincide w ith that o f previous attempts on the wall, nor is it that by w hich the first ascent o f this face was m ade 33 days b efo re our clim b. It is not the easiest route; however, it is the m ost direct, and we chose it because o f its challenges, its virgin character, and its aesthetic appeal. It begins directly beneath the N orth Peak on a rock spur that rises 2 5 0 0 feet between tw o prom inent icefalls w hich empty into the Peters G lacier opposite Jeffery D om e. From the top o f the spur, the route follow s a distinct snow arête leading straight up to the snowfield beneath the N orth Peak. T h e re is an altitude difference o f 2 .6 6 vertical m iles; the lower 8 0 0 0 feet average 4 4 ° in steepness. T h e rock spur is friab le schist w hich we judged difficult to descend after the snow and ice binding it m elts in July. T h erefo re, w e decided to descend via the W e st Buttress, w hich necessitated clim bing over the N o rth Peak w ith 50-pound packs. O ur high altitude gear had to be the lightest possible. Food was largely freeze-dried and weighed 18 ounces per m an per day. Several items o f equipm ent were designed and bu ilt by our m em bers, such as tubular alum inum snowshoes w eighing 2½
pounds per pair and three-m an tents
with double walls w eighing 11 pounds w ith poles. T h e expedition was com posed o f mem bers o f the H arvard M o u n tain eering C lub: Pete Carm an, Chris Goetze, Jo h n G raham , D on Jensen, * A detailed factu al and sta tistica l description M ou nt M cK in ley N a tio n a l Park H eadquarters.
of th e clim b is a vailab le from
the
AAC
or
R ick M illikan, D ave Roberts, and m yself. W e bought a d isreputable-look ing Volksw agen bus, stuffed it to the ro o f with gear and ourselves, and drove non-stop to Alaska. A t m idnight, Ju n e 18, we began the 30-m ile hike from the D enali H ighw ay to Base Camp where we expected an airdrop by D on Sheldon. W ad in g the M cK in ley R iver and Clearw ater Creek was uneventful, although Jensen did it like a Buddhist pilgrim — in bare feet. W e reached the trough o f the Peters G lacier in one and a h a lf days; its im m ense black cavity, m ore than a m ile across and six hundred fe e t deep, looked like the afterm ath o f T h e B om b. In the evening o f Ju n e 21 we set up our orange tents a half-m ile from the rock spur where our route begins. T h ese tents, designed and built by G oetze on the basis o f experience and testing in gales on M ount W ashington, have ripstop nylon walls supported so strongly by pull-outs and a ridge-pole that one can do pushups against the side. W e wanted to camp anywhere, in any storm. Fortunately, the tents were not put to the ultim ate test, since we did not encounter winds much above 50 m .p.h. T h e airdrop did not com e at once, because Sheldon was busy rescuing frostbite cases on the K ah iltn a G lacier. D u rin g the next four days we reconnoitered the icefall leading to the spur and studied the avalanches. T h ey originated in hanging ice at 1 4 ,0 0 0 feet, but were diverted to the righ t and le ft o f our arête by w ell-w orn chutes. T h e m ost impressive avalanches announced them selves w ith a dull distant boom. T h e spectators look with grow ing awe as the sm all w hite plum e tum bles carelessly am ong the colossal features o f the face. A fter a half-m inu te the onlookers, bored, turn back to their books. T e n seconds later they glance up again. I t is still com ing. Q uite a bit closer now. Y o u can hear boulders strike the rock at 7 0 0 0 feet. T h e y ’ve fallen a m ile and a h alf. Com ing straight toward B ase Camp, isn’t it? M adly, clothes and sleeping bags are snatched off the tents where they are stretched to dry. B u t the rushing figures feel a blast o f cool air in their faces. T o o late. Everything is knocked to the ground, covered with w ind-blow n snow. T h e m ist clears, the sun re appears, and we see that the body o f the avalanche has com e to a halt a few hundred yards fro m the fo o t o f the W a ll. Y e t after several o f these m onsters, the arête we planned to clim b rem ained untouched. T h e only exposed ground was the icefall to the righ t o f the spur, w hich we had to clim b at night. Ju st befo re we ran out o f food, Sheldon made his appearance. L ik e a kid in a window dropping spitballs on pedestrians, he seemed to aim each bundle at one o f us, or at the tents. A fte r the fun was over, all the gear lay undamaged w ithin ten steps fro m camp. O n Ju n e 2 6 w e were
ready to attack. W e packed loads up the icefall at nigh t and cached them beside the spur at 6 6 5 0 feet. F o r two nights, Jensen, M illik an, Roberts, and I reconnoitered the spur to a shelf at 7 1 0 0 feet. T h e route consisted o f eight pitches o f m ixed rock and snow w ith crux pitches o f 5.5 in the conditions under w hich we climbed them . T e n rock pitons w ere used for protection and to anchor fixed ropes. O n Ju n e 29, Graham and I attempted to clim b this part w ith loads o f 50 pounds. W ith great exertion and u n ashamed use o f the fixed ropes, we managed to clim b the first six pitches, but turned back after three and a h a lf hours o f repeated falls on a verglas-covered slab. It was plainly too difficult to pack all our gear up this section. A s an alternative, G oetze and Jensen clim bed w ithout packs and rigged a pulley 100 feet below the sh elf at 7 1 0 0 feet. A fte r several tries we devised an effective system o f hauling loads 3 5 0 feet with ¼ " hemp. T h e gear was placed in a burlap grain sack; three men heaved on the rope, one belayed the slack, and one pulled the sack off the face w ith a guy line. In this m anner 8 0 0 pounds o f gear w ere raised in six hours. Base Cam p was abandoned on Ju n e 30, and w hile G oetze and Jensen established Camp I I at 7 1 0 0 feet, the rest o f us spent the day at Cam p I at the 6 6 5 0 -fo o t cache. As the sun warmed the spur above, the clatter o f rockfall became frequ ent and regular, but we appeased our anxiety by reckoning that the tents w ere not in the fall line. H ow ever the rocks, being ignorant o f elem entary physics, punctured the tents twice and landed am ong the breakfast dishes. D angerously large boulders bounced over us or buried them selves in the slope above. T h e re was no chance o f m ov ing, so with wry fatalism w e put our faith in the name we had given our new tent design, " T h e B o m bsh elter” . W h e n we awoke we saw that our ice axes, le ft standing a few yards away, had been buried by an avalanche, and it took an hour o f searching the w hole slope to find them . D u rin g the nigh t o f Ju ly 1 we clim bed to Camp I I w hile G oetze and Jensen reconnoitered the spur above. Slightly less steep, nevertheless it posed several problem s: rock gendarm es; a slightly corniced, soft, snow crest; and a 7 0 ° ice headw all encrusted w ith rotten snow. T hey progressed as fa r as the m ost difficult gendarm e, w hich overhung on tw o sides and dropped off sharply on the other. T h e n ext night Carman and I clim bed this using a stirrup; the pitch also involved a strenuous retable which provoked unspeakable grunts the fo llow in g night, when, w ith our fellow "sh erp as,” we returned to the jo b o f lugging up equipm ent to keep pace w ith the advance rope. H appily, everyone was not only an experienced leader eager to take his turn in the reconnaissance party but also a team m em ber dedicated to carrying loads, digging tent platform s, cooking, etc.
Expeditionary m ountaineering has m om ents o f exquisite beauty, drama, and glam our, but they must be backed up by a love o f hard work and an appreciation o f victory slowly and painfu lly won. A bove the 7 0 ° icewall, called "Shady L ane” , the spur m erges into the less prom inent snow bulge w hich stands out in shallow re lie f from the broad north face. H ere, at 6 6 5 0 feet, we placed Camp I V below an enormous fluted bulge o f snow. O n Ju ly 3, w hile the others carried loads, G raham and M illik an clim bed this 5 0 0 -fo o t snow form ation. T h e final pitch was virtually vertical ice; the leader balanced on half-driven snow pickets w hile cutting steps. Like all the pitches above Cam p II, this was later clim bed w ith packs by the aid o f a fixed rope with knotted hand holds. T h e next m ajor problem , a 1 00-fo o t overhanging ice cliff at 1 0 ,3 0 0 feet, was solved by G oetze and Roberts the fo llow in g night. W h a t at first appeared to be a place fo r artificial ice technique turned out to have a convenient flaw: a narrow cleft form in g a w inding 6 0 ° chimney, which we called
"T h e
Iceb o x” . A bove this, broad slopes, broken by cliffs,
crevasses, and gullies presented no further technical obstacles, and routefinding was the only problem . W e now entered the zone where tem pera tures never rise above freezing and changed our schedule from nocturnal to diurnal; that is, to clim b by day and sleep at night, instead o f to sleep during the day and em erge from the tents at sundown like a band o f thieves. T h e plan we form ulated was econom ical concerning time, but straining on our reserve o f energy. W e made a short carry on Ju ly 5 from Camp V at 9 2 0 0 feet to a cache at 1 0 ,4 0 0 feet above the Icebox. T h en after a short rest we rose in the evening o f July 6 and worked through th e night and day until the next evening. In this fashion we packed a total o f 5 6 0 0 feet, establishing Cam p V I at 1 2 ,6 0 0 feet and stocking it w ith all our gear. O n Ju ly 8 we stayed in camp as it snowed and occasionally thundered outside. T h e next day we moved to Camp V I I , 1 4 ,5 0 0 feet, at the top o f the difficult arête and level w ith the huge snowfield beneath the N orth Peak. N o technical problem s stood above us — only 4 8 0 0 vertical feet. T h e fo llo w in g day was splendid and warm, and we traversed directly under the N orth Peak, placing Camp V I I I below a crevasse at 1 6 ,1 0 0 feet. O n Ju ly 11, the w eather slowly deteriorated below as we clim bed to 1 7 ,4 0 0 feet in knee-deep, wind-packed powder. T h e effect o f altitude was apparent —
weariness, head and stom ach ache, sneezing —
and
caused m ild suffering during the n ext few days. W e camped in an exposed place above a large outcrop o f rock. From Ju ly 12 until the 16th the N o rth Peak was swept by north and west
winds, and we were enclosed by a succession o f ground storms and white-outs. W e managed to clim b another 10 0 0 feet and deposit a small cache, but a summ it attempt seemed unwise. T h e food and fuel in camp had nearly run out when the storm abated on the m orning o f Ju ly 16. It was the break we needed and we took off quickly fo r the N o rth Peak. T h e crusty snow broke beneath us as we cramponed under anklecracking 50-pound loads. Stopping frequently to rewarm our feet, we reached 1 9 ,0 0 0 feet by noon. T h e w eather suddenly looked dismal, and the lead rope disappeared into the m ist like M allory and Irvine. It was agony to look ahead, for particles o f ice blew straight into our eyes. W e literally hugged the ridge, straddling it w ith our knees and gouging it w ith our heels, fo r in the wind it seemed to buck under us like a horse. Proudly, we reached the top and stood congratulating each other and thanking Lady Luck. T h en , our exultation tinged with amusem ent at w hat we had so brazenly done, we signed our names under a quotation from Brad ford W ashbu rn: "… O ne o f the greatest precipices known to m an.”
Summary of Statistics A r e a : A laska Range A s c e n t s : M ount M cK inley, N orth Peak, 1 9 ,4 7 0 feet —
first ascent o f
the central rib o f the W ickersh am W a ll, July 16, 1 9 6 3 (w h o le p arty ). M ount M cK inley, South Peak, 2 0 ,3 2 0 feet, Ju ly 19, 1963
(w hole
p a r ty ). P e r s o n n e l : H enry L. A brons, Peter T . Carman, C hristopher Goetze,
Jo h n A. Graham , D onald C. Jensen, Richard G . C. M illik an , David S. Roberts.
