OVERDUE CLIMBERS, UNDERESTIMATED DIFFICULTY OF ...
OVERDUE CLIMBERS, UNDERESTIMATED DIFFICULTY OF CLIMB Alaska, Mount Huntington and Mount McKinley On M ay 16, 1984, Jim H aberl (26) and Rob Rohn (26) flew into the West Fork of the Ruth G lacier to clim b the West Face of M ount H untington and R eality R idge on M ount M cKinley. The p air registered with D enali N ational Park in Talkeetna, listin g a due date of Ju n e 12, having enough food to last until Ju n e 16. On Ju n e 17, Doug Geeting from Talkeetna A ir Taxi flew over the West Face of M ount H untington
looking for the two clim bers. Geeting informed the Park Service that he saw old tracks on the Tokositna G lacier and their cache on the west fork of the Ruth Glacier, but no clim bers. On Ju n e 18, at 1255, m ountaineering rangers Dave Buchanan and Scott G ill flew w ith Lowell Thom as, Jr., in a Helio Courier from Talkeetna Air T axi in search of the now two d ay overdue clim bers. The search was concentrated on M ount H untington with no success. At 1400 Thom as landed on the west fork of the Ruth Glacier, next to the cache left by the two clim bers. The cache contained technical clim bing hardw are, a little food, and no fuel. This led us to believe that the clim bers were on R eality Ridge, since they were leaving the cache with so little food. At 1445 Thom as left the west fork of the Ruth G lacier and headed toward R eality Ridge. We spotted footprints on the ridge headed up toward the South Buttress and over to the east fork of the K ahiltna Glacier. As we approached basecam p (2100 meters on the southeast fork of the K ahiltna G lacier), we saw the two clim bers heading toward the basecam p airstrip. T hey had run out of food but were in ghood shape. (Source: Scott G ill, M ountaineering Ranger, D enali N ational Park)
Analysis H aberl and Rohn had started their clim b of R eality Ridge on Ju n e 10, but had underestim ated the tim e it would take to clim b it. W hile not a clim bing accident, this case is presented to provide but one example (there were two others in A laska and several elsewhere) of the problems which can arise from underestim ating the time a clim b m ight take. Tim e, expense, and exposure to ad d itio n al m ishaps are the prim ary considerations. In this case, the clim bers and T alkeetna Air Taxi settled on the cost of the search flights. In general, ad d in g another 25-30 percent to the estim ated tim e is recommended. W hile such cushions are usually excessive in government contract work, they eventu ally pay for themselves in m ountaineering ventures. (Source: J . W illiam son)
looking for the two clim bers. Geeting informed the Park Service that he saw old tracks on the Tokositna G lacier and their cache on the west fork of the Ruth Glacier, but no clim bers. On Ju n e 18, at 1255, m ountaineering rangers Dave Buchanan and Scott G ill flew w ith Lowell Thom as, Jr., in a Helio Courier from Talkeetna Air T axi in search of the now two d ay overdue clim bers. The search was concentrated on M ount H untington with no success. At 1400 Thom as landed on the west fork of the Ruth Glacier, next to the cache left by the two clim bers. The cache contained technical clim bing hardw are, a little food, and no fuel. This led us to believe that the clim bers were on R eality Ridge, since they were leaving the cache with so little food. At 1445 Thom as left the west fork of the Ruth G lacier and headed toward R eality Ridge. We spotted footprints on the ridge headed up toward the South Buttress and over to the east fork of the K ahiltna Glacier. As we approached basecam p (2100 meters on the southeast fork of the K ahiltna G lacier), we saw the two clim bers heading toward the basecam p airstrip. T hey had run out of food but were in ghood shape. (Source: Scott G ill, M ountaineering Ranger, D enali N ational Park)
Analysis H aberl and Rohn had started their clim b of R eality Ridge on Ju n e 10, but had underestim ated the tim e it would take to clim b it. W hile not a clim bing accident, this case is presented to provide but one example (there were two others in A laska and several elsewhere) of the problems which can arise from underestim ating the time a clim b m ight take. Tim e, expense, and exposure to ad d itio n al m ishaps are the prim ary considerations. In this case, the clim bers and T alkeetna Air Taxi settled on the cost of the search flights. In general, ad d in g another 25-30 percent to the estim ated tim e is recommended. W hile such cushions are usually excessive in government contract work, they eventu ally pay for themselves in m ountaineering ventures. (Source: J . W illiam son)
