Camp on the Kahiltna, 2022
On my first ever trip to Alaska in 2007, my partner and I flew into the Kahiltna basecamp area to test ourselves with the alpine climbing of the Central Alaska range. Despite our experience with winter climbing and suffering honed in the northeast, we had much to learn. Glacier living was a new thing, as well as navigating icefalls and corniced ridge lines. I did my first real multi day alpine objective on that trip on the Becky route on Mt Hunter. It was an eye opening experience, and one that planted the seeds of a life in the big mountains of Alaska.
In the spring of 2022, a technical alpine climbing trip I was guiding ended up at Kahiltna basecamp. It is a great location both for the variety of objectives at many difficulty levels, immense and beautiful terrain, and the ease of travel in and out of the range due to the high volume of plane traffic.
Andrew and I flew in on April 23, intent on swinging our tools in some nice alpine ice. We did the usual stamping around in the cold gaping at the mountains, and then set to work getting camp all buffed out. Our time was limited, and we needed to get things done before we could go climbing. With camp secured we headed up glacier on our skis to check out some of our possible objectives. Despite some dubious quality ice reports we got enough of a view of Bacon and Eggs on the Mini-Mini-Moonflower to decide to check it out the next day.
Andrew heading up glacier on a recon after we set up camp
An early start saw us at the bergshrund within 2 hours of leaving camp. A few of the usual calf pumping lower angle alpine ice pitches got us into the meat of the route, a beautiful couloir system that winds its way up towards the high point of the ridge line. Ten pitches up, just below the cornice at the ridge we had reached our high point. The ridge crest was about half a rope length away but the coming darkness and scattered snow showers convinced us that our descent was the prudent option. It was. We got a little spindrift pounding on our 11 rappels, but made it down to the skis and back to camp by 2 AM with no significant issues. Hydrate, hammer down some food, and crash.
The first pitch over the bergshrund on Bacon and Eggs
Beautiful water ice in the mountains!
Andrew following in the middle ice climbing section. Fun climbing in a nice tight gully.
Upper ice and mixed later in the day near the ridgeline.
Rappelling in the wether between spindrift pulses.
The next morning was a casual start, eating pancakes and observing the weather and our condition. It was so nice, and we had only one day left until we flew out, so we decided to head up the East ridge of Mt. Frances. The East ridge is a semi technical climb with some cornicing and crevasse hazard. We avoided falling into or off of the mountain, and made it up to the summit without incident. I have heard that the view is nice up on the summit, but for the second time I have been to the top it was cloudy. On our descent we caught a few glimpses of the impressive North buttress of Begguya, one of the major alpine walls of the Alaska range. Another great day in the mountains.
Midway up the East Ridge of Frances
Happy climbers on the top of Frances.
Andrew on the descent off Frances with the Southeast fork of the Kahiltna behind him.
On our last day we packed up, hung out and watched the Chinook helicopters set up camp, and then flew out in the afternoon to have a couple of beers at the famous Fairview Inn to finish the trip. Once again, the Alaska range provides amazing life experiences for those who show up ready to see what it has to offer.
Watching air traffic as we waited for our plane. Chinooks are pretty impressive helicopters.