UKC

Will Sim and Jon Griffith have made the first ascent of a new route in Alaska on the North West Face of Mount Deborah, named Bad to the Bone (2000m).

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=69701

In reply to UKC News:

Well done Will/Jon, though looks like you traverse off the main line? Is that next rock step fairly dire?

In reply to Michael Gordon:

Hi Michael, upon reaching the upper gully, the face came alive with spontaneous avalanches, we think triggered by collapsing snow mushrooms. We were very lucky to get away with it.

Will

In reply to Will Sim:

OK, that makes sense. Sounds pretty full on!

In reply to UKC News:
Sounds pretty terrifying! Nice one Will & Jon!

In reply to UKC News:
Yep is does seem odd that this is being claimed as a route, considering you escaped off right, has the ridge been climbed before, looks like a stunning classic ridge finale, because if you were just climbing the ridge, the start to take is pretty obvious, from your at the base photo.

In reply to Andy Clarke1965: On the photo I'm looking at the route is shown in red continuing up on the summit ridge.

I'm not sure I can conceive how hideous the upper part of the wall was if it was safer to traverse across to the bottom of that death bowl beneath the hanging glacier (or is this actually set further back than it appears on the photo?).

Anyway - chapeau. Looks like a hell of an adventure.

b

In reply to ben b:
I know the line they climbed continues up t'ridge to the summit, my question was whether the full ridge line had been climbed before, as it looks like such a stunning classic line, i'm sure they were pushed to the limit and had a great experience, it's just that the news piece and wills blog doesn't mention the fact that they bailed from thier chosen line.

In reply to Andy Clarke1965:


Jesus christ. Talk about carping.

In reply to jon:


Indeed. They started at the bottom and climbed to the top. Of course it's a route. And alpinism in its purest form. Very impressive!

In reply to UKC News:

I'm not trying to be critical for the sake of it, but I can see where Fergal is coming from here. The guys have been completely honest with their line, but it isn't really the "NW face" though is it? They've traversed off the face after climbing what looks almost like approach slopes, and the ridge seems to make up the bulk of their climbing. Nobody is doubting the alpine style it was climbed in, and it sounds like it was too dangerous to climb straight up the face, but the route heading really needs to be changed.

In reply to Tom Knowles:


Sounds fair enough to me. Someone can always go back and call their route the "Direct".

In reply to Robert Durran:

Couldn't agree more !!

I can imagine the UKC of 1938. I don't like to be picky but Mr. Harrer's route does wonder about quite a lot and from the comfort of my armchair I feel it should be given a different name !!!

Good effort, clearly sound judgments made to complete the route safely.

In reply to tintinandpip:

That's a silly comparison. The Eiger route finds the easiest way up the face - it doesn't escape off the face.

In reply to Andy Clarke1965:


And it's a fair question. If the ridge had been done then this would surely be an escape onto an existing route rather than a complete route in itself. I'm guessing it hasn't though since no mention has been made of an earlier ascent of the ridge.

In reply to UKC News:

Fantastic effort.

The text of the article says "route on the NW face of Mt Deborah". It certainly is that!


Amazing to go and do something like that, in a very remote area, with just this to go on: https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Mt+Deborah,+Alaska,+USA/@63.7752701,-14...

Hats off, indeed!

In reply to Michael Gordon:

Looks like the upper NW ridge was done on the 3rd ascent in 1977, also from the Gillam Glacier, but with the ridge gained quite high up from the north spur:
http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12197711600/Northwest-R...

I only did a half-arsed search but couldn't immediately see anything done on the NW ridge since '77. Several more recent ascents of the west face, presumably over the other side of the ridge in these photos.

In reply to Damo:

Thanks