UKC

Trip Report: Young Brits on Denali's Cassin Ridge

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
 UKC Articles 23 Jul 2012
Tom Ripley atop the Japanese Couloir, 4 kbBangor University students Tom Livingstone (21) and Tom Ripley (22) have just returned from a 5 week expedition to the Central Alaska Range. They managed a 2 day ascent of The Cassin Ridge on Denali's South Face.

This is their trip report.

Read more at http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/page.php?id=4790

 colinakmc 23 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles: Congratulations guys! A woderful achievement. But why are you being so ****ing competitive? Rejoice that you were strong enough, brave enough and good enough to achieve this! And read some Shipton...
 L.A. 23 Jul 2012
In reply to colinakmc: Because they`re young and full of life and good on them for having the balls to get out there and try. Personally I think Shipton and Tilman tend to become more relevant with age but that may be a generational thing? Either way good effort the Toms !
 colinakmc 23 Jul 2012
In reply to L.A.: Totally agree, please don't think I'm dissing the guys, I think their achievement is awe inspiring. But they really don't need to be fretting in case someone younger has done it already!
To the two Toms: whatever is next in your sights, go for it - carefully!
 Monk 23 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:

Good to read this. Anyone else remember when Tom Ripley first appeared on UKC with grand plans and people tried to shoot him down? Always nice to see dreams fulfilled rather than turning into idle could-have-beens.
 pneame 23 Jul 2012
In reply to Monk:
Aye. He was always quite civil as well. And it quickly became apparent, a talented mountaineer.

Like the honesty of the article.
 stonemaster 23 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles: Fine effort by Livingstone and Ripley.
 JohnnyW 23 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:

I was lucky enough to bump into an even younger Tom Ripley and Will Sim on the Midi, when myself and another regular UKCer bumbled over the Pointe Lachenal and the Cosmiques far too slowly, and ended up on the platform after the last car had gone.
They were great young fellas, shared their food with us, and regailed us with all sorts of tales from their already impressive experience.
Since then, I have always been pleased to see what they are up to, and whilst they are full of the flush of youth, (lucky b's), I think there's a mountain sense there that'll see them right.

Good luck lads, keep at it!!
 nathan white 23 Jul 2012
Well done we were the guys you met when you were heading up to 14 camp who had just done the Cassin. Hopefully you had a bit more favourable conditions for the climb than us, mind you it couldn't have got much worse for us but it made it a real adventure. Hope it doesnt ruin the trip for you if your not the youngest, but dont worry you are younger than me. I'm an ancient 24!
 James Oswald 23 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:

Well done Tom.

But should the BMC really be using profits from our subscriptions to fund people people's expeditions? Just a question..
 ChrisJD 23 Jul 2012
In reply to James Oswald:
> (In reply to UKC Articles)

> But should the BMC really be using profits from our subscriptions to fund people people's expeditions?

BMC - The clue is in the name.
 Will Sim 23 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles: A totally awesome effort from the two Toms, so much psyche is always gonna have a result!!

Regarding the last paragraph, i was told by a Ranger on Denali last year that i was the youngest person to climb the Cassin - i was 21, but i find that unlikely. Even on a mountain as well documented as Denali there will have been many ascents of the Cassin that went un-noticed, or were selectively remembered, it is the "trade route" of the face afterall.

I remember the year before last, being in Kahiltna basecamp hanging out with some really talented french climbers/skiiers aged 19-25. Among single push ascents of the Moonflower, fast ascents of Foraker by the Sultana Ridge, and doing backflips over their tents on approach skis, they'd made several serious first ski descents of coveted lines in the area. Chatting to American guides and rangers at the time none of them had even heard that the descents had been made, even though their tents were pretty much in earshot. Nothing will have been documented bar a very casual paragraph on a random french blog that gets 100 hits a month.

In a range so frequently traveled by talented climbers, i doubt whether myself and Jon's "record" on the Cassin last year is even the fastest ascent, despite at the time all the yanks being so certain.

Nice one Tom's

Will
In reply to James Oswald:
> (In reply to UKC Articles)
>
> Well done Tom.
>
> But should the BMC really be using profits from our subscriptions to fund people people's expeditions? Just a question..

The money is there for those with the inclination to do things out of the ordinary.

It's concieveable that you could have funding to do something like this but I suspect that it's too much hard work for you to push that pen to write a coherent request for such funding.
 James Oswald 23 Jul 2012
In reply to higherclimbingwales:
"The money is there for those with the inclination to do things out of the ordinary."

I see your point, an interesting view. Personally, I don't think that the BMC should spend their profits like that but I'm happy for people to disagree with me.

"It's concieveable that you could have funding to do something like this but I suspect that it's too much hard work for you to push that pen to write a coherent request for such funding."

How would you know? Have you even met me? No, you haven't. So instead of being rude, how about you write a reply that was a bit more friendly and constructive?

My original post was friendly and merely an attempt to understand what people thought that the BMC should seek to prioritise when allocating it's resources.
In reply to James Oswald:
> (In reply to highclimber)
> "The money is there for those with the inclination to do things out of the ordinary."
>
> I see your point, an interesting view. Personally, I don't think that the BMC should spend their profits like that but I'm happy for people to disagree with me.
>
> "It's concieveable that you could have funding to do something like this but I suspect that it's too much hard work for you to push that pen to write a coherent request for such funding."
>
> How would you know? Have you even met me? No, you haven't. So instead of being rude, how about you write a reply that was a bit more friendly and constructive?
>
> My original post was friendly and merely an attempt to understand what people thought that the BMC should seek to prioritise when allocating it's resources.

I didn't mean to come across as rude, just assumptive!
I am happy to let the BMC decide who they allocate funding to as that's what we pay them for. Maybe a letter to them might get you the answers to your questions.
 Tyler 23 Jul 2012
In reply to James Oswald:

The BMC doesn't make profits, it's an organisation funded by climbers for them to reinvest in climbers of all hues whether that be bolts for sport climbers, access for trad climbers, help with the Conville trust for novice alpinists, comps for youngsters, funding better training etc etc. and yes, a very small proportion goes towards grants for others psyched enough to get out there and apply. I'm personally very happy to think a couple of measly pence from my subscription might have gone towards this trip and others like it so well done to the Toms, the Sims and any others who get out there and do these things.
 birdie num num 23 Jul 2012
In reply to James Oswald:
> (In reply to highclimber)
Personally, I don't think that the BMC should spend their profits like that but I'm happy for people to disagree with me.

Num Num sees your point, it's an interesting view, but more interesting is what you do see as good targeting of BMC rescources if it is not to be sponsorship of intrepid young fellows like the two Toms?
 James Oswald 23 Jul 2012
In reply to higherclimbingwales:

"I didn't mean to come across as rude, just assumptive!"

Sorry for my misinterpretation!

Reply to Tyler:

Ok, the BMC doesn't make profits in the sense that companies do. But, surely after it has received it's insurance revenues and subscription fees and paid the costs of running insurance (and admin etc)it aims to have a surplus left over. This surplus is used to fund many things.
In reply to James Oswald:

I think the point is, youth, that this thread isn't necessarily the most appropriate place for a discussion about either whether the BMC should be funding this sort of thing.
 James Oswald 23 Jul 2012
In reply to victim of mathematics:

That's fair enough, I may create another thread if I can be arsed...
 birdie num num 23 Jul 2012
In reply to victim of mathematics:
Num Num agrees. A bit of cold water is always unwelcome.
In reply to James Oswald:
> (In reply to victim of mathematics)
>
> That's fair enough, I may create another thread if I can be arsed...

I wouldn't bother as no one agrees with you.
 Jon_Warner 23 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles:

Great work and an awesome selection of photos.
 220bpm 24 Jul 2012
In reply to Monk:
> (In reply to UKC Articles)
>
> Good to read this. Anyone else remember when Tom Ripley first appeared on UKC with grand plans and people tried to shoot him down? Always nice to see dreams fulfilled rather than turning into idle could-have-beens.

+1 nice one lads
 mux 24 Jul 2012
In reply to UKC Articles: Top effort Tom's ...I'll look forward to a cuppa and a read of the blog at lunch time.
 Michael Ryan 24 Jul 2012
In reply to James Oswald:

James,

Have a read of this and download the BMC Annual Report and Finance Report.

What did the BMC do for us in 2011?

http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67107
 Michael Ryan 24 Jul 2012
I think 3 per cent on the BMC's costs....£10,000 goes to support expeditions to the greater ranges.

2011 income: £2,126,000
2011 expenditure: £2,143,000


all here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67107
 mlt 24 Jul 2012
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKC and UKH:

I think it's a bloody good thing the BMC provides support (thanks). I feel providing support for climbing/expeditions/exploratory trips is just one of the many important things they do for the UK outdoor community. It encourages development of the 'sport' and of people and without it I think we'd be encouraging stagnation. There are probably very few expeditions throughout history, particularly those that led to cutting-edge changes in climbing (or any sport for that matter), that didn't receive some sort of support whether it was from a company, organisation, government or private individuals. Anywho, that's just my opinion
 James Oswald 24 Jul 2012
In reply to Mick Ryan - UKC and UKH:

Thanks Mick, I'll have a read of that.

Cheers
 simes303 24 Jul 2012
In reply to colinakmc:

Bloody hell man, they weren't fretting. It was 3 lines at the end of a long article. You seem to be the fretter.
 Franco Cookson 25 Jul 2012
In reply to simes303: Ripley's too crap to have an ego, i'm sure it was just a harmless ponderment. Good effort lads.
 stonemaster 25 Jul 2012
In reply to Tyler:
> (In reply to James Oswald)
... from my subscription might have gone towards this trip and others like it so well done to the Toms, the Sims and any others who get out there and do these things.

Well said sir.
 ferdia 28 Jul 2012
In reply to stonemaster: Nathan's already commented on here, but to save them the immodesty, and to celebrate just one more of the many teams who managed to do the cassin this year, here's a link to his team mate Joris's blog and video. It makes very good and amusing watching. I'm not sure I could be so creative at altitude. Did you get your lamp back yet guys? :P

http://thebigbluetree.blogspot.co.uk/
http://player.vimeo.com/video/45404149

Well done to the Toms also. I look forward to downloading the Denali playlist when it's revealed. Tom Ripley's earlier UKC career is unknown to me. The Tom I met was a fellow wild camper in the French Alps who was extremely generous with his knowledge and guidebooks. And who really wanted a cow bell.
 Franco Cookson 30 Jul 2012
In reply to mctinkno:
> (In reply to stonemaster) The Tom I met was a fellow wild camper in the French Alps who was extremely generous with his knowledge and guidebooks.

That's cause they weren't his guidebooks. I still want them back Tom!

New Topic
This topic has been archived, and won't accept reply postings.
Loading Notifications...