Alaska's Mt. Dickey (2910m) is famous for its mile high vertical granite walls on its East and South Faces. Canadian Sean Easton and Swiss climber Ueli Steck took 4 days this March to piece together the first ascent of 'Blood from the Stone' (M7+, AI6+, 90-degree snow). The 1500m mixed route on the East face had snow and ice barely thick enough to allow them to follow a groove/crack system that ran the length of the face. They were lucky enough to have a perfect weather window and good conditions.

Easton commented, "This was an amazing route of the highest quality, the sort of thing that every alpinist dreams of finding."

Brit climbers heading out to Alaska in a few weeks include Kenton Cool, Ian Parnell and Andy Benson.