Zoe Hart and Maxime Turgeon took advantage of a window of moderate weather to complete an ascent of Mt. Hunter's (14,570') Deprivation (Alaska Grade 6: ED+ 90 degrees, ca. 6000', Backes-Twight, 1994). The line climbs the northwest facing wall of the north buttress of Mt. Hunter to the right of the more frequently climbed Moonflower Buttress. Hart is the route's first female ascentionist and this success marks what is possibly the route's fourth overall ascent.

It also marks Turgeon's second ascent of the mountain this month, as he, Freddie Wilkinson and Ben Gilmore climbed Moonflower Buttress in a 52 hour round push only a few days before. Hart and the late Sue Nott had attempted the line two years ago (which would have made the first all female ascent), but found “absolutely no ice” on the route.

First climbed in '94 by Scott Backes and Mark Twight, Deprivation didn't see a complete repeat ascent until 2002 when it was climbed over three days by Stephen Farrand and John Kelley. Mt. Hunter itself was first climbed in 1954 by Fred Beckey, Henry Meybohm and Heinrich Harrer (of Eiger and Tibet fame).

Since the first ascent, Mt. Hunter has become a forcing ground for hard, high standard routes in Alaska, climbed in the most committing of styles. Taking a line just to the left of Deprivation is the British route The Knowledge climbed in 2001 by the late Jules Cartwright and Ian Parnell on which Parnell broke two ribs and Cartwright took several leader falls.

Full report and action photo at the Alpinist Website.