Steve Martin called in to give an update of the team’s work for the day. They made a carry of gear up to the base of the steepest section of the West Buttress route today. The “Headwall,” as it is known, is a 600′ stretch of icy slope that has fixed lines of rope attached to it’s length. Climbers clip themselves into these fixed lines with mechanical ascenders (a fancy term for “rope clamps”) to protect them in the event of a slip.
The plan is for the team to re-climb their route of today and continue up the fixed lines to make a very airy camp on the ridge above, at an latitude of roughly 16,200′. Today was a big day, but the move up to the ridge will really be a test for the climbers. Let’s hope that they get a good window of weather to get their work done!
Below is a photo of Steve that was delivered down the mountain by another one of our teams the other day. It is being used courtesy of Disabled Sports USA, and I think it is really inspirational.
Army Cpl Steve Martin (Ret.) on the Kahiltna Glacier!
