After an unanticipated break, we are so stoked to have Mountain Trip teams back in the Alaska Range! We currently have three teams climbing and skiing in the Range.
For a couple weeks in early April, storms and exceptionally low temperatures kept climbers at bay. However, as our first climbing team arrived in Anchorage the weather broke, leading to a stable high pressure system over the Range. This high pressure system is expected to last at least another week. Does it get any better??
Our first team flew into the Root Canal Glacier on April 17th with the objective of climbing the ultra classic Ham and Eggs route on the Moose’s Tooth. Ham and Eggs is true Alaskan alpine route, with 18 pitches of climbing up to AI4 and 5.9. A real adventure and must on any alpine climber’s tick list. The team led by veteran guide and Alaska climber, Jared Villhauer, completed the route in excellent conditions on April 19th. We are so psyched for those guys, way to SEND IT!
Next, our Alaska ski mountaineering basecamp trip with none other than the legend himself, Chris Davenport, flew into the Pika Glacier on April 19th. The recent round of storms and cold temperatures has set the team up with excellent skiing conditions. With bluebird skies in the forecast, the team is looking at an incredible week of mind blowing couloir skiing. We’re psyched to see what the team gets up to!
Skies are blue and stoke is high!
Our third early season team flies into Denali Basecamp today with sights set on climbing the Radio Control Tower and the East Ridge of Mt. Francis, two stunning peaks located on the SE Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. This is a mountaineering skills focused trip with one of our Denali lead guides, Jesse Wright.
Two more Mountain Trip climbing teams are scheduled to fly into the Range at the end of April. The teams are planning to climb 11,300′ on the Ruth Glacier and another ascent of Ham and Eggs on the Root Canal Glacier.
We are excited to have so many psyched climbers and skiers joining us on these early season trips. We love showing off as much of the Alaska Range as possible! Stay tuned as our Denali season kicks off with our first team scheduled to fly in on May 8th. Best of luck to everyone headed into the Alaska range this 2021 season. We sure did miss it in 2020!!
-Mountain Trip
