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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Original Post - Apr 9, 2015 - 03:06am PT
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This thread is dedicated to Mt Forakers awesome "Infinite Spur".
Any stories or pics regarding this route are most welcome.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2015 - 03:29am PT
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American Alpine Journal 1978
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Around 25 years ago I jumped on the route with Jack Tackle. We climbed for a day and set our little bivvy tent up on a knife edged ridge.
It started snowing that night and continued to dump for four days.
Clear weather confirmed that the noises we were hearing we're avalanches cascading down all around us.
A hasty retreat followed in less than ideal conditions.....haven't been back since.
The line is so striking it was the only time I ever attempted a route in Alaska that had already been climbed.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2015 - 02:44pm PT
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"The line is so striking it was the only time I ever attempted a route in Alaska that had already been climbed".
That's a pretty impressive record, Jim.
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rmuir
Social climber
From the Time Before the Rocks Cooled.
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We had intentions of doing that line back in 1975. But with the surging glaciers that year, our pilot didn't want to drop us below the South Face so we ended up on the West Fork of the Kahiltna below the southeast ridge.
Intending to ski around to the south face, we were dismayed to see the amount of falling rock and avalanche, even in the deep dead of night (such as it is up there in early June). Foraker's rock is absolutely appalling! We prudently chose to abandon that FA possibility preferring life over certain death just getting to the base of the damned climb.
Eventually, we did a repeat ascent of the Southeast Ridge…
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 10, 2015 - 03:57am PT
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American Alpine Journal 1990
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Andy de klerk
Mountain climber
South Africa
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Apr 10, 2015 - 12:22pm PT
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I miss Mark Bebie, he was a great guy. Big and strong and always cheerful. A complete dirtbag eccentric who was a Microsoft millionaire but he really loved being in the mountains.
Killed with Steve Risse on Slipstream
I know Mark was really proud of doing the Infinite Spur, and so he should be.
Here is an insightful quote from BB in his book "The Calling" about Dave Cheesemond
Kind of cuts right to the heart of it all:
I do know we’ve been guilty of ignoring our mortality. We laughed off the “close ones.” It’s a bit of a trap. We got into it so far we lost our perspective. It always happened to someone else. Maybe they made a mistake. The mistake is forgetting that you’re dancing with death. All the joy and growth we got out of it was only in us. The mountain moved and you were in the way.
Andy
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 12, 2015 - 03:01pm PT
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American Alpine Journal 2001
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 13, 2015 - 03:48am PT
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American Alpine Journal 2001
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2015 - 05:30pm PT
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Glen Deal and Gren Hinton Cont...
Special thanks to Glen Deal
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WallMan
Trad climber
Denver, CO
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Apr 15, 2015 - 12:36pm PT
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Avery - you have plans for the Infinite Spur this season?
This route has long been coveted by me and a couple of friends. I do not believe I am up to the task.
Wally
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2015 - 02:38pm PT
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I can see I'm in good company, Wally. I believe I'm not up to the task either!
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Apr 15, 2015 - 02:48pm PT
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This is a time to remember Karen McNeil and Sue Knott. They died attempting the Infinite Spur and are resting somewhere on its flanks.
I knew them both, they were wonderful people.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2015 - 02:49pm PT
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Glen Deal and Gren Hinton Cont...
Special Thanks to Glen Deal
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 15, 2015 - 02:54pm PT
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Correct me if I'm wrong, Jim, but I believe one of the women was Kiwi.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Apr 15, 2015 - 02:57pm PT
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Karen McNeill was a Kiwi living in Canada. She had a great personality and a wild sense of humor.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2015 - 04:48pm PT
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Glen Deal and Gren Hinton Cont...
Special thanks to Glen Deal
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 20, 2015 - 01:27am PT
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Mt. Foraker, Infinite Spur variation. The sun is setting, and the cold is creeping down the Kahiltna. It is May 16, and Eamonn Walsh and I have just been spit out of the last plane of the day at Kahiltna base camp. We stare up at the Moonflower Buttress of Mt. Hunter, which stands front-row center in this arena. The Moonflower will be first, then the Infinite Spur on Foraker. But failure on the Moonflower quickly teaches us about moving efficiently in Alaska, so we take a day of rest, then begin our long journey up the Infinite Spur. We have planned for a 10-day round trip. We climb the Spur despite nasty storms, deep snow, being caught in avalanches, heavy packs, and cold. We free the route without hauling our 55-pound packs. We suffer like we never imagined possible. We fly out spending less then three days in base camp.
We did a new variation on the Infinite Spur by staying on the rib proper. It may have been a bit slower but proved to be the best climbing on the route. Above the icy rib the route is blocked by a rock buttress. On the first and second ascents the teams skirted the buttress to the right on snow slopes but then encountered loose 5.9 rock. Last year’s third- and fourth-ascent teams avoided the bad rock by going left around the buttress but found snow and ice climbing that was unaesthetic and slow. We went up a gully that splits the buttress and offers three really good pitches up to AI4. Subsequent ascents this year went our way as well.
Above the buttress previous and subsequent parties have gone left on snow slopes to reach the base of the dreaded Horizontal Ridge. We went straight up the rib and had four more pitches of primo mixed climbing up to M5. Recommended.
Rob Owens, Canada
American Alpine Journal 2002
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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Feb 24, 2016 - 04:04pm PT
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