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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Original Post - Mar 18, 2016 - 08:31am PT
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The recent thread about the added bolts on a route in Baffin made me wonder about things...if people add bolts to established climbs, there MUST be people aside from Regan and Yeti who go there to climb! At the moment, I imagine Baffin to be a wild, COLD place, with fierce polar bears, crazy base jumpers, guys that put up solo first ascents on 30,000 M big walls during two day windows, when temps go up to -40F - send time!
Polish guys, freezing, hook placements on fully detached flakes, looks FUN!
http://www.alpinist.com/doc/web12s/newswire-superbalance
BUT, people from CA go there, I have hope...
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/898044/BAFFIN-Climbing-Skiing-Trip-report-w-pics
Some climbers go early in the season (around April through May) and summer time, around July. Seems like it is much warmer and actually possible to free climb and stuff in July? Do people go earlier because they want to access walls approaches to which will simply be too broken up to complete in the warm months? How much does it cost to get there? Is there a beta page which could be useful?
Anyone (aside from locker) who feels like spraying some pictures, beta or talking sh#t is welcome to contribute to the thread and keep it interesting.
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Gnome Ofthe Diabase
climber
Out Of Bed
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Mar 18, 2016 - 08:34am PT
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SICK PUPPIES .
SO, V ARE YA GONNA GROW SOME CHEST HAIR?
and ask those (micro) NUT brothers to show the pictures that have gone away!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 18, 2016 - 08:44am PT
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No chest hair, will buy a wig.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 08:55am PT
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Pretty sure people even went there before the internet. ;-)
Yes, you will hate life when yer crotch deep in slush with a white bear chasing you.
When it is colder and the snow is better he will catch you quicker so you won't be
terrified as long.
^^^ A front paw - the rear are twice as big.
You have read our Ghost's story of his trip, haven't you?
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 09:05am PT
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Always wanted to but haven't known anyone who's actually gone. Mt. Asgaard looks awesome. Doug Scott's Big Wall Climbing had some nice, mouthwatering photos as well. Seemed to be more happening in the '80s. Charlie Porter. Rick Sylvester skiing off Asgaard for the Spy Who Loved Me opening scene, then not much other Mike Libecki going and doing his solo stuff. There has to be someone on this site who has some info for you.
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rwedgee
Ice climber
CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 09:13am PT
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All you need to know;
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/2684838/TR-FA-ON-BAFFIN-ISLAND
BURT BRONSON, THE GREAT
Big Wall climber
HARDMEN LAND
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 10, 2015 - 01:53am PT
WHILE I TYPICALLY PREFER TO CLIMB BAFFIN ISLAND IN JANUARY, I DECIDED TO TAKE A ONE-DAY SUMMER TRIP UP TO THE ISLAND OF THE NORTH TO SEE IF I COULD FA A NEW LINE. I WALKED TO THE BASE OF SUPERBALANCE, AND STARTED CLIMBING A NATURAL CRACK ABOUT 300 FEET TO THE RIGHT. THE INITIAL MOVES, A SITSTART TO A V10 SLOPER ON A DELICATE ICICLE, LEAD TO ABOUT 450 FEET OF SUB-TIPS CRACK WHICH WENT AT ABOUT 5.13D. UNFORTUNATELY I ONLY BROUGHT A SINGLE RACK WITH ME AND NO BELAYER, SO I WAS ONLY ABLE TO USE THREE PIECES OF GEAR FOR FIVE PITCHES. AFTER AN ADDITIONAL 27 PITCHES OF MOSTLY INTERCHANGING A4-A5 (WHICH OF COURSE I FREE CLIMBED) AND SOME OCCASIONAL 5.14C, I MADE IT TO THE "GREAT MOTHER". THE GREAT MOTHER, CLEARLY NAMED AFTER NO WOMAN, WAS A MASSIVE ROOF THAT EXTENDED ABOUT 900' OUT AND ABOUT 1400' UP.
THE ROOF INVOLVED MOSTLY BACK-TO-BACK V9 MOVES FOR SEVERAL PITCHES WITH THE OCCASIONAL AI9 MOVE OVER THIN ICE, OR FOR GIRLY MEN WHO LIKE TO AID, A5+. AFTER COMPLETING "GREAT MOTHER", I APPROACHED THE LAST AND FINAL PITCH, WHICH OF COURSE WAS THE CRUX. THE MOVE, A 9-FOOT ALL-POINTS-OFF DYNO OFF TWO ICICLE PINCHES TO A SLOPING LEDGE COVERED IN ICE WITH NO GEAR FOR 90' WAS CHALLENGING, BUT I STUCK IT FIRST GO. UPON TOPPING OUT I REALIZED I ONLY HAD 45 MINUTES TO REACH THE GROUND OR ELSE I WAS GOING TO MISS DINNER (WHO CARES, THE WIFE CAN WAIT). ACCORDINGLY, I DOWNCLIMBED SUPERBALANCE (VII M9 AI6) AND WENT ON MY WAY.
WHILE I DID NOT NAME THE ROUTE NOR GRADE IT AS I TYPICALLY DONT, THE LOCALS APPARENTLY NAMED THE ROUTE "EL GRANTIE SUPA BURTA, VIII, M9, AI9, V13, WI10, 5.14C, A5+ (X)." WHICH LOOSELY TRANSLATES TO THE GREAT, SUPER BURT. AS A REMINDER, KEEP CLIMBING MANLY. STICK CLIPS, BOULDERING AND CLIP-DRAWS ARE BEST LEFT TO THE WOMEN
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nopantsben
climber
europe
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Mar 18, 2016 - 09:13am PT
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You should first decide whether you want to go to the East Coast or the Asgard region. Different worlds, from what I hear. I've only been to the East Coast and could send you beta etc. for that. Your best bet might be asking Dave Allfrey or Cheyne Lempe, they went to the East Coast last year and most probably had gotten beta from Mike Libecki, who is like the Godfather of wall climbing in Baffin. I had most of my info from Dave Turner, which was very good and accurate, and I would suggest also getting in touch with him.
Despite all the help, we obviously still managed to make some gumby mistakes...
I'll list those that come to my mind.
-We didn't bring enough food
-We didn't bring enough coffee (biggest mistake of all)
-We completely underestimated how valuable alcohol would be in Basecamp (they are not legal on the airplane, I believe).
-We went there in June/July and should have been more prepared for wetness, both in the air and on the ground.
-We didn't bother with proper fishing gear.
-We got all stressed out about the gun. This can be figured out in Clyde River.
-We bought all our food at a Wallmart. The cashier software couldn't take it. Biggest purchase volume ever in that Walmart, the manager told us. Worst quality food I have ever bought, anywhere. Will buy the sweets elsewhere next time.
-We didn't really have a good solution to bring water up on the wall for a long time. This didn't turn out to be a big problem, but it could have been.
Mistakes we did not make:
-We had a big tent to cook and hang out in.
-We brought two Sat phones instead of just one. One of them broke after two weeks for no apparent reason. We would've been f'ed without the second one.
If I went again:
-I would go to Sam Ford Fjord
-I would go in May-Mid June
-I would bring both Wall and Alpine Style Equipment
-I would go as a team of three at least.
-I am pretty sure I would love it :)
It's a mega grand place and it was the most (not sure which word to use here) experience of my life. The most everything experience of my life.
I wrote a TR about it, not a super good one, but it's something:Baffin TR
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 10:37am PT
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A major fantasy of mine, to climb there, now probably not going to happen...
Forthcoming Expeditions
A strong University of
Washington party is visiting
Alaska this summer with three
objectives : The South Face of
Mount Huntington, the unclimbed
Rooster Comb (10,180ft.), and
Mount Hunter (14,570ft.), which
is also virgin. The team comprises
Neils Anderson, Al Givler, Chris
Chandler, Dick LeBlont, Graham
Barbour, Malcolm Moore and
Debbie Wolfe. An Anglo-
American party, consisting of
Tom Frost, Chris Bonington, Jim
McCarthy and Sandy Bill, has its
sights set on the nearby, 5,000ft.,
rocky East Face of The Moose's
Tooth. Farther north in Baffin
Island another Anglo-American
party is set on big wall climbing:
Doug Scott, Dennis Hennek,
Phil Koch, Jeff Upton, Guy Lee,
Ray Gillies, Steve Smith and Rob
Wood hope to climb some of the
big walls in the Mt. Asgard
region.
Some interesting...
Mountain 15 page 10
Hennek must have slides of this... and stories!
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 10:55am PT
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NORTH AMERICA
BAFFIN ISLAND
An Anglo-American expedition sponsored by the M.E.F. and John Player Ltd., and comprising Doug Scott, Dennis Hennek, Phil Koch, Guy Lee, Steve Smith, Ray Gillies and Rob Wood, with Mick Burke in the role of film-maker, went to the Mt. Asgard region bent on big wall climbing. Eight peaks were climbed, most for the first time, and a number of fine rock routes resulted, notably :
Mt. Asgard: South Peak
Lee, Wood and Koch made the first ascent, via the South Ridge (Grade 4, 3,000ft.). The climbing was mainly on Severe/Very Severe rock. But the pleasant outing turned into a minor epic near the summit: bad weather closed in, and the climbers had to bivouac on the summit plateau. An exciting retreat down the ridge took place the following day.
Breadablick : North Face
This very elegant rock face yielded a superb 2,000ft. rock route (HVS, A1 ) to Lee and Koch. The rock was excellent throughout, and they were able to place good nuts wherever aid was necessary. Hennek, Scott and Wood made a second ascent, which was filmed by Burke.
Mt. Freya: East Peak
Scott and Hennek made a new route on the North East Face: 3,000ft. of slabs, topped by a 1,200ft headwall. The standard was nowhere more than Very Severe. Smith, Wood and Gillies made a second ascent. Bad weather foiled the party's more ambitious plans.
Mountain 19 page 7
was the movie every released?
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 11:04am PT
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Supertopo to the rescue. Nice.
Do it while you're young V. I wanted to go since my first trip up the Captain in 1983, but wishing doesn't make it so. Just go.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Mar 18, 2016 - 11:14am PT
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I hope gumbyclimber will chime in, as he's been there a lot
I've done a couple of trips to Baffin Island, and if there's one thing I'd say it is that, contrary to what you might believe from the articles and trip reports you see, there is more than just big-wall adventure to be had.
There's every kind of climbing you can imagine, from snow slogs, rock climbs of whatever length and difficulty you want, alpine climbs of whatever length and difficulty, ice, big walls, small walls... You name it, it's there, in a setting you will never forget.
And don't forget the mindblowing ski touring and insane descents. Or, if you're completely crazy, consider the kite-skiing...
I've posted a few pictures here and there on ST, but never done a TR. Mostly that's because we didn't do any paradigm-shifting first ascents, just went up there and had fun.
If anyone thinks it's a good idea, I can put a bunch of photos together in a single TR.
Oh, and about deciding when to go: My beta on that is from the BVWB Era (Before Vitaly Was Born), so who knows if recent climate change has made it obsolete. But, for what it's worth, we never regretted going early. Yes, it was full winter conditions (although with no darkness), but the weather was reliably stable and sunny for the whole month of May both trips. No T-shirt climbing in sticky slippers, but back then I was more interested in winter climbing anyway.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 11:21am PT
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The Big Walls of Baffin Island
by Doug Scott
"Walk away quietly in any direction and taste the freedom of the Mountaineer Camp out among the grass and gentians of glacier meadows, in craggy garden nooks. .." John Muir
The Anglo-American Baffin Island Expedition began with noble intentions, but, faced with the problems of mounting costs, we compromised our ideals to the detriment of the expedition. As this situation is likely to recur amongst climbers going on small expeditions it seems relevant to explain our problems and offer a possible solution.
It was to be a 'magic' expedition to the big walls and unclimbed peaks of the Canadian Arctic.'Big' is usually bad; so we would be few in number, a group of close friends amongst whom competitive climbing and ego tripping would cut no ice. We would not include people solely for their fund-raising potential. We would not commit ourselves to print before the venture, nor arrange restricting contracts with publishers. We were determined to be governed by the exigencies of the mountain and our natural climbing reactions, rather than by those of commercial advertising and rash commitments made in the City or in the pages of Mountain.
Of course, we failed. It was my fault. Well, the leader couldn't be blamed as there wasn't one. We never did go in for that, as the right man will always come up with the right suggestion at the right time and someone will always weaken and put a brew on. No, it was my fault because, out of necessity, being the only one in Britain for a time during the postal strike, I made most of the preliminary decisions which we all had to suffer thereafter. I let the number get out of hand and we ended up with nine - all good blokes who you couldn't turn down, and we needed them to help pay for a winter air drop. But it meant we were to become bogged down with spiralling logistical problems. Then not everyone knew each other. Phil Koch, from Vermont, knew only myself and Dennis Hennek, who came from California and knew only Rob Wood from Leeds (late Calgary) apart from me; Steve Smith, Ray Gillies and Guy Lee, all from Nottingham Climbers' Club, knew Rob but no one else and certainly not Pat Baird from Montreal. Only Rob knew him. A week before departure, Mick Burke came along as camera-man. And we all knew him by reputation.
The return journey from Nottingham to Pangnirtung, in Baffin Island, was to cost us £24O each. With additional expenditure on equipment, food, and exorbitant Nord Air freight charges, a personal contribution of about £500 was required. We needed help! I let Mountain use a photo of Mount Asgard on its front cover and gave it a news item. We were also reported in the national press. Definite commitments grew.
The film was my doing (or, rather, undoing). John Player generously gave a last minute donation of £500 after hearing that we were short of money (it certainly helped to supplement the £100 M.E.F. grant). They wanted very little in return except for mention in the local paper. Their directors asked me if we could make a film. I jumped in feet first and accepted a £3,500 undertaking on behalf of the expedition, with Mick Burke to film it. Whilst Players had done this sort of thing before in other fields it was to be their first mountaineering film ; they could not be held responsible in any way for what followed. The phone bill soared as a hot line was opened between California, Calgary and Nottingham; opinions were aired and the dangers debated of filming on our type of expedition. As Mick and Rob had climbed the Nose on El Capitan together they had a special relationship which helped soften the blow. When Mick arrived, after losing all the filming gear at Montreal Airport, our fears were completely allayed: not because he had lost the gear (that turned up again) but because he fitted in so well. A typical ex-hitchhiking crag rat, he was soon yarning all the way from Langdale Slate Quarries to the Annapurna Rock Band. On our previous Nottingham Climbers' Club campaigns to the Sahara and the Hindu Kush, once the last donkeyman had gone back down the valley, we could largely relax, forget the pre-expedition ballyhoo, and let the climbing develop spontaneously. With a film unit, however, comes a constant reminder that results are required, and stated objectives have to be realized. So we spent many days carting 350 lb. of camera gear on abortive carries into the mountains, only to be thwarted by severe storms. We also climbed the 2,000ft. North Face of Breidablik twice to ensure Players had some sort of film. Other good days we spent taking cut-away shots around Base Camp. The result was that we missed the'Big One', Asgard West Side: by the time we got around to it there was no settled weather left and winter had arrived.
On the debit side, then, there was a feeling of failure in the air as we had not realized our main 'objective'. Furthermore, the expedition was less of an adventure than it might have been with a smaller party. We had used helicopters on account of the large group and the heavy film gear, and this reduced our manoeuvrability and our feeling of isolation. Primarily, prior commitments had restricted us to stated objectives and to some extent prevented the spontaneous climbing we had envisaged, namely: to go and find appealing lines up big walls, something absolutely classic, routes we knew we would want to go on climbing even when it was snowing and blowing a gale. It took us a vital month to realize these intentions. The interest of the team was also towards Alpine climbing, as opposed to Big Wall climbing. In fact, here was an area reminiscent of the Alps in the eighteenth century, where, out of hundreds of peaks, only a few easily accessible ones had been climbed - and then only by their 'via normals'. Steve and Ray,in particular, had intended to climb several more peaks by attractive snow couloirs and elegant arêtes, but spent their alpine days carrying tripods and such like up crumbling moraine and slushy glaciers. In fairness, it is easy to forget the bad storms that kept us immobile for up to ten days. On balance, the bad weather was aS much to blame as our commitments for our missed opportunities.
On the credit side, we did visit nine virgin summits, rising from approximately 1,500ft. to 6,500ft.; we did climb the North Face of Breidablik, the 4,000ft. slabs and head wall of Mount Killibuck - both two-day climbs - and the steep South Ridge of Mount Asgard, South Peak. We had considered putting all our resources on the 3,500ft. West Face dihedral of Mount Asgard when the weather deteriorated in August. Siege climbing is not uncommon in Patagonia, where fixed ropes are left behind a leader to ensure a safe retreat when storms threaten; but here we thought it more appropriate to return next Summer (or leave it for someone else) to climb it in a single push, Alpine-style, during a mild July. We were also tempted to tackle the 4,500ft. West Face of Mount Thor, but as this would have required considerable bolt ladders we left it for the distant future.
Compromises had been made, but fortunately not on the mountains. Such was the build-up that we had given these peaks that further incentive might well have encouraged our climbing them at any cost; but the exploits of Maestri and Harding, and their repercussions, were very much in our thoughts. It was good that we did not abuse our privileged position as the first big wall climbers to visit the mountains of Baffin Island; but then we had not climbed the most demanding routes so any feelings of smug complacency on this score are ill-founded.
The incomparable majesty and haunting beauty of the fjord, the glaciated valleys and the mountains were worth every frustration mentioned before. Indeed, on reflection, the expedition was enormously successful in terms of our strengthened relationships with each other and our memories of this truly wilderness area. We will remember, too, the gentle eskimo tenuously preserving his unique life-style forged down the generations in an incomparable struggle against the inhospitable Arctic. And we have something to remind us of all this and the magnificent climbing we did together - a beautiful film!
We still dream of wandering back to this wilderness, carrying all we need on our backs, to climb those magnificent clean-cut dihedrals. Maybe we would take only four people, four ropes, fifty krabs, and iron rations; walk in unaided and unfettered, to learn, perhaps, the secrets of Asgard's West Face, or the 2,500ft. overhanging prow of Friga, or any others that should take our fancy. Sadly, we may never be able to capture the adventure that might have been, for a second visit seldom has the same fascination of discovery.
This dream could only become reality when the problem of fund-raising is resolved. It is impossible for the average climber to acquire sufficient funds without shedding all personal responsibilities. The Mount Everest Foundation has considerably assisted British expeditions to all parts of the world over the last twenty years. Because the Foundation is now eating into its capital the grants are unlikely to become larger. Yet expedition costs continue to rise. Perhaps the day will come when the financial benefits creamed off by retailers, publishers and TV companies will go back into climbing via the M.E.F. It was a fine idea to plough the profits from the successful book and film of Everest '53 back into climbing; but since then the only additional contribution to the capital has been from Chris Bonington's successful book, Annapurna South Face. Perhaps we could see the establishment of B.M.C. controlled outlets for climbing and associated equipment, not unlike the Y.H.A. shops. Perhaps the new B.M.C. climbing magazine will be able to make some contributions. Perhaps, too, the B.M.C. could sponsor the publication of expedition, technical and guide books whose authors would be paid an honorarium while the profits went back into climbing. It might be worthwhile for the B.M.C. to act as lecture agent on behalf of the growing band of climbing lecturers. But the areas where the largest slice of cake is lost to climbing are in the film and TV world. Here, the B.M.C. could assist climbers with film and TV contracts, at the same time negotiating a portion of the estimated profits for themselves and thus for climbers in general.
There does seem to be a very good case for controlling the growing exploitation of British climbing. I have approached the subject obscurely from the problems faced by a small
expedition: other climbers will no doubt be able to present a better case from their own observations and experiences on the home front.
Surely our national climbing organization should divert some of its energies away from the testing of obscure pieces of equipment; away from the standardization of Mountain School procedure (where there is no real adventure since personal judgement is so limited by concern for safety), and instead put more thought into the essence of mountaineering : the pioneering of new routes in good style and in adventurous surroundings.
SUMMARY
Baffin Island/Cumberland Peninsula. An Anglo-American expedition comprising Doug Scott, Rob Wood, Guy Lee, Steve Smith, Ray Gillies and Mick Burke from Great Britain; Phil Koch and Dennis Hennek from the United States and Pat Baird from Canada. Peaks climbed were: Mt. Pingo 6,300ft. (Hennek and Scott); Ungardaluk 6,400ft. (Hennek and Scott); Mt. Anaguq I and 2 (Baird, Smith and Wood) ; Mt. Bilbo (Gillies, Lee and Wood) ; Mt. Killibuck: East Face (Hennek and Scott, Gillies, Lee and Wood); Breidablik: North Face (Koch and Lee, Hennek, Scott and Wood) ; Mt.Frodo (Koch, Lee and Smith) ; Mt.Asgard: South Peak, South Ridge (Koch, Lee and Wood).
Mountain 22
thanks to Jim Phillips for sending me many issues of Mountain that I did not have and which I would not have been able to post these articles, and to Debbie who somehow finds time to abet my mountain passions, including searching for issues that aren't in my collection.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 18, 2016 - 12:26pm PT
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All, thanks for contributing beta, especially Ben! A lot of good stuff!
Ed, this is not a history of what HAS BEEN climbed there thread. The whole forum looks like the majority of us live somewhere in the northern states and climb giant bigwalls. :)
F*#k Ben, you guys did some bad ass climbing there. If you want to go in the future and need someone to belay or something let me know. Would be happy to join and may or may not have a few other psyched people who would be willing to go.
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looks easy from here
climber
Ben Lomond, CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 12:34pm PT
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Eh, stuff there's not so big.
So 40, maybe 50 feet?
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Fat Dad
Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
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Mar 18, 2016 - 01:13pm PT
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...whatever, V...
you don't always get what you want... But if you try sometimes, you'll get what you need.
Nice contributions Ed. Hard to believe such big lines go at such a modest rating (though I suspect they're pretty old school).
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Blakey
Trad climber
Sierra Vista
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Mar 18, 2016 - 01:55pm PT
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Somewhere on here is a piece I wrote about a trip to Baffin in 1975.
I did not have a camera! So it relied heavily on photyos harvested friom the net.
Last year I received an email asking if I knew what I was doing 40 years ago......
The upshot was a reunion between the surviving members in the UK. They have kindly provided digitised photos. Once Ive got all of them I'll revisit the TR and illustrate it correctly.
Meanwhile some tasters.....
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 18, 2016 - 02:05pm PT
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Nice contributions Ed. Hard to believe such big lines go at such a modest rating (though I suspect they're pretty old school).
Looks like 5.8+ at most.
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overwatch
climber
Arizona
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Mar 18, 2016 - 02:09pm PT
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So incredibly cool looking, what a dreamworld! Thanks for the vid Mr. H
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