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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 12:35pm PT
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"It was just obvious you guys were just spewing nonsense"
Eloquent words, B J.
I'll have to register my De Klerk/Brugger statements in the honest mistake file.
Having said that, "Let he who is without sin ............
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Don Paul
Big Wall climber
Aurora Colorado
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Nov 10, 2014 - 02:32pm PT
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Beautiful route but looks really crumbly.
* from the other photos I suspect this one is tilted a little.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 05:18pm PT
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Thanks Don Paul, Nice pic.
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nah000
climber
canuckistan
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Nov 10, 2014 - 05:23pm PT
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here are a few more ascents and dates to add to your list Avery:
[new routes in bold]
1. George Lowe and Jock Glidden, 08/1972: [2: VI 5.9 A2]
2. Steve Swenson and Kit Lewis, 09/1981: [2]
3. Barry Blanchard and Gregg Cronn, 08/1983: [2]
4. Ward Robinson and Dan Guthrie, ?/1984?: [2]
5. Scott Backes and Bill Bancroft, 08/1990: [2]
6. Andy de Klerk and Julie Brugger, 07?/1992: [2]
7. Peter Arbic and Tim Auger, 08/1992: [2]
8. Jon Walsh and Chris Brazeau, 09/2006: [5: VI 5.11 M6]
9. Steve House and Vince Anderson, 03/2008: [3: VI WI5+ M8 R/X]
10. Jay Mills and Dana Ruddy, 08/2009: [2: VI 5.10 A0]
11. Jason Kruk and Josh Lavigne, 09/2012: [4: VI WI5+ M7+]
12. Nick Bullock and Will Simm, 09/2014: [3]
a few other attempts of the north face:
Tobin Sorenson, 10/1980: [attempt of 2]
Mark Wilford, 09/1991: [traversed away from 2 to summit via northeast ridge]
Frank Jourdan, 07/1994: [escaped off face to descend via northeast ridge]
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 06:51pm PT
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Thanks nah000, most helpful.
I'm still not sure about the date of the Robinson/Guthrie ascent, it's either 84 or 85. I am working on it.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Nov 10, 2014 - 07:01pm PT
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Was climbing in Indian Creek with George Lowe this weekend. He can't remember climbing the route...wink, wink...nod, nod.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 07:17pm PT
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Thanks Jim,
I don't know whether to laugh or cry after reading that!
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 10, 2014 - 08:01pm PT
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In addition to the attempts noted above, the Alberta Hut logbook had a couple of gripping entries about failed attempts from the 90's: as I recall Joe Josephson and somebody made an attempt that ended with being hit by rockfall (I seem to recall that was the one where someone's helmet was broken off of their head!) and another entry by a Japanese team which wrote, in broken English, something about "leader knock completely unconscious by stone" or something like that and describing a harrowing retreat from the lower face.
My partner and I had hiked in there in August of 2000 hoping to get on it, only to observe the face alive with a horrifying volley of constant stonefall and running water in the way too warm temperatures. We were very naive and thankfully realized it immediately. We settled down to an open bivi beneath the northeast ridge intending to hike back out in the morning, but at dusk a ferocious thunderstorm formed over by Mount Columbia and it was clear that it was making an aggressive tack directly towards us. Knowing the hut was empty we packed quickly and ran down there in the fading light, arriving just as the hail and lightning began. I remember thinking to myself as we jogged down towards the hut, "man, we are really light duty" and wondering if these conditions were just how you had to do this thing, and if we just needed to suck it up. After all, the guidebook said "late July, early August" was best. Ha.
Reading the logbook stories late into the night as the hailstones and rain drummed down upon the roof of the hut, I found myself feeling increasingly grateful for being light duty!!
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 08:12pm PT
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Thanks Mark, for an excellent post. This is just the type of material I'm looking for.
Did you take any of your consistently good pics around Mt Alberta?
In the near future I'll be posting Joe Josephson's excellent Canadian Alpine Journal article on Alberta's NF.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 10, 2014 - 08:32pm PT
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 09:08pm PT
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This thread is building nicely.
Great contributions from Bruce Kay and Jim Brennen, thanks.
I knew you had, at the very least, one superb pic, Mark. Thanks a lot.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 09:17pm PT
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I've been fortunate (if you can call it that). I've lost only one good friend in the mountains (Rob Hall). It was still one too many.
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Peter Arbic
climber
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Nov 10, 2014 - 09:18pm PT
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Thanks Jim , no worries BJ .... would have "liked" your original bullshit call if this forum had such a thing . I don't always believe what I think myself and it was tossed off originally as vague recollection to be checked and it was. Now, still convinced Andy and Julie did it before us , I"m forced to believe my memory banks are toast and I should just ditch them.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 10, 2014 - 09:18pm PT
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Avery I wish I had more of the face, but that's as close as I dared get to it.
Sad story about Guthrie and Bult. The same route on which they (and two others simultaneously) were lost on Mount Foraker in 1987, also was where three young brothers from Alaska died in 2002- also in an avalanche.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 09:22pm PT
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Posted with the kind permission of JJ
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nah000
climber
canuckistan
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Nov 10, 2014 - 09:41pm PT
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this thread is too funny.
you can't even necessarily trust the horse's mouth, as it looks like arbic is right regarding de klerk and brugger not climbing the nf in 1994. the josephson article says that de klerk and brugger made the sixth ascent in 1992 [and the article is published in 1993] and arbic and auger's ascent came after...
so who knows maybe it really did take them seven days... hahaha. sure you got THE Andy de Klerk, Avery? It looks like he forgot what month he climbed it in as well... i guess when you're as hard as he was, you don't remember the details regarding a piddly peak like alberta... hahaha.
JB: the composition of your first photo is absolutely engrossing... thanks for the post.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Nov 10, 2014 - 10:07pm PT
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That JoJo article was photocopied and placed in the Alberta Hut- I haven't read that one since that night in the hut 14 years ago, exactly what I remembered and mentioned above. I'll never forget it and that piece in particular took a lot of the sting out of our failure to launch and provided a great perspective on the complex emotions the alpinist wrestles with in the face of commitment, retreat, and obsession.
"C.D"..."Carl"...I wonder if that is Carl Diedrich?
Andy and Julie spent 9 days climbing the Moonflower on Mount Hunter and five more days descending. 7 days on Alberta, true or not, doesn't seem far fetched. Badass as those two are, routes like these hold the cards and set the pace. That they tried, and then completed, Alberta's NF is all that matters. Part of the legend now.
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Avery
climber
NZ
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Nov 10, 2014 - 11:24pm PT
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Well said, Mark.
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