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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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A few more to capture the winter ambiance.
Nice light on the Kahiltna Icefall:
The warmest and sunniest time of the day at Kahiltna Basecamp this time of the year:
Back on topic, here is the CASSIN IN WINTER:
The fuzz in the left side of the photo is blowing snow. Fairly strong north wind outflow event going on today (which is what brings the cold air in).
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Watermann2
Big Wall climber
Saluzzo Italia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jan 4, 2015 - 12:30am PT
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Congratulations Compliments Mr.MarkWestman Beautiful photos
Chapeau !!!
Many Regards
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neverwas
Mountain climber
ak
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The fuzz in the left side of the photo is blowing snow. Fairly strong north wind outflow event going on today (which is what brings the cold air in).
Saw those snow plumes from Fairbanks today, just about the same time, blowing off the N & S summits and Foraker.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Jan 11, 2015 - 07:25pm PT
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Lonnie Dupre made the top of Denali at just after 2 PM local time today.
First January solo of Denali, second January ascent overall (the first being by Russians in 1998).
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jan 11, 2015 - 07:34pm PT
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Congrats to Lonnie!
Thanks for the sublime images Mark!
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Jan 11, 2015 - 07:40pm PT
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I'll save my congrats till he is back in Talkeetna. Lot of mountain to get back down solo. I'm sure he will be fine but it ain't over at all yet.
He is back to 17 camp so far.
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Jan 11, 2015 - 08:01pm PT
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Yeah, it ain't over yet. Gotta get down safely now.
Like the Russians in '98 he picked a good year to try, it's been so freaking warm up here this winter. It's been barely getting below freezing at night here in Talkeetna the past couple nights.
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Andy de klerk
Mountain climber
South Africa
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Jan 12, 2015 - 11:38am PT
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Thanks for the beautiful photos Mark!
Good luck to Lonnie for the way down
Good luck to Willem for the way up
-15F on Denali at SE fork of the Kahiltna
33 degrees centigrade in Cape Town (96F) when these pics were taken
Love it!
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MarkWestman
Trad climber
Talkeetna, Alaska
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Jan 12, 2015 - 12:10pm PT
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Timing is everything. Lonnie totally nailed it!
About a week ago we had the only arctic air mass of the entire winter settle in on us, and it lasted only four days. Lonnie was at 11,000 camp during that event- much better than being up high! Before that we had two days of pouring rain in Talkeetna, and the last few days it has felt like Seattle here, upper 30's and barely freezing at night. When Paul and I flew in January 3rd, it was colder at basecamp than it was at 10,000 feet, according to the airplane thermometer, there was an inversion. The Chulitna and Susitna rivers are still wide open in huge stretches, which tells the story of this winter.
The January Russian ascent in 1998 also had above normal temperatures, it was something like -7F on the summit the day they topped out- that sounds cold but that is phenomenally warm for January at that altitude!!
That said, when Paul flew over the upper mountain last night, he said the winds over the summit looked totally brutal, Lonnie's summit day must have been burly. Big respect to Lonnie for fulfilling his dream, and keeping fingers crossed for his safe descent. I'm guessing he's not wasting any time coming down.
Edit: the solo climber from South Africa that we flew in on the 3rd, flew back out the next day. He wasn't feeling well.
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clanger
Trad climber
UK
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Solo the Cassin in winter! An interesting idea. Stumbled on your thread.
Great question Watermann2 (are you related to JW?).
Thought I add my two penneth worth.
Mike Young, Jon Waterman and I did the Cassin in February. It was, I think, the second winter ascent of the mountain and the only winter ascent of the Cassin. The trip was not as many suppose - hell, rather the opposite. Going into such an environment is not necessarily unpleasant, in much the way that I imagine doing a space walk is 'not unpleasant'. Such terms do not mean very much in this context. However, if things do go wrong you are in trouble - toast. If this metaphor can be applied to such temperatures.
Jon had a very hard time high on the mountain and perhaps should not have been there. He had been down with a viral infection a couple of weeks before and he really did not acclimatise. Both he and Mike unknowingly developed server frostbite in their feet (to beyond the toes) while I had none. The reason I escaped I think was simply boot size. Mike and Jon wore boots a size bigger than their normal mountain boot size while mine were size 9 for my size 7 feet.
Of all the expeditions I've been on the Cassin in winter is the only one I would not repeat, not because it wasn't fun, it was. Having Denali to yourself is VERY exciting. But because you have little or no control over the outcome. Unroped soloing is high risk, but the risk is subjective and largely in your control. The risk on Denali in winter is not falling off the climb but Denali deciding that it does not want you there.
We succeeded on the Cassin because we were naive and because the mountain was kind.
climbski2 has it right. Materials do not behave. Hold a flame to the pool of petrol on the MSR and nothing happens. Plastic boots snap. We had to cut 2 inches off the tent poles as the fabric shrank.
Am I glad to have been on Denali in winter, without doubt yes.
Just don't go there.
in answer to 'Pass the Pitons' Pete
We did of course have down gear, the best we could get, its under the Thinsulite suit.
Boots - no not Bunny Boots - can you Imagine front-pointing in those. We used Biiiiiiiig Koflachs with Avolite inners, extra foam insoles and 40 Below overboots. Silk liner socks, VB liner and then two layers of thick sock and anti-perspirant cream.
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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Cassin in February, with just a small team, sounds like fully cutting the umbilical cord. Nice shots.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Thanks for taking the time to tell us about that trip! Did any of you have trouble with cracking or other things on the Koflachs?
I too think I'd heard you guys used Bunny boots on the Cassin..To be honest I was as impressed with a Cassin bunny boot ascent as anything else.. I couldn't imagine it.. ha..no surprise that was incorrect.
I suppose unpleasant is a subjective term.. What conditions did you guys run into?
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Watermann2
Mountain climber
Saluzzo Italia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2015 - 07:14am PT
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Good Morning Mr "Clanger" I think you're the GREAT Mr. ROGER MEAR!Honored for Your response. She did one of the greatest masterpieces of the history of the world of all time !!! After you no other climber is able to repeat the Cassin in winter !!!
CHAPEAU !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you and congratulations for the beautiful photos, certainly in a great mountain like DENALI, climb the Cassin route in winter should be like going to the moon, but much more difficult, an extraordinary thing !!!!!!!!!! ! And thanks for talking to your technical equipment (of course, now it would have provided better equipment, for those terrible places, where temperatures reach 50, up to 70 degrees below zero Celsius, and winds terrible !!!!! !!!!!!!!!
Many thanks for YOUR response and for the beautiful photos, and many congratulations to her on her masterpiece !!!!!!
In March of 1982, three competent
Alaskan climbers not only made the first
winter ascent of the Cassin, but the second
winter ascent of Denali as well. The ascent
was completed by Jonathan Waterman,
Roger Mear, and Mike Young. Waterman
stated they wanted to “push the limits
by climbing alpine style on a technically
difficult route in subzero conditions.”
On March 7, after eight days of climbing
Ps. I know the great Waterman, (unknown in Italy) only after reading INTO THE WILD, and I was astounded, amazed, stunned by what he had done on Mount Hunter in winter solitary, an incredible thing !!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!
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clanger
Trad climber
UK
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I presume you guys know that there are two Waterman's. - John and Jonathan - Hunter and Hummingbird.
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climbski2
Mountain climber
Anchorage AK, Reno NV
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Watermann2 not sure if you know this or not.
There are two different J. Waterman. Both climbed extensively in the Alaska Range. One is named John Waterman and is the one who did the solo on Hunter. Another is Jonathan Waterman and he did the Cassin in winter. It can get confusing.
I hope this makes sense after the translation.
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Dolomite
climber
Anchorage
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Great photos, Roger, thanks for posting them. Jon wrote a great piece on that climb, called "Aurora." It's printed in Best of Ascent. Highly recommended.
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Watermann2
Mountain climber
Saluzzo Italia
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2015 - 11:03am PT
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Good Morning Mr. Climbski2
Is the truth, I thought they were the same person, I apologize!
I apologize, but I was actually a bit confusing (sorry) It 's true, I thought JOHNNY Waterman was also called JOHN.---Johnny Waterman is my great idol (The big winter ascent to Mount Hunter, with 145 bivouacs, incredible) Instead , another GREAT mountaineer who has climbed in winter the Cassin route to Denali is called JONATHAN Waterman (I hope I have said exact) I apologize for the confusion Thank you very much for having come to the aid, but having trouble with the language, sometimes I do not understand well!
Many greetings and thanks from Italy.
Ps. Here, it is very hot, we have exceeded 40-42 degrees Celsius
104-107 Fahrenheit
Johnny Waterman was the "crazy genius" of Alaskan mountaineering, an untamed eccentric who pulled off one of climbing's most audacious feats—a five-month solo ascent of Mount Hunter. Then he vanished into the northern wilderness. Young men go into the mountains all the time to discover themselves and to propitiate the ghosts of their fathers, but it's the rare father who goes into the mountains to join the ghost of his son.
Guy Waterman died on a winter evening on a mountain ridge in New Hampshire. He was 67 years old, a climber, a homesteader, an author widely known in New England outdoors circles. He was also the father of three sons, and he believed in the peculiarly American myth that says there is something between fathers and sons that can be understood only in the context of wilderness.
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