West Ridge, Mount Hunter Alaska Grade 4, 5.8, AI 3

  
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Alaska, USA

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jedster

Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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    May 22, 2014 - 02:55pm
Just got back from guiding the West Ridge. Overall, we had spectacular conditions and ok weather. We went on a relatively fast itinerary. See more strategy notes here: http://www.jediahporter.com/2014/05/west-ridge-of-mount-hunter-alaska.html

Day 1: ski to base of route from KIA. Climbed over Cats Ears and Point 9500 to a bivy beneath rock band.
Day 2: Rock Band, horizontal ridge bit, Ice Face, to "high camp" at the top of the Ramen.
Day 3: up and back to summit.
Day 4: Down Ramen, around icefall, and then back to KIA.

The Supertopo description worked well for us. A few things: The description of the Rock Band didn't work. The site won't let me upload photos, but I have one all marked up if you want. Shoot me an email (jediahmporter at gmail) if you want more intel.

Also, after descending the Ramen Couloir route, using the icefall bypass option, the book description contains a typo. No matter how you slice it, you don't climb to 8600 feet. In fact, you climb about 100 feet onto the visible shoulder, then traverse along and down for almost a quarter mile. Again, I have a marked up photo if you like. Finally, once you begin rappelling down on the icefall bypass, you'll come to the rope stretching, waterfall rap. this one is insanely long. If you use the rock anchors, and have shorter to average 60m ropes, you won't make it. Well, you'll make it to the cam and nut anchor I left. But the better strategy would be to go, as the book indicates, from a v-thread in the top of the waterfall. If it's too warm and sloppy to go off a v-thread, you'll be vulnerable to wet slides and rockfall lower down anyway. In that case, good luck…

Overall, enjoy this sweet adventure!
Mount Hunter - West Ridge Alaska Grade 4, 5.8, AI 3 - Alaska, USA. Click to Enlarge
An overview of the mountain.
Photo: Mike Gauthier
 
*What is "Route Beta"?
It's climber slang for information or tips on a route as in, "what's the beta on that route?" As a service to fellow climbers we ask SuperTopo guidebook users to post tips and updates to this website if they have relevant information to share after a climb.