Photo Album & Links
I have recieved several emails about the photo quality. I will explain to keep from answering emails on this subject. I do not have, do not use or want a quality camera. Ninety-percent of the photos were taken with a cheap throw-away camera and scanned on a cheap scanner. I do thank all those who have sent emails or verbal tips for improvement.
Annie Greensprings, Eklutna Caynon in lean ice conditions. The last few years have seen lean ice and is a lot harder than it looks or rated; an un-protectable pillar of vertical, rotten candlestick ice. Many a climber have gotten under it, here it pop and crack, watch it wiggle and decide to turn tail.
MadDog in very lean conditions for November. I had to solo this the day before this picture was taken to retrieve the ropes of climbers there before me. Seems they dropped their rope setting up to rap. Ooops!
The upper thin ice pitch of FacePlant, November 2002. From the ice seen just above my right shoulder, the climb traverses left up the steep rotten rock to the notch in the left skyline. The name of this climb does means something, ouch!.
Scratch Your Way Up, a full bag-o-mixed. Climbs frozen veggies and thin ice to a detacthed candlesticked pillar hanging from a roof. A total groove.
Horsetail in Valdez Alaska. Notice the bells of ice created by the high winds of Keystone Canyon. Several climbs in this section of the canyon have these huge bells of ice. Some are quit hard to find a route around or climb over.
This a cravasse in Byron Glacier located at Portage. See the dark hole to nothingness. The water could be heard rushing from below.
A cicle off to the left of T.J. Swan, Eklunta Canyon. Dead vertical but plastic ice. Only seen it once and I saw no evidence of anyone else ever climbing it, so I gave it the name C.J. Dove.
Tall Man in Portage Valley. A 300' cicle that starts with a pitch of mixed to this rope-stretching pillar.
The area is Candyland, a 200 foot high, mile long wall just beside the Sewerd Highway which has numerous climbs ranging from Grade 2-4. A few mix lines exist but the rock is Chugach Crud and will not hold rock pro. The Alaska Rail Road owns the right-of-way and a permit is required to climb here, what this photo shoot is about. I have done several shoots on ice climbing, one for winter camping / snow cave construction and lead one local news crew to a WWII bomber that crashed on a high mountain glacier.
Lost Chord in Hunter Creek. This is a massive cicle just before the fork in the river.
A free-hanging, rotten pillar somewhere in the backcountry of the Gach, exactly shoulder width. Above this traverse left and follow a full pitch of mixed terrain ending at a small roof. Exit a steep snow traverse right to fixed rock gear.
This is a 4-pitch alpine route that Mango and I completed December 2000 in the Gach. We climbed the whole route solo which included easy rock, two pitches of ice and a steep snow traverse to exit. Shown here is the last few feet of ice before the exit traverse.
This is Mango rappelling a route after his first true climb on mixed terrain; thin ice that would not take a 10cm screw to the hanger.
A self portrait soloing somewhere in the Gach.
My neighbors coming over for Turkey Day feast. This is a frequent happening in Anchorage, un-invited guest showing up for a free meal; hide your pumpkins.
A climber rapping from Ripple, the most climbed cicle in Ak.
BridalVeil, Valdez Alaska. This is the first pitch with me on the ledge (out of view) belaying a team of two. The Killer Pillar can be seen at the very top of the picture, which is another full rope-stretching pitch up and only half-way to the top.
Hollow Head, Hunter Creek. This is the first pillar, steep and hollow of course.
Laying down first tracks on the way to Mt Bradley, Ruth Gorge. Mt Johnson is the pyramid summit in back ground with Bradley and our goal, the NE shoulder, on the right.
Me wrapped up in Primaloft to stay warm at -14F with a windchill of -26F.
For some reason Mango thought this would be cute. Yes, thats me writing my name in the snow.
Mango topping out on the Moose's Tooth snowy slopes.
A picture of my climbing partner, Mango in blue and myself in red Ruth Gorge camp. The big peak behind us is the east buttress of Denali with Dan Beard just to the right.
