Damavand Climb http://www.forum-damavand.com/showthread.php?tid=33: Preparing for Alaska

Grivel and Beal athlete Alan Rousseau shares his thoughts on the equipment needed for a successful ascent to Alaska.

This spring, during seven weeks, I went to the Alaska Mountains three times.  Two of these trips I worked as a mountain guide and one was a personal trip.  From mid-April, I guided the ham and egg trail through the mouse teeth in the Ruth Valley.  In late April, I had another client for another trip on ham and eggs, followed by a climb up the southeastern ridge of Peak 11,300 (a mountain called Elevation at the western fork of the Ruth Strait).

Take a look at the moon flower

In May, I met a friend from Salt Lake, and we tried several times at the northern foot of Mount Hunter.  With this many climbs planned for various purposes, my gear was very wide.  Thank you for the support of Liberty Mountain.  The following article focuses on the equipment I used for these different purposes and why they are suitable for mountaineering in Alaska.

Close the teeth of mice

Mid-April in Alaska can be very cold, however, with spring coming sooner and earlier, I advised my customers that although the weather may be cold. It is better to be cold on the ice than to appear and melt it! This year, I used warm double boots for all my trips to the domain.  The boots I used fit well for both Grivel G20And Crampon G22.  I used it for hooves and peaks of 11,300 Crampon G22to the  For medium to long distances, the dual front point reduces leg and ankle fatigue while providing a firmer bed.

Ramping ham and eggs

This Northern cars Made for a great ice tool at “Ham and Eggs” and peaks 11,300.  The rotation weight is constant, and the angle of choice on the low-angle (60-75 °) ice on either of these tracks works really well.  Hammer and adze are both “real deals”. Recently, there has been a method that makes tools and hammers smaller and smaller.  I find in most of the tools available that the hammer is too small to fit a python or picket, and the opening is not large enough to actually move snow or crush a good column.  For large Alpine trails, the great advantage is that you do not have to carry a real wall hammer to place a sturdy python.  Grill tools are the only tools I feel I can actually hammer with.

Sort the ropes at the peak of 11,300

Use rope as insulation

There are endless options for ropes for routes like this, all have their advantages.  For mouse teeth, I used two numbers, Beal Gullys (7.3mmx70m)to the  They are lightweight and very water resistant.  Having two ropes is very important for landing, and I feel good going through such a narrow line because it hits the rock a little along the way and so there are a few sharp edges.  Most of the land along this route has ropes, so it is good to have a low rope weight.  For the SW edge of 11,300, I decided to have the Beal Gully on the back and used an Beal Opera (8.5 mm) to ease the rope.  By navigating a route such as a southwestern ridge, the rope method often changes from high ground, to similar climbs, to short ropes, and to short strides.  Having one rope instead of two ropes can save you hours at the end of a great route.  For landing, it was good to have a light twin rope for use in the Rappel.  Some people prefer to use a 6 mm wire to create the label line, however in cold windy places, I find 6 mm knots too much.  Although the 7.3 Gully is a bit heavier, it is less tangled, and if a rope gets stuck, it’s good to know that both ropes in your system are designed to fall to the ground (you need to get up to get a stuck line. Move).

Bollard on ham and eggs

Base on top of 11,300 peaks

Setting up a “transmitter” is good for the North Hunter, which has a more difficult technical ascent.  My tools up Technology machines, Which had a good match point for the harder compound parts.  The tool selection angle is more designed for vertical to indoor terrain.  The G20 bottleneck was my choice for this purpose.  This lightweight crampon helps reduce fatigue and makes it much easier for me to use a spot on rocky ground.  A single climbing point allows the climber to rotate his foot on the small edges without twisting from the place of rotation.  I was happy to release it when I released Prow, formerly ranked A2, now commonly known as M7-.

Moon Flower Land 9

Our rope for Moonflower also changed to a Joke Bill (9.1 mm) And Bill Trench.  For harder turns and pendulums along the way, I prefer a rope longer than 9 mm.  The last thing I want to think about the main thing is that my rope is on the sharp edge.  I like to climb lean ropes, but there is a time and a place for it.  Ask yourself what benefits you will get from using a real thin strap and see if this climb applies to the climb you are holding.  If the leader or runner is more likely to fall on a rocky ground, or if lanes are possible, think carefully about whether the thinnest rope is the right choice.

These were the tools I used for all these purposes Grivel Stealth helmetGrivel Sigma K8g and plume twin gate carbines, Beal Mirage Harness, Draws Cypher mydas And dyneema sling and a Cilo Gear 34B package.  The hidden hat is incredibly light and amazingly durable.  Adjustment systems are simple, and unlike most helmets with “Adjusting the Spin Button”, stealth settings are not fixed on you.  Grivel twin gate carbines have changed the game for me, especially in cold environments.  I was so tired of freezing the shelves that I started climbing the shelves on the big cold mountain trails.  The surface of these twin gates is a bit freezing, and when you hang them, you can easily work with one hand with gloves.

Bivy at the peak of 11,300

Beal Mirage restraint has small, lightweight packages and is level enough to maintain blood circulation in the legs.  Weight saving is very important with all the tools you need to have on these routes, Cypher mydas carbines helped a lot in this regard.  I used four mydas sport draws and six mydas alpine draws with dyneema straps on the moon.  The last gear I talk about is the Cilo gear 34B package.  This bag has been with me for several years, hundreds of days, and the dyneema continues to work.  It is so small that you can still climb well, but if you go light, you can put the kit there for a few days.  Check out the series of Cilo gear packages that are all handmade in the United States.

Bake the tent at the base of the Mooses Tooth

Ham and eggs

I hope this has been helpful in seeing what equipment allows me to work and achieve personal goals in Alaska.  Now it’s time to prepare for the next two months in the Alps, followed by a personal climbing tour on the Pakistan-India border sponsored by the Mugs Stump Grant.  See you in North America in October!

– Alan Rousseau