North America, United States, Alaska, Fairweather, Attempt on Southeast Ridge

Publication Year: 1978.

Fairweather, Attempt on Southeast Ridge. The personnel of our expedition finally was made up of Leonard Cook, Mark Fields, Rich Bloom and Chris Carpenter. (I was injured fighting a fire with the Anchorage Fire Department and had to drop out.) Our main objective was the first ascent via the southeast ridge, which had been descended by the Wickwire party in 1973. One of the major problems was personality clashes. Weather also became an unyielding factor. Finally Camp IV was established close to the junction of our route and the Harvard route of 1975. In a four-day storm at Camp IV they had to use up most of the remaining food. When the storm finally lifted enough for a summit attempt, the remaining food sack was knocked off the ridge while ice screws were being dug out of a pack. The group decided to head down.

Michael Dunn, Mountaineering Club of Alaska