Eiger North Face, Harlin Direct Route, Switzerland. Fourth Ascent (First American Ascent) (Grade VI, ED Sup): One cold October night, Alex Macintyre of England and I crept into Grindelwald just below the Eiger. It is difficult to look to the Swiss for encouragement for they frown on kids trying their mountain. For two weeks we kept smiling and never dared to mention our plans of the Direct. Finally in mid-October, the weather turned good and late one night we packed our sacks. It seemed a strange thing to take only five days of food and a handful of pitons on something that had previously taken three to four weeks. But we, more than anyone, knew there was no other way. The following day, we found the ice in good condition and moved rapidly using the rope only intermittently. When we neared the windows of the Eigerwand station, a Swiss guide came out on a rope and demanded that we come in since he considered our climb impossible. Shortly after passing this fellow, I began the difficult nailing (A4) of the first rock band and by nine o’clock that night we hung uncomfortably, but happily, at the top of our first major obstacle. Twelve hours of varying degrees of ice climbing brought us to Death Bivouac for our second night. On the third day, steep ice led us to the right side of the Central Pillar. Here we found the difficult and famous Kor traverse. Within an hour and a half and only one point of aid, we found ourselves across the traverse. Here again steep ice led to the top of the Pillar. The following morning we climbed two long aid pitches to the Spider and mixed climbing took us to the Fly for our fourth night. On the fifth day difficult mixed climbing brought us to the summit.

Tobin Sorenson