North America, United States, Alaska, Peaks near Mount Chamberlin, Philip Smith-Romanzof Area, Brooks Range

Publication Year: 1981.

Peaks near Mount Chamberlin, Philip Smith-Rom.anz.of Area, Brooks Range. I established Base Camp on the upper Hulahula River on May 27, 1980, hoping to climb a few of the yet unclimbed mountains. P 8300+, the southernmost 8000-foot peak of the Chamberlin group was my first objective; I reached the summit via the southeast wall. This is the prominent ice pyramid seen on the flight route between Fairbanks and Barter Island. After two days and an injury, I proceeded east to the headwaters of the Jago River. There I discovered the marvelous pyramid of P 8130. Following another storm, I ascended up the icefield to the base of the west ridge. The narrow, steep ridge led to the top. The east and west forks of the Jago River join at the base of P 8620, one of the most spectacular and difficult peaks in this part of the Brooks Range. Its summit is flanked by steep, narrow canyons and pinnacle walls. The north face comprises 5000 feet of abrupt rock and cascading piedmont glacier, possibly the most gothic and complex in northern Alaska. After another snowstorm, I proceeded up the narrow canyon of the eastern slopes, which rose in a series of waterfalls to a glacial basin and pinnacled faces extending up into the clouds. I climbed the north trunk of the glacier to the south ridge. This I followed to the summit in a heavy snowstorm to where it dropped away at last in the cavernous, fluted ice wall of the north face. My final ascent was P 7600 above the McCall Glacier. This peak and those immediately to the east have the northernmost glaciers on the American continent.

Dennis Schmitt, Unaffiliated