North America, Greenland, Peaks above Knud Rasmussen Glacier, East Greenland

Publication Year: 1981.

Peaks above Knud Rasmussen Glacier, East Greenland. On July 10 Douglas C. Anderson, leader, William Jeffrey, Andrea Mountain, Dick Peart, Bob Dunken, Ian Carr, Noel Williams and I* flew to Kulusak. From there we traveled by boat to Angmagssalik to pick up previously shipped food and supplies, including an inflatable boat and motor. Petrol was purchased in Angmagssalik (also available in Kungmiut or Sermiliquâq). Loads were ferried by boat up Angmagssalik Fjord through Ikâsak, Ilivinga, Ikateq and Sermiliquâq Fjords to the snout of the Knud Rasmussen Glacier. On July 17 we established a camp there and on the 19th made a food dump on the glacier. On July 21 and 22 we sledged over difficult terrain from the dump to our first glacier camp (66°15'N, 36°W). On July 27 Andrea Mountain and I bivouacked in a storm at the foot of the central gully of P 1760 (5939 feet). After it cleared, we set off up the gully. Bad snow, loose rock and poor belays characterized the climbing. After 2000 feet of roped climbing we reached the shoulder of the mountain but retreated because of poor weather. Meanwhile Anderson and Jeffrey had attempted P 2070 (6792 feet) from the south. Peart, Dunken, Williams and Carr climbed Rødenbjerg on July 31 by its southeast ridge. On August 7 Anderson, Mountain, Carr and I set out on skis up the Håbets Glacier hoping to cross a 4625-foot pass and to rejoin the others at a camp between Rødenbjerg and Tupilak. En route we stopped to attempt P 1860 (6103 feet). We moved up the southwest side on good mixed climbing. We found the only evidence of another climbing attempt (rappel lines and pitons) there. Several pitches of interesting climbing and easy ice ended on the shoulder of the peak. Technical difficulties and a lack of bivouac gear caused us to retreat. The entire team was back together on August 12. Jeffrey and Williams climbed P 2070 by an easy snow gully on August 13. On August 15 Anderson, Mountain and I repeated their route and met Peart and Dunken descending from an ascent of the peak from the southeast. On August 16 we started the long trip from the glacier to the airstrip. On September 3 we flew out of Kulusak.

Rebecca T. Upham

*Recipient of a Vera Watson-Alison Chadwick Onyszkiewicz Climbing Fellowship grant.