Kichatna Spires
Kichatna Spires
Andrew Embick, M.D.
The CATHEDRAL SPIRES of the Kichatna Mountains, in the southwestern Alaska Range, offer the most challenging climbing in North America. The weather characteristic of the area is very bad, but the granite can be of high quality. The area is familiar to very few climbers, who however tend to return repeatedly. The number of ascents has grown since the first in 1965 to the point that there is some difficulty in keeping track of exactly what has been climbed. Twice now, at least, “first ascents” have been reported which on review were determined to be repeat ascents of peaks whose original identity was not clear. To permit more accurate identification of peaks, as well as to record past ascents, the following list and a marked map with keyed references are presented.
The list is based on one by Dave Black and Al Long and was compiled with help from Gary Bocarde, Mike Graber, Roy Kligfield, Bob McDougall, Ed Newville, Hiroshi Oda, Steve Pollock, Royal Robbins, Peter Sennhauser and George Schunk. This list corrects several errors and records all known ascents. For example, the spelling of “Gnomon Spire” is corrected from that in reference 43. Though USGS topo map Talkeetna B-6 identifies a Cul-De-Sac Glacier, this is better known as “Cool Sac.” Vulgarian Peak was not identified correctly on its original ascent, and the second ascent of Sunrise Spire was reported as a first ascent. Riesenstein was initially labelled “Dark Tower.”
A question exists about the customary name to be applied to the area. Because of the plethora of mountaineering place names involving “cathedral” it is urged that the area be generally referred to as the “Kichatna Spires,” recognizing that to be strictly accurate one should say “Cathedral Spires of the Kichatna Mountains.”
An attempt has been made to provide an overall rating for each climb, based on the overall grade used in the YDS and NCCS. Because the weather in the area is so poor, one of the main difficulties is simply surviving. Risk is primarily contributed to by the increasing chance of error from fatigue on an extended climb. Thus the relative ratings reflect
primarily the time required to do the route. Kichatna ratings are not necessarily exactly comparable to those of other areas, but are approximations to those in customary use.
No attempt will be made to review the history and characteristics of the area as several reviews have recently appeared. Suggestions, additions and corrections will however be gratefully received, and it is requested that future Kichatnas climbers continue to report their routes to avoid confusion.
ASCENTS IN THE KICHATNAS
Peak
Alt. Approach Glaciers
Route
Team
Year
Diff.
References
7270 Cool Sac Tatina
E face S ridge
DeMaria Geiser Hudson
1965
II
2
Sunrise Spire
c7900 Cool Sac Shelf
SE couloir ?
Bloom DeMaria Suhl
1965
II
2
Whiteout Spire
c7700 Cool Sac Tatina Sunshine
NW ridge from N
Geiser Hudson
1965
III
2
Vertex Peak
c7300 Shadows Trident
W couloir S ridge
Millikan D. Roberts
1966
III
3
c6500 Shadows Trident
N ridge from W
Johnston Meisler
1966
II
3
Kichatna Spire
8985 Shadows Cool Sac Sunshine
E couloir N ridge
Davidson Millikan
1966
V
3
Avalanche Prong
c6900 Shelf Shadows
W face
Johnston D. Roberts
1966
II
3
Rock Prong
c6500 Shadows
W face ?
Johnston Millikan D. Roberts
1966
I
3
Mt. Nevermore
c8100 Tatina Monolith
NE ridge
Fitschen Raymond Robbins
1969
III
5,6
Mt. Jeffers
c8000 Tatina Cool Sac
S ridge from W
Fitschen Raymond Robbins
1969
IV
5,6
Sasquatch
8303 Monolith Sunshine
S face from W
Fitschen Raymond Robbins
1969
IV
5,6
Gurney Peak
c8400 Shadows Trident Caldwell Sunshine
N buttress
Ferche Fredrickson Katra
1972
IV
8
Citadel
8520 Shadows Shelf Cool Sac
N face N ridge
Ferche Fredrickson Katra
1972
IV
8
Peggy’s Peak
7133 Tatina Cool Sac
S ridge from W
Black Graber
1975
II
11
Tatina Spire
c8200 Tatina
SE face
Aprin Black Graber
1975
VI
11
Sasquatch
8303 Monolith Sunshine
W face
Aprin Black Graber
1975
VI
11
Poliak Spire
c7500 Tatina
NE couloir
Bocarde Denkewalter Sennhauser
1975
II
10, 13
Three-O-Spire
6760 Tatina
E face
Crawford Hostetler
1975
II
10, 13
Mt. Neveragain
c7900 Tatina
SE couloir
Bocarde Crawford Hostetler
1975
II
10, 13
Whiteout Spire
c7700 Tatina Cool Sac Sunshine
NW ridge
Bocarde Denkewalter
1975
II
10, 13
Middle Triple Peak
8835 Monolith Sunshine
W face
McLean Porter
1976
VI
14
Citadel
8520 Shadows Shelf Cool Sac
E buttress
Black Embick Graber Long
1976
VI
15, 17
Middle Triple Peak
8835 Sunshine Monolith
N ridge from E
Black Embick Graber Long
1976
V
9,15,17
Buff Spire
6885 Sunshine
S face
Black
1976
III
15,17
Archdeacon Peak
C7300 Shadows Trident
E face
Rieder J. Roberts
1976
V
Lewis Peak
c7800 Sunshine Caldwell
NW face
Rieder J. Roberts
1976
VI
12
Archdeacon Peak
c7300 Trident Shadows
W face S ridge
Coates Robbins
1976
III
Middle Triple Peak
8835 Sunshine Monolith
E buttress
Embick Graber Long Schunk
1977
V
16,19,32
Flattop Peak
c8400 Tatina Monolith
NE face N ridge
Graber Long Schunk
1977
II
16,19
Augustin Peak
c8600 Trident Getaway
W face to N ridge
Graber Long Schunk
1977
V
16,19
Miranda Peak
7370 Trident Scorpion
E ridge from S
Graber Long Schunk
1977
II
16,19
6847 Shadows Shelf
SE couloir
Beachamp Newren
1977
II
c6500 Shadows Trident
N ridge from W
Beauchamp Bridgers Roybal
1978
II
Steeple Spire
c6600 Shadows Trident
NW ridge
Beauchamp Bridgers Roybal
1978
III
North Triple Peak
c8400 Tatina Sunshine Monolith
NW couloir
Ellsworth Sennhauser
1978
IV
27
Riesenstein
c8000 Cool Sac Shelf
W face
Kearney Newville Thomas
1978
VI
26,33
Citadel
8520 Cool Sac Shelf Shadows
W ridge
Kearney Thomas
1978
IV
26,33
Steeple Spire
c6600 Shadows Trident
NW ridge
Bartlett Black
1978
III
29
Mt. Jeffers
c8000 Cool Sac Tatina
E face
Becker Embick Milne Tuthill
1978
VI
20,23,25
Sunrise Spire
c7900 Cool Sac Shelf
NW couloir
Embick/Tuthill + Becker/Milne
1978
IV
20,23,25
Cemetery Spire
c7600 Cool Sac Shelf
N ridge
Becker Embick Milne Tuthill
1978
IV
20,23,25
Bastion
7475 Cool Sac Shelf
S ridge
Becker Tuthill
1978
III
20,23,25
Rook
c7400 Cool Sac Shelf
N ridge
Becker Tuthill
1978
III
20,23,25
Transition Peak
6337 Cool Sac Tatina
SE face
Milne
1978
II
20,23,25
Skuzerian Peak
c6700 Cool Sac Shelf
W face S ridge
Becker
1978
II
20,23,25
Peggy’s Peak
7133 Cool Sac Tatina
E face
Becker Milne
1978
III
20,23,25
Grendel Spire
c8000 Trident Caldwell Getaway
NW couloir N ridge
A. Mannix C. Mannix Newville
1978
V
28
Mt. John Bryan
c6900 Shadows Trident
SW ridge
Arts Flavelle Mitten
1978
II
24,30
Potlatch Peak
c6600 Shadows Trident
SW ridge
Arts Flavelle Mitten
1979
II
24,30
c7200 Shadows Cool Sac
E face
Flavelle Mitten
1979
I
24,30
7270 Tatina Cool Sac
W buttress
McDougall Pollock
1979
IV
22,39
Yahlto Peak
7295 Sunshine
N ridge from E
McDougall Pollock
1979
IV
22,39
Buff Spire
6895 Sunshine
SE ridge
McDougall Pollock
1979
IV
22,39
Poliak Spire
c7500 Tatina
E buttress
Hara Oda
1979
IV
35,40
Kichatna Spire
8985 Cool Sac Sunshine Shadows
NW face
Bridwell Embick
1980
VI
21,36,37,38
Ptarmigan Spire
c7700 Cool Sac Shelf
S couloir E ridge
Bridwell Embick
1980
III
37
Serendipity Spire
c6800 Tatina Cool Sac
NW couloir N ridge
Embick Long
1980
I
42,46
Vulgarian Peak
7785 Tatina Sunshine
W face
Embick Long
1980
II
42,46
Mt. Jeffers
c8000 Tatina Cool Sac
W face
Cerf Schunk
1980
VI
42,46
Serenity Spire
c7500 Tatina
E face
Embick Long
1980
IV
42,46
Plum Spire
c7300 Tatina
E couloir
Cerf Long
1980
III
42,46
Trinity Spire
c7500 Tatina
E face
Embick Schunk
1980
V
42,46
Nightwind Spire
c8300 Tatina Sunshine Monolith
NW couloir
Cerf Long
1980
IV
42,46
Gnomon Spire
c8500 Cool Sac Sunshine 7200 Trident
NW couloir
McDougall Swedin
1980
V
43,45
NE face
Beilstein Woolums
1981
IV
47
Mt. John Bryan
c6900 Trident, Shadows
SE face
Beilstein Woolums
1981
IV
47
REFERENCES
1. “Riesenstein” hoax, Summit June 1962
2. “Ascents in the Cathedral Spires, Alaska”, A. DeMaria & P. Geiser. AAJ 1966, p 25-29
3. “Kichatna Spire”, D. Roberts & R. Millikan, AAJ 1967, p 272-278
*4 “Challenges in the Cathedral Spires”, D. Roberts, Summit June 1968, p 8-25
5. “Californians in Alaska”, R. Robbins, AAJ 1970, p 58-62
6. “Up Against the Walls”, J. Fitschen, Ascent 1970, p 2-11
7. “Cathedral Spires”, D. Roberts, AAJ 1971, p 328-329
8. “Gurney Peak and P 8520, Kichatna Mountains”, W. Katra, AAJ 1973, p 408-409
9. “Middle Triple Peak, Kichatna Mountains, Attempt”, A. DeMaria, AAJ 1973, p 409
10. “Cathedral Spires 1975”, G. Bocarde, Climbing #34 Jan-Feb 1976, p 28-29
11. “Ascents in the Cathedral Spires”, M. Graber, AAJ 1976, p 304-307
12. “Fakin’ It”, J. Roberts, Climbing #39 Nov-Dee 1976, p 16-19
13. “Kichatna Spires”, G. Bocarde, AAJ 1976, p 435
14. “Middle Triple Peak”, R. McLean, AAJ 1977, p 103-105
15. “A Trip to the Kichatnas”, A. Long, AAJ 1977, p 106-113
16. note, Climbing #44 Sept-Oct 1977, p 4
17. “Fear and Trembling in the Kichatnas”, A. Embick, Climbing #40, Jan-Feb 1977, p 6-14
18. note, New Mexico Climber, Fall 1977, p 2
19. “A Return to the Kichatnas”, A. Embick & A. Long, AAJ 1978, p 370-380
20. note, Climbing #51, Nov-Dee 1978, p 2-3
21. “Knife Edge In The Sky, Kichatna Spire’s Northwest Face”, A. Embick, Climbing #57, Nov-Dee 1979, p 10-15
22. note, Climbing #56, Sept-Oct 1979, p 3
23. note, Mountain #66, Mar-Apr 1979, p 12
24. “The Kichatnas”, Scott Flavelle, CAJ 1979, p 110
25. “Cathedral Spires, Kichatna Mountains”, A. Embick, AAJ 1979, p 168-171
26. “Citadel W Face, Riesenstein W Face and Kichatna Spire Attempt”, A. Kearney, AAJ 1979, p 171
27. “North Triple Peak, Northwest Face, Kichatna Mountains”, R. Ellsworth, AAJ 1979, p 167
28. “P 8000 (‘Grendel’)”, E. Newville, AAJ 1979, p 171-173
29. “Steeple Spire”, D. Black, AAJ 1979, p 173
30. “Three First Ascents”, R. Mitten, AAJ 1979, p 173-174
*28 “A Slightly Slanted History of Climbing in The Kichatnas”, A. Long, Harvard Mountaineering 1979, p 9-20
29“Middle Triple Peak East Buttress” in Fifty Classic Climbs of North America, ed. S. Roper & A. Steck, Sierra Club Books, 1979 p 42-47
*30 “Kichatna”, A. Kearney, Mountain #69. Oct 1979, p 24-29
31 “Cathedral Spires, Mountains to Marvel At”, M. Wright, Alaska Magazine, Sept 1979, p 50-53
32“Kichatna Mountains”, Hiroshi Oda, The Iwa to Yuki #73, April 1980, p 90-95
33. note, Mountain #71, Jan-Feb 1980, p 16
34 “Northwest Face of Kichatna Spire”, J. Bridwell & A. Embick, AAJ 1980, p 473-480
35“Kichatna Spire Nordwestwand”, German translation of above article by E. Hass, Alpinismus Sept 1980, p 53-57
36 “Cathedral Spires, Kichatna Mountains”, S. Pollock, AAJ 1980, p 527-528
37 “Poliak Spire, Cathedral Spires, Kichatna Mountains”, AAJ 1980 p 528
*38“Eighteen Years After the Riesenstein Hoax, A History of the Cathedral Spires”, M. Graber, Ascent 1980, p 27-56
39 note, Climbing #64, Jan-Feb 1981, p 3-4
40. note, Climbing #68, Mar-Apr 1981, p 3
41 “Bird Lives”, interview of J. Bridwell by J. Long, Mountain #79, May- Jun 1981, p 22-25
42 “Gnomon Spire”, R. McDougall, AAJ 1981, p 160-161
43 “Cathedral Spires”, G. Schunk, AAJ 1981, p 160-164
44 “Cathedral Spires”, Scott Woolums, AAJ, 1982.
* indicates review article