St. Elias, Southwest Ridge. Josef Hassler and I made the eleventh ascent of Mount St. Elias, the fourth of the southwest ridge and the first in alpine style. We took eight days round trip from Base Camp. We were flown from Yakutat by Mike Ivers on May 22. Due to foggy weather, we could not be dropped off on the Tyndall Glacier and were landed near the Agassiz Lakes. From there we traversed in gorgeous weather in two days back to the Tyndall Glacier Base Camp with 110-pound packs. In unbelievably stable weather, we were able to proceed. Camp I, II, III, IV and V were at 7000, 10,000, 11,000 (in “Pancake Saddle” next to Haydon Col), 14,000 (on the snow dome) and 16,800 feet. We set out for the summit on May 29 and got there at 30 minutes after midnight on the 30th. The only technical difficulties were two enormous bergschrunds right above Haydon Col, where we had to climb 65 feet of 70° to 80° blue ice and a huge ice mushroom right at the very summit. On the descent we climbed Haydon Peak, which we believe was the third ascent, along with two members of a Colorado expedition. On the further descent we got caught in an avalanche coming down the north slope of Haydon Peak. Nobody got hurt. After waiting a few days in Base Camp, we were flown back to Yakutat on June 10. The Colorado expedition put four on the summit by the same route a few days after us.

Kurt Stüwe, Österreichischer Alpenverein