Hayes Range Ski Traverse. Mike Brown, Richard Cooper, David Williams and I made a ski traverse of the Hayes Range during the spring of 1986, climbing six minor peaks on the way. Leaving the George Parks Highway at mile 229 on March 29, we arrived at the Black Rapids Roadhouse on April 18. For the first four days, as far as the moraine on the Yanert Glacier, we had dog-team support. The temperatures dropped to -40° at night and two members, Paddy O’Neill and Steve Thomas, had to turn back with frostbitten fingers. (They have suffered no permanent damage.) After a further four days of hard work relaying loads through deep snow up onto the Yanert Glacier, we both climbed and traveled on most days. We were helped by excellent weather with only three days too poor to travel, although on one of these the wind was so violent that we had to drop the tents and take refuge in a hastily-dug snow cave. Crevasses were never a problem, but with recent heavy snowfall and strong winds, slab avalanches were a definite hazard. From camp at 5900 feet on the Yanert, we climbed P 8245 from the north. Crossing a low col to the south, we climbed P 7440 and P 8345 the same afternoon, and the following morning climbed an attractive peak of 8000 feet to the east before traveling to a 6000-foot col south of Deborah, helped by wind-hardened sastrugi. From there we attempted P 8020 by its north ridge, turning back after releasing a small avalanche. We continued east to camp beneath P 8240. This we climbed the next day by the west ridge and we moved on northeast to camp beneath a 7300-foot col. Back-tracking slightly, we visited the col northeast of P 9280 and enjoyed a view onto the Gillam Glacier, but we decided against an attempt on the 9000-foot peak to the east. Crossing the col above our camp, steep but short on both sides, we were delayed by a day of heavy snowfall, which gave us fine powder skiing when we continued down to the Susitna Glacier. From the Susitna-Black Rapids divide, we climbed Aurora Peak (10,065 feet) by its long southwest ridge and then skied down to Black Rapids in just over a day, relieved to find the Delta River still well frozen.

Rob Collister, Alpine Climbing Group