Mountaineering Club of Alaska. The club’s 1997 climbing activities included the following: On April 4, Elena Hinds, Cory Hinds and Jim Francis summitted Mount Marcus Baker (13476') in the Chugach Mountains via the original (1938) Washburn route, the Northeast Ridge.

On May 4, Carlos Buhler and Charlie Sassara made the third ascent of University Peak in the Wrangell Mountains. At 8,500 feet, the east face was the tallest unexplored and unclimbed face in the range. Their seven-day alpine ascent of this extremely technical face was tentatively rated Alaska Grade VI-. During April 3-15, Kirk Towner, Paul Barry and Dave Hart made the third ascent of Mount Tressider (13,315') via the northern slopes (Alaska Grade I); the first ascent of Peak 12,610 (Mount Pandora), approaching its west ridge from the north (Alaska Grade II); and a one-day ski ascent of Mount Churchill (15,638') up its southeast slope (Alaska Grade I). Harry Hunt, Barry and Hart made the first ascent of Mount Riggs (11,738') via the south-southeast ridge (Alaska Grade IV-).

From May 4-30, Mark Flanum, Brad Gessner, Antonia Sparrow and David Harrison made a traverse from Kantishna to Kahiltna Base Camp, summitting Denali May 26. Walking from Kantishna to McGonagall Pass to get onto the Muldrow Glacier, they ascended Karsten’s Ridge, then spent six days in a snow cave at the base of Browne’s Tower awaiting better weather. They then traveled up the Harper Glacier and climbed the East Ridge to Denali’s South Summit (20,320'), descending the West Ridge to Denali Pass and down the Harper Glacier to high camp at 16,800 feet. The next day they re-ascended Denali Pass and descended the West Buttress route to Kahiltna Base Camp. Bob Hempstead, Dawn Groth and Dave Hart climbed Mount Sanford (16,237') in the Wrangell Mountains May 15-25. Between May 31 and June 6, Peter Clifford, Dale LeTourneau, Stephanie Ruthven and Patrick Collins climbed Mount Spurr (11,070') in the Tordrillo Mountains west of Anchorage.

The club’s training activities included Avalanche Transceiver and Ice Axe Self-Arrest in March; Glacier Travel/Crevasse Rescue at the Matanuska Glacier in May; and a Technical Ice Climbing School at the Matanuska Glacier in September.

Mark S. Miraglia, President