From December 1–17 our team of seven climbers, ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-50s and comprising Jimmy Chin, Savannah Cummins, Pablo Durana, Alex Honnold, Anna Pfaff, Cedar Wright, and me, visited the Fenris Kjeften (Wolf's Jaw) in the mountains of the Orvin Fjella of the Drygalski Range. We flew from Cape Town with Antarctic Logistics Centre International (ALCI) to the Novolazarevskaya ice runway but were delayed five days leaving South Africa and four days once on the continent due to inclement weather. We accessed base camp at 71°51.3357'S, 8°17.4213'E—the tongue of the Wolf’s Jaw—via a Twin Otter flight. We then split into three sub-groups: Alex and Cedar, Anna and Savannah, and Jimmy and me. Pablo floated between groups and was key in documenting the expedition.

Alex and Cedar, building on the speed climbing techniques they have perfected in Yosemite, were able to climb many summits in single pushes from base camp, including Fenris (north ridge, 5.10+), Hel, Thor, Odin, Long Worm, Midgard, Stetind (east pillar), and Kinntanna. Stetind's east pillar was notable for the level of onsight climbing—5.11 in the cold and wind is a bit of a challenge.

Anna and Savannah climbed Philiptanna, Annatanna, and the Chimney, with the last two being likely first ascents. [Many of the peak names mentioned are still unofficial.] Anna, Savannah, Alex, and Cedar made the first ascent of the Penguin, a small rock tower, via the north ridge. The same four climbers also repeated Skywalk on the north ridge of Holtanna (450m, 10 pitches, 5.10-, Huber-Huber-Reichel-Siegrist, 2008) in a 16-hour round trip; the climb was reported to have bolts and rappel anchors, but only two bolts and a few other fixed pieces were found. A light and fast style of climbing is well suited to peaks in this range. By staying in motion, one stays warm.

Taking a more traditional approach, Jimmy and I climbed Ulvetanna—the highest peak in the range at 2,931m—via a new route on the west buttress and south ridge. We were stuck in our aiders and not able to free climb due to the steep and wide nature of the climbing. Jimmy and I summited in -30°C, and it took all of our effort to maintain warmth. This was the seventh overall ascent of the peak, and as of the 2017-’18 season, Ulvetanna has yet to be climbed in alpine style. [The peak was first climbed in February 1994, via the northwest face, by Robert Caspersen, Sjur Nesheim, and Ivar Tollefson; the south ridge from its base (27 pitches) was first completed in early 2014 by a British-Norwegian team after previous attempts by three different parties, one of them retreating just three pitches from the summit.]

The granite we encountered varied from solid and well bonded to loose and friable. Our greatest challenge was rope awareness and management; the coarse rock eats rope. The cracks are wide—be prepared with doubles in each size if you don’t have the fortitude of Alex and Cedar to run it out. The team did not place any bolts or pitons and rappelled from standard gear and natural features.

With a small window of time, the team was active almost every day. The midnight sun compensated for the sharp, loose rock, biting wind, and constant freezing temperatures. We made the most of the hand we were dealt. Our expedition was commercial in nature, with support from the North Face and media partners National Geographic and CBS.

– Conrad Anker, AAC