In January and February 2023, on my sixth expedition to Queen Maud Land, I spent three weeks ski mountaineering in the western Wohlthat Mountains, climbing peaks in the Humboldt Mountains and Petermann Range.

Rupert Heim (Germany) and I climbed: Nanunatak (1,510m, 71°31,379’S, 11°37,649’E) on January 17; Babyhaifischflossenberg (“Baby Sharkfin Mountain,” 1,647m, 71° 34.753'S, 11°46.115'E) on the 18th; Kristallkopf (2,033 m, 71°35.007'S, 11°41.477'E) on the 19th; and on the 26th I soloed Nanukspitze (2,700m, 71°41,9934’S, 11°38,3812’E) and Denalispitze (2,765m, 71°42,1307’S, 11°37,4103’E) in the Kvervenuten Massif via the Couloir of Tears. All of these were first ascents.

We also made second ascents of Nicksfjell (1,865m, 71°40,170’S, 11°51,045’E) on the 27th (first ascent in 1994 by Odd Eliassen, Bård Stokkan, and Jo Tofthal), and Sphinxkopf (1,423m, 71°24,558’S, 11°55,402’E) on February 3 (first ascent by scientists).

Only three expeditions have climbed in this region before: Odd Eliassen and the Norwegians mentioned above, Americans Mike Libecki and friends in 2012 (AAJ 2013), and Michael Goggolz and me in 2017.

— Christoph Höbenriech, Austria