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发表于 2019-12-5 08:09:51
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Day 19 - SUMMIT !!!
May 30, 2019
I woke up half an hour before alarm went off, at 02:00 a.m. Vera already eyes wide open, waiting for me. Outside was very quiet, calm clear skies. Nobody was moving at 17K camp at this time. Digital thermometer measured snow temperature -19.7°C.
After melting snow and eating we dressed up and left 17K camp at 04:45 a.m. Although we trained for Autobahn traverse on Mt. Hood believing it was twice harder Autobahn, reality was precisely opposite: Autobahn turned out to be twice harder than what we expected. Hard snow, no self-belay possible, ice-axe is only good for balance. We didn't have extra ice tool, only one straight axe each. So when that 50m unprotected stretch did come, we both realized that one slip of any of us will end it all. It was only 20 meters of unprotected traverse, but we got enough adrenalin pumping!
Autobahn followed by Denali pass, then Zebra rocks, followed by Football field. Finally, Pig Hill came - real challenge left for the very end, 300m up to the ridge. This got us a bit slower.
Two guides passed by, each with one client. One pair was very fast - I didn't see ropes, axes or big packs. The other pair was slower. When we finally got on the summit ridge, the forecasted weather front started moving in - it was now a whiteout. The first pair guide-client was already descending, and the second pair was about to start summit ridge. Then we heard one guide saying to another: "..if you don't see us on the ridge by 6 p.m. then...". What "then" meant he didn't bother to explain, it was obvious. It was also obvious to us that we'd better hurry before weather gets worse.
Now if was 100% milk. I looked at the right, and realized, we were walking on the edge. Fixed pros came handy. Checking GPS - another 30 meters..10..and.. WE ARE ON THE SUMMIT OF DENALI!! It was exactly 15:00 p.m.
We were only people there. Wind was already blowing, so we only took one selfie and a couple of single hero shots with summit mark. Also sent InReach message. No time for salute really. We must go down.
In a whiteout I lost track on the ridge and lowered down, where I tried to set an ice screw as pro, when I saw a guy walking above towards summit. That was the track we lost, luckily it costed me only a few meters down. So we reached the Pig Hill exit and saw another climber waiting for his partner coming up. We stopped for a drink, and learned that the guy was from BC, and from BCMC club, which we used to be members of. We even used to teach Alpine 101 course there! The world is small. His companion came up, no gloves. Why? "To keep things in balance" - strange answer.
At the foot of Pig Hill yet another team of three. Italians. They just finished climbing route called "Orient Express". "Do you have any water? Our stove is broken" - one of them produced MSR Whisperlite with broken hose. Vera got our two thermoses and offered them all remaining water we got - not much, one cup really, they mixed it with snow and shared. Three big guys, one shared cup of melted snow - I knew how terribly dry and thirsty it would feel, being that thirsty myself just one day ago.
The wind now was blowing hard. When we passed zebra rocks, large commercial team was on the way up. I knew that the guides just took them for a walk - storm was building up and the day was winding down. No way reaching the summit. Still, better then nothing. At least they made it through Autobahn.
On Denali pass the wind was pretty strong, and Vera later said to me that she was sure we were going to spend the night just there in emergency snow pit.
However, descending Autobahn was still doable, we saw all the markers and pros and even passed 50m section without too much worry, protecting it with an ice axe.
The lower part of Autobahn was not protected, but still steep enough to get hurt. I already saw the end of it, and the tents of 17K camp when I heard a sound like flying gulls make when flying around. "Scree-e-e-e". I was thinking that was rather strange and even looked up at the sky trying to see the birds, and then looked back. It was Vera! She slipped and fell, now stopped in prefect self-arrest on her stomach, not moving. Wow! Would it be a bit more slippery, like on Shasta accident, we would fall both. Just at the end of the climb, just as what the book said - many accidents happen on Autobahn on the way down and we could have added yet one of those.
Arrived at the tent, took off crampons. It was 21:00 p.m. We did Denali! - the thought made our blood boiling. Nothing, absolutely nothing else mattered. We had our tent, fuel to melt snow, a lot of food and warm sleeping bags. And no more up, tomorrow we go home!
PHOTOS
Will we make it?
Denali Pass
On the summit!
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狗仔卡
发表于 2019-12-4 21:15:56
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