Mount Kitchener attempt

Mount Kitchener attempt - August 27, 2005

Roundtrip time: 11:30

Mountaineering with Mark and Kevin.

Leaving Calgary at 4:00 am , we hoped to be able to ascend Mount Kitchener via the east ridge , before darkness set in. Everything seemed to be going well as we made a mercifully easy river crossing of the Sunwapta and then attained the ridge that eventually becomes Kitchener ’s east ridge . The weather was perfect and the scenery, simply outstanding. Most striking were the wonderful and familiar forms of Mounts Athabasca, Andromeda, Little Snow Dome, and Snow Dome.

Unfortunately, we weren’t prepared for the atrocious rock and unexpected difficulty in ascending Kitchener ’s subsidiary peak, appropriately called K2 . We picked the obvious weakness in a large, vertical rockband that seemed to encircle the peak. But even here, the terrain was steep, downsloping, covered in dirt and scree, and the rock was loose beyond belief. Eventually, we were forced to rope up and set up a belay to get one of us up a vertical 2 metre step. Mark volunteered to ascend the step, that we chose to aid-climb: that is, Mark stepped on my back, then I held his foot in place, then he stepped on my shoulder (who needs daisy chains and etriers, when you have an assortment of available body parts to stand on!).

Mark then set up a good anchor and it was my turn to ascend the step, with a belay from above. With unmatched skill and finesse, I was able to free climb the step – the four times I shouted, “Mark, pull me up”, and the three times I screamed, “Mark, pull harder…I’m stuck”, don’t count as aid, do they? Kevin followed, with considerable more ease than I, and we all crawled up to the summit of K2 . Overall, we had probably spent about 2 hours getting up this little bump along the ridge.

The one and only saving grace of the K2 ascent was an unbelievable first look at Kitchener ’s stunning east ridge . The curve of snow and glacier ending in a beautiful icefall, with the characteristic “icing on top of cake” look above, made the trying ascent of K2 more than worthwhile. Unfortunately, all had taken far longer than expected and after whipping down to the col, ascending a short slope, roping and cramponing up for glacier travel, and then ascending the snow slopes towards the infamous “notch”, we realized our turn around time was upon us. Concerned that we may run out of daylight, we retreated, chosing a far easier descent line, down south-facing slopes. One more pleasant surprise waited at the bottom of the slopes, when we happened upon a beautiful glacial meltwater river charging its way through the Dome Glacier. Our Crazy Carpets would have been useless here, but one could have some kinda fun with a wet suit and a large inner-tube.

A day of unparalleled scenery. The first chance we get, we’ll be back to finish the job on this one!

A mountain goat poses in front on Snow Dome (far left) and the Dome Glacier

Little Snow Dome (left) and Snow Dome (right)

Same as above

Interesting and contrasting colours of scree, as we head towards the first highpoint; K2 can be seen to the far left

Kevin and I ascend easy scree to the ridge

At the first highpoint, with K2 behind and Mount Kitchener behind K2; the crux is second rockband from the top

A closer look at K2 (left) and Kitchener (right)

Getting closer to the summit of K2

Ascending the last rockband before the summit of K2; the crux is just above my head; the terrain here is far steeper than it appears and is very loose