Two First Peak Ascents - Mt. Daugou and The Angry Wife, Qionglai Mountains, China

In 2005 I was on a very successful expedition to the Qionglai Mountains of Western Sichuan, China where we made the first ascent of two unclimbed rock spires in the region.
More info can be found on MountEverest.net.

The Angry Wife (5,020 meters), Raindog Arête (5.10c, 550 meters)
First Ascent: October 11, 2005 - Chad Kellogg, Joe Puryear, Stoney Richards


Mt. Daugou (5,465 meters), Salvage Op. (5.10d, 650 meters)
First Ascent: October 13, 2005 - Chad Kellogg, Joe Puryear, Stoney Richards

First Ascent - Kichatna Spire, The Black Crystal Arête

Chad Kellogg and I spent a few weeks in the remote Kichatna Mountains of the Alaska Range. We managed to climb Kichatna Spire by a new route. This was the eighth ascent of the mountain by its seventh route to the summit. The Black Crystal Arête (VI, 5.10 A2) is the first route to tackle the peak’s southern aspect by climbing the slender ridge that splits its south and east faces.

For a full account of the climb, please visit my Alaska Climbing Blog: www.alaskaclimbing.blogspot.com.

Kichatna Spire from the Shadows Glacier:


Aerial view of Kichatna Spire from the south:


Climbing up the east wall:

Chad leading the key horizontal traverse high on the route:


On the summit looking northwest: