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: