Backside Glacier, Alaska Range
April 2007The west ridge of Mt. Grosvenor is marked. Mt. Johnson is to the left, and Mt. Church is peeking over the ridge to the right.
Mike Bromberg and Ben Traxler
Summary
Two Coloradans explore the climbing and skiing potential above the Backside Glacier, west of the Ruth Gorge, including the first ascent of the west ridge of Mt. Grosvenor. Their trip was funded in part by the AAC Mountain Fellowship Fund.
Mike Bromberg of Crested Butte, Colorado, reports:
Recent activity on the southern end of the Ruth Gorge captured our attention and enticed us to explore new routes and the ski mountaineering potential of the large peaks on the western side of the gorge, via the seldom-visited “Backside Glacier.” Located west of the Great Gorge and unnamed on most maps, the Backside Glacier affords access to Mt. Bradley, Mt. Wake, Mt. Johnson, Mt. Grosvenor, and Mt. Church by their comparatively tame western ramparts. The lower-angle glaciated slopes and sweeping westerly ridgelines appeared to offer the perfect venue for numerous Alaska-sized ski mountaineering objectives. Backed by a Mountain Fellowship Fund grant from the American Alpine Club, on April 11 Ben Traxler (Boulder, CO) and I were flown onto the Backside Glacier by Paul Roderick of Talkeetna Air Taxi. This being our first visit to the range, we were surprised, and admittedly a little intimidated, to learn that in the veteran pilot’s many years of experience we were the first party he had delivered onto the Backside Glacier.
Our first several days were spent exploring route options and evaluating the unstable snow conditions at lower elevations and on the unnamed peaks to the west. The dry and cold February and March weather had contributed to unstable snow conditions, with cohesive snow perched atop a 15cm layer composed of greater than 5mm advanced facets (like Colorado depth hoar near the snow surface!), producing some alarmingly large collapses but no significant avalanche activity.
After skiing up the glacier and making a ski descent from 8,500 feet on the west face of Mt. Dickey, we directed our attention to our first objective, the west ridge of Mt. Wake. Ascending the low-angle glacier to gain the west ridge proper, we climbed low fifth-class rock and technical postholing to 65 degrees before being thwarted by unstable snow and rock with Butterfinger-like characteristics in a prominent notch at 7,600 feet, just below Mt. Wake’s glaciated summit dome. Descending near our route of ascent, we discovered a more direct couloir up to 50 degrees in steepness.
The following day, we skied south toward “Backside Lake” and attempted the south face of Mt. Church in low-visibility weather. After crossing several massive old wet slides, we ascended fully isothermal snow to the glacier between Mt. Grosvenor and Mt. Church, skiing to just below the prominent Church-Grosvenor Col, before retreating as inclement weather and complete lack of visibility began to take hold. From the Church-Grosvenor col, the route intersects the south face on Mt. Grosvenor (III 55 degrees, Walsh-Westman, 2005).
Making the most of several weather-induced “rest days,” we skied a few of the numerous east-facing couloirs, up to 50 degrees, off the unnamed 6,500-foot summit bordering the west side of Backside Glacier. This summit is likely unclimbed and would make a nice short day trip from base camp.
As high pressure began to take hold on April 21, we focused our attention on the west ridge of Mt. Grosvenor, and under clear skies we skied and climbed the snowy ridge (to 50 degrees) before intersecting the striking summit pyramid. From here we climbed the southwest face via moderate rock and snow to 75 degrees before again intersecting the south face route (Walsh-Westman, 2005) below the first of two prominent fingers near the summit. We descended the route of ascent on skis, encountering perfect ski conditions with brilliant exposure and striking views of Mt. Huntington, the Rooster Comb, and Denali. Upon return, we both agreed that this elegant line is comparable in commitment to the west face of Mt. Dickey and only slightly more technical. (West ridge, Mt. Grosvenor, III 65 degrees.)
After succeeding on one of our main objectives, we spent our last several days exploring lines on a peak we named “False Bradley,” a prominent snow dome that dominates the head of the glacier in the 747 _ass area, which in reality is only a false summit on the Mt. Bradley massif. Our first attempt was to ski a striking 1,500-foot couloir we dubbed “the Pencil.” Ascending on foot through old avalanche debris, with an unwelcome greeting of falling rock from above, we retreated after only climbing the first half. On the descent we encountered what I consider to be perhaps the worst snow I have ever skied, in one of the most beautiful lines I have ever attempted. On our final day, we skied again to the base of False Bradley to attempt a mixed line in a 2,000-foot X-shaped cleft. Just prior to roping up, we encountered a trio of Japanese climbers who had descended the west face of Mt. Bradley and had bivouacked just below our route. The liveliest of the three greeted us warmly through broken English and modestly described their achievements with a new route on the east side, as well as their equally impressive descent line. We wished them the best for their inevitable postholing adventure over 747 Pass before continuing with our line.
Taking the rightmost line of the X, we climbed 600 feet of mixed terrain to WI5 M5 before retreating due to the garbage-chute nature of the warming route and a mishap with a malfunctioning ice screw racking system. Overall, the Backside Glacier offers many possibilities for moderate ridge climbs in a superb setting, perfect for those looking for seldom-explored and/or new route possibilities. Mid-April or earlier seems to be the most appropriate time to visit this area, as we experienced a significant shed cycle on solar aspects toward the end of our trip.
The skiing possibilities remain limitless, although your safety in this area is entirely contingent on your ability to assess snow conditions, as most routes involve prime avalanche terrain. Many obvious routes remain unclimbed, and each summit has seen only a handful of ascents. With convenient base camp locations and easy access, the Backside Glacier is perfect for a short foray into the range, a multiday adventure from the Gorge over 747 Pass, or a shuttle trip from another nearby destination. For logistical support and knowledgeable air service for this area, contact Paul Roderick of Talkeetna Air Taxi.
Ben and I would like to express our gratitude for being chosen as recipients of a Mountain Fellowship Fund Grant, without which the expedition would not have been possible.