Lets see, it's August right? So let's catch up. Last April Gabe Hayden and I made a trip to the Ruth Gorge to have a whack at the North buttress of the Rooster Comb. It was an extremely boney year. The Rooster Comb was in pretty bad shape so we went looking for other options. Fortunately we ran into Mark Westman who suggested having a look at the South face of Mt. Bradley, which ended up being our best option. We put a good try on the some variation of Season in the Sun, but were stopped by a series of afternoon slush avalanches. We bivied hoping to cross the couple of exposed pitches in the dark when it would be set up. We awoke to clouds, bailed and sat out 5 days of storm with half a bottle of tequila and one copy of "The Brothers Karamanov."
Southeast has had a strange summer. Lots of snow in the mountains. In June Gabe and I took advantage of a small weather window, that miraculously coincided with one of breaks, and blitzed a FFA of an old aid line on the South Buttress of Main tower in the Mendenhall Towers. It is the best alpine granite I have ever climbed on; a must do for anyone visiting the Towers. We began at first light returning to camp just before dark. It was Gabe's first real summit in Alaska. We were stoked!
Pitch1 5.8 70m cross the bergschrund onto a small ramp, climb slabs in the direction of the large left facing corner.
Pitch 2 5.8 70m continue up slabs to the start of the corner
Pitch 3 5.9 70m climb left facing corner then traverse left to the pillar. Dirtiest pitch on climb
Pitch 4 5.11 35m climb the groove on the outside of the pillar.
Pitch 5 5.10 45m the money pitch! Climb obvious crack that splits the headwall. Belay in small roof right of crack.
Pitch 6 5.10 35m climb through the roof continuing up the gradually widening crack, then break left to large left facing corner.
Pitch 7 5.10 70m Oh so good. Climb the corner to top of main buttress. Continue up mellow ridge.
Pitch 8 4th 55m scramble up and left to a gorgeous crack system.
Pitch 9 5.9 30m climb fun twin cracks up to mellower summit pitches.
At this point we really started hitting snow
Pitch 10 5.7 65m climb last really technical pitch trending out and right.
Pitches 11-12 85m Scramble up snow slopes and some 4th-5th class to summit.
Descend West Ridge, Rap one of the couloirs. There is a lot of tat and fixed gear.
South Buttress Main Tower Mendenhall Towers: FA Svenson/Clark 73', FFA Hayden/Johnson 630m 5.11 11'
Top of Pitch 9, putting away the haul line
In the crux getting my ass handed to me
Gabe on the money 5th pitch
Gabe on Pitch 3
