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2011 Little Switzerland Ski Mountaineering
We enjoyed another week-long ski trip into the Pika Glacier of Alaska in mid-April in a cirque seldom visited by skiers but growing in popularity as a rock climbing destination in the summer months.
Our Colorado based ski team of Eli Helmuth, Mike Davis, Horacio Guitterez, and Rick Gaukel enjoyed great powder conditions, some sweet corn, and more than six feet of new snow to finish our trip. We've vowed to make this an annual pilgrimage to one of the great ski mountaineering and climbing ranges in the world.
Leaving camp for a lap on the neighboring glacier 'milk run', just a 40 minute skin out of camp to the top of this 600' slope of cold powder and a few avoidable crevasses. Photo courtesy of Rick Gaukel.
Coasting the trail back to camp after a silky run up and down the shoulder of the Trolls.
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Ready to board the turbo-prop Beaver ski plane on the airstrip in Talkeetna, the departure point for most climbing and skiing expeditions into the Alaska Range.
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Town is very quiet this time of year as the climbing season has just begun, and we had no problem landing on the glacier just 24hrs after leaving home in Colorado.
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Talkeetna Air Taxi (TAT) is the best rated flight service in the Alaska Range and we were happy to have them drop us off at our destination.
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Over two meters of snow had fallen the previous week and at this time of year, the powder was still super powdery(as Horacio demonstrates) on all but the due-south aspects where we found an afternoon corn cycle.
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Basecamp on the Pika Glacier was comfortable with a tent for everyone plus our cook tent/snow shelter with central heating and full breakfast and dinner services.
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The Plunger makes a good way-point on an afternoon tour to the Throne- Troll Col. Photo courtesy of Rick Gaukel.
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The view from basecamp of the Dragon's Spine (right) and the south face of Mt. Foraker, at 17,400'the third highest mountain in the United States behind St. Elias and Denali. Ominous lenticulars cover the summit of this treacherous peak but the storm held off until our last 48 hrs. in the range when it did nothing but snow continuously the entire time. Our powder fever was quickly quenched at that point of the trip.
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The Hobbit Hop Cooler was super fun as always and this shady cleft could be lapped many times on a cold powder day. We did this run combined with a rappel in a higher couloir to make the Hobbit double-hop our morning warm-up.
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 Our second day afternoon ascent and descent from the Throne/Trolls col where soft snow and amazing views towards Denali made for a magical afternoon.
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The view from the Throne/Troll Col towards the south face of Denali in the distance, Mt. Huntington (12,240') at left and the dark rocky escarpment of Avalanche Spire (10,105') forming the right-hand skyline.
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Mike carving powder on the shoulder of the Trolls on the afternoon of our second day in the range.
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The clouds build on our third day looking north towards the Hobbit (right) and Dragon's Spine (left) across the Pika Glacier as we enter the icefall.
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The team at the top of the west-facing shoulder on the Trolls.
Mike is likely dreaming about pizza and savoring his last few minutes in ski boots before the plane arrives for our pick-up.
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We skied up and down both sides of the icefall which blocks entry to the southeast face of Italy's Boot and the connecting glacier that loops the Boot via the Kahiltna Glacier.
Ho soaking up some beach time on the Pika while waiting for the first ride towards home.
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Nice view from the base of the Royal Tower of the East Buttress which has at least one classic 5.10 route that follows the soaring ridge crest for more than 2,000' to the summit.
Mike mixing it up with corn and crevasses on our skirt around Italy's icefall .
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Firm conditions above the bergschrund kept us off the upper couloir but we enjoyed a nice warm-up run on this northwest face of the Royal Tower on our third day on the Pika.
The north facing aspects held creamy powder all week and the climb to Telephone Pass offered some sweet turns on the return to camp.
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Looking back towards the Royal Tower and the zig-zag couloir up its east face.
Basecamp and the airstrip from Telephone Pass.
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A view up the Bootleg Couloir on the southeast face of Italy's Boot - we'll be back for this one- beware, it runs big.
The run below Telephone Pass on these north slopes .
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 The Italy's Boot- Royal Tower Icefall with the Trolls in the background.
Sunset on the Swiss Peaks above the Pika Glacier.
Eli Helmuth of ClimbingLife Guides is returning to the Pika Glacier in June of 2011 for a week-long alpine rock climbing trip. Click here for more details of this upcoming Alaskan adventure which is open to experienced rock climbers who are comfortable on multi-pitch routes up to 5.8 in difficulty.
Please call with questions or to book your next backcountry skiing or rock climbing trip:
970.744.4898 or contact us at:
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ClimbingLife Guides is an authorized permittee of Rocky Mountain National Park, Eldorado Canyon State Park and the Boulder Mountain Open Space.
www.climbinglife.com
© ClimbingLife Guides, 2011 All Rights Reserved.
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