British Ruth Gorge

Although this duo hoped to climb a new route on the South Face of Mount Bradley (1017m) in Ruth Gorge, when they arrived in Alaska they found that unusually warm temperatures made anything but north faces too dangerous, so they turned their attention elsewhere. They were successful in climbing two new routes: on the 1300m N Face of Mt Grosvenor (2572m) they climbed Meltdown (VI, grade 6+ ice/mixed, ED3) and on the 1150m N Face of Mt Church (2509m) – only two weeks after the visit by Pike & Clapham on MEF Ref 09/02 (see above) – ‘For whom the bell tolls’ (V, Grade 6 ice/mixed, ED2). They also repeated the Japanese Couloir on Mt Barrill (2332m) while searching for two missing climbers, who later turned up safe and sound after spending a grim night out near the summit.