Mugs Stump 2017: Way to go Vitaliy!

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Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber

San Francisco

Dec 14, 2016 - 05:00pm PT

AK was bigger, badder and completely free of slavic folk back in my day.

Hopefully we will be able to see Russia from Xanadu.

Also looks like Clint Helander got one as well, which is awesome!

Yayuh! Just got to meet and climb with him a bit in Indian Creek. Was lots of fun, heard the story about their epic this year. Sure hope for a better follow up trip!

Grippa

Trad climber

Salt Lake City, UT

Dec 14, 2016 - 07:48pm PT

Epic! Have the adventure of your lives gentlemen.

thebravecowboy

climber

The Good Places

Dec 14, 2016 - 07:54pm PT

I am not sure that dudes are motivated enough.

;-)

absolutely proud for you folks! git some!

AKDOG

Mountain climber

Anchorage, AK

Dec 14, 2016 - 11:08pm PT

Congratulations Vitaliy!!
Good luck with your climb it will be an adventure one way or the other!

Only been to the area once and unfortunately had 2 weeks of shitty weather; never had a long enough weather window to complete a climb.
Long hike in with heavy packs, been wanting to get back up there

Larry Nelson

Social climber

Dec 15, 2016 - 08:15am PT

Thanks all for the great photos and links.
A wilderness with the emphasis on wild.
Good luck guys.

GDavis

Social climber

SOL CAL

Dec 15, 2016 - 09:48pm PT

I wish I had some Xanadu jokes. I really wish I did : /

Hells yeah man hope for the best!

BigB

Trad climber

Red Rock

Dec 16, 2016 - 09:10am PT

Atleast you wont have to dodge these guys...

Flip Flop

climber

Earth Planet, Universe

Dec 21, 2016 - 04:34pm PT

Wolverines!

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Dec 21, 2016 - 04:37pm PT

Fantastico! Go get it!

Vitaliy M.

Mountain climber

San Francisco

Aug 21, 2017 - 03:43pm PT

While enjoying a day of great rock climbing weather in the Anchorage (Alaska) climbing gym we noticed a giant photo of the wall which was the main climbing objective of the trip - the West Face of Xanadu.

Till the summer of 2017 it had no ascents, and the only climb in the proximity was the line Tommy Caldwell and Hayden Kennedy climbed on an unnamed peak near by (labeled D).

This summer however it all changed, with three independent new routes established on Xanadu, all proud in their own way:

The first was climbed is one I labeled C. The team of four climbers free climbed and aided the line, fixed ropes and worked it over course of a few weeks to establish a badass test piece free climb with a crux of 5.13 or 13+ bolt protected face climbing and most of the route in 5.10-11 range.

Next was one I labeled as B, which was a difficult aid-climb in A4-5 range by a famous Spanish soloist Silvia Vidal who spent 2 month in the range, took something like 17 carries just to get her gear to the base and about 20 days on the wall, averaging less than a pitch a day on hard aid climbing. Running into her in the Arrigetch she said dreams of climbing on the wall kept her alive through sickness that kept her away from climbing for 3-4 years. Very very very happy for her recovery and a crazy adventure!

Then it was us, line A. After sitting out a few days of bad weather following a new route on Albatross (Direct Southeast Face 1,800 ft IV 5.10+) we had only one dinner left and a pack of snacks to hike over the pass from the other side of the valley and climb the route. In a day was our only option. It was a challenging climb with many great pitches in mediocre conditions. The last two pitches and the final 400 feet of ridge traversing was done in a semi whiteout. The line presented difficulties to about 5.11+ and we avoided the time consuming bolting of any kind by running out lengthy sections of face climbing between cracks or occasional flakes that offered gear. However, the new line was just a beginning of our day. After hiking back to camp, we had to pack it up and move it down the valley, then hike all the way out to the air strip (7 miles), pick up our cached food, and walk back to camp, all in a rain. That day we saw the sun rise twice. :)

Thanks to the Mugs Stump award for providing us with funds that committed Brian Prince, Adam Ferro and I to this expedition. It was damn fun and climbing was only a small part of this journey through Alaska!

We left the range a few days earlier and had a great time flying and fishing for salmon with Brian's step dad. Smoked quite a bit of it, never tried smoked salmon this good anywhere.

We took a load of photos on our cameras, these were a few I took with the phone. Alaska is awesome.

Ezra Ellis

Trad climber

North wet, and Da souf

Aug 21, 2017 - 03:55pm PT

Awesome V,
I'm glad it was safe and successful 👊

aldude

climber

Monument Manor

Aug 21, 2017 - 04:54pm PT

Bolt free in the mountains....proud V !

NutAgain!

Trad climber

South Pasadena, CA

Aug 21, 2017 - 04:57pm PT

If I'm not out shreddin' the gnar, glad that somebody is doing it for me and showing some pics.

Stewart Johnson

Mountain climber

lake forest

Aug 21, 2017 - 05:00pm PT

Awesome!

Gnome Ofthe Diabase

climber

Out Of Bed

Aug 21, 2017 - 05:17pm PT

'Grovel' long, to Xanadu, goin' ground - up from the sight of a wall poster A Wall beyond! Well beyond Way cool! Way out there way to get it done

donini

Trad climber

Ouray, Colorado

Aug 21, 2017 - 05:25pm PT

Way to go V! I got hooked and went there 17 years in a row....looks like your headed down that path. Climbing, fishing and the Bush Company, what's not to like?

Ghost

climber

A long way from where I started

Aug 21, 2017 - 06:16pm PT

In addition to the Mugs Stump award, you should also get some kind of prize for "The Climber Having The Most Fun".

With the proviso, of course, that it don't have to be fun, to be fun.