News Archive
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| ‘The Team’: from the front row, left to right: Chris Crossley, Andy Gallagher, Roger Smith, Rachel Gallagher Hannah Davies, Alex Pardhy Matt Wright, Richard Brierley, Guy Hemus, Sam Walker David Strachan |
The Malvern College "Alaska 2003 Expedition" returned to the UK on Tuesday 12th August having completed an exhilarating 25-day programme of wilderness mountaineering in the Chugach Mountains of Alaska. Party members spent a day recovering from sixteen hours of international air travel prior to purchasing and packing provisions for the first - week long - phase of wilderness experience. This was spent camping close to the US Forestry Services cabin on The Crow Pass at 3400ft. in abysmally wet conditions. The day spent uplifting food and equipment (estimated at 90lbs. per person) from the road-head to the cabin ranks as the most physically demanding of the trip!
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| Cooking at Crow Pass Camp |
Party members were introduced to techniques for safe 'roped' glacier travel and appropriate crevasse rescue on the snout of the Raven Glacier close to Crow Pass on the only day of the phase without rainfall. Other days were spent using these techniques making (1) a successful ascent of Jewel Mountain (5000ft.) that involved crossing the Jewel Glacier and rock scrambling up the East Ridge to the summit (2) a full glacier reconnaissance day (to 5000ft) on the upper reaches of the Raven Glacier where crevasse rescue techniques were put to good use! Another very wet day was spent carrying out a botanical survey of the Crow Pass area and a glaciological study of the moraine slopes close to the Crow Glacier.
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| View up Matanuska Glacier |
During the day "off" between the expedition phases food provisions were once again purchased and packed and a distinct improvement in the weather was detected. Access to the area chosen for the second phase, the Scandinavian Mountains - together with the Mountaineering Club of Alaska's 'Scandinavian Hut' - was by means of Mike Meekins' Super Cub planes which flew each member of the party plus 70 lbs. of equipment and food 30 miles up the awe inspiring Matanuska Glacier to an outwash gravel landing strip close to the lateral moraine.
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| Camp at Scandanavian Hut |
The Scandinavian Hut (at 5200ft) was situated 700ft. above the landing strip at the top of a steep tundra vegetated slope nicknamed "Dog Bone Hill" by Alaskan mountaineers. The Hut commanded an amazing position with alpine peaks bristling in every direction. The party camped close to the Hut which provided a suitable base for cooking, 'bear-safe' food storage and shelter from the occasional shower of rain or snow! The days spent at this idyllic location were occupied with further alpine mountaineering and training.
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| Ice climbing on Seracs |
Full days were spent exploring both branches of the Scandinavian Glacier and the neighbouring Nordic Glacier in the hope of finding routes to the top of some of the peaks. However the recent mild "snow free" winters and the prevailing warm summer conditions had exposed large crevasses and unstable ice headwalls such that our attempts were concluded at high points of about 7500ft. amidst wonderful snow and ice sculpture.
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| A black Bear showing an interest in Camp! |
Further mountain days were spent rock scrambling on the ridges of Greenland Peak - to 8000ft.- and to the summit of the whaleback ridge adjacent to the Hut affectionately dubbed "Donkey's Ears" on account of a rock formation on the summit at 6200ft. The remaining three days were spent on the ice walls of seracs on the Scandinavian Glacier introducing more advanced ice climbing techniques.
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| Climbing ‘Donkey’s Ears’ |
Atmospheric pressure remained remarkably steady throughout the period and stable fine weather persisted with occasional late afternoon showers. It was with twinges of sadness and reluctance that Mike Meekins' planes returned the party from the solitude of the wilderness to civilisation!
The expedition concluded with two days in Anchorage during which some fished for salmon, some cycled or ran the coastal trail while others completed some important retail therapy! During the course of the expedition two members completed the data collection for their Duke of Edinburgh's Award Gold level Exploration and another collected data for an International Baccalaureate Extended Essay on glaciology. The three leaders used the expedition experience to complete The John Muir Explorer Award.
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| Norway Peak from Camp |
The party remained healthy at all times and the only problems encountered involved a passport 'lost' in the concourse at Chicago's O'Hare airport on the outward journey and the unreliability of the shuttle bus driver we had contracted for all our road transfers. At all times the expedition adopted a minimum impact strategy upon the fragile wilderness ecosystems visited and this incorporated the principles of "Leave no Trace" and involved 'packing out' all that was 'packed in' including all our waste material!.
The leader team: Andy Gallagher, Rachel Gallagher and Roger Smith
Team members: Richard Brierley, Chris Crossley, Hannah Davies, Guy Hemus, Alex Pardhy, David Strachan, Sam Walker and Matthew Wright.
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