Alaska Vibes: Conrad Anker

 

Narrative

Over the course of an distinguished 30+ year career, Conrad Anker’s adventures have taken him from the bigwalls of Yosemite, to the icy flanks of The Alaska Range, The Himalaya and Antarctica.  Although Anker is probably best-known for discovering Mallory’s remains on the north side of Everest in 1999 (and his stunning climb on Meru), it’s his earlier adventures in Alaska that I’ve always been fascinated with. That’s why I was excited to sit down with Conrad this past February, to talk about his formative experiences in the mountains, the friends and partners that meant the most to him, as well as his efforts in environmental activism.  

Music

• I Come Alive / Evan Phillips / Cabin Vibes, Vol. 01 (2018)
• Lucillia / Easton Stagger Phillips / Resolution Road (2014)
• Lonely Mountain / Evan Phillips / Silhouettes (2015)
• The Talkeetnas / Evan Phillips / Unreleased (2017)
• I Come Alive / Evan Phillips / Cabin Vibes, Vol. 01 (2018)

Links

Conrad Anker
Mugs Stump
Seth Shaw
Gurney Peak  – SE Face
Middle Triple Peak – East Buttress
Mount Hunter – Rattle & Hum
Khumbu Climbing Center
Support The Firn Line
Evan Phillips

Sponsors

Alaska Rock Gym
Moose’s Tooth Pub & Pizzaria
The Hoarding Marmot

To make the challenge a bit more worthy Seth and me decided to ski into the Kichatna Range to attempt the second ascent of the East Buttress of Middle Triple Peak. In this image we were smug with confidence. The weather was fine and we were congratulating ourselves on how light our gear was. Three weeks later we had a slightly different view. We wish we had more food. Photo: Conrad Anker collection / Seth Shaw.
After the first day on Middle Triple we camped on a small ledge. The next day was the end of the headwall and we had to jug our lines to get back to the highpoint. What cracks me up 27 years later is the knotted 9/16″ tape aiders we used. It was all part of the deal to minimize weight. The idea was we would un tie them and use the webbing as part of the anchors on the descent. The trip had all the components of a successful adventure. We ran out of food, startled a brown bear just out of hibernation and had to cross a swollen river on the way out. Photo: Conrad Anker collection / Seth Shaw.
The East Buttress of Middle Triple was a much sought after climb. It was heralded in Steck and Roper’s “50 Classic Climbs” as one of the more difficult undertakings in the seminal book. After skiing into the range we sat in the tent as the capricious weather played its hand. With food and time running out we went headfirst for the climb. We free climbed as much as possible and when it was too steep or to incipient we aid climbed. Maybe I was wide eyed cause I was scared. Maybe I was hamming it up for the camera. I imagine it was a combination of the two. If you are not scared you are not having fun. Photo: Conrad Anker collection / Seth Shaw.
The opening pitches on Middle Triple were sporty. The snow in this part of Alaska tend to stick to the underside of roofs. After inching our way up the crack I had to dislodge the snow under this roof. We enjoyed the location – miles form no where, no one but our half crazed goal of climbing a peak. I guess it was our modern interpretation of a Jack London adventure tale. When we encountered the first person after our three week adventure, a fellow bitten by the gold bug, he asked if we had found gold. When we we replied that no gold was found he wondered aloud, “Why?” I guess gold is in the eye of the beholder. A fun adventure was our gold. The experience was everything. In this sense I’m still mining for gold. Photo: Conrad Anker collection / Seth Shaw.