Mt. Dickey's Northeast Ridge Sees First Ascent

Luke Bauer

Posted on: May 14, 2008


Andy Sharpe signaling retreat on the initial attempt of Snowpatrol (VI WI5+, 5,250') on the southeast face of Mt. Dickey, Ruth Gorge, Alaska. Despite being virtually flushed off the route, Sharpe and Sam Chinnery returned a week later to complete the route in a two-day push. Read about this ascent in this 2004 Climbing Note on Alpinist.com. This week, four strong French alpinists, Mathieu Détrie, Mathieu Maynadier, Seb Ibanez, and Patrick Pessi pioneered another new route on the mountain, making the first ascent of its northeast ridge. [Photo] Courtesy of Sam Chinnery

Mathieu Détrie, Mathieu Maynadier, Seb Ibanez, and Patrick Pessi, members of an expedition from the Groupe Excellence Alpinisme of the Federation of French Alpine Clubs, sent a new route on Alaska’s Mt. Dickey. The route up the northeast ridge, ca. 5250 feet, which the team graded ED, took six days to complete. Details about the ascent are pending the groups return, scheduled for next week.

According to information from the Federation of French Alpine Clubs, the expedition comprised thirteen alpinists with varying goals including repetitions of Blood from the Stone (5.9 A1 M7+ AI6+ X, 1600m, Easton-Steck, 2002) and Wine Bootle (ED + A3+, 1600m, Bonopace-Orgler, 1988) as well as attempting new routes on both the northeast ridge and the north face of the peak.

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Other team members intended upon repeating Shaken, Not Stirred (TD+, 800m) and Ham and Eggs (TD, 850m), both on the nearby Mooses’s Tooth. A May 12 sat-phone call from Christophe Moulin indicated that four of the women on the expedition accomplished both of these goals, though it is unclear as to which team members were among the successful ascentionists.

Earlier in the week, four other Frenchmen in the program repeated the 1974 Roberts-Rowell-Ward route on the southeast face of Mt. Dickey, likely the third ascent of that route, after Steve House and Jim Hollenbaugh’s 2003 ascent (read House's report of that ascent in this 2003 Climbing Note).

Sources: www.ffcam.fr, American Alpine Journal

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