The Infinite Spur rises up the center of Sultana’s south face. A modest route topo on the right. Screenshot: The Teton Climbers’ Coalition presentation.
A solid long-form presentation from The Teton Climbers’ Coalition about Sultana’s Infinite Spur taking us from alpinism to ski alpinism.
Our lane, human-powered turns, is a relatively niche lane. Often, there’s the urge to broaden the niche. This is where ski alpinism takes a bow. The ski alpinists’ art, as much as it can, is having a moment. Practically speaking, staying in our THR lane is hard when discussing ski alpinism.
The etymology of ski alpinism is a deep dive for another day. But, to give credit where credit is due, ski alpinists stand on the shoulders of alpinists.
For over a year, or maybe two, we’ve been aware of a video gem exploring the intersection of skiing and alpinism. In February 2021, The Teton Climbers’ Coalition organized a great discussion about Sultana’s (Mt. Foraker) Infinite Spur route. The event’s main characters were Michael Gardner, Michael Kennedy, and George Lowe.
Gardner is becoming synonymous with fast, light, and bold—and frequently with skis. Kennedy and Lowe are generational talents with many legendary ascents. The story begins with Kennedy and Lowe and their Infinite Spur first ascent in 1977. Without burning through the details, you’ll learn about them in the video discussion; accessing the route is complex, the climbing is complex, and the descent is a high-focus zig and zag.
The first ascent, from bergschrund to summit, took Kennedy and Lowe seven days—11 days total from basecamp to basecamp. The duo moved alpine style, carrying all their supplies upward as they quested into the unknown.
Read Kennedy’s full AAJ report here.
After the 1977 first ascent, it took until 1989, when the route saw a second ascent. This, perhaps, is no wonder, as the route is so remote and committing.
In 2016, Colin Haley and Rob Smith sped up the route in 18 hours and 20 minutes. Only a short time after, Haley soloed the route in 12 hours and 29 minutes.
See, we deviated from our lane. But all this is to get to the skis and the skiing and to pay homage to the idea of progress and standing on shoulders. In 2018, 42 years after the first ascent, Sam Hennessey and Gardner secured skimo skis on their packs and climbed the Infinite Spur in an ultra-committing, no-bivy gear style. They descended the Sultana Ridge on skis.
The conversation with Gardner, Kennedy, and Lowe is excellent. Running for 1 hour and 20 minutes, prepare for some long-form content that has us pondering the possible. And thanks to The Teton Climber’s Coalition for organizing and documenting such a solid feature.