A wide open Northwest Buttress apron. Photo: Adam Fabrikant
The Emergence Episode (ep: 10) from The High Route Podcast elicited emails and texts requesting route information and potentially more photos. This is the follow-up.
Think of it as a supplement to the podcast and our first piece about Sam Hennessey, Michael Gardner, and Adam Fabrikant questing up Denali’s Cassin Ridge, topping out on the South Summit (20, 310’) traversing over to the North Summit (19,470’) clicking into skis, onsighting a first ski descent down the mountain’s Northwest Buttress, picking their way down the Peter’s Glacier, and walking out to Wonder Lake.
On the move for roughly 64 hours, the trio began their adventure at the standard “Base Camp” on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. From there, they skied up the East Fork of the Kahiltna and accessed the Cassin.
Note: We’ll not be doing a blow-by-blow—you can find lots of good information on the web about the Cassin. Yet, we’ll provide some basics and links to some notable information about the route. As far as a published detailed photo of the ski descent line, we’ve not come across one. Our stance on that: it’s pretty cool. However, on the American Alpine Journal’s site, Hennessey presents a semi-detalied map of their excursion, providing just enough info to pique one’s interest and just enough of a mystery for others to have their own onsight adventure. My guess is that any of these three individuals would gladly discuss the ski descent route in detail if asked. Otherwise, there’s no Mountain Project/Powder Project beta, or, for that matter, a GPX track to sniff from digital crumb to digital crumb.
Low on the Cassin the adventure begins. Photo: Adam Fabrikant
The Cassin
The 9000’ route up the South Face was first climbed in 1961 by an Italian team led by Riccardo Cassin. According to the official report in the AAJ, the climb took 19 days for the climb and descent. At the time, the climb was cutting edge. The route had a second ascent in 1967 when a Japanese team accessed the ridge proper via a couloir. The couloir is now referred to as the Japanese Couloir.
The Cassin is rated Alaska Grade 5, 5.8, AI 4. Let’s parse this out.
From the folks at the AAJ, here’s the Alaska Grade scale.
Alaska Grade:
An overall grade reflecting the remote, cold, stormy nature of Alaskan climbing.
Grade 1: Easy glacier route.
Grade 2: Not technical, but exposed to knife-edged ridges, weather, and high-altitude.
Grade 3: Moderate to hard, including some technical climbing.
Grade 4: Hard to difficult, with technical climbing.
Grade 5: Difficult, with sustained climbing, high commitment, and few bivouac sites.
Grade 6: Sustained hard climbing over several thousand vertical feet requiring high commitment.
The 5.8 refers to the rock climbing, which is usually climbed in mountain boots (or ski boots). The AI, refers to Alpine Ice, or ice that remains year long. AI 4 involves steep (likely unsustained vertical sections) ice.
Again, the AAJ has a breakdown.
Hennessey and Fabrikant on the Cassin. Photo: Michael Gardner
Sublime Cassin. Photo: Adam Fabrikant
Notable Cassin Ascents Worth a Mention
- Chantel Astorga completed the first women’s solo up the route in 2021. She, too, climbed in ski boots with skis on her back for a 14:39 ascent time. Spend some time seeking out her story—it’s a good one. Here’s a link to a podcast interview with Astorga.
- Efficiency up the Cassin takes on a new warp-speed perspective, considering Colin Haley soloed the route in 8:07—sans skis and in mountain boots, in 2018.
Fabrikant ascending. Photo: Michael Gardner
Classic Alaskan style ridge climbing: Hennssey and Fabrikant on the move, Denali’s Cassin Ridge. Photo: Michael Gardner
A Fabrikant video short documenting when the technical difficulties ease off.
The confines of a BD First Light and a lovely view: Directed by Fabrikant
The Northwest Buttress Ski Descent
Hennessey’s article in the AAJ, as we noted, provides a sketch of the descent line. The descent begins atop the North Summit, where gladly no skis were lost during the click-in, and roughly follows the ridge line before pitching off to skier’s left and accessing the glacier.
(In the Google Earth screengrab below, the Northwest Buttress sits in the center, extending off the North Summit toward the Peters Glacier.)
Hennessey, Gardner, and Fabrikant followed the Peter’s Glacier on skis as far as they could, transitioned to sneakers, and strolled to Wonder Lake, where Sam’s ski boot was run over by the bus. He did, however, receive a polite “mahbaad” from the bus driver and some popcorn.
The Northwest Buttress sits center in this Google Earth screengrab. This first ski descent begins at the North Summit of Denali.
Mike Gardner opening up the NWB: Directed by Fabrikant
good style in the details. A very cool trip. definitely the future of wilderness skiing as Forrest McCarthy or Luc Mehl might say. Very alaskan.