http://gripped.com/news/colin-haley-sol ... in-alaska/ -- Colin Haley solos big alpine line in Alaska - North buttress of Mt Hunter
Colin Haley, Alpinist posted 5 photos on Instagram.
15 hrs ·
In May 2012 I attempted to solo Begguya via its North Buttress, and in a moment of extreme exhaustion, turned around a mere 80-100 vertical meters below the summit. That is not a lot of mountain left on a roughly 2,000m ascent, but like our first try on the day trip Torre Traverse with @alexhonnold, I knew I wouldn't be satisfied to leave my effort unfinished. On Friday I finally had my opportunity to complete this dream, and I'm almost happy that I didn't succeed the first time, considering how much better I performed 5 years later. Like in 2012, I climbed the North Buttress via what I think is the line of least resistance, which is a combination of some terrain I "opened," some of Deprivation, and some of the Bjornberg-Ireland. The time stats: schrund-to-cornice-bivy: 5:18, schrund-to-summit: 7:47, schrund-to-schrund: 15:22, BC-to-BC: 17:13. I'm pretty sure that all of those metrics are speed records, perhaps not just for the North Buttress, but for Begguya in general. However, those speed records are relatively unimportant compared to my personal comparisons - Compared to my 2012 attempt I climbed drastically faster, more calmly, more confidently, and with way less fatigue. I always find personal improvement to be very rewarding, and seeing how I've progressed gives me greater satisfaction than the fact that I finally completed this goal. In any event, I'm stoked, happy to be back in Seattle with @aceeaux, and ready to binge on fresh food! @patagonia_climb @petzl_official @lasportivana @lyofood @ Denali National Park and Preserve
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