Mount Logan Expedition, Canada, 2016
A successful expedition to climb Mount Logan (5,959m), the highest peak in Canada and the second highest in North America, via the standard route - the Kings Trench.
Yearbook article https://www.eagleskiclub.org.uk/yearbook-articles/2016/mount-logan-skiing-mordor
Team: Phil Jardine (leader), Chris Allan, Matt Horlor, Cathy O’Dowd, Iona Pawson, David Williams.
Thanks to the Eagle Ski Club, the Austrian Alpine Club and Alpine Ski Club for their support.
Added 10 Jan 20 by CathyOdowd
The Mount Logan team waiting to be flown onto the icefield.
The mass of Mt Logan from the plane - our route went up the other side of the mountain.
The start of our route, the Kings Trench, seen from the plane.
The Icefield Discovery plane landing on the glacier - it can take two climbers and their kit at a time.
Base camp - where the plane dropped us off. The team heading out to explore the first stage.
Moving up towards Kings Col.
We moved gear in sleds. For every camp other than the last one we did two hauls, first leaving a load, the next day moving the camp.
Skiing back down with empty sleds after a load-haul day.
Meeting other teams at the Kings Col camp (our third camp).
Our Kings Col camp - we had very warm weather for the first 10 days.
Threading our way through the icefall above Kings Col was the most technical and exposed part of the ascent.
The view back down the Kings Trench from the icefall.
Skiing back down the icefall was the best downhill skiing we got.
Shooting past crevasses while descending the icefall.
The slog of hauling sleds at altitude in the heat above the icefall.
Skirting one of the giant crevasses above the icefall, Mount Saint Elias in the background.
Our fourth camp, at the 'football field'. The weather is beginning to change.
The never-ending task of melting snow for drinking and cooking water.
Descending from a carry to our next (fifth) camp.
Pinned down in our fifth camp, thanks to snow and howling wind.
Digging out our fifth camp.
Debating the weather and our route options.
The four members who chose to push on to cross the col onto the plateau, and try for the summit.
Our sixth and final camp, on the vast plateau of Mt Logan.
A tight squeeze with four of us in our single high camp tent.
A dawn start on our summit day, knowing we are racing bad weather that moves in around midday.
The vast icefields of the Kluane National Park below us, on the summit day.
Skis left in a depo, slogging on towards the top as the winds rise.
Summiting in the mist, having lost the race with the weather.
The summit team. The entire descent to high camp was done with GPS navigation, following compass bearings.
Starting the long ski down from Prospector Col, Kings Peak in the distance.
Skiing down with loaded rucksacks and sleds.
A night at Kings Col on the way down, knowing the cloud below meant the plane wouldn't be able to fly in to collect us.
Back at base camp, eating through our generous store of spare food.
Waiting and eating at base camp.
Crossing the icefields on the 100 mile flight out.