(Back to: North America, Alaska, Alaska Range, Delta Range)
College Glacier area, various ascents.
By Jeff Apple Benowitz
The routes on the south face of Peak 8,100' (arrow showing descent line) and the east ridge of Peak 8,110'. Jeff Apple Benowitz
Sam Herried climbing the east ridge of Peak 8,110', a contender for worst-ever climbing photo. Jeff Apple Benowitz
In the College Glacier region, numerous 8,000′ peaks (the highest peaks in the Delta Mountains south of the Denali Fault) make for good late April/early May weekend outings with a small rack of pins, and pickets for glacier travel. First ascent histories are largely unknown, with various Fairbanks folks active in the area over the years, thus the peaks lend themselves to the ever common second, third, and fourth first ascents. [The claiming of new routes that have already been climbed—Ed.]
In 2009, and again in 2010, Sam Herried, Andy Sterns, and I climbed the south face of Peak 8,100′, on the College Glacier, each time in about 36 hours round trip from the car, and climbing at night to avoid rockfall. At least one of those ascents is a second first ascent.
Also in 2010, Herried and I climbed the nearby Peak 8,110′ via its east ridge, approaching on skis up the College Glacier and over a pass to the east onto an unnamed glacier, which we call the “No Name Glacier.” Again, about 36 hours car-to-car, and climbing at night.
From the afore-mentioned pass, in 2008 Andy Stearns and Peter Illig climbed the prominent center snow gully on the southeast face of Peak 8,000′, a.k.a. Icefall Peak.
