Region: America South & Antartica

Stuart McAleese (with Rob Collister, John Cousins and Mike ?Twid? Turner). May - June 2002

Although nominally a single expedition, the climbers operated as two separate pairs on different peaks. Collister and Cousins made two attempts on the unclimbed S Ridge of Mt Hess, 3639m, but high temperatures caused instability and substantial avalanches making climbing too dangerous. However, a ski circuit of the Hess / Deborah massif was completed. McAleese and Turner made for the Kichatna Range, hoping to climb a new line on the massive 1300m East Face of Middle Triple Peak in the Kichatna Range, described as the 'Cerro Torre of Alaska'. However, conditions here were similar, and the approach to Middle Triple was considered too dangerous to attempt. Attention was therefore turned to The Citadel, 2597m (to it north-east), on which over an 9-day period, an 18-pitch eliminate of one of Andrew Embick's routes was climbed on the East Buttress. Climbing was 'free' as far as possible, but most of the lower pitches required aid, and the route, named Off the Wall Madness, was graded A2, E3.