Dr. Ersun N Kurtulus completed a solo ascent of Denali/Mt. McKinley (6190m) in Alaska. He reached the summit on 23 June, 22:10 local time and raised the Kent Union, Mountaineering Club flag on the highest point of North America. Here are some highlights of the climb in his own words:
“This was a purely solo climb. At no point during the whole ascent did I rope-up with someone else in order to cross a dangerous section. Nor did I climb in the shadow of other groups in the unacknowledged hope that in case of an emergency they would come to my rescue. On the summit day I was on my own on the summit ridge and the Pig Hill. I had the mountain for myself.
It was hard work. I landed on the lower glacier with 140 lb of provisions and gear – including a long aluminum ladder to provide relative safety against hidden crevasses in the Lower Kahiltna Glacier. My solo condition and my outlandish look carrying a ladder on a mountain caused some sympathy among other climbers, rangers and guides and after a couple of days I had a fan group who would receive me with hot drinks, encouraging words and a supportive pat on the shoulder whenever I arrived at a new, higher camp.
I was stranded for 10 days at the High Camp (5200m) due to blizzards, high winds or fatigue. I ate peanuts, chocolate and read a book about “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland and bid my time.
By the time I reached it, the notorious Denali Pass had already claimed three lives this year. The narrow traverse (you almost had to put one foot in front of the other in order to be able proceed at all) was covered with powdery snow as a result of winds and snow drift and my crampons would NOT take any grip! I was extremely cautious and it took me seven hours (almost the whole night) to descend the 300 odd meters to the High Camp. ….and, yes, I was scared.
The most serious incident of the climb happened on the last day on the Lower Kahiltna glacier. I passed over a snow bridge but my sledge, rather than following a straight line after me, fell to the side and right into the crevasse. So, I ended up in a situation where the heavy sledge was hanging from the ladder while I was attached to the ladder with slings and carabineers. I immediately took of my snow shoes and got rid of my walking sticks (neither of which are of any use to arrest a fall), and undid the rigging system to disconnect myself from the ladder. Once safe, I kicked into the snow to stabilize my situation. Then, I pressed my body weight on to the ladder to stop it from following the sledge into the crevasse. I tried to haul the sledge up but the sling which connected it to the ladder had cut deep into the edge of the crevasse. I turned the ladder over and heard a crack (the ladder was cut into two pieces to fit into the airplane and the two parts were bolted together – now the bolts were giving away) but the sling – and the sledge – was displaced from its original position and it was not stuck anymore. I approached the edge of the crevasse (the ice and snow beneath my feet didn’t collapse) and hauled the sling and brought the sledge back to the surface of the glacier. Afterwards, it took me almost an hour to catch my breath again. I think this was the most serious event of the whole ascend.
Now, I am safely back in Talkeetna. I had some slight frost bite on the summit day (blisters on my finger tips) and lost a lot of weight. But, I am in good spirits.