Multiple climbing parties camped on the Pika Glacier. Photo: K. Ramos-Leon
The patrol used the week to visit several popular climbing routes in the area and removed or replaced lots of worn-out rappel anchors. Of note, another climbing party noted that an old piece of webbing failed when they tried to rappel off it – luckily the party was uninjured due to the anchor being backed up by additional material.
If you are headed into the range to climb, always check your rappel anchor before you fully weight it. The long days and midnight sun degrade nylon materials over time, and just because other people have used an anchor in the past does not mean that it is safe to do so today!
VIP Josh Solomon displays some of the old rappel anchors and “tat” the team removed or replaced during their patrol. Photo: R. Pendery
That’s a lot of trash! Climbing rangers and volunteers removed several pounds of worn-out tat from popular routes in the Pika. Photo: R. Pendery