An airport pickup by stretch limo gave a welcome change to the local transport on Himalayan trips, but later when the tiny 4 seater plane dropped them under the N face of Kennedy all luxuries were gone and the isolation was total. The Himalaya has nothing on this.

Choosing a line up the centre of the giant 2000m NW face Rich and Jon climbed for 3 days up a tenuous series of ice runnels, rock steps and mixed madness, with exposed bucket seat bivis hacked from the ice. On the third day the top and first ascent was theirs, the Yukon stretched deserted in all directions. Fully committed all that was left was a descent down the back to an eventual pick up on the Cathedral Glacier. In the bag! Another perfect adventure!

Another bucket seat bivi

Rich used a specially made RAB sleeping bag with Pertex® Endurance on both shell and lining, as well as a full layering system of RAB Merino wool, Vapour-rise, eVent Latok shell and Neutrino Endurance down jacket.

With a total pack weight of only 8kg when climbing on a committing and technical multiday first ascent there is no room for error and every gram has to earn its payload.