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Author: Valery Babanov

"New route "Infinite Direct" on MacKinley SouthWest Face Expedition to Alaska in photos.
Valery Babanov and Raphael Slawinski

Part I

Acclimatization climb Mt.McKinley West Buttress via classical route. Every year hundreds climbers summit the highest point of Northern America Mt.McKinley, 6194 m, via classical route


Mt.McKinley from Kahiltna base camp, 2200 m

Kahiltna Base Camp "Airport" on a glacier at 2200m.

In base camp

Medical Camp at 14,300 ft (4300m)

Medical Camp at 4300m

Raphael. Minutes of rest

Valery Babanov and Raphael Slawinski at High Camp

We are not lonely on the way upwards.

High Camp 17,200 ft (5200m)

Contrast of shadows...

Climb to high-altitude camp at 5200 m

Valery Babanov. Denali Pass 5600m

Altitude 5800m

McKinley, a view from altitude 6000m

McKinley summit. 1.00 am. Negative 40 centigrade

 

Part II

New route "Infinity Direct" on MacKinley SouthWest Face. Almost two kilometers of climbing. 14 hours of nonstop "fun". It is the route I dreamed all the year about. Everything that I like: beauty, logicality, complexity and challenge, at last, met in it.


Valery Babanov. It is very easy to go amiss on such huge wall

"Infinity Direct" goes up the center of the wall

Approach under the route

Approach under the route. NE Fork glacier

"Infinity Direct" is seen up close

Our High Camp before start

Beginning of the route

Forward and upwards...

Valery Babanov

The leader climbs with a rucksack

On the route

Rocks, ice, snow... More shortly MIXED site

The wall's slowly leaving downwards

What is yet to come?

Raphael

Belaying.

We are climbing out of the misty thickness...

Kahiltna peak. A view from the wall.

Rare minutes of rest.

On the wall

The glacier we crossed approaching the route is seen far below.

In the chaos of rocks.

Mixed climbing. Ice hammers are good in using in rocky cracks as well as in ice.

Someone's tents are well visible on West Rib.

We are already higher than Medical Camp (4300m).

After our ascent. In Base Camp. Maria Shtremfel, Valery Babanov, Andrey Shtremfel.

In Base Camp. Andrey Shtremfel and Valery Babanov.
 

After our ascent. In Talkitna. Raphael, Richard Povlovsky, Grzegorz, Valery Babanov.
 

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