navigate_next navigate_next navigate_beforeThe Football Field
The Football Field is one of those Alaskan climber names that is thankfully not steeped in the dark humor of other features on the route. This is a broad, relatively flat stretch of very compact glacier immediately below the final 800' of climbing to the summit of North America.
The climbing immediately below the Football Field is pretty mellow, but you are well over 5,000 meters, so even mellow can leave you breathless. Most teams will benefit from taking a good break here before the final push to the top.
navigate_beforenavigate_next The Football Field
The Football Field isn't one of the more photogenic spots on the West Buttress route, but it's an important one. This is when you can finally take a good look up at the actual summit and try to gauge the winds. Is that a big plume blowing off it toward you?
This is a good point at which to pause and have a candid check-in with each member of your team. If you are more than eight hours into your summit day, give some serious consideration as to whether or not each member of your team has enough gas in the tank to climb the remaining 800' to the summit. While only 800', it's still close to two hours away.
navigate_beforePig Hill
The slope rising up from the Football Field leading to the summit ridge is called Pig Hill. It's only moderately steep, but due to its position high above the Alaska Range, it can be windswept and firm. This is an area where the probability of a fall is quite low, but due to the altitude and remoteness of the location, the consequences of an injury could easily be extreme.
Consider how your rope team will travel up, and down, Pig Hill. It might be appropriate to slam in a snow picket or two to better protect a team of tired and dehydrated climbers. Before descending, it might help to regroup, drink and eat, if conditions permit taking a few extra minutes.
navigate_next navigate_beforeThe Summit Ridge
BIG AIR! The summit ridge is stunning, with 9,000' of exposure off to the south. Climbing up a knife edge with the entire Alaska Range below you is the experience of a lifetime. Partway out the ridge is a monster cornice that has been there since Bradford Washburn first climbed the West Buttress!
There is a nice flat area atop Pig Hill where you can collect yourselves before heading out the ridge. Sometimes climbers put in a trail to the ridge that bypasses this spot. This slightly shortens the climb to the top, but it can be beneficial to take another pause point before heading to the top, especially if the wind is howling or your team is knackered.
