Category: new route

Rating: WI5
Length: 174 m, 4 pitch

Climb Tonsina Pillar (75m, 1 or 2 pitches), then continue through a slot canyon with easy soloing and snow walking to a large brushed terrace and gully abutting a south facing headwall. Trend left through moderate brush to a small drainage leading to the bottom of this two pitch pillar and/or curtain feature splitting the headwall. Two pitches (100m, 2 pitches) of ramp into steep and featured waterfall ice with rollovers that allow for comfortable belays. Around 500m long with 175m/575 feet of roped terrain, with snow and easy slot canyon in between.

FA: Samuel Johnson & Joe Nyholm Jan 2020

Anchor/Gear/Descent: Screws including stubbies. Alders and natural gear exist for the descent.

Posted by: Samuel Johnson, October 2, 2020

Rating: WI4 M4 R
Length: 167 meters, 4 pitches

A pitch and a half easy/moderate but serious mixed addendum to Jailbreak. Climb Jailbreak. On the third pitch, climb the Jailbreak’s small pillar and then veer left up a short vertical wall (spectres) onto a left trending ramp feature (2 bolt belay). For the fourth pitch, continue up the left trending ramp to access a 40 ft pillar that is slightly harder than it looks from below. After the pillar, trend left over thinly iced rock (stubbies, girth hitched icicles) to finish via a short pillar, manteling over to the tree belay in the hobbit forest at the top of the cliff.

FA: Samuel Johnson, Joe Nyholm, & Cody Klingman Jan 2020

Anchor/Gear/Descent: Cams 1″-3”, 3 Spectres, screws including stubbies

Posted by: Samuel Johnson, October 2, 2020

Rating: WI4 M6+ R
Length: 242 meters, 5 pitches

A spicy two pitch mixed addendum to the Cash Joyce route, arcing up the wall to the right of Blood Moon‘s headwall pitches.

A gorgeous mostly hidden 600 foot ice apron (Cash Joyce route) leads to gradually steepening ice in a slot canyon where you will find a 2 bolt belay.

Where Blood Moon continues up the guts of the drainage headwall, Varcolaci goes about 40 feet up the drainage and climbs the second small pillar/dagger on the right below an arching roof. It steinpulls out the right side of an arching roof and onto a slab to its right. Continue around the corner to a nice flat spruce tree belay (WI4 M6/6+ R). The final pitch climbs disconnected daggers above the spruce tree, utilizing corner systems (M6+ R) to end up in the hobbit forest at the top of the cliff.

FA: March 2020, Ryan Sims and Samuel Johnson

Anchor/Gear/Descent: Standard clean mixed rack, spectre, screws including stubbies

Posted by: Samuel Johnson, October 2, 2020

ALERT: Occasional loose rock.

Rating: WI5
Length: 50 meters

Long steep double pillar.

FA: Travis McAlpine, Pat Schmalix, February 16, 2018

Descent: Tree anchor left

Posted by: Travis McAlpine

ALERT: Knik Gorge lies in or adjacent to private property areas. It is uncertain if any access issues exist for this area. Check with the local climbing groups within the community to determine the current access issues for this area. Also, vandalism and theft have been high at times in this secluded area. DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE UNATTENDED.

Rating: WI5
Length: 50 meters

Next route past Viper. Very wild skinny pillar. Protected by mostly rock gear.

FA: Travis McAlpine & Josué Wulf, February 21, 2018

Descent/Anchor: Tree

Posted by: Travis McAlpine

ALERT: Knik Gorge lies in or adjacent to private property areas. It is uncertain if any access issues exist for this area. Check with the local climbing groups within the community to determine the current access issues for this area. Also, vandalism and theft have been high at times in this secluded area. DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE UNATTENDED.

Rating: WI5
Length: 30 meters, 1 pitch

In small amphitheater before chopsticks. Climb either of first two pillars to reach large ledge(wi4). Climb thin pillar w a few rock moves to easy ice above.

FA: Travis McAlpine & Pat Schmalix, February 18, 2018

Descent: Trees

Posted by: Travis McAlpine

ALERT: Knik Gorge lies in or adjacent to private property areas. It is uncertain if any access issues exist for this area. Check with the local climbing groups within the community to determine the current access issues for this area. Also, vandalism and theft have been high at times in this secluded area. DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE UNATTENDED.

Rating: WI4
Length: 20 meters

Thin mixed drip to left of split finish start.

FA: Travis McAlpine & Tyler Deemer, 2018

Descent: Tree anchor

Posted by: Travis McAlpine

ALERT: Hunter Creek lies in or adjacent to private property areas. It is uncertain if any access issues exist for this area. Check with the local climbing groups within the community to determine the current access issues for this area. Also, vandalism and theft have been high at times in this secluded area. DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE UNATTENDED.