Peak 6415 is one of the prominent peaks in the Worthington Glacier area of the Thompass Pass Richardson Highway corridor of the Central Chugach Mountains. It seems to be most often referred to as “Hershey’s Kiss” given the resemblance (albeit white, instead of milk chocolate colored). It’s also known as Repeater Peak, as it has a radio repeater near the summit (which was actually kind of trippy given that on approaching the summit (4/15/19) I heard conversation between multiple individuals, but knew this peak is seldom climbed and even more seldom skied).
I reconnoitered a climbing and skiing line on the north face of Repeater Peak while on the Girls and Acapulco mission weeks earlier. It seemed like it would be intense, and it definitely lived up to expectation: steep from the base, only to get STEEPER and more exposed near the top. It requires weaving through rock banks around the upper 2/3-3/4 of the north face, and I’m not sure this section fills in enough to be ski-able every season. The 2018-19 season was fat up high, and it went. The deep snowpack in the alpine, and having skied in the area just about every month since October (watching the glaciers fill in), made me feel comfortable with the solo glacier travel on good visibility days. Even with boot top deep soft snow, the steepness was very exciting – and would be harrowing if firmer. Crampons and an ice tool were essential, and that tool was getting plunged deeply and firmly for the entire upper third of the north face.
It’s worth noting that, by far, the biggest hazard faced on this trip was the Alaska Snowboard Guides heli. They buzzed me flying a group to the Acapulco shoulder. Shortly thereafter they were back with another load of clients, which they dropped right above me on the shoulder of Repeater’s east ridge. They had no excuses for not seeing me, as they checked me out when dropping the group on Acapulco and also hovered around me before landing on me. As I was traverse skinning across a ~50* slope through heli track slough from the prior day, and they were landing directly above me and I was getting rotor-washed, I figured they were going to just say “fuck it” and ski the clean slopes adjacent to their tracks from the day before – dropping in right on top of me. I’m not sure if that was their plan or not. Fortunately they skied a more easterly line off the shoulder on the east ridge. Either way, I made sure to let them know my discontent by screaming “FUCK YOU” and flipping them off. I was also prepared to assault the lead guide that would have endangered my life. For more thoughts on the Wild West heli scene at Thompson Pass, see this post. In regard to the ever encroaching carbon gluttony of heli skiing in other regions of Alaska (like the very popular Hatcher Pass area that is in the most densely populated region of the state), and the State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources absurd favoring of grossly unsustainable motorized recreation over more sustainable and healthy non-motorized recreation, see this post.
Looking at the line on Repeater from the Worthington lot:
Approaching the east ridge of Repeater, where the confrontation with the heli occurred (no wonder AK Snowboard Guides is better known as ASS Guides):
Adding to the intensity of the line, fog passed through as I was climbing the north face:
From the summit ridge, I got a great view of the Sapphire ridge that Taylor and I traversed the entirety of in September of 2018 (when it was in alpine rock climbing form):
Summit panorama looking to the SE:
This being day three of a four day ski-peakbagging bender (I had already done Sunyata and 3 Pigs, and would do Berlin Wall the next day) I was a bit tired, but had enough in me for another run. I skinned up to the ridge between 27 Mile Peak and Sapphire, summitted a couple bumps, and descended back down lovely north facing spring pow.
The ridge between 27 Mile Peak and Sapphire looking east:
View overlooking the 27 Mile glacier:
The ridge running east from Sapphire:
Short video of the trip: