"I’ve used Hilleberg Tent’s almost exclusively since our 2004 North Pole expedition. Every now and then, I veer off to investigate and test what other tent manufactures are doing and usually come back to my tried and tested Hilleberg. This is not to say that there are no creative tent ideas out there, but for me, it is all in the performance of those innovations over long periods in adverse conditions. How does the tent hold up on long expeditions and from year to year? How comfortable is the inside? Are the zippers easy to find and handle with gloves on? How does it vent, managing frost and humidity? Is the inside a cheery color for those seemingly endless psychological waits for bet
Caught up with long-time sponsor Hilleberg the Tentmaker on their series Tent Talks where I filled them in on my recent solo summit of Denali in winter and how Hilleberg's Soulo tent played a huge role in making the Denali Expedition successful: Schedule
Taking a little break from climbing to do some cross-country skiing in Lake Louise. Special thanks to local Grand Marais Voyageur Brewing Company.
Just hanging around in Canmore doing our best to sample the technical waterfall ice that the Rockies have to offer. Images courtesy of Lonnie Dupre. Special thanks to Garmont North America. Schedule
Packed up and headed out of the deep freeze, feels so nice. K-country is unbelievable. Had a wonderful time on a multi-pitch route there in Chantilly Falls with Pascale Marceau. A perfect way to wind down from Hunter and prepare for the next big adventure. Photo by Pascale Marceau. Pictured in photo is Garmont Ion ice climbing boots, Granite Gear pack & Mountain Hardwear winter wear.
A solo mountaineer is by nature free soloing the entire climb, but how does one get down? Rappels are required to descend steep pitches. When every ounce of weight counts, having a light rope is key! I worked with BlueWater Ropes to design a custom rope just for Cold Hunter One. It has a centre core of 5.5mm Titan cord which is constructed from Dyneema fiber and nylon which makes it strong and light. It then has an additional protective sheath to make the cord more robust, bringing the cord to a total 6mm diameter. This type of static cord would typically be used as a tag line to retrieve a rappel rope. One has to be gentle on it, avoiding abrasive rappels and lowering slowly to prevent
After my quick and thorough butt-whooping on Hunter, I’m back in Canmore, Alberta assessing the snow and route conditions that I faced and evaluating what I could have done differently. In the mean time, I will be here doing some writing, nordic skiing, and day climbs to keep on top of things so that I am ready for what comes next. With much of the winter still ahead of us, Pascale and I are currently pondering a couple climbing projects.For now I'm putting the Hunter under the microscope…not quite done with that mountain ~Lonnie Photo: Two thwarted attempts up routes in the NW basin of Hunter followed by a fall is this bergschrund had me call it quits on Hunter for this winter. Note: The ic
Dupre shares his inner thoughts. Here is an excerpt from his journal prior to heading out on Mt Hunter. Hunter Diary: 30 December 2016 To say I’m not outright scared would be untrue. Hunter has me at the threshold of my capabilities. So many unknowns…climbing with a heavy pack, route, calories, storm days - and there will be some. I’m going to miss my life if I lose it; next to warm skin, wood fires, and tasty food… but what is life living in wait of warm bread out of the oven each day? It’s not easy to leave; it’s almost harder than the task ahead. There is so much to lose either way. Getting complacent at 55 is not a life for me; movement is life, seeing what’s under the next
“A mountain as big and complex as Hunter, at 64º north and in winter always has the edge. You can have all the skill and drive and time in the world, but without a good helping of plain old luck with conditions and weather it won’t work out.” - Willi Prittie, veteran mountaineer. After an early start and a full day of seeking an alternate route up, Dupre had to turn around. He climbed some steep, technical pitches, but did not have sufficient rock protection to continue. On his decent, he broke through a bergschrund (a crevasse created where the glacier meets the mountain). He arrested his fall at shoulder level, but both feet were dangling in the void. With great effort and time, he m
With winds dying down this morning, Dupre was able to tackle the glacier. After hearing ice falls all night, he started making his way up and saw large ice blocks peppered across the entire glacier. When it got too steep for skis, he switched to post-holing. He was sinking to his waist, but due to a thick top crust, he wasn't able to plow through. The going was slow, such that he'd have to camp among the ice falls. It was a dead end. He has relocated his camp further north and will seek out a route up a steeper pitch with a reduced load which should provide a bit more mobility up the mountain. We'll keep you posted via our website and Facebook with the latest information. Upward!
Dupre was able to make it to the base of Mt. Hunter after being dropped off by Talkeenta Air Taxi on the Kahiltna Glacier basecamp. Unfortunately Lonnie wasn't able to move any further past Mount Hunter's basecamp yesterday due to a wind storm which heavily decreased visibility. Image courtesy of Dmitri von Klein Spot GPS Location: Cold Hunter One Latitude: 62.94932 Longitude: -151.19507 GPS location Message: All OK Click the link to see location: http://fms.ws/eNmNw/62.94932N/151.19507W If the above link does not work, try this link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=62.94932,-151.19507&ll=62.94932,-151.19507&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1 ScheduleSchedule
Did you ever wonder how a solo mountaineer stays safe for glacier travel? What does one do to prevent falling into an abyss when there is nobody else to share a rope with? For years, soloists have been devising creative ways to stay above ground – aluminum ladders, wooden poles, etc. On my solo January climb of Denali, I dragged a 12’6” black spruce pole. The idea is that the long pole will eventually wedge across the crevasse and arrest your fall. This year, I was planning on towing a 13’ bamboo pole. We brought the bamboo poles back from our latest Nepal expedition – it was an adventure in itself to get these into checked baggage. During testing, the poles split, so it was onto plan B. Ult
Dupre Sets Off on Solo Winter Climb Dupre left Talkeetna today, flying into the Alaska Range to the base of Mount Hunter (14,573ft) to attempt its first winter solo ascent. Hunter is the steepest and most technical of the 3 great peaks in Denali National Park. It is also known as the most difficult 14,000 foot peak in North America. With blue bird skies and temperatures in the teens, Dupre has decided that now is the time to start. Denali mountain forecasts are showing a decent weather window on the horizon. “I’m certainly at the threshold of my capabilities. It’s free climbing very steep and technical terrain with a very heavy pack”. Landing on the Kahiltna glacier in winter’s low light
No amount of pre-planning saves the inevitable last minute rush. Now in Talkeetna, Dupre's ready to depart if the weather holds today. He filled his fuel, rigged and tested his sled, flag taped his wands, charged his electronics, and has his things secured and packed away in his sled he'll be hauling up Mt. Hunter. We'll be updating you with a confirmation of departure and landing at basecamp today if the weather allows. Stay tuned via the website and Facebook for the latest. Upward! Schedule
How does one train for a climb when they live Minnesota flat country? Dupre is resourceful, and being a carpenter, the solution is obvious: climb up and down a ladder. So, that’s what he does. With a 20ft ladder tied to a tree in his yard, donning a 60lbs backpack filled with salt bags, Dupre does ladder repeats. “It’s not that exciting, but I get a nice view of Lake Superior at the top,” said Dupre. “It’s just 50 feet outside my front door, so I have no excuse to skip a workout”. Schedule