This mountain is also special to me for several reasons:
As a Maine Native, I am proud of this land, this mountain and the philanthropic efforts of Governor Baxter who's sole vision protected hundreds of thousands of acres for all to enjoy.
Katahdin Massif is truly massive in scale with mind-blowing objectives in four basins / ravines with ice climbs and mountaineering routes that dwarf anything in New England
I have a special bond with park staff having participated, provided instruction for and led multiple high angle rescues
They have granted me permission to explore parts of Katahdin that were previously off limits and I have numerous first ascents in three basins / ravines
Katahdin is remote, Katahdin requires planning, endurance, and Katahdin truly is the Great Mountain of New England
Lastly, every guest, even many of you have said, "this is the hardest mountain I have climbed in the world"
Katahdin has many gifts to share and some of you reading this know exactly what it takes!
Here is a much younger version of me, Head Climbing Guide for Synnott Mountain Guides over ten years ago. My job was to groom our clientele in NH so they could be ready for multi-day missions from the east side of Katahdin (Roaring Brook side to Chimney Pond). For some of you, Katahdin was the perfect training ground for much larger objectives in Patagonia, Alaska and the Himalaya. For others, it was the perfect objective in and of itself.
Regardless, the east side of Katahdin with a pitstop at Roaring Brook Campground, leading to Chimney Pond was THE WAY. This adventure was typically five days long, and most recreational parties continue this strategy to get the most out of weather windows. After I started Northern Vertical Climbing Guides, spring 2015, I continued to groom clientele to show up with a higher level of fitness. Soon, I was doing this trip in as little as two days! Thats 32 miles of round trip skiing, plus the climbing objective!
DANG
Long drive to get this view!
What I am about to share has never gone public until now...
Katahdin can be done in one day, and you do not have to be a super athlete to be successful!
Alpinists tend to be decent athletes: physically strong and above average endurance, especially if you have logged a handful of seasons in the mountains.
Budding east coast alpinists know that Katahdin is a huge commitment. For starters, the drive is mega!! Maine is a huge state and the Baxter Park region is located smack dab in the middle of the state. Just getting there and getting back home in itself is a multi-day task, let alone climbing the mountain.
So what if there was a way to climb a classic objective in a day, like:
Cilley-Barber
Chauvin-Cole
Waterfall Gully
Chimney Gully
Red Sky - Classic? Who's heard of that route? Not many have because it has never been repeated. I established this mega line with Peter Lataille in 2009. It boasts the best three pitches of ice in Witherle Ravine, guaranteed!
Chimney Pond Base Camp
That's right, you could be standing right here in just one day and climb one of the listed classic objectives. The key element here is to work on your aerobic fitness and continue to develop your climbing. Or, don't worry about technical climbing when you can relax the upper body and climb steep snow like Chimney Gully.
Have I peaked your interest yet? Want to learn how I guide this big day?
Here's how I do Katahdin in a day...
Sorry for the blurry topographical map, but here is a link to view it in perfect clarity: hopefully that works! ME_Mount_Katahdin_20141014_TM_geo.pdf
Always arrive the night before at one of two places: New England Outdoor Center or Abol Bridge Parking. The former for a guided experience with me and the latter for recreational parties who want to save money and camp in their vehicle.
The most efficient mode of transportation to and from the objective is via snowmobile, which I take care of that evening, as well as all of our equipment. From Abol Bridge, fat tire bikes work great and so do XC skis.
The next morning we rise around 3:30 AM for breakfast and promptly depart in complete darkness on the sled with gear in tow to Abol Campground, located on the SW corner of the map provided.
After checking in with the Abol Ranger, I recommend alpine touring skis for the five mile uphill trail to the Tablelands (a large plateau much like Mount Washington's Alpine Garden). However, snowshoes work well too, but they do take more time generally speaking.
On top of the Tablelands is where we dawn ski gear for the Alpine kit. That's right we suit up for climbing and walk across the Tablelands to the summit of Baxter Peak! This is the first of two times we summit Katahdin during this day long adventure.
Next, we follow the Cathedral Cut-Off trail south east of Baxter Peak down towards the Third Cathedral. The first gully that appears turns to vertical terrain so bypass this for the second gully named Senator Gully as seen in red in the next photo...
A view of South Basin from the Cathedrals to Pamola Ice Cliffs
Onsighting this descent gully is not easy, especially if you have whiteout conditions. However, the aforementioned beta is spot on, bypass the first gully viewer's left of Senator Gully as seen in red. Follow it downhill then climber's left for approximately 1500' into South Basin and arrive at your destination climb: Chauvin-Cole, Cilley-Barber, Waterfall Gully and Chimney Gully.
Last season towards the end of March I did this trip with NV guest Casey Hubbard. We decided to climb the famous objective Cilley-Barber. We had whiteout conditions, but we were able to safely navigate our way down Senator Gully (which can avalanche prone so be careful) and up CB to gain the ridge. We unroped and bumped fists for the second time of the day on top of Baxter Peak; this time with a better view as we made our way back to the skis.
Here is the FB link to the video I made of our trip:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=2Rb1fB&v=388758559421341
Here is the IG link to the video I made of our trip:
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbm2mkAjZaJ/
From the New England Outdoor Center and back, Casey and I completed this adventure in 15.5 hrs. We had to wait over 30 minutes on the ranger at Abol Campground, however I made sure we did not waste much time. Starting at NEOC is a double edged sword because the snowmobile ride is much longer than Abol Bridge, however it's the best accommodation in the region! They rent snowmobiles and have the best restaurant in town, River Driver's with a grand view of Katahdin! I hear those beers clinking!
Casey drove up from Massachusetts the night before, woke up to a warm meal, crushed the 15.5 miles, then turned around and drove back home. That's beast mode! Obviously you can stay and chill for the night.
So far I have shared the logistics involved for Katahdin in a day. Now it's time for getting in shape.
Let's break down this experience into sections:
You must be able to endure a minimum of 15+ hrs of nonstop go go go.
You must be able to ski or snow shoe five miles to the summit of Katahdin.
You must be able to descend and traverse steep snow for 1500'.
You must be able to simul climb steep snow and/or ice for 1500 - 2500' based upon your objective. This could be 45-65 degree snow, and belayed sections of ice up to 4+ to -5 in some cases.
You must be able to descend the five miles back the snowmobile, whether on skis, snowshoes or foot.
This is a BIG day with a lot of ground to cover. To give you a better understanding of what Katahdin in a day would feel like, you would need to be able to accomplish this objective on Mount Washington:
Ski tour or your preferred method of foot travel from Pinkham Notch Visitor Center into Huntington Ravine and climb Damnation Gully to the summit. Next, hike down Lion's Head and take the Fire Road back into Huntington Ravine. Climb Pinnacle Gully, traverse the Alpine Garden, descend Right Gully and climb Left Gully all the way back to the summit of Washington before returning to your car.
If you can do that, you are ready for Katahdin in a day. The special thing about Katahdin is the remoteness. The drive there and back must be factored into the objective itself, which is why I created the prerequisite Mount Washington experience.
As always I am here as your professional mountain guide to support your developing mountain skills and climbing objectives:
safety and technical skills
movement on ice, snow and mixed terrain
self-rescue and avalanche awareness
strength and fitness training
health and nutrition
equipment selection and maintenance
private instruction to get you and your partner to the next level
information about climbs and locales
If you have not yet in touch with me about booking your next adventure, or day of instruction. Thanks for viewing. All the best!
Ryan