Ines Papert and Luka Lindič have climbed a new route on the west face of 3,731m Mount Huntington in Alaska. Named Heart of Stone, it is a mixed climb located between Colton-Leach (named after the 1981 expedition of Nick Colton and Tom Leach) and the Westface Couloir.
Photo: Ines Papert
The husband-and-wife duo have been in the Central Alaska Range for several days. Heart of Stone was their second ascent of Mount Huntington. During their initial climb on Colton-Leach, the pair noticed the new line.
Photo: Ines Papert
After resting a few hours, they attempted the 1,000m new line, graded M7. The pair bivouacked 200m below the summit, then completing the route the following morning. In total, the effort took them a day and a half. “[It was] amazing rock/mixed terrain,” said Papert.
Photo: Ines Papert
“Every single moment on the route was simply pure alpine climbing magic,” Lindič added. “Always interesting and sometimes a bit spicy climbing, bivy in full moon and perfect summit weather the second day.”
This was not Papert and Lindic’s first pioneering line. Recently, they also opened new routes on Hinteres Feuerhorndl and the North Face of Sagwand Spitze in Austria.
