MYSTERY RANCH, the pack company built on a heritage of comfortable load carriage, sponsors the short film Kichatna, directed by Graham Zimmerman and Oliver Rye, which was released on EpicTV. The film celebrates the successful first ascent and new alpine route established by MYSTERY RANCH Brand Ambassador Whit Magro and his teammates, David Allfrey, Zimmerman and Rye. The route, dubbed “Pace of Comfort,” scales the Northwest Face of the Kichatna Spire 70 miles west of Denali.
In Kichatna, Zimmerman, accompanied by Allfrey and Magro, explores his motivation to ascend one of the most remote, big walls in the Alaska Range. The film explores the question: “What do we seek from the experience of climbing?”
The stunning and steep landscape of the Kichatna Spires sets the backdrop for the American climbing trio to pursue a first ascent requiring versatile expertise in big wall climbing and alpinism. The film is sponsored by TINCUP Mountain Whiskey, Scarpa, MYSTERY RANCH and EpicTV.
The route “The Pace of Comfort” is graded VI 5.10, A3+, M6, 70- degree snow, 950m and can be found 70 miles west of Denali, on the big wall of the Northwest Face of Kichatna Spire in the Alaska Range, in a small clutch of exceptionally steep peaks.
“This climb was a culmination of 70 years of climbing experience between the three of us,” said Magro.
The “Pace of Comfort” was set between May 23-27 and was named after a statement made by the expedition’s pilot Paul Roderick. Looking at the weather, he said, “With these kinds of conditions, we’re able to fly at a pace of comfort.” The climbing team felt the same about their ascent and later adopted the term to name the route.
To learn more about the climb, visit: Planet Mountain report
