The Sultana Ridge is a seven-mile ridge that comes off the northeast side of Mt. Foraker. The safest way to access the ridge is to climb up and over Mt. Crosson, a smaller peak next to Mt. Foraker, and then onto the Sultana Ridge. Mt. Foraker stands just over 17,000, feet and the ascent gains about 10,000 feet from the Kahiltna Glacier.

Camp on Mount Crosson with Mount Hunter and it's West Ridge in the distance.

The teams left the Kahiltna base camp early in the morning of April 26th. The approach to the base of Mt. Crosson is downhill for the first mile or two and then mostly flat as you cross the main branch of the Kahiltna glacier at about 6800 feet. The team made one camp on the way up Mt. Crosson, where they spent several days waiting out bad weather. On the fourth day the weather broke, and they were able to make their way over the summit of Mt. Crosson (12,800') to their second camp at 12,830 feet.

High on the Sultana Ridge with the lower portion of the route visible behind.

Once over Mt. Crosson, the climbing route changes quite a bit. The climbing on the initial slopes of Crosson is fairly straight forward and involves mostly easy snow climbing. After gaining the ridge, the travel is along a more sharply defined ridge that rises and falls, sometimes several hundred feet in elevation, and alternates between being broad and knife edged.

After making their third and final camp on the ridge at 11,000 feet, Tim and the rangers continued to endure very windy and snowy conditions. They were able to reach the summit on their ninth day, and despite the wind, they had some incredible views of Denali and the surrounding peaks.

Climbers traversing massive cornices on the Sultana Ridge.

After hearing a radio report of approaching bad weather, the group decided to make their way down the seven-mile descent as quickly as possible to avoid getting stuck high on the mountain. They descended from their high camp back to the Kahiltna in one long day and then wandered back up the final slope (Heartbreak Hill) to their base camp on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna on the eleventh day of their trip.

On the summit of Mt. Foraker with Denali behind.