While most people who travel like to find someplace warm in the winter, Lonnie Dupre heads for the most inhospitably cold and windy places on the planet. This time out Lonnie will make an attempt to once again climb Mount Hunter unaided and alone in the darkest, coldest month of the year in Alaska. Photo courtesy of Lonnie Dupre
Lonnie Dupre, 55, might be getting older but he isn’t slowing down in his quest to make history. He is once again attempting to become the first person to solo climb Mount Hunter. At 14,573 feet, Hunter is the steepest and most technical of the three peaks in Denali National Park.
And due to precipitous pitch, nasty cold, and high winds and snow conditions, it is considered North America’s most challenging 14,000-foot mountain to climb.
Weather allowing, Dupre will begin his attempt on January 7, 2019.
The first winter ascent of Mount Hunter took place in March 1980 by a three-person team. No one has yet to succeed at a solo ascent of this mountain during the winter.
Two winters ago, after enduring several days of high winds, poor snow conditions, and brutal cold, Dupre abandoned his attempt to become the first person to climb Mount Hunter in Alaska’s Denali Park unaided and alone. He knows this is going to be a difficult climb.
During his first attempt on Hunter Dupre set across the Kahlhita glacier at the base of the mountain on skis, encountering large chunks of ice that encumbered his progress. When the terrain got too steep to ski, he switched to making his way on foot with poles. Walking was difficult. The snow was waist-deep, but Dupre couldn’t plow through the snow because it had a thick crust. Making little progress and realizing he would have to camp among the ice falls, Dupre returned to his camp and relocated further north, seeking out a route steeper in pitch.
The next day Dupre sought an alternate way up the mountain but had to turn back. According to his blog at the time he climbed some steep, technical pitches, but did not have sufficient protection from falling rocks to continue. On his way down, Dupre broke through a bergschrund (a crevasse created where the glacier meets the mountain). With both feet dangling into the void, Dupre arrested the fall at shoulder level.
With great effort and time, he managed to get himself and his backpack out of the crevasse. He made it back to his base camp and back home, but Dupre knows this second attempt will be one of his most difficult challenges ever.
With limited daylight in the sub-arctic, much of the camping and some of the climbing will be carried out in the dark.
Being alone, crevasses and steep sustained climbing pose the greatest challenge for this climb; high winds and extreme cold will also dog Dupre as he tries to make his way to the top.
Once through the ice falls, the crux of the climb will be the 3,000- foot, 50- to 60-degree couloir called the Ramen. From advanced base camp stationed at 8,000 feet, Dupre will shuttle supplies up the first 2,000 feet of the Ramen. Then, once in position on the ridge at 11,200 feet and with a good weather forecast, he will make a push to the summit and back.
A stable window of good weather is paramount to the success of the climb due to limited supplies on the ridge. The expedition is expected to take 19 days. To help him stay warm, Dupre’s clothing and sleeping systems will be insulated with PrimaLoft. Dupre has used PrimaLoft for all of his expeditions since 1995, and Prima Loft is his lead sponsor for this climb.
Some history
On his fourth winter attempt, Lonnie Dupre became the first man to solo summit Denali (aka Mount McKinley), finishing his climb to the 20,320 foot top on Sunday, January 11, 2015, at 5 p.m. central time.
When it comes to adventure, Lonnie originates from good stock. His grandfather was Jacques Cartier, the French explorer, and founder of Quebec.
Dupre, who is a carpenter by trade, has lived his adult life dedicated, “To pioneer expeditions in the coldest regions of the globe to inspire, educate and advocate for the environment and indigenous cultures.”
Through the years Lonnie has been given many awards, honors, and tributes. Some of those include National Geographic (the best adventure of 2005), the Rolex Award for enterprise in 2004; Polartec Challenge Award 2000 & 2001; National Explorers Club 1996; Winter Olympics, Oslo, Norway, 1994. He has appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Good Morning America, CNN, and ABC News as well as in print in the New York Times, LA Times and more.
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