UCMC Mountaineering TRIPS / CLIMBS

UCMC CLIMBING HISTORY

IN THE BEGINNING: in 1954, there was Ron & Nan Hedl, Mike Fain and Bill Bryant. Climbing was done on campus, on the walls of the Jackson Park bridges, in a quarry South of Chicago, at the Mississippi Palisades, at Starved Rock State Park. There may have been one or two trips to Devils Lake, probably in conjunction with the CMC (Chicago Mountaineering Club). In 1955, the Founders decided to attract more climbers to the group via the UC Club Open House in the Spring. In order to participate in the Open House, a group needed to be officially registered as a UC organization, which in turn required a faculty sponsor - Bob Adams, in our case. Thus the UCMC was officially born in early Spring 1955.

Mike Fain has written an excellent summary of the early years:
"Recollections of an almost boulderer ... "

CRESTONES (Sangre de Cristo Range), CO (6/1955)
Crestone Needle - set up high camp on a snowy ridge above Colony Lakes, but had to abort the climb because of bad weather (sleet). On the trip were Mike Fain, Bill Bryant, Ron & Nancy Hedl, Bob Schluter, Pete Gardiner. The group did slog up Humboldt Pk. Mike Fain returned, in 1962, and did the Ellingwood Arete with John Ohrenschall.

CRESTONES PHOTOS

NO NAME BASIN / NEEDLES, WEMINUCHE WILDERNESS, CO (6/1955)
     This long, high basin begins a couple miles East of the Animas River. It was accessed via a sheep trail leading up to the basin from the E. bank of the Animas. We crossed the Animas via an exciting rusted steel cable strung across the river [the Animas is not safely fordable, the nearest bridge was about 3 miles South]. By majority vote, Mike Fain was "volunteered" (he didn't have filibuster rights) to lead the way across the cable. The Durango / Silverton train stopped to let us off opposite the cable, and picked us up when flagged down. Sunlight is the major peak in the area and forms the highest and Eastmost point of the buttresses forming the S. wall of the basin. Bill Bryant and Pete Gardiner did a mixed (snow and rock) climb of Animas Mtn. a short ways South of basecamp. Bill Bryant, Mike Fain, Pete Gardiner, Bob Schluter climbed Peak 4 NE of basecamp.

NO NAME BASIN / SAN JUAN NEEDLES PHOTOS

YANKEE BOY BASIN, San Juan Mtns near Ouray, CO



     Teakettle (6-1955 Mike Fain, Bob Schluter, Bill Bryant)
        (6/1960 Mike Fain, Bob & Joy Kaylor)
                    (6/1960 David & Audrey Fain, Frank Lobraico, Evan Buttner)

     Coffee Pot (6/1960 Matt Nitecki, Mike Fain)

     Stony Mountain (6/1960 Mike Fain, Bob & Joy Kaylor)

     Sneffels via S. Ridge (8/1983 Mike & Pete Gardiner)

YANKEE BOY BASIN PHOTOS

BUGABOOS, Canada (1959)

BUGABOOS PHOTOS

      Pidgeon (Mike Fain & ACC climbers)
      Bugaboo Spire (Mike Fain & ACC climbers)
      East Post (Mike Fain & ACC climbers)
   ?? (Mike Fain & ACC climbers)
   ?? (Bob Kaylor and ACC climbers)

SOUTHERN SELKIRKS, Canada (1956)

       "Half a dozen peaks" including the classic NW Ridge of Sir Donald
        (Mike Fain, with ACC climbers)

SOUTHERN SELKIRKS PHOTOS

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WY
     [peaks listed in order South to North]

Basecamp 1957-63   PHOTOS

Static Peak - no date (it's a short hike off a major trail)

Buck Mountain PHOTOS

Northeast Couloir (9-1957 )

North Central Ridge 5.7 (8-30-1960 Frank K., Peter)

Northeast SnowField (9-12-1956)

Northwest Couloirs (9-1959)

    East Summit via E. Ridge (Smith var.) 5.0 (9-1956 Betty, Eric,
         Peter, Roy, Lily)

    East Ridge complete 5.4 (9-1957 Mike Fain, Peter)

North Face 5.6 (7-17-1962)

North Face West Hourglass Ridge Variation 5.2 (9-1956 Roy, Lily,
Frank K., Bob Kaylor, Peter)

Direct South Ridge 5.7 (9-7-1960 Frank K., Peter)

East Hourglass Ridge 5.4 (7-9-1962 FA: cf. Climbers Guide to the Teton
Range, 3rd ed.; Rich, Steve, Frank K., Peter)

Cloudveil Dome PHOTOS

East Ridge (9-1959) (7-7-62)

North Face 5.6 (7-xx-1962 Rich & Frank K., Peter & Steve)

Spalding Peak (9-1959) (7-7-62)

Gilkey Tower (9-1959) (7-7-62)

Ice Cream Cone (9-1959)

    Ellingwood Couloir 5.1 (9-1956 Betty, Eric, Peter, Roy, Lily, Bob K.)

    SouthEast Ridge II,5.6 var. (7-21-62 Frank K., Peter)

    Glacier (Frank, Rich, Mihaly)

Grand Teton    PHOTOS

     Accident (Pete, Rich, Steve helped transport severely injured climber down Owen-Spaulding route all night to meet helicopter at dawn on lower saddle.)

    Owen-Spalding Route 4 (9-1956 Frank K., Peter)

    Exum Route 5.5 (9-1957 Mike Fain, Frank Adams)
    Exum Route 5.5 (8-23-60 Frank Knight?, Peter)

    Complete Exum Ridge III, 5.7(x5) (7-xx-63 Rich, Steve, Peter),

Red Sentinel 5.7 (7-xx-1963 Rich, Steve, Peter) PHOTOS

Disappointment Peak PHOTOS

    West Face 5.4 (7-11-1962 Frank K., Peter, Steve, Rich)

SouthWest Ridge 5.6 (7-19-1962 Rich, Steve, Peter)

Satisfaction Arete 5.6 (9-1958 Frank Adams, Peter, Bob K.)

Almost Arete, Gray Slab variation 5.4 (7-23-63 FA: cf. Climbers Guide to the Teton Range, 3rd ed.; Steven, Rich, Peter)

South Ridge 5.4 (9-1960 Mihaly, Frank, Peter)

East Ridge 5.4 (9-7-1958 Bob Kaylor, Peter)

    East Ridge 5.4 (9-1956 Roy, Lily, Kay, Peter; Bob K.)

    East Face (7-2003 Mike & Peter Gardiner)

    East Ridge II,AI2,5.6 (9-7-60 Frank K., Peter)

Storm Point    PHOTOS

West Ridge 5.6 (6-30-63 FA: cf. Climbers Guide to Teton Range, 3rd ed.; Steve, Peter)

West Face 5.6 (7-1-63 FA/new route: cf. Climbers Guide to Teton Range, 3rd ed.;
Bob Williams, Peter)

Symmetry Spire PHOTOS

Northwest Ledges (most years - access to other climbs & std. descent)

Durrance Ridge 5.6 (9-1957 Mike F., Peter)

Southwest Ridge 5.6 (9-1960 Frank K., Peter)

Direct Jensen Ridge III, 5.7(x6) (7-xx-1962 Rich, Stephen, Peter)

Mount St. John PHOTOS

East Ridge 5.1 (1957 Dave F., Mike F., Peter, Frank K.)

Northeast Ridge 5.1 (1957 Dave F., Mike F., Peter)

Moran    PHOTOS

    High camp for East Face routes (CMC, Dike, ... )

    Skillet Glacier complete AI2+, 5.4 (9-1960 Frank K., Peter)

     Skillet Glacier Complete AI2+, 5.4 (7-xx-1963 Bob Williams, Rich, Steve,   Peter)

CMC route, descent via Skillet Glacier III,AI2,5.5 (9-xx-1957 Frank Adams, Peter)

Northeast Ridge 5.4 (descent, 9-11-60, Mihaly, Frank, Peter)

Direct, complete North Ridge III, 5.6 (9-10-60 FA: cf. Climbers Guide to the Teton Range, 3rd ed.; Mihaly, Frank K., Peter)

    Peak 11975 5.6 (9-10-60 New route: cf. Climbers Guide to the teton Range, 3rd ed.; Mihaly, Frank K., Peter)

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Longs Peak    PHOTOS

   E. Face - Kiener's AI2 5.3(summer,1954 climbing ranger, Peter)

   E. Face - Kiener's AI2 5.3 (9-1956 Lily, Roy, Peter, Bob K.?)

   N. Face - former cable route (summer,1953 Peter, solo)

   W. Face - fried egg rte. (7-2004 Mike & Pete Gardiner)

Flattop (~1959 David & Audrey Fain)


Boulder Area    PHOTOS

    Flatirons, Maiden, Castle Rock: (1962 Mike Fain, John Ohrenschall, David Fain)

    Lone Eagle (1961 Mike Fain, John Ohrenschall)



JOHN GILL SECTION    PHOTOS

     John's climbs are too numerous even to begin to list completely here! Fortunately there is his excellent website at: John Gill's Excellent Climbing website