Citadel NW Face climbed in Kichatna Spires of Alaska by Joseph Hobby, Zach Lovell

Joseph Hobby and I flew into the Cathedral Spires of the Kichatnas on April 18th, 2023. With a weather forecast calling for 3 good days of weather after flying in, we climbed two new routes on back-to-back days on April 19th and April 20th before flying out on April 21st.

The first route we established was on what we believe is the previously unclimbed Northwest Face of the Citadel. Joseph and I skied to the base of the route from camp and surmounted the short-lived yet overhung Bergshrund using snow pickets for handholds. We cached our skis and simul-soloed the first half of our route, chasing the best ice runnels. The second half of the route we simul-climbed as the climbing steepened and got more exposed. In a stroke of amazing luck and timing, Paul Roderick happened to be flying Mark Twight and his partner on a scenic flight while we were climbing. Paul, having flown us in the day before and knowing of our plans, circled over us while Twight took photos.

We climbed the route in approximately 4 hours and named it "Borealis Face" (2,000ft, 85 degree ice/snow). Our descent of the route took almost as long as the ascent due to the amount of searching/digging needed to find good rappel anchors in the rock.

In 1966 David Roberts, Arthur Davidson, David Johnston, Pete Meisler, and Richard Millikan likely were aiming for this face based on the location of their advanced basecamp but 3 days of poor weather kept them from making an attempt. This face is hard to see from almost anywhere in the Kichatnas' most traveled areas - otherwise it would have likely been climbed decades ago... it's such classic Alaska alpine climbing!

The next day, on April 20th, we climbed an easterly couloir/ice hose south of the Reisenstein on an unnamed peak. We started in the afternoon for safer conditions and simul-soloed the first portion of the route. We pitched out the climbing as it got harder, beginning with an AI5 ice hose in a corner with a few mixed moves at the exit. The real crux of the route was a chockstone which required an extensive amount of snow-shoveling/clearing to get to the rock - which required a few creative aid moves and an exciting mixed exit. We completed our route with an incredible sunset and descended quickly with abundant rock anchors. We ascended the line in 7 hours and named our route "Superfly Couloir" (1,700ft, AI5, A2, M6), while we dubbed the peak the Rise and Shine,  a play on words to the far more prolific Reisenstein. When we got back to camp we were gifted with an amazing northern lights show for our final night!

Editor's note: in 1991 Gino Buscaini, Silvia Metzeltin and Helma Schimke climbed the Citadel and possibly descended the couloir next to the first gendarme on the north ridge.