Climbing the Wolf's Tooth

Conrad Anker and Jimmy Chin landed in Antarctica  (credit: Conrad Anker)

Conrad Anker, mountaineer, environmental speaker, and Journal contributor was a member of a new expedition to Antarctica's Queen Maud Land. Conrad offers some history and perspectives on the challenges of mountaineering in such an extreme environment on the continent. Here is his dispatch. The Editors

Fenris Kejeften Range, Antarctica (credit: Conrad Anker)    Ulvetanna Peak, "Wolf's Tooth" (credit: Jimmy Chin)

"Antarctica's Ulvetanna Peak, the Wolf's Tooth is 9616 feet high (2931 meters) in the southern Drygalski Mountains, was first climbed in February 1994 by Ivar Eric Tollefsen, Robert Caspersen and Sjur Nesheim. The Norwegian team caught a ride on a resupply ship from South Africa, hitched a lift on a Soviet era helicopter, and then ventured overland for the first ascent. The climb took 14 days and involved porta-ledges, wide cracks, and wallowing-up steep snow. It is the most prominent peak (a nunatak) in the Fenris Kjeften cirque and became the goal for Jimmy Chin and I on this expedition. After we were dropped-off on the twin otter. by the Twin Otter, I skied 30 minutes to the base of the NW wall of Ulvetanna. An obvious crack split the face and it was 'commitment at first sight'. What I didn’t realize was that it was a full-on, wide crack, extravaganza with steep snow added for good measure. And why not also include sharp rock? All this conspiring to keep the summit “real”. In the coming days, Jimmy and I fixed the first six pitches and realized the truth of Ivar’s comment: “The walls are longer and colder than you expect.” The Norwegian route follows the central rib of the spire."

Conrad Anker

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