Slovak Direct route Denali. Photo Andy Houseman
Andy Houseman and Nick Bullock made the sixth ascent the Slovak Direct on Denali.
The route was first climbed in a groundbreaking 60-hour single push by Scott Backes, Mark Twight and Steve House in 2000 helping to pave the way for future ascents of big lines.
Houseman wrote on his blog:
“We didn’t climb it in a single push or enchain it with another Alaskan grade 6 test piece like some of the previous ascents but for us the atmosphere of the face, the remoteness, the size and the four days of bad weather lead to the most committed and out there route either of us had ever done.”
Learn more about their climb in the video interview below with Epic TV.Click
The ascent by the Twight / House ? Backes was actually the THIRD ascent. The only thing they really did “first” was not formally bivi – technically it was a single push in 60hrs.
The Slovac’s – Tono Križo, František Korl and Blažej Adam – opened the route over a number of days, Ben Gilmore and Kevin Mahoney climbed it alpine style shortly before Twight et al.