Dyad Performance Review on Mount Huntington, Alaska

I had always wanted to climb in Alaska. With its epic peaks and stories of alpine endeavors, I knew my time to go there would come sooner than later. This past April I found myself boarding a plane to meet up with Pritti Wright, a climber from Seattle, Washington. We had spent the weeks prior discussing objectives, gear and watching for the perfect weather window. I flipped through the glossy pages of photos, tops and scoured the internet for beta on different climbs in the range. It would be my first time in the Alaska Range so I wanted to have a good idea of where I was going and what the terrain would be like. We decided on the Harvard Route on Mount Huntington located on the Tokasitna Glacier.

When it comes to alpine climbing I would say I am pretty conservative and thoughtful about the routes I choose to do. After 15 years in the discipline, I know what it takes and what the mountains are capable of taking from you. I have climbed all over the world and have been on over 20 expeditions to places both near and far. I put a lot of consideration into the gear I take and its super rare I would try a new tactic or gear on a huge alpine climb. With that being said, I had my hands on the new Sterling Dyad 7.7 mm XEROS double ropes and had been using them a bit around my home turf in the San Juans of Colorado. There is a big difference between using new ropes in the ice park and committing to taking them on a big alpine objective in Alaska when they are still in prototype form!

From the first use of the Dyad I was completely sold on the feel, durability and performance of these cords. They climb super well, are light, and don’t ice up in the cold. The Dyad made it up and down Mount Huntington with zero problems and it barely looks used! With over 30 pitches of climbing and just as many rappels over rugged alpine terrain the Dyad is next level!