Seward, Resurrection Bay, Humpy Cove area NEW DEVELOPMENT!!

Hey There,

I will be in Seward during the early months of May and June preparing our boat for the fishing season. I am very ambitious however to develop some new routes on the outstanding Rock just outside Seward towards Resurrection Bay, mostly the areas in Humpy Cove on the East side of the Bay. If you have been out there you know what area Im speaking of because of the massive amount of Rock on that side of the bay that is begging to be climbed.

I have seen very little information from others making attempts on putting up new routes or discovering an area worth developing in this area. My plan is to go out in search for such areas/routes to clean and make available for climbers to explore and Im asking the Alaskan climbing community if they have heard of any previous activity in this area? If so, it would be greatly helpful to establish contact with you to help me better understand which areas have been looked at or established.

I have only seen this area from the water so this will be my first time making it to shore and looking for possible routes to set up.

If you know of anyone that has been to this area before, please have them email me, or if you have an interest in making this area a new climbing destination feel free to join in on the help. Im sure this will include a lot of trail clearing and route cleaning.

I am super excited about this adventure and Im positive we can develop this area for the climbing community.

cheers,

Jacob Holmstead
jibholmstead@gmail.com

Resserection Bay

Caterac Waterfalls. Seward

I lived in Anchorage for a number of years, and have wondered about routes in that area as well. I have asked around and done some research, but never found any documentation. I'd be surprised if no climbers had ever ventured out there, but I'm sure it is ripe with potential first ascents.

Check out Thumb Cove. I was out there on sail boat two summers ago and remember there being plenty of rock for some 2-3 pitch routes. Looking through binoculars from the boat it looked similar to the Seward Highway greywhacke and pretty solid.

There is also a state park cabin on the beach that would make it easy to hang out in relative luxury and climb/ develop for a number of days.

If your spending time out there I would highly recommend checking it out. Even if the rock quality is not fantastic I'm sure it could yield some multipitch adventure routes in a beautiful setting.

I guess you'll never know unless you try. If you climb some routes out on the bay put some photos and info up. I'd be interested to see what you find.

Brandon,
Thats great to hear that there is a state park cabin there. That would make the trips so much easier. Thanks for the heads up about Thumb Cove. The only first hand experience of this place that I have was through Binoculars but I was still pretty excited to see potential in the area. If your in Seward in May/June this summer for a weekend you should let me know.

I have explored a lot in Prince William Sound... nothing for me in Resurection Bay either. PWS is amazing and it would be cool to try and do some climbing there. Maybe if I had a boat and could live up there.

Coming from Colorado though... by the time I get all the way out there in a kayak, and/or pay huge johnny for a charter boat, there are so many other great things to do than deal with trying to climb there. It efing rains a lot.

I do dream of having a good boat and living there in PWS for some time... having rock and ice gear... there would be much to do.

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Yea Frosty,
PWS is a wonderful place. I have traveled it each summer on a commercial fishing boat and the place is seriously one of my favorite places to be.
When you get that boat, let me know!

Chat with Kelsey Gray. He wrote the guidebook for a lot of the climbing around AK and would likely know the most. facebook.com/pages/Alaska-R… I'd send him a message on Facebook or get ahold of him via MP mountainproject.com/u/prezw…
Good luck! I lived in Anchorage for years and the climbing season can be a rather depressing thing...

Ty, you missed the summer of summers. We were in Hatcher Pass more than anywhere else, and didn't get rained on more that a couple times! It reminded me why Alaska is the place to be! No people and sick granite to be had!

There has also been a resurgence of climbing on the Seward Highway, just put up a sweet little number that is going to fall nicely into a medium to hard 5.12 category. Good rock to be had if you know where to look and aren't afraid to clean!

@Dommelhiemer Oh I've had good climbing seasons....but I've also had seasons where it rains everyday for 28 days straight like in 2010. adn.com/2010/08/14/1410314/… I heard last summer was awesome!

That Summer was awful, 2011 wasn't a real winner either. The hot season skunked me in the Alaska Range this past year. Headed to Arrigetch this season.

Hey Frosty,
Those images of the sound look great. Where is the first photo taken with the seeping Slabs?
Another one of those photos looks like hidden bay, which is a sick place on Culross Island.

Hello Seward thread,

I just scored a job up in Seward this season and will be there from late April into October. Looking for some adventure, rock, climbing, fa's, and assisting anyone in developing the area! If your searching for a partner hit me up! Any further information would be much obliged.

Cheers,

Nick

NKainrath@gmail.com

Hey Jib,
Go down to Exit Glacier Guides and chat with Ryan Fisher or Brendan Ryan if you haven't already. They're pretty well dialed into the climbing community and can point you in the direction of anyone who has developed or explored those areas. I know that when I talked to them last summer they said that they thought that someone had been out there before, but I can't remember who they said they thought it was. Maybe the same guy who put that unfinished bolted line up up Mt. Alice? They'll definitely help you out if they know!
Cheers and good luck!

Thats really great to hear, I will definitely go visit Exit Glacier Guides and talk about the Area and possible lines to go up.

Nick I will get in touch with you when I get up to Seward in June.