Astorga and Gilbert Chase Make History on Slovak Direct
Their ascent is one of only a few of the grade VI alpine climb
Chantel Astorga and Anne Gilbert Chase have made the first all-female ascent of one of the most wild climbs in Alaska, the Slovak Direct on Denali. They climbed the big and committing 3,000-metre route, graded VI 5.9X M6 WI6, from June 2 to 5 for the climb’s ninth overall ascent.
“[We] made the nintth overall (we think) and first female ascent of the Slovak Direct on the south face of Mount Denali completing a two-year dream,” wrote Gilbert Chase on social media. “It was an amazing and wild adventure that I can’t put into words at this time.
“It took everything we had and challenged our mental and physical strength many times over. What a beautiful mountain and a badass route.” A similar first all-female ascent was in May 2016, when Fanny Schmutz and Elodie Lecomte climbed the Scottish Pillar on the southwest face of Bhagirathi III (6,856 m) in the Garhwal Himalaya over five days.
Watch Gilbert Chase talk alpine climbing in Ouray with Gripped editor Brandon Pullan in winter 2018 below.
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