New Speed Ascent of Denali’s Cassin Ridge

A new speed descent was recently set on Denali’s Cassin Ridge by Colin Haley on June 5th. According to TGR, he made the trip in just 8 hours and 7 minutes! Denali is the highest peak in North America at 20,310 feet or 6,190 meters. After trying and failing in the past, Colin thought it would be best if he went for the route solo.

The Cassin Ridge is a very technical line. The line itself is 8,000 feet or 2,438 meter rock and ice climb with plenty of exposure. It is rated at 5.8 M4 WI4. The route was first climbed by the Italian mountaineer Ricardo Cassin, who took several days to ascend the ridge. The fastest recorded time was done by Jon Griffith & Will Sim in 2011. It took the pair a total of 14 hours and 40 minutes to complete the trip.

Colin Haley had a plan before making the harrowing ascent. Previously, he had attempted the ascent with other mountaineers but fell short of his ultimate goal of the record breaking speed ascent. He opted to go it alone without ropes, harnesses, or protection, and only bringing, ice tools, energy bars, water and a few extra layers. He spent several weeks on various routes acclimatizing and then opted for the speed ascent.

Huge congratulations to Colin Haley on this incredible feat!