Kor's Door

Kor's Door climbs the clean buttress just left of Stettner's Ledges in 3-5 pitches of exquisite crack climbing on perfect alpine rock. This is a great route at the 5.9 grade, well-protected, secure, and interesting. The rock quality is flawless from bottom to top.

From the broad basin at Mill's Glacier head to the broken Class 4 ledge systems right of Lamb's Slide. Wear a helmet, and if crossing below The Notch area move quickly since rocks come whizzing by here all the time. You will most likely have to cross some snow and/or ice to reach the toe of the buttress. Once on the broken buttress, you are shielded from rockfall. Scramble up the buttress to a perfect grassy ledge below the obvious rectangular inset with a large flake poised at it's lower left. The perfect diagonal crack to your right is Malander's Passage.

Pitch 1: 5.4. From the right end of the ledge, climb a curving, left-facing corner. There is a nice spot to belay at the bottom of the inset. This is a short pitch (especially if you scramble all the way to the base of the corner) and is easily and logically linked with Pitch 2.

Pitch 2. 5.9-. Climb the corner on the right side of the inset. Pull through the roof at its top. Belay at a small stance about 10 feet above the roof. With some simulclimbing, it is possible to continue climbing and get to a better belay ledge at the top of Pitch 3.

Pitch 3. 5.9-. Climb up and through the next roof. Belay at a nice ledge about 20 feet above the roof.

Pitch 4: There are two options for this pitch. We went with the 5.8 option, which was directly above the belay.
Option 1: 5.7. Traverse to the left end of the ledge and climb right-facing corners.
Option 2: 5.8. From the right side of the ledge, climb a right-facing dihedral.
At the top of either option, there are again two choices depending on your plan for the remainder of the route. Either angle up and left to the long traverse on Alexander's Chimney or angle up and right if climbing Hornsby Direct.

Pitch 5: There are two options for this pitch depending on your plan for the remainder of the route. We chose to climb the slightly more challenging Hornsby Direct.
5.5. (Same as Pitch 3 of Alexander's Chimney.) Climb a right-facing dihedral for about 40 feet, work up and left for another 80 feet, and then belay on a higher ledge.
5.6. (Hornsby Direct.) Head right to get into the dihedral system.

Pitch 6: There are two options for this pitch depending on which way you went on Pitch 5. We chose to climb the slightly more challenging Hornsby Direct.
5.4 (Same as Pitch 4 of Alexander's Chimney.) Traverse left for another 75 feet (3rd) into a recessed area that has become known as the Yellow Bowl. Belay here, or continue up left side of the bowl to Broadway Ledge.
5.8. (Hornsby Direct.) Climb straight up the dihedral to Broadway Ledge. 

Head right on Broadway, and cross below the Notch to hit Kiener's and the route to the summit. If you don't want to go up and over Long's, descend Lamb's Slide (ice axe/crampons required); or rappel Alexander's Chimney.

If you want to avoid the simul-climbing and climb shorter pitches, no problem, there are plenty of places to stop and belay. This would result in about 5 pitches of climbing to reach Broadway.

One strategy for this climb is to go light, one rope, a light rack, and each climber carry a light pack. Once on Broadway, put on your approach shoes and pack away the gear (although you may want to keep the rope out for the first 150 feet of Kiener's), and shoot for the top.

Per

I only bring i…

: for a shorter day, you can rap the route from the top of P2 as described here: first rap <30m off of slung blocks or threads to the left of the top of P2; then rap <30m off of a pin and nut in the middle of P2; then rap 35-40m(?) off of 4 nuts at the top of P2. The slings were new as of June 2025, but bring extra to replace if needed.

1 set wires to 3" cam. Slings. There are a number of fixed pins on the route.