Adamant - North Ridge via Variation of Kaufman Route

This is route # 418 ("Hall Variation") on page 295 of Jones "Selkirks North 2004"  It is a variation of the 1950 route of the North Ridge of Adamant, FA Andy Kaufman and David Michael. It is believed that this 1950 ascent was the 2nd ascent of the mountain, the first having been done by Palmer 38 years before.  Later, in 1958 Andy Kaufman and his partner Pete Schoning ( he of THE belay on K2 in 1953 ) became the only two "Americans" to do a first ascent of an 8000 meter peak. 

In 1970 a very strong party (Chris Jones, Gary Culver, and Graham Thompson) would climb the impressive lower buttress of the North Ridge and connect to the Kaufman Route. [ 5.7  Route # 422, pg 296 "Integral North Ridge" in Jones.  

If one reads the description of the Kaufman route by Andy in either American Alpine Journal or Appalachia there is much made of a chimney/crack that sounds positively un-inviting. This variation avoids said chimney.  

The following description was written at the time (1977) and is presented here: 

See “Location, a.k.a. Getting There" - Climb the Turret glacier to above the Kaufman gully-ramp. This puts you above the prominent (triangular) snow patch on the ridge.

P1 - Cross the 'shrund and move up to rocks (80 ft / 27m) above the 'shrund. Easy ice  [ We initially probed a smaller snow ramp below our chosen ramp, but the lower ramp "petered out".] 

P2 - Move upwards on the ice/snow along the rock of the N Ridge to a larger ramp (Photo 1) .  We belayed above the ramp (see Photo 2) and then climbed down/across to the ramp.  Easy Ice

Pitches 3 - 8 Easily along the ramp, step around a corner (5.3-5.4) and then several rope lengths left along the ramp with occasional step-across type moves of 5.2 to 5.4.  We avoided going up the face on any of the inviting-looking crack/corner systems we passed.  See Topo Photo  [NOTE- pitch lengths not recorded, but likely to have been short. When I see a good, natural belay I tend to stop.]

P9 & 10 - Class 3 (OK, we were roped, so I guess "Class 4") up ridge 150 ft to a step of freshly fractured rock. P10 Here I went right onto the face (5.4 +/- using a 2-inch piece to protect) then back to the ridge crest. This pitch involved some route finding to select the easiest way. There were several "harder variations" which involved backing down to find/return to the easiest way. Consideration should be given to tackling the step directly. 

P 11 - Up the obvious crack in steepening friction 5.5 to a beautiful, sheltered belay, an excellent spot for "second breakfast". 1-inch to 2-inch gear useful. 

P 12 & 13 - Up snow/ice  A large piece useful as a running belay near the top of P12 

P 14 +  Walk along lessening angle snow to the summit.

Descent - We climbed this as part of an Adamant-Turret-Austerity traverse, and one can not say too much about how nice this continuation is. It might be best for at least one of the party to be familiar with the descent from Austerity to the Austerity-Ironman col. 

If just climbing Adamant, much of the route could be down climbed, and it is possible that a rappel or two (or 3 or 4) would cut out most of the long diagonal ramp, going directly from the top of technical of climbing to a point on the "ramp".    FYI the 1970 Jones party rapped.

Another possibility is to descend to the Adamant-Turret col and rap down the steep ice/snow, over the bergshrund and onto the upper Turret glacier and then descend that. However, this is a steep and highly crevassed glacier. 

From Fairy Meadow ascend the Granite glacier to the Turret glacier.  Depending on crevasses and ice falls, enter the Turret glacier on either side of the nunatuck and then continue (or move to) the left side, ascending next to the north ridge of Adamant. 

The Kaufman route branches off left "under a prominent triangular snow patch". Continue up.....see sketch topo and Description.