A Dog Used Her Claws Like Crampons in Ascent of Mount Robson in the 1970s

In August 1972, a Siberian husky named Talkeetna accompanied Warren Blesser in climbing Mount Robson, the tallest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Little is known about Talkeetna, but by the early 1970s, Blesser was already a highly accomplished alpinist.

In 1963, he made the first ascent of the East Buttress of Denali with four others, in 1969 he made the first ascent of the South Ridge of Mount Foraker, in 1967 he made the fist ascent of the Catenary Ridge on Mount Logan, and in 1969 he led 23 climbers to the summit of Huascarán.

Blesser and Talkeetna climbed Robson via the Kain Face with several others, including Peter Metcalf, who had this to say about the climb to Steve House on Voice of the Mountains:

When we got there [Berg Lake], we ran into a guy named Warren Blesser, who was well known at the time. He’d done a new route, something like the East Ridge of McKinley. I’d definitely read about him, and Leif [Patterson] knew him too. His partner had just twisted his ankle and was heading out, so Warren was left there with his dog looking for a climbing partner.

Warren said, “Hey, can I join you guys?” To which Leif replied, “Well, I’ve got these three kids I’m teaching to climb, but if you want to come along, you’re welcome to.” Warren said, “Sure, let’s do it.”

Talkeetna’s ascent, which included leaping over crevasses, took place on Aug. 16 under excellent weather. It’s likely that no dog had ever reached the summit of Mount Robson before.

Blesser recorded the climb with Talkeetna in the visitors’ logbook at Berg Lake Chalet. Two days later, he completed the third ascent of the North Face of Mount Robson, marking the first time the route had been climbed in hard-ice summer conditions.

Based on available research, it seems possible that Blesser soloed the North Face, though this isn’t certain. His two successful ascents from different aspects within three days were unprecedented.

Alice Wright, owner of Mount Robson Ranch near Red Pass, said Blesser told her about the climb with the dog after he came off the mountain.

She said Talkeetna had been left at the high camp while Blesser and his companions headed for the summit. But the dog wasn’t content to stay behind. She followed the climbers, crossing a wide bergschrund that Blesser had expected would keep her in camp.

Talkeetna caught up with the climbers on a steep pitch and “went along using her claws as crampons,” Wright told Richard Paul for The Canoe Mountain Echo.

“Talkeetna was happy to curl up on a rug when she got to the ranch, but she was fine the next day.”

Wright, who knew as much as, if not more about Robson, as anyone, told Paul that only a few parties manage to reach the summit of Robson each season. Her ranch operated the chalet at Berg Lake, which often served as a base for climbers.

After climbing Mount Robson, Blesser, Metcalf, Patterson and Johnny Waterman climbed a new route on Whitehorn Mountain. Tragically, Blesser died the following year in a storm on the Matterhorn with Niels-Henrik Anderson.

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