Devils Thumb
Encyclopedia
Devils Thumb, or Daalkunaxhkhu shaa in Tlingit
, is a mountain
in the Stikine Icecap
region of the Alaska
-British Columbia
border, near Petersburg
. It is named for its projected thumb-like appearance. Its name in the Tlingit language
has the meaning "the Mountain That Never Flooded" and is said to have been a refuge for people during Aangalakhu ("the Great Flood"). It is one of the peaks that marks the border, and is also listed on maps as Boundary Peak 71.
Devils Thumb is a very challenging climb even for advanced mountain climbers
. A description of the mountain can be found in Eiger Dreams
, a collection of articles by Jon Krakauer
, who successfully climbed the mountain early in his career. Krakauer also chronicles his solo ascent of Devils Thumb in chapters 14 and 15 of his book Into the Wild.
, a subrange of the Coast Mountains
spanning the United States-Canada border, north of the mouth of the Stikine River. Other peaks in the area include the Cat's Dingleberries and Witches Tits (part of the western ridge of the Devils Thumb massif itself), and Mount Burkett and Burkett Needle, a pair of spires about 8 mi (13 km) to the northeast.
n mountaineering. Fred Beckey
, along with Clifford Schmidtke, and Bob Craig, climbed the East Ridge, a route that combined technical difficulty equal to anything ever climbed on the continent to that time with great remoteness and terrible weather conditions.
The infamous Northwest Face has seen many failed attempts starting in 1977 (possibly earlier), through the present; at least three teams have died on the face. In 1977 Jon Krakauer
successfully climbed the East Ridge of the Devils Thumb.
Tlingit language
The Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
, is a mountain
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in the Stikine Icecap
Stikine Icecap
The Stikine Icecap is a large icefield straddled on the Alaska–British Columbia boundary in the Alaska Panhandle region. It lies in the Boundary Ranges of the Coast Mountains...
region of the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
-British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
border, near Petersburg
Petersburg, Alaska
Petersburg is a city in Petersburg Census Area, Alaska, in the United States. According to 2009 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 2,824 full time residents.- History :...
. It is named for its projected thumb-like appearance. Its name in the Tlingit language
Tlingit language
The Tlingit language ) is spoken by the Tlingit people of Southeast Alaska and Western Canada. It is a branch of the Na-Dené language family. Tlingit is very endangered, with fewer than 140 native speakers still living, all of whom are bilingual or near-bilingual in English...
has the meaning "the Mountain That Never Flooded" and is said to have been a refuge for people during Aangalakhu ("the Great Flood"). It is one of the peaks that marks the border, and is also listed on maps as Boundary Peak 71.
Devils Thumb is a very challenging climb even for advanced mountain climbers
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
. A description of the mountain can be found in Eiger Dreams
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains
Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains is a non-fiction collection of articles and essays by Jon Krakauer on mountaineering and rock climbing...
, a collection of articles by Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
, who successfully climbed the mountain early in his career. Krakauer also chronicles his solo ascent of Devils Thumb in chapters 14 and 15 of his book Into the Wild.
Location
Devils Thumb is part of a group of striking, difficult rock peaks on the western edge of the Stikine Icecap. The Stikine Icecap occupies the crest of the Boundary RangesBoundary Ranges
The Boundary Ranges, also known in the singular and as the Alaska Boundary Range, are the largest and most northerly subrange of the Coast Mountains...
, a subrange of the Coast Mountains
Coast Mountains
The Coast Mountains are a major mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges, of western North America, extending from southwestern Yukon through the Alaska Panhandle and virtually all of the Coast of British Columbia. They are so-named because of their proximity to the sea coast, and are often...
spanning the United States-Canada border, north of the mouth of the Stikine River. Other peaks in the area include the Cat's Dingleberries and Witches Tits (part of the western ridge of the Devils Thumb massif itself), and Mount Burkett and Burkett Needle, a pair of spires about 8 mi (13 km) to the northeast.
Notable features
The most famous feature on the Devils Thumb among climbers is its unclimbed Northwest Face, rising 6700 ft (2,042 m) from the Witches Tits at its base to the summit, at an average angle of 67 degrees. This is the steepest face of this size in North America. The conditions prevalent also make it perhaps the most dangerous climbing proposition on the continent.Climbing history
The first ascent of the Devils Thumb was a landmark in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n mountaineering. Fred Beckey
Fred Beckey
Fred Beckey is an American mountaineer and author, who has made hundreds of first ascents, more than any other North American climber.-Early years:...
, along with Clifford Schmidtke, and Bob Craig, climbed the East Ridge, a route that combined technical difficulty equal to anything ever climbed on the continent to that time with great remoteness and terrible weather conditions.
The infamous Northwest Face has seen many failed attempts starting in 1977 (possibly earlier), through the present; at least three teams have died on the face. In 1977 Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer
Jon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
successfully climbed the East Ridge of the Devils Thumb.