First Ascent
Liam Suckling (Australia), Jeff Reynolds (USA), Nate Opp (USA) and Larry Holmgren (USA)

Approach: After summiting Mt. Vinson on January 4, 2017, the team spent two weeks traveling with skis and sleds, descending the Zapol Glacier from Vinson Base Camp, then traversing the Nimitz, Minnesota, Splettstoesser, Balish, Schanz, Driscoll and Union Glaciers. Covering approximately 120 miles of technical terrain, they made the first ascent of Rogers peak along the way on January 17, 2017. The base camp for Rogers Peak was established at the entrance to an obvious bowl shared by Rogers and an unnamed peak (Peak 1,400m) adjacent to the collection of peaks that compose the Robinson Massif to the south. Base camp elevation is approximately 2,654 ft.

Route: From base camp, the team moved west into the bowl up rolling glacier conditions with moderate crevassing. Passing most of the north face of Rogers Peak, we continued ascending the glacier until the true summit on the long east-west ridge was visible. Although there are numerous routes here, the group broke sharply right into an obvious rock band leading to the ridge. After gaining the ridge, the route leads left about 300m along a nicely exposed line to the summit.

Conditions: This is a friendly, moderate route with mixed snow, ice and rock conditions. Maximum gradient is approximately 45-50 degrees for up to two pitches. We used a couple of cams in the rock sections and a few pickets, screws and pitons (retrieved) to protect exposed sections. Round-trip mileage is approximately 8.25 miles from base camp and elevation gain was approximately 2,264 ft. We completed the climb and returned in a leisurely six hours. The climbing difficulty is moderate - the commitment to the approach borders on epic. Figure: Rogers Peak with base camp just below it. Peak 1,400m stands left of Rogers with a prominent ridge line.

Climber Notes: Although a straight forward route, Rogers Peak offers a fun ridgeline and spectacular views of the surrounding glaciers and ranges. Weather conditions were typically challenging. Visibility was initially poor, but improved later in the day as we approached the summit. Once on top, we caught views about 75 miles in each direction. This section of the Heritage range is remote, lending itself to numerous attractive fist ascents and first lines. The west ridge up Peak 1,400m referenced above is one example of the many beautiful, more challenging lines we observed in the area. The crux, as in most Antarctic endeavours, is getting there and wishful thinking for favourable conditions. Although the group had hoped to accomplish more, our reconnaissance of numerous peaks in the Sentinel, Bastien and Heritage ranges inspire us to return soon. Be cautious that mapping in this area is limited and notoriously inaccurate for topography, elevations and identification of features required for navigation and risk management.