Calgarian Tom Kitta recently achieved a remarkable feat by reaching the summit of Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak. The 47-year-old experienced mountaineer described the climb as 'a very difficult endeavour.'
Summit Success
Kitta reached the top of Mount Logan, which stands at 5,959 metres, just after midnight on June 3. Located in the Yukon's Kluane National Park and Reserve, the mountain had been on his list for some time.
'Not too many people make it,' Kitta said during an interview with Postmedia.
Climbing Experience
With about 20 years of climbing experience, Kitta has summited other notable peaks, including Alaska's Denali, North America's highest, and Nepal's Manaslu at 8,163 metres. However, finding a partner for Mount Logan proved challenging.
'I usually do mountains solo, and Mount Logan was something that's really long, cold. Then they banned solo climbing, so I had to find a partner,' he explained.
Since 2020, Parks Canada has required a minimum group size of two for expeditions on Mount Logan due to increased risks at high altitude for climbers and emergency responders.
Partner and Ascent
After searching for a partner for two years, an American man contacted Kitta, and they met for the first time at the Calgary airport. 'And off we went,' Kitta said.
A few hours into the climb, Kitta felt confident he would summit. 'It was just a matter of moving my legs.'
The pair initially aborted an attempt due to near-whiteout conditions. Later, Kitta's partner felt sick and dizzy, so Kitta proceeded alone under clear skies.
'It looked like a great day, maybe a little bit late,' Kitta recalled, noting the weather window seemed stable.
Summit and Descent
Kitta spent only minutes at the summit, focused on capturing proof of his achievement. 'Once I got to the summit, my main thought was take the pictures, take the video, make proof of the summit as soon as possible and get out.'
After descending about 50 metres, he messaged his mother and his partner's weatherman to confirm the summit. 'Your mind just switches to the mode of, OK, checkmark. I need to actually go back and survive.'
During the descent, Kitta 'punched through' a crevasse while wearing crampons, describing the incident as 'kinda scary.' His partner jokingly called him the 'crevasse discoverer' for his tendency to find them.
He returned to the tent around 4 a.m., had some food, and recovered quickly, losing only 10 pounds—'nothing too ridiculous,' he said.
