Contributed by Debra McGhan
Nan Potts joined her friend and climbing partner, along with another group of fellow climbers, near Eklutna Lake with the goal of scaling Bold Peak, the final climb in their 2015 “Six Peak Challenge” summer. The challenge, sponsored by Active Soles in Palmer, required climbers to scale six peaks in the Mat-Su Valley by the end of September, with awards to be presented in October. Just one more to go.
On the morning of July 31, the group met at the trailhead on Eklutna Lake Road. The weather was right for the climb, and Potts felt prepared and confident. The first thing she noticed was the scant supplies carried by others in the group. While she carried a full pack with technical climbing gear, some had little more than small hip packs.
“I anticipated a climb. They were ready for a run,” she said, describing the scene. “I had to wonder if they were really prepared for what lay ahead.”
Bold Mountain towers 7,522 feet above Eklutna Lake in the Chugach Range. This would be a 16-hour round trip staged in four legs: a 10-mile bike ride in, a four-mile summit trek up, and then the 14-mile return. Rated class six, meaning steep slopes with rockfall, this trek is not for the ill-prepared.
At the base of the mountain, the group separated and started the steep ascent. At one point, Potts reached a car-sized boulder with a shallow depression, acknowledging it with a touch before moving on.
Suddenly, a rumble filled the air, followed by a muffled voice shouting, “Rock!”
“I looked up and saw two boulders charging right for me,” said Potts. “One passed to my right while the other continued straight for me. I dove under the ledge of the boulder just as I heard a loud thump and felt gravel pelting my helmet. A fist-sized fragment embedded itself in the dirt just inches from my left shoulder.”
When silence returned, Potts’ first reaction was anger. Her partners had broken a critical rule in climbing. She could have been killed. Her anger gave way to concern when she discovered her friend and climbing partner, who was above her, had been hit by the boulder and was injured.
Climbing up to her friend, she completed a quick survey and determined there was no external bleeding and her friend was conscious and responding. The main injury appeared to be a large hematoma on her thigh where the boulder had struck her. Not life-threatening, but serious enough. Perched on a 45-degree pitch, Potts suggested they try to get down to more level ground.
Pulling out the harness in her pack, Potts instructed her friend to put her arms through it so she could help her to a patch of grass about 100 feet below. Meanwhile, the others in the group who had made it to the peak joined them on their way down.
“There’s no cell phone signal to call 911,” one said. “Why don’t we go for help?”
The group agreed and set out, leaving Potts and her friend to wait. Knowing it would likely be a while before help arrived, Potts did her best to make her friend comfortable. She was prepared with an extra jacket, bivy bag, water and snacks.
Over the next hour, Potts’ injured friend went in and out of consciousness several times.
Eventually, her friend recovered enough that, combined with sheer determination, they decided to attempt the trek back to the parking lot. It proved a grueling ordeal, but thanks to Potts’ extra gear, emergency medical training and climbing experience, they made it back, and her friend was able to receive expert medical care at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military hospital.
“Over time my friend recovered, and the ordeal reinforced the importance of being properly prepared,” said Potts. “That, combined with all of the training I’d had over the years, made all the difference in our situation. This could have turned out a lot different, but instead we made it back alive.”
Now Potts serves on the Mat-Su Emergency Preparedness Expo planning committee, helping plan and host the annual event.
September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. Attend the 18th annual Mat-Su Preparedness Expo at the Menard Sports Center on Saturday, September 26, 10am-3pm, and ensure you, your family and friends are prepared for emergencies and disasters.
This free event is made possible by Mat-Su Borough Emergency Services, Alaska Safe Riders, AARP Alaska, the American Red Cross, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Links Mat-Su and more than 90 other exhibitors and sponsors. It features hands-on activities, interactive demonstrations, safety equipment and more for all ages.
More info: alaskasaferiders.org or ready.matsugov.us
