Climbing Verstovia East ridge - Sitka Alaska

Starting at the Heart Lake trailhead, behind Fortress Of The Bear, we charged up a creek bed then through thick brush and scree to the east ridge which we followed west all the way to a scrambley section before before the summit.

[@Jack-mv3sx]

So dope

[@JustCavey]

spectacular shots of Sitka!

[@StarlingBirch]

Sitka was cooperating for that shot! Thanks for watching!

[@khaijohannes5308]

Drone work 10/10. I was left inspired

[@Jasondeheus]

Stellar edit and those shots had that old pucker factor happening so great job 👏 making me feel as if I was climbing with you.

[@StarlingBirch]

we will hike together again my friend! thank you for the good words and for always watching!

[@davidhart1743]

Nice one.

[@PalusMus]

Awesome….as always. Which way did you come down?

[@StarlingBirch]

i hiked down the "normal route" to picnic rock which was a heck of a lot easier than it would have been to back track. i should add that to the description. thank you for asking! and for always watching!

[@alaskan_bergwanderer]

Damn dude! Another absolutely savage route!

[@StarlingBirch]

hahaha! anytime you leave the trail out here you experience a beautiful version on hell

[@ajh2027]

Gnarly!

[@teufelhund53]

You take some pretty gnarly routes on this channel. I don't think viewers realize how steep and loose/slick some of those sections are. Just moved to Sitka recently and getting a lot of inspo and ideas from your videos. Definitely will use them as a resource when I do Bear mountain and some other climbs I have yet to attempt. So far ive done Verstovia and Harbor Mountain, but at Harbor couldn't get to the very highest peak when i tried, too steep and jagged.

[@StarlingBirch]

Welcome to Sitka! Thanks for checking out this channel! I'm glad your getting out and chasing these summits.There are some frustratingly steep finishes here that can really leave you feeling like a wimp hahaha! I'm sure I'll see you out on the trail

[@s.aitken5241]

😮😮😮🎉🎉🎉

[@bocadelcieloplaya3852]

such beautiful scenery. Dang that looked steep in places you were hiking.

[@StarlingBirch]

Sitka is so beautiful and so steep! i love it. Thank you for you comments

[@SitkaNature]

Were those bear tracks coming straight up the snow towards the summit on that last drone shot (from about 5:13-5:20 is where I see them best)? That area looked a bit more intense that what you showed (which seemed like plenty as it was!) - but maybe bears don't care. If not bear, then maybe goat, they definitely don't care, but it seems like they usually stay further back (in even rougher country).

[@StarlingBirch]

I saw those tracks as well but only after I was reviewing the drone video. I wasn’t sure if it was from a daring person or a goat or something else, but I definitely felt out done haha!

[@khaijohannes5308]

I'm confused... how did you get past the road black sign?!

[@StarlingBirch]

i fasted for 2 days, had to remove my backpack, all of my clothing then exhale and drag myself underneath the gate