Japanese mountaineer Masatoshi Kuriaki is back in Alaska to make his sixth attempt at a solo, wintertime first ascent of Mt. Hunter. Kuriaki hopes to realize a decade-long goal of completing the Denali “family”鈥擠enali, Mt. Foraker, and Mt. Hunter鈥攊n winter and without support. Rarely climbed, even in the summer, Mt. Hunter and Mt. Foraker are known for being technically demanding, remote, and brutally cold. After summiting Denali in 1998, Masatoshi spent four winter seasons before succeeding in 2007.聽His five previous attempts on Mt. Hunter were thwarted by bad weather, avalanches and hanging glaciers. This season, Masatoshi will trek in enough supplies to allow him 100 days on the mountain, 17 longer than his previous attempt.聽
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