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Most Current Posts
Expedition Dispatches From Around The Globe!
Posts for every team can be found under the drop-down menus at the right of this page. We have organized our expeditions into Denali, International and Mount Everest categories, with further organization by their Team Meeting Date.
Click on the podcast icons to hear phone calls from our climbers and guides, so that you can better enjoy the experience through their words, not ours. Above all, have fun and dream big!
May
16
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May
16
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May
16
The team spirits are high, the team health is good and the weather still undecided. We are awaiting for a window and keep ourselves busy with hikes up to Kala Patar, Pumori Camp 1 and Base Camp as well as for the e-mail spot in Gorak Shep. We are playing poker in the high altitude Casino (real chips available) and watching other groups betting on the current weather window for the summit push.
It is my birthday today. – one of my presents was packed in a wag bag wrap bag for the lack of wrapping paper – creativity at its best. I took a great hike up to 6000m, the weather was calm and sunny. I sat on the top for 30 minutes to get the best views of Everest and Lothse and keep the acclimatization up. Back at Base Camp we are still trying to master the slack line and just remain sane with little games, jokes and tremendous food. Last two nights we had ‘death by chocolate’ deserts by our master Chef – Serki.
Ania Lichota reporting from Mountain Trip Base Camp
The High Winds on the North Ridge on the 16th
May
15
Max called in from the Lucky Lindy crew this evening, sounds like things are going great!
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May
15
The team loaded up their sleds and packs and made the big push up to the top of the Kahiltna Glacier this morning. They traveled about 4.5 miles up to a beautiful basin situated at bout 11,200′. This is, in many ways, the end of the approach, and the transition to the climbing part of the expedition. The terrain steepens, most climbers don crampons and grab their ice axes, and things just all around get more serious.
The camp looks off to the west, with stunning views of neighboring peaks that transform as the sun passes to the north of Denali, shifting the quality of light to hues of orange, red and pink. Massive ice cliffs border the southern edge of camp, and the climbers are afforded a nice view of the granite craggy face of the West Buttress proper. In the image below, the trail comes into the frame from the lower right and can be seen ascending to camp, up the snowy ramp of glacier from the lower left.
Looking at the basin camp of 11,200', with the massive West Buttress looming at top center
May
15
The crew flew to the glacier yesterday and initially thought that they might benefit more from slowing down and getting some rest, rather than hitting the ground running, so they slept in a bit this morning. When they awoke, temperatures were still quite cold, so they decided that they might as well get the best of both worlds- a good night’s sleep and moving on up the glacier!
They packed up their kit and loaded up their packs and sleds for the 5 mile hike to a flat spot on the huge Kahiltna Glacier located at about 7,800′. This is the traditional Camp 1 for most Denali climbers, and the views looking up the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna at the immense south face of Denali are inspiring.
Everyone did well and moved right along. They are eating dinner and looking forward to another nice night’s sleep, this one a bit higher up than the previous.
May
15
Perfect weather here at Base Camp! Unfortunately its ripping windy up high as the Jet Stream pounds the upper mountain. The forecasts show that about to change in the next few days. We are watching and waiting. Life here at near 18,000 ft. is good. Normally hot and sunny mornings (today was a little colder with light winds). Breakfast by our cook Serki is definitely a high point. This morning we set up a slack line and it soon became the hit of camp. Basically a tightrope just off the ground. Very good balance and concentration training for all! All members here in camp are doing very well. We are taking short hikes each day, playing cards, watching movies and….watching the weather very closely. There was a large avalanche in the icefall near the top of the route through the icefall, fortunately no one was injured or hurt.
The big news today is one of the Mt Trip Team members has made a decision to go down and back home. Chuck Raper is now walking out to Lukla after a very difficult decision to abandon the climb. He has had a string of small things that have added up in the higher altitudes here. Coming down from the last rotation, he frostbite one of his fingers, not very serious, but serious enough to not want to refreeze which can cause further damage. He has also had flu like symptoms for over a week and a cough that’s painful. This is the kind of things that can happen up high and unfortunately Chuck is having a number of issues on top of each other. Its difficult enough here without having to fight several challenging illnesses. It’s a bit sad tonight here with this news. Our thoughts are with Chuck as he heads out to Lukla and Kathmandu.
Scott Woolums reporting from the Mt Trip Everest Base Camp!
Walking the slack line at base camp!
May
14
Joe Butler called in from the Tylers trip this evening with an update. They are moving right along, already in Camp 1 and having a good time!
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May
14
Jason had the honor of calling in for the April 29th West Buttress team this evening. They carried a load of gear up to the ridge yesterday, and are having a rest and recovery day today. They are ready to push up to high camp tomorrow if the weather looks good! Sounds like they are having a cold snap with a recorded temp of -30f last night… Brrrr…
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May
14
Here’s the evening dispatch from Zach and the “Lucky Lindy” team. They carried a load of gear up to about 10,400 ft today and are back in camp resting. I think Zach thought the phone was hung up and you can hear him talking at the end, it’s pretty funny, but rated PG if you want to listen.
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May
14
Well they are on their way back to Talkeetna this evening, they didn’t reach the top, but it sounds like they gave it a good shot and had a great adventure! Congratulations to all the team, nice effort, enjoy the beer in Talkeetna you’ve earned it!
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May
14
Hello and welcome followers, to the May 13th Team. Let’s meet the team!
We have climbers:
Jon Ryall from England
Stephanie Nelson from England
Scott Tippett from Colorado
Jim Arnold from Colorado
Paul Pottinger from Washington
Matthew Fuller from Canada
James Molnar from Ohio
Cindy Outlaw from California
Scott Holder from California
Our guides for this expedition are:
John Race from Leavenworth, WA
Caitlin Hague from Girdwood, AK
Dan Starr from Girdwood, AK
The team is ready to go, poised in Talkeetna for a flight to the glacier hopefully today. We’ll keep you posted, right here.
Here is a picture of the team as they took in the view from just outside Talkeetna:
The May 13th Team- looking good and ready to go!
May
14
The entire crew slept at 7,800 feet, at Camp 1 and is on the move to Base Camp. Lead guide Michael Burmeister estimates that with the weather continuing to be good, they will fly off the glacier late this afternoon, and be back in the metropolis of Talkeetna this evening.
May
14
The Team is in Base Camp and we are watching the weather very close now. We have some of the best forecasting in the world coming into the Mountain Trip Base Camp here. Right now one branch of the Jet Stream is sitting near the top of Everest so is delaying things for the next few days. Everything changes by the day, so its interesting to watch everyone scramble, with big plans for summiting. We are waiting to see a solid, lower wind window and not getting caught up in jamming up high without a clear time to go. Very important in our planning is that there are no ropes to the summit yet and that is not scheduled till the 18th in the hope that the Jet moves away and the lines go in. The forecast looks promising for the fixing teams, that’s some good news. Enough about strategy! Most everyone is off to Kala Patar 2 for a short hike. Very nice weather her now. Were all enjoying being in one place for a few days. Up high the winds have been hammering the upper ridges and Lhotse Summit, with tomorrows forecast to be even higher winds. At least the food is awesome in Base Camp, with Serki making some impressive meals. No one is loosing any weight on this expedition! Scott Woolums reporting from Mountain Trip Base Camp!
May
14
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The team had a chilly night (20 below 0) but is enjoying a sunny day, and plans to round “Windy Corner” today to make a cache.
May
14
Sorry for the delay, but we’ve had five trips get out the door in the last few days. Our focus was on making sure each of the trips was as prepared as possible. We had dinner with the Rib team the other night and these guys will have a great time on the mountain together. Gusto Curtis and Jay Richards are both from California and will be joined by veteran Denali guide, Jared Vilhauer.
The team flew into the park yesterday, and made good time in getting to Camp 1. The plan is to move up the glacier, acclimatizing on the West Buttress route until 14,000 foot camp. From there, they will descend to the base of the Rib, and attempt their climb in Alpine style.
May
14
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Trudi wishes all the mothers out there a Happy Mothers Day !
May
14
Zach Johnson checks in from 7,800 foot camp. All is well on the trail.
May
13
Two of our favorite friends, Isaac and Ariel Tyler are back to give Denali another go, following a bout of illness that interfered with their last attempt.
The couple got high on Denali a few years ago, but a chest infection prevented them from making a summit bid. We are so happy that they have decided to trust Mountain Trip again and they are back for another shot at the top this spring.
On May 13th, they headed up to Talkeetna, along with some newly made friends. They were hoping to fly into the Kahiltna Glacier this afternoon, but rain and clouds prevented them from making the flight.
The forecast looks favorable, so we’re hopeful that the Tylers will fly to the glacier tomorrow and begin their climb up the highest peak in North America.
Ariel (5th from the left) and Isaac (on the right), about to head north to Talkeetna!
Karen, Ariel, Isaac and Joe, with a plane buzzing te Alaska Range!
