The April 22 Team has been having a tough go of it up t high camp.  They were hammered by winds all night last night and had one tent pole break and rip through the fly of the tent.  Repairing a tent at 4 in the morning is not a lot of fun…

The weather seemed to be abating at about 11 this morning and the cloud layer that had obscured their views for the past couple of days seemed  to be lowering, so they packed up camp and started to head down to 14,200′ .  A short way down, the weather began to swirl and deteriorate, and they decided that, rather than continue to push down in inclement conditions, they would return to camp.  So… back in camp they are, and the winds have again picked up, so they are hunkered down, hoping that the predicted lapse in the winds begins in the morning, when they will pack up and try to get down out of high camp.

The team has endured some really challenging time up in the rarefied air of 17,200′ on Denali.  Even a good, warm day up there can feel somewhat otherworldly, and when the wind is buffeting you, it can feel like something from a Dante novel.  The team has had a long, hard go of it and unless a dramatic and unanticipated change of weather presents itself tomorrow, they will use their energy and resources to head down the mountain in the morning.  Good effort folks and we hope you have good conditions for your descent.