This morning a group of climbers from around the world met in Anchorage, Alaska to finalize their preparations for an attempt on the classic West Buttress Route of Denali.  The team has been preparing for months, training and acquiring the highly specialized clothing and gear that their ascent requires.  Today, they will meet three guides from Mountain Trip to finish their preparations, pack up their packs for one last time and get ready to fly to the glacier tomorrow.

Today’s agenda includes a morning team meeting and a thorough equipment check.  If anyone is missing something, we’ll take the team around to the very good climbing shops in Anchorage to make any last-minute purchases.  After shopping, the team will enjoy a lunch at one of our favorite restaurants before heading back to their bed and breakfast rest for the evening.  Tomorrow, we’ll pick the team up early in the morning and make the 2-hour drive up to the small town of Talkeetna, where they will finish their registration with the National Park Service and attend an orientation that the NPS provides to all Denali climbers.  If the weather permits, they will load up in ski-equipped fixed wing planes and fly to the glacier!

Let’s meet the team!

Brian Trombley
Charles Grittner
Holly Freeman
John Wutzer
Respicius Baitwa

Guides:

Kevin Koprek

Cory Jackson

Karina Amortegui

We’ll be updating their expedition dispatches daily and you can also track their progress on the SPOT tracking link for their team on the right hand sidebar.  There are also links to the weather forecast and a webcam from Talkeetna.  Enjoy the journey!