Fischer Hazen called in on behalf of our May 28th West Buttress team. They dropped down from Base Camp and then hiked about five miles up the vast Kahiltna Glacier to the site of their Camp 1. Located at 7,800′, this camp is at the confluence of the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier and the main body of the Kahiltna. On a clear afternoon, such as the one the crew was treated to, you get an amazing view of Denali, framed by the sides of the Northeast Fork valley.
The team did great today and everyone is excited to be on the trail! Tomorrow’s plan is to carry supplies and gear higher on the route, but then drop back to 7,800′ to sleep. This is called “double carrying” or “making a carry” in climber parlance. It enables the team to move the mountain of supplies necessary for a 3-week climb and also helps them acclimatize by giving them a taste of the next camp’s higher elevation.
Here is Fischer!
