Manish Kumar Deka called in a nice post from Camp 2 at 11,200′ on Denali.  The team carried a load of gear and supplies up to an elevation of around 13,500′ today, where they cached it in the snow.  Today was the first “real climbing” of the trip, as they donned crampons and used their ice axes to provide security as they ascended the steepest slopes they have yet encountered.

Immediately above Camp 2 rises a 1000′ hill known as Motorcycle Hill.  Above are a series of shorter, but steeper slopes collectively known as Squirrel Hill, that lead to the base of the West Buttress proper.  The team hiked along the steep slopes of the Buttress to a point where they could turn past its rocky crags and head north toward the large “Genet Basin,” where they will ultimately make their next camp.

About an hour shy of the basin, they dig a deep hole in the hard, wind-packed snow and buried their supplies before dropping back to the 11,200′ basin for the night.

Here is Manish!