Mountain Trip guide Taylor Pyle called in an update on Shan’s May 28 Denali West Buttress team, who are camped at 14,200′ for their fourth day now, waiting on better weather conditions to move up the route.

The team has served as a sort of welcome committee to other Mountain Trip teams, both those arriving from 11,200′ and retreating from High Camp at 17,200′.

When the weather improves, the team hopes to do “sharps school” (practice with crampons, ice axes, etc.), ascending fixed lines and running belays to prepare them for the trials of the upper mountain. Weather permitting, they will head up to High Camp in the coming days.

Spirits are high, the team is happy, healthy, well-fed (they had shrimp dinner at 14,200′!) and they are looking forward to making more progress up the mountain.

Here’s Taylor: