Hurry up and wait!  Today, the team anticipated good weather, based on the forecast shared last night from NOAA, so they awakened early and began the process of getting their kit in order to make the tough push up the steepest section of the West Buttress route.  Alas…, the forecast was incorrect, as is often the case on Denali.  They spent the day in whiteout conditions, which climber Steve Martin likened to being, “inside a ping pong ball.”

Another Mountain Trip team camped at 16,400′ on the nearby West Rib informed the team that it was pretty dang windy at that elevation, so the vets stood down and relaxed for the day.  Steve said they tucked into some cheese cake as they looked around at the white room in which they waited.

They team has plenty of time and they are in position to push up to High Camp as soon as the weather allows.

Here’s Steve –

recording