Our May 11th team arrived in Basecamp after their second attempt at flying onto the glacier! It sounds like the weather is beginning to open up for our teams to make great progress toward their summit. The team will spend the day prepping camp for a night’s rest and a good meal before making their way to Camp 1 tomorrow. Arriving at Basecamp marks a major shift in the expedition. From the logistics and waiting game of Talkeetna to the real work of moving up the mountain. The team will get their first taste of life on the glacier tonight, including setting up their tents on the glacier, melting snow for water, and adjusting to the cold and altitude of 7,200 feet.

Teams oftentimes will take the opportunity to prep sleds and go over glacier travel techniques for travel to Camp 1 with any extra downtime they have before their travel day. This includes rigging sleds to their packs, practicing rope team spacing, and reviewing crevasse rescue protocols — all critical skills for the heavily glaciated terrain ahead. Even small details like adjusting harnesses and checking that every climber’s system is dialed in can make a big difference once the team is moving as a roped unit.

Here’s Steve, the lead guide, with a message from Basecamp!

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Interested in more information about conditions and happenings on Denali? Be sure to also check out the Denali National Park’s Denali Dispatches Blog where they post weekly Field Reports.