The May 17th team is putting their grounded days to good use, drilling fixed line skills while they wait for a window to fly. Practicing techniques like ascending and descending on fixed ropes, clipping in and out of carabiners efficiently, and managing rope teams in different scenarios is some of the most valuable work a team can do before stepping onto the glacier. These are the skills that will be used heavily higher up on Denali, particularly on steeper terrain like the Headwall, and having them dialed in before the expedition begins means the team can move with confidence when it matters most. Practicing in town also gives climbers a chance to ask questions, work through any uncertainty, and refine their systems in a low-stakes setting before applying them at altitude.

Patience isn’t always something most people arrive with. Especially after months of training and the kind of anticipation that builds before a Denali expedition. But it’s a skill in its own right, and one that pays off throughout the rest of the climb. That’s the reality of the Alaska Range: the weather operates on its own schedule, and more often than not, it doesn’t line up with yours. A team can show up in peak shape, perfectly packed and ready to fly, only to watch a storm system settle in over the Range and stall everything for days. Settling into the slower pace of Talkeetna and letting go of the timeline you arrived with is one of the harder mental shifts of any expedition into the Range, but the May 17th team is handling it well — taking the delay in stride and using each day on the ground to come back stronger and more prepared for what lies ahead.