The May 9th team took another weather day at Camp 2 today, with high winds across the route making travel higher up the mountain unsafe. The plan, weather permitting, is to make the move up to 14 Camp tomorrow.

High winds are one of the most common reasons teams stay put on Denali, particularly when the next move involves pushing through exposed terrain like Windy Corner. At around 13,500 feet, Windy Corner earns its name by funneling wind off the upper mountain, and even moderate gusts down at Camp 2 can mean significantly worse conditions higher up. Pushing into that kind of weather with heavy packs, sleds in tow, and a long day of climbing ahead is the kind of decision experienced guides simply don’t make. Holding off until conditions improve is the safer, smarter call every time.

The good news is that the team is in great shape to make a strong push when the window arrives. They’ve been spending plenty of time at 11,200 feet, which means their bodies are well-acclimatized to the altitude and ready for the work ahead. The move to 14 Camp is one of the bigger climbs of the expedition, gaining 3,000 feet of elevation through technical terrain, so going into it well-rested and acclimatized makes a real difference.

For now, the team is settling in for another night at Camp 2 with their eyes on the forecast. Hopefully tomorrow brings the conditions they need to finally make the move up to 14!

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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.