The May 9th team stayed in camp today, taking advantage of a rest day at 14 Camp after the work of getting up here. Tomorrow’s plan, however, is a little different than your average climbing day on Denali.

The guides are heading up the fixed lines and the ridge tomorrow on a scouting mission to assess the conditions of both sections. The rest of the team will stay back at camp while the guides do their work, waiting for their return to debrief and discuss what comes next. Scouting trips like this are a critical piece of any West Buttress expedition, and they’re especially important this early in the season. The May 9th team is among the first teams all year to make it this high on the mountain, which means the route above 14 Camp hasn’t yet been broken in by the steady flow of climbers that builds throughout the Denali season. Without an established boot pack, beta from teams ahead, or fixed picket placements left behind by previous guides, the guides have to do that early-season legwork themselves. Sending them up to see firsthand gives the team accurate, real-time information to work with.

The fixed lines, which run up the Headwall above 14 Camp from around 15,200 feet to 16,200 feet, are one of the most consequential sections of the route. They require careful technique with mechanical ascenders and crampons on steep, exposed terrain. Early in the season, the fixed lines themselves may need to be partially or fully reset, which is another reason for an in-person look. The ridge above the fixed lines is equally important to scout: a long, narrow stretch of climbing with significant exposure on both sides, often impacted by wind and changing snow conditions. Knowing what to expect on both sections before committing the entire team to the climb is the kind of careful planning that keeps expeditions safe and successful.

Once the guides return tomorrow, the team will sit down together to talk through what was observed and start building a plan for the next several days. Depending on what the guides find, the team may push forward with a cache higher up the route, take additional rest, or wait for better conditions. Either way, it’s a smart, deliberate approach that puts the team in the best position to make good decisions moving forward.

For now, the May 9th team is resting up at 14 Camp and looking ahead to a busy day tomorrow.

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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.