The May 16th team officially made the move up to Camp 2 today, putting another solid day of climbing behind them and continuing the steady progress up the West Buttress.

The move from Camp 1 to Camp 2 is one of the more significant pushes on the lower mountain. Climbers gain about 2,000 feet of elevation as they work their way up Ski Hill and continue along the Kahiltna Glacier. It’s a long day with heavy loads in tow, and the route grinds steadily uphill for hours, demanding both physical effort and patience. Arriving at Camp 2 in good shape is a real testament to the team’s strength and pacing on the route.

Camp 2 itself sits at 11,200 feet and serves as the home base for the next phase of the expedition. From here, teams begin working toward Windy Corner and the upper mountain, typically caching higher up the route before relocating camp again to 14 Camp at 14,200 feet. The view from Camp 2 also marks a noticeable shift in the climb. The lower glacier feels lower, the upper mountain feels closer, and the scale of Denali starts to really come into focus for climbers.

With the move to Camp 2 done, the team will settle in for the night, get organized, and start planning their next push higher up the mountain. Each move day like this is another step toward the upper mountain, and the May 16th team is building exactly the kind of momentum they need.

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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.