The May 19th team is settled in at Basecamp after their successful summit, hanging tight while they wait for a flight window back to Talkeetna. The climbing is behind them and the summit is in the books, but the trip isn’t quite over until the plane shows up.

Weather delays at Basecamp are a common end-of-expedition reality. The flight from the Kahiltna Glacier back to Talkeetna covers about 45 miles in a small single-engine plane, and conditions have to line up between Basecamp and Talkeetna for the flight to happen. Even when the weather looks fine on one end of the trip, the airspace around Denali can shift quickly, and bush pilots will hold off on flying until things are right. It can be frustrating to be so close to the trip back to town and not be able to make the final hop, but it’s all part of climbing in the Alaska Range.

In the meantime, Basecamp has its own quiet rhythm. The team is enjoying the slower pace, sharing meals, swapping stories from the climb, and starting to wind down from the intensity of the expedition. There’s also a unique camaraderie at Basecamp at this point in the season. Teams coming off the mountain mingle with teams about to head up, creating an unexpected mix of energy and reflection in one place. It’s a fun stage of any Denali trip.

For now, the May 19th team is at Basecamp, soaking in the views of the Kahiltna and waiting for their window to fly. We can’t wait to welcome them back to Talkeetna and Anchorage soon!

—

Family and friends are encouraged to leave comments for their loved ones on this expedition. Please keep in mind that climbers will not be able to see posts or comments until they return to Talkeetna at the end of the expedition.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to this expedition’s Field Reports by entering your email address in the form to the right or below if viewing via mobile. That way, you never miss an update!

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.