The June 22nd team is officially on the mountain! The team flew into Basecamp this afternoon and, after getting their gear sorted, is planning to make the move up toward Camp 1 early tomorrow morning.

Traveling the lower glacier in the cold early morning hours is one of the smartest approaches on Denali. As temperatures drop overnight, the snow refreezes and the snow bridges that span the crevasses below firm up significantly. Moving during these hours is the safest way to cross the lower glacier, and getting an early start lets the team make real progress before the heat of the day sets in.

What makes this expedition especially exciting is that the team is attempting to ski from the summit of Denali, one of the most ambitious objectives in North American ski mountaineering. Skiing Denali adds a significant layer of complexity to an already demanding climb. Along with the standard expedition kit, the team is hauling skis, skins, and ski-specific gear up the mountain, which adds weight and bulk to every carry and camp move. But all that extra effort comes with a serious payoff: every foot of elevation the team gains is terrain they’ll eventually be eyeing to ski back down. Earning turns from 20,310 feet requires not just the strength to reach the summit but the right conditions and the energy to descend safely on steep, exposed, glaciated terrain, which makes a summit ski descent one of the most committing things a climber can attempt on Denali.

For now, the June 22nd team is at Basecamp, getting ready for their early morning push to Camp 1. With an ambitious objective ahead and the climb officially underway, the team is off to a great start on what promises to be an unforgettable expedition.

June 22nd team getting some relaxation in

June 22 Team

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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.