The June 22nd team set out today to cache around Windy Corner but made the smart call to turn back near the top of Motorcycle Hill, choosing to wait for conditions to improve before continuing higher.

Decisions like this are a normal and important part of climbing on Denali. The upper mountain presents a range of hazards, and snow conditions in particular can change with the weather. When the team observed signs that the current conditions weren’t ideal for moving higher, they made the conservative, responsible choice to descend and give the mountain some time to settle. Waiting a day or two for conditions to stabilize, especially with other parties moving on the route, is exactly the kind of patient, safety-first decision-making that defines good mountaineering on Denali.

For a ski team, reading the snow is second nature, and being tuned in to conditions is a skill that serves the team both on the way up and on the eventual ski descent. Today’s decision to turn around isn’t a setback so much as a sign that the team and their guides are paying close attention and making good calls in real time.

For now, the June 22nd team is back at camp, staying patient and keeping an eye on the conditions. Once things settle, they’ll be ready to make another push toward Windy Corner and continue their climb up the mountain.

Ski team making the climb on Denali

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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.