The June 22nd team was planning to get a cache in on the ridge today, but with high winds moving through the upper mountain, they made the smart call to stay put at 14 Camp and wait for better conditions.
High winds are one of the most common reasons teams hold at 14 Camp, especially before heading onto the exposed terrain above. Pushing into strong winds on the ridge just to keep moving isn’t worth the risk, and waiting for a better window is almost always the right call. The good news is that the team is in great shape to wait. This is now day four at 14 Camp, and the team is feeling well-rested and well-acclimatized, which puts them in a strong position for the climbing ahead.
With all that time at 14,200 feet paying off, the team is now looking at a single push up to high camp when conditions allow. A single push means moving straight to high camp in one efficient effort rather than caching partway and returning, which is a great option for a team that’s feeling strong and well-acclimatized. Once at high camp, the plan is to be in position to catch a good summit window in the days that follow.
For a ski team, being patient and picking the right window matters even more, since the goal isn’t just to reach the summit but to ski back down some of the most dramatic terrain on the continent. Good conditions on the way up and the way down are both part of the equation.
For now, the June 22nd team is at 14 Camp, rested, acclimatized, and ready to move when the weather lines up. With high camp and a summit window on the horizon, the ski expedition is entering its most pivotal stretch.
Life in the cook tent
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