Denali Via the Cassin Ridge

This slender ridge drops like a plumb line from the summit of Denali, splitting its massive South Face in two. It is the line that immediately captures the eye of climbers when they first see the mountain from the south. “The Cassin” is a legendary route, which has attracted the best alpinists of the day since it was first climbed in 1961 by Riccardo Cassin and members of an Italian climbing club known as the Lecco Spiders. Among experienced alpinists, it has a reputation as the alpine climb to do in North America.

The Cassin has only been guided a handful of times. Mountain Trip attempted an early guided climb in the 1980′s. We also led an attempt in 2010 and more recently in 2022. This is a serious route and demands the utmost respect. We have not taken the decision to guide it lightly. Any climber who wishes to attempt this route must join us in Southwest Colorado for a few days of training and evaluation during the winter. We have selected our strongest, most qualified guides to lead this climb and will only consider strong, skilled, committed climbers to join the team.

Please contact us if you would like to climb the most striking line on Denali.

STRATEGIES AND STYLE

The Cassin Ridge is a huge undertaking for any climber, and there are several ways in which we might attempt the route, depending to some extent on conditions, but also on the strength of the climbing team. A common manner to attempt the route is to acclimatize on the West Buttress, before attempting the climb in alpine style. The following itinerary reflects this strategy. As with any itinerary for climbing a big, cold mountain–the following is merely a rough outline of what might happen on any given day, and is subject to change for any number of reasons.

DAY 1: MEET IN ANCHORAGE. Our Team Meetings are generally scheduled at 10am for an expedition orientation and equipment check. This is a very important meeting, which all climbers must attend. Be sure to arrive in Anchorage early enough to make the meeting; which may require arriving a day early. Our trip fee includes two nights accommodation at the Millennium Alaska Hotel, which is conveniently located and offers free airport transfers.

DAY 2: TRAVEL TO TALKEETNA AND FLY TO THE GLACIER. We provide transportation to Talkeetna for all of our Denali climbers, using our own vans and trailers so we are not tied to a third-party’s schedule. The drive takes a bit more than two hours, and we’ll stop for coffee and snacks along the way. Once in Talkeetna, we’ll need to unload, organize, and weigh all of our equipment and supplies in preparation for our flight to the glacier. We will also finish the registration process with the National Park Service (NPS) and attend a pre-climb orientation provided by one of the NPS climbing rangers. After finalizing all the NPS admin steps, we’ll fly to the glacier, weather permitting. Once on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier, we’ll be busy establishing our camp for the night.

DAY 3: SINGLE CARRY TO 7,800′ CAMP. Departing base camp, we’ll drop down the infamous Heartbreak Hill and onto the broad Kahiltna glacier. Our goal will be to move camp to about 7,800 ft, near the junction with the NE Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. This is a moderately tough day of about 9 miles round-trip and is a good shake-down for the upcoming days. Depending on the team and weather we may or may not carry loads and return to Base Camp. Throughout the expedition we will typically follow the “climb high, sleep low” technique for better acclimatization, however the altitude difference between Base Camp and 7,800 Camp is minimal enough to permit us to generally “single-carry” this stretch. On the late May and June expeditions, we may be doing our climbing early in the morning to avoid the excessive heat and soft snow conditions on the Lower Glacier.

DAY 4: SINGLE CARRY TO 9,700′. We’ll head out of 7,800 Camp and carry loads up the 1,800 ft Ski Hill. Several options exist for camp sites between 9,000 & 11,000 feet, depending upon weather, snow conditions and team strength. This is a moderately difficult carry of 3–4.5 miles, with 2-3,000 ft of elevation gain.

DAY 5: MOVE TO 11,200 CAMP. Our third camp is often in the 11,200 ft basin at the base of Motorcycle Hill. This is an incredibly beautiful camp that basks in alpenglow when the sun travels around the north side of the mountain.

DAY 6: REST/ACCLIMATIZATION DAY. We just moved rather quickly from sea level to 11,200 ft, so it is often prudent to slow things down a bit and allow our bodies to acclimate a bit before pushing up to the big camp at 14,200 ft.

DAY 7: HAUL LOADS AROUND WINDY CORNER (13,300 FT). Steep snow climbing up the 1,000 ft high Motorcycle Hill rewards you with spectacular views. The total distance for the day is about 4 miles round trip with a little over 2,000 ft of elevation gain. Fun climbing with crampons and ice axe gets you around Windy Corner where the upper mountain comes into view–have your camera ready!

DAY 8: MOVE CAMP TO 14,200 FT. This is usually a long, hard day. Our next camp is generally located at the well equipped 14,200 Camp in the expansive Genet Basin. Loads are getting lighter and the air is getting thinner. Hopefully everyone will have enough energy left to help get camp in as we need to fortify this camp due to the possibility for fairly severe weather.

DAY 9: ACCLIMATIZATION DAY. This is an important day that helps provide the foundation of acclimatization that we’ll need for climbing higher on Denali. We’ll review a variety of climbing techniques during the day and might have a chance to walk over to a dramatically scenic spot known as “The Edge of the World.”

DAY 10: CLIMB HIGHER TO FURTHER DEVELOP ACCLIMATIZATION. We have options as to whether we climb up the West Buttress route and out the ridge that leads to the 17,200 Camp or we can climb up to the high camps on the West Rib.  Either will serve us well.

DAY 11: DESCEND TO OUR 7,800 CAMP. We’ll drop back down to the site of our cache at 7,800 ft in preparation for pushing up the NE Fork of the Kahiltna towards our route.

DAY 12 – 13: MOVE UP THE NE FORK TO THE BASE OF THE ROUTE. As with much of this expedition, we have options as to how we move up the NE Fork of the Kahiltna and where we camp. Team strength and conditions will dictate our strategy.

DAY 14 – 20: CLIMBING THE CASSIN! Weather, team strength, conditions and health will all direct our team decision-making for where we camp, and how we move up the route. It could easily take a week to climb up the route and descend back to our cache at 14,200 ft.

DAY 21 – 26(+): CONTINGENCY/DESCENT DAYS.  Weather will probably slow us down at some point, and it will take a day to reach the airstrip from our cache at 14,200 ft. As we book these trips on a private, custom basis, your schedule will dictate how many days we have to devote to contingency days. There comes a point of diminishing returns, whereby, if you bring too many extra days of food, the weight will slow you down so much that you’ll need to use them. We’ll discuss this at length with any prospective climber.

Inclusions and Exclusions

Included in the Trip Fee:

• Unlimited pre-trip access to our office resources

• Guidance of our experienced Mountain Trip guides (we require any guide wishing to lead a Denali climb to have 5 previous expeditions on the mountain – most of our lead guides have 10+ trips)

• Up to two nights lodging (shared room) at the Lakefront Hotel in Anchorage before your climb

• Airport transfer as provided by the Lakefront Hotel

• Team transportation in Anchorage for last minute shopping on the day of your Team Meeting

• Round trip, scheduled group transportation between Anchorage and Talkeetna

• Scheduled flights between Talkeetna and Base Camp

• All food while on the mountain

• All group equipment (tents, kitchen, ropes, sleds, snow pickets, shovels, group med kit, satellite phone, GPS tracker, etc)

• Custom expedition dispatch blog for your climb, complete with audio posts from team members calling from the mountain

Uphill Athlete 24 week Mountaineering Training Program

• 25% Discount on Patagonia clothing and equipment

• Assistance arranging for post-climb activities in Alaska

 

Not Included in the Trip Fee:

• Flights to and from Alaska

• Personal clothing and equipment per our equipment list

• Any additional lodging including post expedition lodging.

• Meals while not on the mountain

• Mountaineering special use fee ($270 for climbers 24 years old and younger, $370 for older climbers) and Denali National Park entrance fee ($15) paid to the National Park Service at the time you register for your individual climbing permit.

• Travel and/or rescue insurance

• Costs incurred due to evacuation or unplanned departure from the mountain due to illness or other problems

• Costs incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of Mountain Trip

• Costs as a result of force majeure

Refunds and Cancellations

Mountain Trip recognizes how difficult and disappointing it can be for climbers who must cancel expeditions which they have planned for a long time. Team members must also recognize that, due to the nature of planning expeditions and dealing with governmental permits and regulations, Mountain Trip also accrues significant expenses in the months prior to expedition departure dates. We must therefore adhere to a strict refund policy for all climbers. Trip cancellation and travel insurance is generally available for all expeditions. U.S. and Canadian residents should contact us for more information regarding travel insurance. Our refund and cancellation policy is outlined below.

• All Denali expeditions require a $2500 deposit to secure a spot on the team. Your submission of a deposit constitutes your acceptance of this Fee Schedule, Refund and Cancellation Policy.  Private climbs often require a higher and often non-refundable deposit.  Contact us for details pertaining to this trip.

• All deposits for Denali expeditions include a non-refundable $1500 administration fee.

• Final payments for expeditions must be received 120 days prior to the Team Meeting Day.

• Failure to pay expedition fees by the date they are due constitutes cancellation of your spot on the team and forfeiture of your deposit.

• Any cancellation 120+ days before your Team Meeting Day will be refunded in full, less the administration fee.

• If you cancel 120-90 days before your Team Meeting Day, you are eligible for a refund of 50% of any monies paid, less the deposit.

• No refunds will be provided for cancellations occurring within the last 89 days prior to an expedition.

• All requests for refunds must be made in writing and received in our Colorado office.

• If you register for a climb within 90 days of the Team Meeting Day, expedition fees will be due in full to secure your spot on the team.

• Mountain Trip reserves the right to cancel an expedition prior to the departure date for any reason. In the event that the expedition is cancelled based solely on an internal administrative decision by Mountain Trip (Internal Cancellation), all monies, except for nonrefundable administrative fees, collected by Mountain Trip from team members for the canceled expedition shall be refunded within 30 days. That is the extent of our financial liability for such cancellations. This Internal Cancellation provision shall not apply when external factors that force Mountain Trip to cancel an expedition against its will, including, but not limited to, international political upheaval, terrorism, drought/famine, epidemics/pandemics, and/or cancellations imposed by foreign or domestic governments or permitting agencies (External Cancellation). All External Cancellations shall not be subject to a refund unless such cancellation occurs prior to the deadlines set forth in the Refund and Cancellation policies, above.

The following applies only if all expedition fees are paid by the date they are due.

If Mountain Trip cancels your expedition due to External Cancellation factors resulting from the novel coronavirus more than 90 days prior to the Team Meeting date, Mountain Trip will credit 100% of your paid expedition fees toward a future program with Mountain Trip or refund all monies paid except for the non-refundable administrative fee.

If Mountain Trip cancels your expedition due to External Cancellation factors resulting from the novel coronavirus 90 days or less prior to the Team Meeting date, Mountain Trip will credit 75% of your paid expedition fees toward a future program with Mountain Trip or refund 50% of your expedition fee.

General Agreement Concerning Services to be Provided And Responsibilities of Team Members

When registering for an expedition with Mountain Trip we want to help make sure you understand the services we are providing and the services you are responsible for.

Transportation is incidental

The main purpose of becoming a team member is to join us on an expedition in the mountains. As such any transportation we provide or that you may contract for on your own is incidental to the trip. We suggest that you make sure you have time built into your itinerary for delays.

Transportation to and from your destination

We will designate a specific Team Meeting Day for your expedition. Transportation to the meeting point on your Team Meeting Day is to be provided by you. You must arrive in time to be ready to participate in a team meeting at the appointed time on the Team Meeting Day for your expedition. This probably means you will need to arrive the day before, as our Team Meetings for Alaska trips are held in the morning.  Expedition climbing is very dynamic and we will provide you with a recommendation as to when you should book your flights to and from your destination. We suggest you book a ticket that allows you to change your flight with little effort or cost.

Lodging off the mountain

Mountain Trip will provide lodging per the Inclusions and Exclusions section above. Any additional lodging is your responsibility. Don’t worry about booking a room after your expedition. We generally don’t know how long we’ll be in the mountains, and we can help arrange lodging when we return to “civilization.”

Responsibilities of Team Members

You are ultimately responsible for your own well-being, including making all necessary preparations to ensure good health and physical conditioning. You are responsible for understanding the conditions that may exist on the climb and choosing a climb that is appropriate for your abilities and interests. You are responsible for having knowledge of all pre-departure information and for assembling the appropriate clothing and equipment for your climb.

While on the expedition, team members are responsible to maintain basic levels of hygiene and to conduct themselves respectfully with other team members and members of the local population. If a guide feels that a team member is putting other members’ health or safety at risk, the guide has the discretion to remove a team member from an expedition.

Use our office staff and your lead guide as pre-trip resources to ensure that all your questions are answered. Travel insurance may help recoup expenses if you need to leave an expedition due to an illness.

Airline Responsibility Passenger/Airline contracts are in effect while team members are on board any aircraft contracted for use in the expedition.

No Guaranteed Outcomes

While it is one of our goals to help every climber on every Mountain Trip expedition reach the summit, Mountain Trip cannot guarantee that you will reach the summit.  Any number of factors, including weather, the conditions encountered on the route, your personal level of fitness or ability, the abilities of your team mate(s) or any number of other circumstances might result in you and/or your team turning around before reaching the summit.  Failure to reach the summit due to any reason associated with mountaineering, such as weather, team dynamics, route conditions, avalanche hazard, rockfall hazard, etc, or due to your lack of fitness or preparation are not the responsibility of Mountain Trip and will not result in a refund or a rescheduling of your expedition.

The following is a general list of required gear for climbing the Cassin Ridge with Mountain Trip. Climbers joining us on an expedition will receive an updated, comprehensive equipment list that may supersede this list.

Many of the items on the list need to fit you well in order for you to fully enjoy your experience on the mountain. Please plan ahead with equipment purchased for your trip so you can be certain that your gear fits you well. Deep in th NE Fork of the Kahiltna is not the place to discover that your pack is too small for your torso, or that your boots give you blisters. Recommended items reflect the opinions of our guides. We have used and have faith in all of our recommendations, but they may not necessarily fit or work for you.

Call or email us with any gear questions. We want you to be as prepared as possible for your expedition.

Please follow this list closely and do not hesitate to call us for clarifications or to solicit an opinion about anything you are considering. There is a good selection of gear available in Anchorage, but please plan ahead for things that you might need in a particular size, as local shops do not always have every item in stock. Lastly, only bring quality gear that is in very good condition on your expedition.

Print Equipment

Footwear

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
OverbootsDouble mountaineering boots require overboots for the potential extreme cold of the upper mountain. We prefer snug fitting neoprene overboots, such as the ones from 40 Below. Overboots are required for the La Sportiva Spantik and G2 SM boots, but not the Olympus Mons. **these are available for rent in Alaska**
Custom InsoleA custom insole can help fine tune the fit of your boot, support your feet. A good fitting boot will be warmer and prevent blisters.
Mountaineering BootsModern Mountaineering Boots fall into two categories, traditional double boots and the newer triple boot systems with integrated gaiters. Either variety works well, however triple boots are lighter and arguably simpler. Whichever you decide to use, the goal is to have warm, comfortable feet! Try on a variety of boots as they all fit differently and get the one that fits well. Consider your future mountaineering objectives when purchasing boots as well. Remember double boots require overboots! With triple boots it is all built in.

Recommended Triple Boots: La Sportiva Olympus Mons, Scarpa Phantom 8000

Recommended Double Boots: La Sportiva Spantik or G2 Evo.

Torso Layers

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Expedition Down ParkaThis is an important layer so don't skimp! You do not need the heaviest 8000meter parka for peaks like Denali and Aconcagua, but you should have a warm, baffled parka with a hood.
Base Layer Top(1 or 2 sets) of Wool or Capilene light weight base layers. Long sleeve or short sleeve base layers work well.
Light Fleece HoodyLight/mid weight fleece (or wool) top with a hood. You will wear this over your light weight base layer.
Puffy Light Insulated JacketSize this layer to fit over your light fleece hoody and wind shell, and it is often layered underneath your expedition parka. Synthetic is easier to deal with and not worry about getting compared to a down filled layer. A hood on this layer in mandatory!*** Guides Tip! Use TWO lightweight puffy layers in the early season or if you are worried about being cold. A Micro or Nano Puff jacket with a Ultra Light Down Jacket or Vest allows versatile layering options.
Hard Shell JacketThis jacket should be large enough to go over your light puffy jacket layer. You do not need the burliest/heaviest Gore-Tex jacket you can find, and we prefer the lightest weight versions.

Leg Layers

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Base Layer Bottoms(1 or 2 sets) of Wool or Capilene light weight base layers.
Light Fleece BottomsAs the air thins and the wind picks up, you'll want a bit more insulation on your legs. This should be a slightly warmer layer that can go over your base layer bottoms when it gets cold.
Soft Shell PantsSoft Shell pants are the workhorse in the mountains and you'll be wearing these day in and day out on most expeditions. On peaks like Denali and Aconcagua, you can wear them in lieu of your hard shell pants for much of the expedition.

Head and Hands

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Nose GuardBeko makes nice nose protectors that keep the wind and sun from wreaking havoc on your skin.

Sleeping Gear

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Denali Sleeping BagA good Denali sleeping bag should be down filled and rated between -20 F (-29C) to -40 F (-40C). If you sleep cold, consider the warmer bag. A Down filled sleeping bag is required, synthetic bags are not acceptable. Sleeping bag systems or over bags are generally a compromise and not recommended.Mountain Equipment makes some of the best down bags on the market, but can be hard to find in the US. Contact our friends at Jagged Edge in Telluride for custom orders!
Compression Stuff SackGranite Gear, Outdoor Research and others are all making nice, lightweight compression sacks. These are essential for sleeping bags and recommended for your summit clothes, such as your parka, mitts and warmest pants, so you might consider bringing two.

Climbing Gear

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Ski / Trekking PolesAdjustable poles work great and are easier to travel with as they fit better in your duffel bag. The small “trekking” baskets on some poles are not large enough for use on soft snow, so make certain your poles have bigger “snowflake” style baskets for any climb with glacier or snow travel.
Ice AxeA general use, mountaineering axe is sufficient for this climb. Some axes are much lighter than others, so select for weight as well as a size for your height. Most climbers do well with a 60 - 75 cm axe. On less technical routes, a longer axe can act like a walking stick on flatter terrain.
Alpine Climbing HarnessYour harness should be adjustable enough to accommodate several layers of clothing. As with most items on this list, choose a light weight harness.
CarabinersBring eight regular (non-locking) carabiners. Please do not bring “bent-gate” carabiners, as these have certain limitations that do not make them appropriate for how we will use them. Mark your 'biners with colored tape for identification.
Locking CarabinersBring three locking carabiners. Screwgate or auto-locking 'biners work equally well, although the new magnetic gate versions seem like they might be less prone to freezing closed. Select light weight carabiners.
Accessory/Prussik Cord25-30 feet of 6mm-7mm accessory cord will be used to create a prussik, rig your ascender, and extra for setting up your sled for glacier travel. We will go over this in our pre-trip training.
Climbing HelmetMake certain it fits over your warmest hat and under the hood of your shell. The super-lightweight foam helmets are great, but can get crushed in your duffel bags during travel, so protect your lid!
Technical Mountaineering AxeSteeper routes call for a second, shorter, mountaineering tool. Your selection of which tool to bring depends on many factors, and you should contact us for advice for your particular route. In general, you should look for a 50-55 cm tool, with a dropped pick, which is different from a traditional mountaineering pick. We have had great luck with the Black Diamond Venom hammer as a secondary tool for steeper routes.
CramponsSelect a pair 12-point Mountaineering Crampons that fit your boots well. Step-in or strap versions work equally well; just make sure they fit your mountain boots and overboots. You may need to lengthen your crampons to accommodate your overboots, please make sure you can make this adjustment in the field. Aluminum crampons are not acceptable for expeditions.

Glacier Travel

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
SnowshoesSelect lightweight snowshoes for your trip in a 22-28 inch length. The addition of a heel riser is welcome when ascending steeper hills, but is not necessary. You won't need optional, add-on tails, which add length to some models. We rent high quality MSR snowshoes, please contact the office to reserve!

Other

GearDescriptionGuide's Pick
Stuff SacksWe are fans of the very light stiff sacks made from Sil Nylon fabric. Bring enough for your clothes and personal items. Light, zippered stuff bags are really nice for toiletries.
Two (2) One-Liter Water BottlesYou will need two, 1-liter plastic water bottles. Please bring wide-mouth bottles, such as those from Nalgene, as these are much easier to fill than bottles with small openings.
Insulated Bottle Cover(s)Water bottles freeze when it gets cold. Crazy, but true! Extra clothing can help insulate bottles, but dedicated water bottle insulators do a much better job. Bring at least one.
Large Plastic BowlBowls are much easier to use and are much more versatile than are plates. Bring a 2-4 cup camping bowl or a plastic "Rubbermaid" style container for your mountain dining.
Insulated Cup or MugA 12 - 16 ounce (350-500 Ml) mug with an attached lid will help keep you hydrated. The Kleen Kanteen Insulated Bottle with the "Cafe Cap" is pretty nifty, as it is a mug and a thermos all in one!
Lexan SpoonA soup spoon made from Lexan will survive most trips and is more useful and versatile than a fork or even a "spork." Mark your spoon with your initials to keep spoon rustlers at bay.
Lip Balm (2 tubes)Protect your lips! Bring two tubes of high quality lip balm with SPF.
Sun ScreenSmaller tubes work well, as they are easier to keep from freezing than is one big tube. You'll want to bring 3-4 ounces (85 - 110g) for the trip.
P-BottleWide-mouth, collapsible Nalgene Cantenes work great- they make a 96 ounce version, which will come in handy during long storms or if you take Diamox. Ladies- look for an appropriate adapter available at your local outdoors store. These items can both be tough to find in Anchorage so plan ahead!
Toiletry KitTooth brush & paste, dental floss, Handi-wipes (1 per day on average), a small bottle of hand sanitizer, perhaps some foot powder… keep it small!!!
Toilet PaperDepending on your technique, you'll want 1-2 rolls, each packed in a quality zip-lock bag.
Personal Medical KitMountain Trip's guides will have fairly comprehensive medical kits developed by our Medical Director, but we encourage each climber to bring a small, personal kit. Items to consider bringing include: blister treatment and prevention, pain relievers, and antacids. Presctiption medications should be based on consultation with your personal physician. Suggested drugs for altitude expeditions include: Diamox (acetazolomide) 125 mg, Decadron (dexamthazone) 4 mg, Nifedipine XR 30 mg, and a couple of antibiotics for respiratory and gastrointestinal issues.
CameraMost climbers these days use their phone as a camera, but if you plan to bring a dedicated camera, consider a small, light weight point and shoot camera. If you are a photography buff and really want to bring a DSLR, plan for that extra weight with your training!
Small KnifeA small knife or small multi-tool is also handy to have. One per tent is sufficient. There is emphasis on the word small when it comes to multi-tools!
Several Good Jokes!"A Moose walks into a bar..."
Lip BalmBring a tube of quality lip balm with sun protection (SPF).
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