The June 9 Denali West Buttress team is back in Takeetna eating some breakfast and enjoying the luxuries of civilization, like showers, beds, and a meal at a restaurant. Congratulations to all the climbers for reaching the summit, which has been quite difficult this season particularly. Here’s Aaron with the final expedition dispatch from…
After a big summit push, the June 9 Team is back at High Camp resting and hydrating. Lead Guide Aaron reports that everyone is doing well and looking forward to the thicker air at lower elevation. After resting, the team will make its way down to Base Camp. Here’s Aaron:
Big congratulations to the June 9 West Buttress team, who called in from the highest point in North America at 20,310′! Guide Aaron Diamond called from the top, joined by the entire team. In a season of particularly tough weather and persistent storms, the team was fortunate to have great weather throughout their time on…
Guide Travis of the June 9 West Buttress team called from 17,200′ High Camp on Denali, with the update that the team will make their summit push TODAY June 25! Here is the route the team will follow today, gaining just over 3,000′ of elevation. The climb and descent back down to High Camp can…
Although the beginning of this update is a bit muffled, we can make out that this is a climber calling from the June 9 West Buttress team at High Camp. They noted that they will take another rest day at 17,200′, and intend to head for the summit of Denali tomorrow, weather permitting! If anyone…
Climber Michael Halbig called in an update for the June 9 West Buttress team, who spent yesterday bringing their final cache up to 16,200′ to prepare for their move to High Camp on the route! High Camp, the last organized camp on the mountain before the summit of Denali, is perched at 17,200′ on the…
The June 9 Team took a well deserved rest day at 14 Camp today. Travis reports that it was sunny and no wind in camp. The team rested, relaxed, hydrated, and practiced skills that they will use on the upper mountain. The next stage of the climb will be up the “fixed lines” that begin…
Today the team descended approximately 700′ to their cache site at 13,500′ to retrieve the load of equipment and supplies that they left a few days ago. Lead Guide Aaron Diamond reports that the team was well fueled for their back carry and they are now thinking about their next move—caching on the ridge above…
The June 9 West Buttress team has arrived at 14,200′, their Camp 3 on the route. Mountain Trip guides Travis and Blake called in an update after the team made a hearty spaghetti dinner in camp after a long day of climbing, gaining approximately 3,000′ of elevation between Camp 2 and Camp 3. While some…
Mountain Trip guide Aaron Diamond called in for the June 9 West Buttress team, who have decided to take a weather/rest day in the face of plenty of new snow, low temperatures and high winds. Although Aaron does not mention the team’s location, we know that they are still camped at 11,200′ on the route.…