Hello everyone! After a day of resting in Anchorage, i’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my last trip up the West Buttress on Denali. I feel very fortunate to have spent the last few weeks in one of my favorite places with a fun and strong team. We tried hard and pushed through some…
The May 3 team called in an update from Camp 3 at 14,200′, where they took a rest day to maximize their acclimatization before moving to High Camp at 17,200′. They practiced skills that will be essential for their travel on the upper mountain, including ascending fixed lines and ice axe and crampon technique. They…
Peter and Melle called in from 14,200′ (4328m) today, providing us an update for their May 3rd Denali team. They have been experiencing very cold temperatures and strong winds for a number of days. Today, the weather was good enough to move up from their previous camp and around the notorious feature known as Windy…
Lead guide Jacob Schmitz called in the team report today. The team moved a load of equipment and supplies to a cache site at 13,200′. Jacob reports the team is doing well, and the plan is to move to 14 Camp tomorrow. And we also have a special message from the team: recording
Mountain trip Guide Mason Stansfield called in, but his satellite phone dropped the call after he mentioned “good chocolate.” Strange… Well, satellite phones at high latitudes work best when they have a clear view toward the equator and from the beautiful basin in which the team is camped, the view south is blocked by towering…
The May 3rd Team checks in from Camp 2, where they stayed put today, due to weather. This camp is nestled deep in a stunning bowl, with tall ice cliffs to the south, and steep snow and ice ringing the east and northern aspects of camp. A challenge with satellite phones at such far…
The May 3rd team went back down to where they’d cached their extra food, fuel, and equipment and brought it all back up to Camp 2 (11,000 ft) today. It was a pretty stormy day Jacob (lead guide with 20 Denali Expeditions) said it was one of the top 2 stormy windy days he’s had…
Fred de Jong called in on behalf of our May 3rd team. After a day of heavy snow yesterday, the team awoke to beautiful weather today and took advantage of clear skies to move their camp up to 11,200′ (3414m). They are now camped in a beautiful basin with views of the West Buttress looming…
Guide Mason Stansfield called in an update for the May 3 Denali Expedition from the upper Kahiltna. The team spent yesterday caching at Kahiltna Pass, at around 10,500′. Since the team is climbing in expedition-style, they will spend many days “caching”–burying gear, food and supplies that they wont need until later on in the trip–and…
Climber Robert de Jong called in an update for the May 3 Denali Team from Camp One on the Kahiltna Glacier. They spent yesterday ascending Ski Hill, directly above camp, to set a cache near Kahiltna Pass, at approximately 10,500′ (2875m) to prepare for the move to Camp Two at 11,200′. Sporadic snow and clear…