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.…
Amidst a nasty white out, Mountain Trip guide Karl Welter called in an update from the June 2 team, who are waiting out the bad weather and doing their best to stay warm in their tents at High Camp at 17,200′. Tomorrow, depending on the weather, they will make the decision on whether or not…
In the light of a fatality of a private climber (non-Mountain Trip) near High Camp and worsening weather (high winds, white out, blowing snow), Mountain Trip lead guide Eli Potter, guides Jason Denley and Carly Cain, and the climbers of the May 29 team have made the difficult decision to abandon their summit attempt. It…
Who we believe is Mountain Trip guide Erin Laine called in an update for the June 2 Denali West Buttress team, who are considering making their summit bid today June 16! They have spent several days at 17,200′ High Camp watching the weather, resting and preparing to make their summit bid. The team, if the…
Climbers Ross Jobson and Gerard Crum called in a very colorful and descriptive update on the Mountain Trip May 29 Denali team, who are looking at their final chance at the summit after 17 days on the West Buttress Route. With another potentially nasty weather system moving in at high elevations, the team is on…
June 5 Mountain Trip West Buttress team called in an update from camp at 14,200′ on Denali’s West Buttress route, after enjoying a hearty breakfast of biscuits and gravy above the clouds. With their final cache assembled, the team ascended fixed lines to around 16,500′, around infamous Windy Corner, to prepare for the trip up…
Lead Guide Eli Potter called in with an update. The team spent a very cold day watching winds blow up high. The combination of wind and cold was too much to risk a long summit day, so they are crossing their fingers that tomorrow might bring a bit more warmth or less wind. The team…
Lead Guide Aaron Diamond called in on behalf of the June 9 Denali team. They moved up into a beautiful basin today, located at about 11,200′ off the west side of Denali. The camp is situated below the massive bulk of the West Buttress proper, and is ringed with steep ice and snow slopes. The…
Today at 14 Camp the team rested, relaxed, ate and caught up on sleep. They have a big day tomorrow, climbing up the Headwall section of the West Buttress Route. The Headwall starts out at about 45 degrees and mellows somewhat as you get higher. The 600′ vertical rise is protected by ropes affixed into…
Unfortunately John’s message is garbled, but it’s clear he’s sending a big hello to Lucy and also to Pachi’s girls. Here’s John: recording