Adam called in a podcast from camp at 14,200′ (4328m).  They spent the day fortifying their camp with snow walls, as high winds buffeted the team.  It sounds like what we would call “full-on” conditions, requiring multiple layers of clothing and facemasks to protect their noses and cheeks from the bite of the wind.

Building snow walls is somewhat of an art and involves using specialized saws to cut blocks of snow from the ground and stacking them in a fashion so that they provide protection from the wind.  All of our tents at 14,200′ will have one meter high or taller walls surrounding them, which requires a LOT of blocks.

[audio:http://mountaintripdenali2011.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/audio-post-2011-05-22-04-48-39.mp3|titles=Audio Post]