The June 16th Gillig team is on the move! After their overnight push from Basecamp, the team arrived at Camp 1 around 7:00 this morning, knocking out the first big move of their Denali ski expedition.

The move from Basecamp to Camp 1 covers about 5.5 miles, beginning with the descent down Heartbreak Hill before stretching across the relatively flat lower Kahiltna Glacier. Traveling through the overnight hours is the smartest approach on the lower glacier, as the cold temperatures firm up the snow and the snow bridges that span the crevasses below. Arriving at Camp 1 first thing in the morning means the team timed their travel well and got the work done while conditions were at their best.

Of course, this is no ordinary climb. The Gillig team is attempting to ski from the summit of Denali, one of the most ambitious objectives in North American ski mountaineering. That goal shapes the entire expedition. Along with the standard expedition kit, the team is hauling skis, skins, and ski-specific gear up the mountain, adding weight and bulk to every carry and camp move. Every step of the climb up is also a chance to study the snow and terrain they’ll eventually be skiing back down. Earning turns from 20,310 feet requires not just the strength to reach the summit but the right conditions and the energy to descend safely on steep, exposed, glaciated terrain, so the work the team puts in now on the lower mountain helps build toward that bigger goal.

For now, the June 16th Gillig team is settled in at Camp 1, getting tents pitched and resting up after a strong overnight push. With the first move behind them and an exciting ski descent in their sights, the team is off to a great start on their expedition.

Camp 1 from Ski Hill

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Interested in more information about conditions and happenings on Denali? Be sure to also check out the Denali National Park’s Denali Dispatches Blog where they post weekly Field Reports.