Yesterday this team climbed up Ski Hill, rising 1,200′ above Camp 1 (7,800′ 2377m), and continued to navigate through rolling terrain until they took a big right turn and up another hill into Camp 2, at 11,200′ (3413m). Here, it starts to feel like you’re actually on the mountain. The terrain becomes more technical, the glacier more narrow, the slopes above hold more granite faces or giant seracs. At Camp 2, Motorcycle Hill rises a mile above camp, leading to the upper part of the mountain and requiring crampons and ice axe. On one side, incredible seracs (huge frozen columns of ice, peeling off of the glacier as it flows over convex terrain) hang above camp, one the other side a steep slope of snow and granite. Ahead, mountaineers can see the top of Kahiltna Dome and watch as the clouds roll over it like water rolls over a rock in the river. They will precede to pick up their cache tomorrow, and the next day put in another cache up above Camp 2.
Camp 2
Here’s Josh with the update:
