Lead Guide Aaron from the June 7th West Buttress Denali Expedition called in from Camp 2 at 11,200′ to report that the team had a leisurely day in camp, sipping coffee and waiting for some better weather. 

Here’s Aaron: Audio Recording

Camp 2 at 11,000′ on the West Buttress Route on Denali.

A surprisingly BIG part of climbing Denali is the mental game of waiting patiently for the weather to improve… Sometimes this leads to extended bouts of “tent time”, and the climbers who do the best on Denali are able to just surrender to the forces out of their control (mainly the weather) and find ways to rest and relax while on the mountain. While resting on weather days, climbers rely on podcasts, music, e-books, cards, dice games and more!

In our busy lives, sometimes a day in the tent is a nice way to slow things down and reflect on life! 

On Denali, it’s all about making the most of “Tent Time”!