The June 8th team is on their way down! Following their successful summit, the team descended from high camp to 14 Camp this afternoon and is planning to push through the night down to Basecamp, with an expected arrival early tomorrow morning.

The overnight march is a Denali tradition for a reason. The cold hours firm up the snow and the fragile snow bridges over the crevasses below, making the lower glacier far safer to cross than it would be in the heat of the day. It’s the same logic that has climbers flying in and starting up the mountain in the early morning hours, applied in reverse on the way home.

After everything this team has navigated to reach the summit and make it safely back down, the descent is the final chapter of an incredible expedition. There’s a unique kind of satisfaction that comes with those last miles down the glacier, knowing the climb is nearly complete and a celebration in town is just around the corner.

For now, the June 8th team is at 14 Camp, getting ready for tonight’s push to Basecamp. We are so proud of this team, and we can’t wait to welcome them off the mountain in the morning!

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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.