After a valiant attempt at climbing the highest peak in North America, the May 13th West Buttress Denali Expedition has hit the team’s high point and is heading back down the mountain. 

Lead Guide Jesse Wright called in to let us know the news.

Listen here: Audio Recording

Denali Sunset

Climbing Denali is an incredibly difficult endeavor. Expedition team members who have climbed high peaks elsewhere are often surprised by just how challenging the weather conditions and the altitude can truly be. For these reasons, many climbers consider Denali to be the most difficult of all the “Seven Summits” (yes, even more difficult than climbing Mt. Everest).

We are incredibly proud of the effort put in by the May 13th Team, aka “Team SA & CO”. They gave it their all and the decision to head down the mountain was made with consensus. We wish them all the best on their descent and will continue to report on their progress until they are safely back on the ground in Talkeetna.