The May 16th team made their descent from high camp back down to 14 Camp today, beginning the journey off the mountain after their successful summit. The team will spend tonight at 14 before continuing their descent down to Basecamp tomorrow.

The descent off Denali is its own kind of climbing. After the work of pushing to the summit, the trip down requires fresh focus and steady pacing, especially through the more technical sections of the route like the ridge and the fixed lines. Taking it in stages and spending a night at 14 Camp is the smart, common approach. It gives the team a chance to rest and recover after the demands of summit day before tackling the long stretch back down the lower mountain.

14 Camp will feel different on the way down than it did on the way up. The hard climbing is behind them, the summit is in the books, and the camp serves as a comfortable stop on the way home. It’s also a chance for the team to start enjoying the wind-down of the expedition, swapping stories, packing up gear, and looking forward to a hot meal in Talkeetna in the days ahead.

For now, the May 16th team is settled in at 14 Camp, resting after their descent and getting ready for tomorrow’s push down to Basecamp. We’re so proud of everything this team has accomplished, and we can’t wait to welcome them off the mountain soon!

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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.