After five long days of waiting in Talkeetna, the May 16th team finally got the call to fly today and made it onto the glacier! It’s a huge relief and a major milestone after such an extended weather hold, and the team wasted no time once their boots hit the snow.

True to the spirit of expedition climbing, they hit the ground running. Rather than spend a night at Basecamp, the team took advantage of the open window and pushed straight on toward Camp 1 this afternoon. It’s a bold and efficient move that makes a lot of sense given how much time they’ve already lost to weather. By getting the move to Camp 1 done immediately, the team buys back valuable days on their expedition schedule and puts themselves in a stronger position to keep climbing as the weather cooperates.

Between the flight in, the work of unloading and organizing gear at Basecamp, and the haul to Camp 1, it’s been a full day with a lot of moving parts. By the time camp is set up and the cook tent is running, climbers often prioritize hot food and sleep over satellite calls. We’re expecting to hear from them tomorrow with an update once they’ve had a chance to rest and settle in.

For now, it’s great news that the May 16th team is finally on the mountain and moving. After all the waiting, it must feel good to be making real progress at last!

In addition to the above recording we received this one a bit later!

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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.