The May 17th team made it up to high camp today and is officially in position for a summit attempt tomorrow! After all the work it took to get here, reaching high camp at 17,200 feet is a major milestone and a huge step toward the summit.

The team is feeling strong and is skipping a rest day at high camp in favor of going for the summit tomorrow. That’s a decision the team’s guides made carefully, based on how the climbers were feeling, the conditions on the mountain, and the work the team has already put in. The May 17th team took an extra rest day at 14 Camp earlier in the week, and that additional time at altitude has paid off. The climbers are well-acclimatized, well-fed, and feeling good heading into one of the biggest days of the expedition.

By all reports, the team’s preflight guide meeting tonight came back green across the board. Climbers are healthy, gear is dialed, and the plan is set. Summit day on Denali is one of the longest and most demanding days a climber will ever face, often running 12 to 16 hours of climbing in extreme cold and thin air. Going into it with a confident team and a clear plan is the best possible setup.

For now, the May 17th team is at high camp, resting up and getting ready for the climb of their lives. The summit is in view, and we’re feeling great about how they’re set up heading into tomorrow. We’ll have more to share once the team is back at high camp.

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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.