It’s official: the May 19th team has a name! Going forward, they’ll be known on the mountain as “The Bitchin’ West Buttress Team.” Team names are a fun and longstanding tradition on Denali expeditions. They help bring a crew together, give the team an identity to rally around, and become part of the story climbers carry home with them long after the trip is over. The Bitchin’ West Buttress Team has a great ring to it, and we love seeing the team’s personality come through this early in the climb.

On the climbing front, the team is making steady progress. They sent word this morning that the plan for the day was to cache at 10,500 feet, which is a solid push higher up the route from Camp 1. Caching at that elevation puts supplies in position for the team’s next move and starts shifting the weight of the expedition further up the mountain. We haven’t received an update this evening yet, but that’s not unusual after a long day of climbing and hauling. Once camp life winds down and the cook tent is busy with dinner, satellite phone check-ins often take a back seat.

There have been a few hiccups with communications early in the trip with the satellite phone but those appear to be sorted out now. After some back-and-forth getting things dialed in, the team is officially set up for check-ins, which means cleaner and more consistent updates from here on out. Expedition logistics like this are part of the behind-the-scenes work that keeps everything running smoothly, and it’s good to have the system established this early in the climb.

For now, we’re assuming The Bitchin’ West Buttress Team had a successful cache day and is tucked into camp tonight, resting up for whatever comes next. We’ll have more to share once tomorrow’s update comes through.

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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.