The May 26th team got a cache in at the top of the fixed lines today! It’s a significant piece of work on the West Buttress and an important milestone on the way to the upper mountain.

The fixed lines run up the Headwall above 14 Camp from around 15,200 feet to 16,200 feet, on some of the steepest, most exposed terrain of the route. Climbers clip into pre-set ropes and ascend using mechanical ascenders, working their way up with crampons biting into firm snow and ice. Getting a cache to the top of the lines means the team has put in serious work and now has supplies staged in a key position for the next push higher.

The team mentioned there was a fair amount of traffic on the route today, with enough other climbers around that the team opted to stop their cache at the top of the lines rather than pushing further up. That kind of decision is part of climbing during peak Denali season. With teams from all over the world moving through the same key sections of the route, traffic can build quickly, and it’s often smarter to stash supplies where the team can move efficiently and stay out of busy stretches. The cache is in a great spot, and the team made the right call.

For now, the May 26th team is back at 14 Camp with another solid day behind them. With supplies staged at the top of the fixed lines, the team is well-positioned to keep building toward the upper mountain.

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