The May 26th team had a productive day on the mountain, back-carrying their cache from below 14 Camp and bringing all their supplies safely up to camp. With those loads now consolidated, the team has everything they need together and is well-positioned for the next phase of the climb.

For today’s back-carry, the team’s guides handled the trip down and back themselves, while the climbers stayed at 14 Camp resting and acclimatizing. It’s a smart, common approach when conditions allow. The guides can move efficiently with the heavier loads, and the climbers get an extra day at altitude to recover, hydrate, and continue adapting to 14,200 feet. While the guides were down the route, a neighboring team at 14 Camp kept an eye on the climbers, which is the kind of friendly, communal support that makes the Denali climbing community what it is. Teams look out for each other up there, and it’s one of the things that makes life on the mountain feel less remote than it might otherwise.

With the cache now back in camp, the team is set up well for what comes next. The work the team has put in to get all their supplies consolidated at 14 Camp puts them in a strong position to focus on the upper mountain when the time comes.

For now, the May 26th team is settled in at 14 Camp with another solid day behind them. The team is climbing well, the guides are dialed in, and the next phase of the expedition is right around the corner.

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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.