The May 28th team took a rest day at 14 Camp today, taking the time to recover and acclimatize before looking ahead to the move up to high camp. The plan from here is to make the push to high camp when the weather allows.

Rest days at 14 Camp are an important part of the upper mountain phase of any Denali expedition. Spending extra time at 14,200 feet gives the body more time to adapt to the altitude before pushing to high camp at 17,200 feet. The more acclimatized the team is heading into the move, the better positioned they’ll be once they step into the thinner air higher up.

The move from 14 to high camp is one of the more demanding days on Denali, involving the climb up the fixed lines, the long ridge above, and the final stretch into high camp. Timing it with a favorable weather window is important, especially because the route runs through some of the most exposed terrain on the West Buttress. The team’s guides are keeping a close eye on conditions and will make the call when the mountain cooperates.

For now, the May 28th team is at 14 Camp, resting up and staying ready for the next move. The upper mountain is in view, and the team is in a great spot heading into the next phase of the climb.

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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.