The May 28th team made it up to high camp today, arriving at 6:45 PM and settling in for the night at 17,200 feet. It’s a major milestone on any Denali expedition and a huge step toward a summit attempt.

The move from 14 Camp to high camp is one of the more demanding days on Denali. It involves climbing the fixed lines above 14, navigating the long, exposed ridge that leads to high camp, and finishing high on the upper mountain with all the gear needed to live and climb at altitude. It’s a long day under any conditions, and getting the team into high camp ready to settle in is a real accomplishment.

High camp is the launching point for summit pushes and the most pivotal stretch of any West Buttress expedition. From here, the team’s focus will shift to recovering from today’s effort, acclimatizing to the new altitude, and looking ahead to the weather window that’ll set up a summit attempt.

For now, the May 28th team is at high camp, tents pitched and bodies resting after a long day on the rope. The summit is in view, the team is in position, and we’re feeling great about how they’re set up heading into the biggest days of the expedition.

Denali 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.