May 9th team en route to Camp 1

Our May 9th Team is experiencing a classic day in Alaska. Tucked inside the tent, the team is making the most of an unexpected rest day with card games, stories from home, and some much-needed sleep. While storm days can be frustrating they serve an important purpose by giving climbers a chance to recover, hydrate, and let their bodies continue acclimatizing to the altitude. Tent days are a quintessential part of any Denali expedition, and the bonds built between teammates while waiting out a storm often become some of the most memorable parts of the trip.

May 9th team in high spirits

That said, staying put in bad weather isn’t just about comfort, it’s also a safety decision. Traveling in storm conditions on glaciated terrain in the Alaska Range can be extremely dangerous. Heavy snowfall and blowing snow can quickly reduce visibility to near zero, creating whiteout conditions where climbers lose all sense of depth, direction, and terrain features. On a glacier riddled with crevasses, this is a serious hazard. Fresh snow can mask the openings of crevasses, forming fragile snow bridges that look like solid ground but can collapse under a climber’s weight. Even with rope teams and probes, navigating crevassed terrain without being able to see the route is a recipe for trouble. Wind also plays a major role. Sustained high winds can cause frostbite and make it nearly impossible to communicate with your rope team. Add in the difficulty of route-finding when wands and landmarks are buried or obscured, and it becomes clear why experienced guides choose to take these days to lay low.

Weather permitting, it sounds like the team will be making the move to Camp 2 tomorrow!

May 9th team returns to Camp 1 after caching

Check out this audio recording from our May 9th team!

—

Family and friends are encouraged to leave comments for their loved ones on this expedition. Please keep in mind that climbers will not be able to see posts or comments until they return to Talkeetna at the end of the expedition.

Don’t forget that you can subscribe to this expedition’s Field Reports by entering your email address in the form to the right or below if viewing via mobile. That way, you never miss an update!

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.