Denali. “The Great One.” Mount McKinley.
By any name, the behemoth that dominates south central Alaska is something to behold in awe and to treat with the utmost respect. For climbers, the mountain presents what many might consider the challenge of a lifetime, as they pit themselves against brutal winds, arctic temperatures and the thin air of 6000 meters above sea level. Most people would not consider those attributes to be too conducive for a holiday away from work and the complexities of life, but for a select few, it is just that– a challenge and an opportunity to learn lessons about life, while slipping free from the pressures of “civilization,” as they transition into a slow, rhythmic pace of life on the glacier.
Let’s meet the team!
- Scot Buell from California
And Mountain Trip guides:
Peter Inglis, affectionately known as “PI”, from Telluride, Colorado
Brian Kramp from Girdwood, Alaska
Yesterday the team started the expedition process with a group meeting at the Millennium Alaska Hotel, where Mountain Trip guides reviewed Scot’s equipment, and discussed their preparation for the ascent of Denali via the Upper West Rib. Today the team drive north to Talkeetna to check in with the National Park Service and to weigh in the team’s load of equipment and supplies with Talkeetna Air Taxi. If the weather cooperates, the team will fly to the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier this afternoon.
As the team makes its way up Denali, we will do our best to post regular updates from the field. We invite you to follow along, but ask for your patience with the challenges of communicating regularly from such a rugged area. The climbers will try to call in audio posts from the field, but if a day or two should pass with no updates, well… that’s the challenge of life in the big, cold mountains!