The June 4 Team’s Denali expedition has officially begun after they flew out of Talkeetna and into base camp! Check out their team photo below and tap the recording link for the their full update. We’re excited for these guides and climbers to begin their trip of a lifetime!

Arriving at Denali basecamp 7,200 ft (m) the team stashed extra supplies they will use on the descent to lighten their packs and to prepare for any extended stay on the back end of the trip. Clear skies are a must for small glacier planes flying in the Alaska range so it is a standard protocol on Denali to make the first “cache” of the trip here.

After getting settled in at basecamp the team put on their snowshoes and packed their sleds up to ascend to Camp 1 7,800 ft (m). Departing base camp, they dropped down the infamous Heartbreak Hill and onto the broad Kahiltna Glacier. This is a moderately tough day of about 5 miles and is a good warm up for the upcoming days. Throughout the expedition our guides and climbers will typically follow the “climb high, sleep low” technique for better acclimatization; however, the altitude difference between Base Camp and 7,800′ Camp is minimal enough to permit us to generally “single-carry” this stretch. Cheers, crew! We look forward to hearing from you again soon.

recording