Mountain Trip guide Karl Welter called in with an update on the June 5 Denali West Buttress expedition, who have spent several days now at Camp 3 at 14,200′. Karl reported that they’ve received about 6 inches of snow every 12 hours. With the wind blowing constantly, the team had to work to keep clearing the snow from their tents, and keeping their snow walls in good shape to keep the gusts from damaging the tents.

The wind at 14-Camp, however, is nothing compared to the wind currently blowing up higher. The National Park’s official forecast reported winds of 60 mph. Karl said that they chatted with another team returning from High Camp who completely “lost their tent,” meaning presumably that it either blew away from them as they were trying to set it up, or it actually ripped apart from the winds.

Karl reported that everyone is healthy and happy, despite the circumstances, and everyone is anxious to begin making upward progress once again.

The team is all itching to move higher, and are hoping to make the push to High Camp either today (Monday, 6/20) or tomorrow.

Here’s Karl with an update: