Trip Reports
Waking up to a beautiful bluebird day with warm temperatures, the team moved from Camp 1 to Camp 2 at 11,200′. After a full day with stellar views of the Alaska Range, the team is feeling good and healthy at their new camp. Tomorrow calls for a back-carry day to retrieve their cache from a…
Josh Cummins called in an update with a very special conclusion to his call – No spoiler alerts here – listen to it! The team was graced with a bluebird sky day and they rallied to take advantage of it. They shouldered their packs with food and supplies that they won’t need for a few…
We’re honored to welcome the May 30 team and all of the other climbers that have trusted us to help them test their strength and fortitude on the highest mountain in North America this season! For many, reaching the summit of Denali is a lifelong goal, and the culmination of many months of training, and…
Climber Robert Caldwell called in an update on the May 27 West Buttress team from Camp One on the route. Despite variable weather, the team was able to cache up near Kahiltna Pass at the top of Ski Hill at around 9,500′. They then headed back down to camp at 7,800′ to hunker down for…
The May 18 Deanli West Buttress team had a big day today, with 7-8 hours of heading up the fixed lines to ascend the steep headwall that leads to the impressive 16,000′ ridge above Camp Three. When on the route, this is certainly when one gets the sense that the serious climbing has begun. Pushing…
The May 23 team finally is coming out of the “ping pong ball”–a term common to Alaskan mountaineering, when you find yourself in a disorienting whiteout for an extended period of time, making travel nearly impossible. They have spent a day hunkered down in their tents, getting some extra rest to prepare them for the…
It sounded like Jesse Wright on the satellite phone, relaying the news that our May 27th team packed up camp on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier and made the ~5 mile trek to the site of their first camp on the West Buttress route of Denali. Conditions were mixed, with difficult visibility at…
Climber Matt Zelasko called in an update on the May 18th West Buttress team at Camp Three, just above 14,000′. The team is weathering a storm very well, with some extra downtime, reading, movies, hanging out in their Hilleberg kitchen tent, and of course extra snacks. As soon as a weather window allows, the team…
Lead guide Yoshiko Miyazaki called in an update from Camp Two at 11,200′ on the May 23 team. Unfortunately, her reception wasn’t the best, so some of the message is a bit unclear. Camp Two sits in a glacial basin of sorts, with high mountain walls on virtually all sides, so often it can be…
Meet the May 27th Denali West Buttress Team! Composed of lead-guide Jesse Wright and assistant guides Ty Guarino and Robert Caldwell. Climbers include Greg, Terry, Leif and Ning. Denali rises up to 20,310 feet (6190 m). Due to its location so close to the Arctic Circle, conditions can often be very winter-like well into the…