Trip Reports
Welcome to Alaska, Leah and Paul! This will be our 46th consecutive season guiding on Denali, and we’re honored to welcome the team and all of the other climbers that have trusted us to help them test their fortitude on the highest mountain in North America. The May 17 Denali West Buttress team have…
The May 3 team called in an update from Camp 3 at 14,200′, where they took a rest day to maximize their acclimatization before moving to High Camp at 17,200′. They practiced skills that will be essential for their travel on the upper mountain, including ascending fixed lines and ice axe and crampon technique. They…
Kevin Cook called in an update for his West Buttress expedition (I believe he says “Team Dank Sauce”? Likely an inside joke on the team. If I’m mistaken in our hearing, please let us know!), from Camp Two. Yesterday the team back-carried to retrieve their cache near Denali Pass after moving camp up to 11,200′,…
Mountain Trip lead guide Yoshiko called in an update on the May 13 West Buttress team from Camp Two at 11,200′. The team was back in camp after spending their day caching around infamous Windy Corner at around 13,500′. Not only does this cache set them up to move up to 14,200′, a.k.a. “14-Camp,” but…
Welcome to Alaska, May 17 Denali Team! This will be our 46th consecutive season guiding on Denali, and we’re honored to welcome the May 17 team and all of the other climbers that have trusted us to help them test their fortitude on the highest mountain in North America. The May 17 Denali West Buttress…
The May 6 team is making great progress up the route after a good weather window the past couple of days! After a long push from 11,200′, the team made the move up to 14,200′–commonly known as “14-Camp.” They spent a long night after their arrival building camp: leveling tent platforms and digging out a…
Guide Kakiko Ramos Léon called in an update for the Mountain Trip May 13 team, who has made it up to 11,200′ Camp, also known as Camp Two, on the West Buttress. Despite challenging early-season weather, the team anticipates being able set a cache up around Windy Corner at approximately 13,500′. It sounds like everyone…
Today the team moved a load of equipment and supplies to a cache site at 10,000′. It sounds like the everything went smoothly and the team is back at camp, enjoying a dinner prepared by guide Logan. It’s begun snowing and the team will carefully monitor the weather to determine if the conditions are appropriate…
Lead Guide Brian Kramp called in from the beautiful basin camp at 11,200′ (3413m) after the team carried loads up to 13,500′ (4114m) today. They are doing great and hoping to move up to their next camp tomorrow! The morning started with a 1000′ (300m) climb up a slope known as Motorcycle Hill. The hill…
Peter and Melle called in from 14,200′ (4328m) today, providing us an update for their May 3rd Denali team. They have been experiencing very cold temperatures and strong winds for a number of days. Today, the weather was good enough to move up from their previous camp and around the notorious feature known as Windy…