Trip Reports
The team called in from 7,800′ (2377 m) on the Kahiltna Glacier, after a great day of pushing their supplies higher on the mountain. In order to climb a big, cold mountain like Denali, teams need to plan to spend weeks on the mountain, which translates to a tremendous amount of food, fuel and supplies.…
WELCOME JUNE 19 TEAM! Denali, often called “The Great One,” or “The Roof of North America”, is often touted as the hardest of the Seven Summits, or highest peaks on each continent. Denali rises in stark contrast above the surrounding tundra, standing like an icy sentinel over south central Alaska, visible from over 100 miles…
Mountain Trip guide Fischer Hazen called in from High Camp on the West Buttress Route, at 17,200′! Taking advantage of the clear weather, the team climbed up the steep headwall and fixed lines out of 14-Camp, ascending a strenuous 3,000′ of vertical to reach High Camp. They set up camp last night for a good…
The June 9 West Buttress team has arrived at 14,200′, their Camp 3 on the route. Mountain Trip guides Travis and Blake called in an update after the team made a hearty spaghetti dinner in camp after a long day of climbing, gaining approximately 3,000′ of elevation between Camp 2 and Camp 3. While some…
While the update is a bit difficult to understand, we believe that this audio was called in by the June 17 Denali West Buttress team, who are camped at 7,800′. It is highly likely that the team spent today bringing a cache of gear and supplies to the top of Ski Hill at 10,500′, to…
Climber Rob Leskun called in from chilly 14,200′ (Camp 3), waiting on the weather to break up higher on the mountain. The team has now spent three days in camp waiting on their window to move up the steep fixed lines of the Headwall, above 14-Camp. While the weather up higher on the route has…
Mountain Trip guide Josh Garner called in the first audio update from the glacier after the June 17 West Buttress team reached Base Camp at 7,200′ on the route. They will likely review glacier travel and risk mitigation, set up camp, and get a few hours of rest before setting out for Camp One. At…
Due to poor visibility, high winds, and general nasty conditions up high, both the Mountain Trip May 29 and June 2 teams have decided to descend the route back down to Denali Base Camp at 7,200′ from High Camp at 17,200′. No matter how optimistic, tenacious and strong-willed a group of climbers may be, it…
Mountain Trip lead guide Brian Kramp called in a final update on Shan’s May 28 Denali West Buttress Expedition, who have left the Alaska Range and have returned to Anchorage to go their separate ways. While the team unfortunately did not make the summit due to poor weather, we would still likely to extend our…
Denali, the highest mountain in North America, the “Great One,” the “High One,” and formerly Mount McKinley, towers over the surrounding rugged Alaska landscape, visible on the horizon from upwards of 100 miles away. Mountain Trip has been guiding on Denali for 44 years now, primarily on the classic West Buttress Route, which the June…