Trip Reports
The recording is a bit garbled and then it cuts off, but Travis was able to convey that the team made a cache of equipment and supplies at 9600′. The team is on a “night program” meaning that they are resting during the day and moving up the glacier at night, when temperatures are lowest.…
Enchiladas abovy 14,000′? Climber Tony Hogan called in a report for the June 5 team after a hearty dinner prepared at 14,200′ on the West Buttress Route by their guides. Mountain Trip guides wear a lot of hats; they must not only act as technical skills instructors, motivators, teachers, weather forecasters and first responders, but…
Mountain Trip guide Blake Gordon called in for the June 9 Denali West Buttress team, who reached Camp One at 7,800′ on the route after trekking through the Alaskan night, their path up the glacier illuminated by the midnight sun. As we approach the summer solstice, more and more daylight with prevail over the Alaska…
Mountain Trip lead guide Eli Potter called in with an update on the May 29 West Buttress team, who plan to move up to High Camp on the route at 17,200′–as long as the weather cooperates. The team had their early alarms set this morning, and planned to be heading out to get a start…
Mountain Trip guide Taylor Pyle Today they Here’s Taylor!
Guide Erin Laine called in from 14-Camp to give us an update on the June 2 West Buttress team, although she unfortunately cuts out a little early. So it goes attempting to make satellite phone calls from 14,200′ up, deep in the Alaska Range. They team would like to relay an apology message to those…
Climber JB (which we’re assuming is Jay Beaudoin? If not, please correct us in the comments) called in a shout out and update on the Mountain Trip May 27 West Buttress team, once again from 14,200′, but with their sights set on moving higher. Persistent storms that have plagued the mountain with high winds, low…
Ted Lebedz called in a nice shout out to family in Omaha and the teams at Joint Base Elmendorf, as he gave us an update on the team. The weather finally broke! After days of rain and wet, heavy snow, the climbers were graced with beautiful views of the Alaska Range today. They shouldered backpacks…
Mountain Trip guide Aaron Diamond called in with the first update on the June 9 Denali West Buttress team, who have arrived at Base Camp on the Kahiltna Glacier after waiting out a few days of bad weather in Talkeetna before they could fly into the Alaska Range. Here’s a photo of the team all…
Mountain Trip guide Yoshiko Miyazaki-Back called in an update on the private May 24 expedition, who have made the long trek down from 14-Camp at 14,200′ to Base Camp. The team walked all through the night, descending 7,000 vertical feet and crossing the lower glacier at the darkest point of the night, which allows for…