Trip Reports
The team woke at 3 AM, ate breakfast, packed up camp and headed up the glacier. They traveled approximately 5 miles with 600′ elevation gain to Camp 1, at 7800′. It’s a long day, as the team is carrying the heaviest loads of the expedition. The team chose to move at night, when the temperatures…
Lead guide Adam Smith called in from 17,200′, reporting that the team took today to rest and acclimatize in preparation of a summit bid on Wednesday. The winds above them were strong enough to warrant prudence and the forecast for tomorrow looks very favorable, so they opted for the prudent decision of hanging tight in…
Robert Danger Byrd called in from the team’s new home for the next few days, the broad basin of 14,200′ Camp. The team made good time, climbing to camp in about 5.5 hours from their previous encampment at 11,200′. The day began with a hard climb up a moderately steep slope called Motorcycle Hill. This…
Duncan called in from Camp 1+, at about 9300′ on the Kahiltna Glacier. Capitalizing on the amazing weather, the team hiked past the traditional Camp 1 at 7,800′ and climbed up a feature known as Ski Hill in a long, tough day. The morning began with a 06:00 departure from Base Camp. They descended the…
It’s been a busy day for the June 15 Hernan Team. The climbers woke early, headed north to Talkeetna, participated in a climber orientation, and checked in with our air service provider. They are now airborne as I type, on the way to the Southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. Everyone is in great spirits,…
Tonight we have a much better satellite connection with guide Gary Falk, and he clarified that the team made the move up to 11,200′ Camp yesterday and today the team is taking a rest day. It’s important for team members to take rest days to eat, hydrate and relax from the rigors of climbing. It…
Lead guide Scott Woolums called in a final dispatch for the May 26th team. They are all off the glacier and making their way to their respective homes. It’s a really nice post in which he discusses the challenges they faced on a very tough summit attempt. The team pushed hard and really gave the…
Jim’s post from the 11,200′ basin is largely unintelligible, due to the steep southern walls of the basin that prevented them from having a good satellite signal. The team took a rest day at 11,200′ today, allowing their bodies to acclimatize after their trek up the glacier. They will continue their upward momentum tomorrow, as…
Terry Kelleher called in after “one of the best days we’ve ever seen on Denali!” The team moved great and climbed up out of the 14,200′ camp, ascending moderate snow slopes to the base of a steep slope known as The Headwall. This 200m section of route is affixed with ropes for it’s height, which…
Guide Jeff Dobronyi called in from Base Camp. The June 13th team spent the day reviewing skills and preparing their packs, sleds and supplies for the push up glacier! Actually, they will start their day by descending down the Southeast Fork to the point where it joins the main body of the massive Kahiltna Glacier. …