Trip Reports
Duncan Stuart arrived in Alaska and met with guide team Jacob Schmitz and Danny Donovan at the Millennium Hotel in Anchorage. They reviewed the expedition itinerary, went through Duncan’s personal kit and they are currently on the road to Talkeetna. In Talkeetna, the team will participate in a mandatory National Park Service climber orientation and…
We’d like to welcome Hernan Leal to Alaska! Hernan is attempting the West Buttress of Denali, North America’s highest peak, and they will be led by Mountain Trip guide team Bill Allen, Ernesto Olivares, and Rene Welty. The West Buttress is a classic mountaineering challenge that climbs 13,000′ from the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna…
Lead guide Rob “Durny” Durnell called in from the Southeast Fork of the Talkeetna Glacier, the site of Denali Base Camp! The team drove up to the small, end of the road town of Talkeetna, Alaska on the morning of June 14th, arriving first at the airstrip, where they unloaded their gear and supplies at…
The team woke to very cold temperatures and windy weather, and they decided to take a rest day at 14 Camp. Rest days are important for team members to remain rested, hydrated and ready for the challenges of the upper mountain. It sounds like the team is eating well and enjoying the social atmosphere of…
The team is making good progress, and they are settled in at 11,200′ Camp today. It sounds like everyone is doing well and feeling strong as the team moves up the glacier. Tomorrow they plan to move a load of equipment and supplies to a cache site at 13,500′. Immediately outside of camp, the team…
The team is holding at High Camp, watching the weather carefully for break in the wind. Yoshiko reports high winds overnight, so the team plans to rest, hydrate and enjoy the views at High Camp for the day. Fingers crossed for good weather tomorrow! Note the snow walls erected around camp. This is to protect…
Jim Williams called in on behalf of the June 10th team. They moved their camp from the traditional Camp 1 to a camp at about 9,600′. Jim reports that it was extremely windy while they made their move during the middle of the night. They are traveling on a night schedule so as to avoid…
Today the team is holding at high camp due to the weather. Ian called in this morning and was reporting significant winds in camp despite the favorable weather forecast. This team has seen all types of weather on their trip but, the combination of below zero temperature and high winds make a summit bid impossible…
These guys are making great time! Watch their spot link to track their progress. Yesterday this team was moving food, fuel and all of their high altitude equipment to the 11,000’ camp. Today they woke up with the energy and conditions to do it all again! Now that they have established a camp at 11,…
Today the team will practice the skills they need to keep moving uphill. The next part of the route includes steep fixed lines and running protection. The fixed lines climb a section of the west buttress just below the ridge that leads to high camp. Once Team Fubar climbs the fixed lines, they will continue…