Trip Reports
Bob, Joe and Ben had one day of weather delay in Talkeetna, but flew onto the glacier, arriving at the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier on June 11th. They spent the 12th outside of Base Camp, reviewing skills that they will need to use as they ascend the mountain. After finishing their practice, they…
From Lead Guide Caitlin Hague: Well, Denali is a fickle gal and she certainly didn’t take it easy on us. This expedition put up with some of the worst weather I’ve seen in my 8 years of guiding up there. We had weather days at every camp, including at the end of our trip just…
We’d like to welcome a team of Chinese climbers to Alaska! Qizhi Gan, Zhisheng Wu, Xianfeng Yang, Xingzheng Zhao, and Sun Bin will be guided by Mountain trip guides Sean McManamy and Brian Muller on an attempt of the West Buttress of North America’s highest peak. The West Buttress is a classic mountaineering challenge that climbs 13,000′…
Fortified with a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hash browns, the Upper West Rib team is headed out for a “leg-stretcher” ski today. The team has been hunkered down at 14 Camp for just about a week as storms moved through the Alaska range. While it’s a clear day today at 14 Camp, the team…
Team Japan 8 8 called in today from Camp 2 at 11,200 ft. Guide Eli Potter reported that the team packed up camp in stormy conditions, but as they made their way up glacier, the skies cleared and by the time they arrived at Camp 2, it was a beautiful day. They set up camp,…
Paul called in the team report today. The team remains at 14 Camp, and it sounds like they are ready for a break in the weather in order to move up to High Camp. The weather took a turn for the better today, and the team enjoyed a bright, sunny afternoon. Paul sends a shout…
The team called in from a spectacular spot near the 14,200′ camp, called “The Edge Of The World.” This is a spot at the very edge of the basin that forms camp, where you can peer (carefully!) over the edge of a rock outcropping and gaze 1000 meters down at the heavily crevassed Northeast Fork…
Well, they say that one thing you can count on with the weather is that it will always change. The stormy, snowy weather that has taken up residence over much of the Alaska Range has released its icy hold and planes are flying! All of our teams that have been stuck at Base Camp are…
We’d like to welcome Bob Baker to Alaska! Bob is attempting the West Buttress of Denali, North America’s highest peak, and he is accompanied by Mountain Trip guide team Joe Butler and Ben Adkison. The West Buttress is a classic mountaineering challenge that climbs 13,000′ from the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier to the…
The majority of the West Rib team arrived back in Anchorage yesterday, 22 days after departing for the glacier. The climbers did well, but were stymied by a rough stretch of weather that unfortunately, denied them any opportunity to get high on Denali. A good friend once told me that, “Luck is when timing and…