Trip Reports
The team had a successfully cache at 10,200′ today near Kahiltna Pass. This is the team’s first cache of many on the trip. Caching is part of the expedition style of climbing that allows climbers to “climb high and sleep low”, making it easier for the body to acclimate to the new altitudes as they…
A team from last year rounding Windy Corner to the cache site. The West Buttress rises to the right in the photo. James called in to report a successful cache at Windy Corner yesterday. The team enjoyed beautiful weather, wearing sun hoodies up to the cache at 13,500′. At this point, the team will leave…
The May 11 team dug in at Camp 1 through some wind and low visibility yesterday. Rest day/weather days are a great time to refine your cribbage skills, catch up on some reading, take a nap, or worry about eating all the snacks you brought for the whole trip.. Depending on where you are on…
A photo of a plane in Denali Basecamp The May 14 left Basecamp at 9:30a arriving in Camp 1 at 2:30p. First descending 600 feet from the South East Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier to the main body of the 40 mile long glacier. Glaciers are like a frozen river. So, just like a river,…
A snowman from the Denali archives! Dave called in to update us from Camp 2 at 11,000′. The team enjoyed a weather slash rest day, and took the time to practice their “snow craft” using snow saws and their shovels. During foul weather, the wind can really pick up and it is important to protect…
A very warm welcome to our third West Buttress team of the 2022 Denali season! We are so excited to climb alongside this team of folks on their journey up North America’s highest peak. We acknowledge that for many, reaching the summit of Denali is a lifelong goal, and the culmination of many months of training,…
A photo from the Denali Archives of one of our teams leaving Basecamp “Stoke Master” Grant Purdue calls in from Bascamp last night after the May 14 team flew into the South East Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier from Talkeetna yesterday around 2:00p AKDT. On Saturday, in preparation the team did their team safety brief,…
The May 11 team called in last night 8:22 AKDT to report a successful cache up to 9,800′ on the glacier near Kahiltna Pass. Yesterday the team got up and chose fuel, food, gear, and other supplies that they wouldn’t need for a few days. They packed these items up, tied in to their rope…
Chloe called in with the May 8 team last night! Today the team had what we call an “active rest day”. Today was a significantly shorter day than when they move camps, allowing them to get out and stretch their legs, get some of that lactic acid flowing and moved out of the body, and…
Birthday boy Craig Lenning called in today’s post from a camp with a view! Early this morning, the team packed up camp at Base Camp, tied themselves and their heavily laden sleds to their climbing ropes and took a hike downhill towards Camp 1. Nope, that wasn’t a typo…! Base Camp is located on the…