Trip Reports
Yesterday this rockstar team packed up camp at Camp 1, 7,800′ (2377m), and climbed over 1,000′ up Ski Hill which rises directly behind camp. Once one top of the hill, the team is on another wide, upscoping expanse of the glacier and they continued to ascend through rolling terrain until they took a climbers right…
Yesterday the team climbed up from their camp around 10,200′ (3108m) to Camp 2 which sits at 11,200′ (3413m). Camp 2 sits below some magnificent seracs, which are large columns of ice that peel off of the glacier as it moves over convexities in the terrain. The team can see the top of Kahiltna Dome…
The team moved from Basecamp to Camp 1 through the night on the 24th. Yesterday they enjoyed resting during the warmth of the day, and for now they will likely continue on a night schedule until they get a bit higher. They should be moving to cache supplies today between camps 1 and 2. We’ll…
Yesterday our ski team had another active rest day. They climbed up to the bottom of the Rescue Gully, one of the gullies (or couloirs) that drops from the ridge above 17,000′ (5181m) back into Camp 3 at 14,200′ (4328m). Often used as an alternate ascent or descent instead of the Fixed Lines on the…
Ty calls in from Anchorage to report the team’s final dispatch. This team went through a lot on their way up and down The Great One, and we admire their resilience. The West Buttress, although it may be considered a somewhat “simple” route, is still full of its challenges both expected and unexpected (like COVID!).…
After leaving Talkeetna, the team flew across the flat expanse of braided rivers that leads to the Alaska Range. Flying over the foot of the range they traveled across the glaciated, frozen peaks into Denali Basecamp at 7,200′ (2194m). Unloading their supplies from the plane, the team set up in Basecamp temporarily to wait for…
Yesterday our team of folks was able to climb up Ski Hill from Camp 1 at 7,800′ (2377m) onto an upper portion of the glacier. Navigating some rolling terrain here, the team made their way to 10,300′ (3139m), below Kahiltna Pass. They dug in camp here, and enjoyed a warm dinner whipped up by our…
Yesterday the team descended from Camp 3 at 14,200′ (4328m) back into their cache above Windy Corner at 13,200′ (3413m). They dug up their supplies, packed them up, and climbed back up to Camp 3. The rest of the day they did some “snow school”, practicing using ascenders and running pro (more on that later).…
Gustavo Ziller gave us a ring from the team’s Camp 1, located on a compact section of the mighty Kahiltna Glacier at an elevation of 7,800 feet (2377 m). The team took just over four hours to descend out of Base Camp and hike up the main body of the Kahiltna to their first camp.…
Lead Mountain Trip Guide Elías de Andres Martos rang in from 7,800 feet on the Kahiltna Glacier. He, Brian, and Steven moved up to what is the traditional Camp 1 for most climbers attempting the West Buttress, West Rib and Cassin routes. Located at the mouth of the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna, their camp…