Joe Horiskey's Guide Bio

Q: When was your first Mount McKinley Expedition?

A: 1972. In '72, '73 and '74 we met numerous climbers who had climbed with RMI on Mount Rainier so we decided to organize our first RMI expedition in May 1975.

Q: How many expeditions have you done?

A: 23.

Q: How do I prepare for Mount McKinley?

A: The Expedition Skills Seminar is the way to go. You'll learn technical mountaineering skills, crevasse rescue, anchors, belaying, knots, how to ascend fixed lines, rig and pull a sled, set camp, build snow walls, and a lot more. You'll become good at self care and learn a lot about route finding and navigation.

Q: What boots do you prefer?

A: I like the Koflach Arctis Expe.

Q: What boots did you wear in 1972?

A: (laughing) We wore Korean white rubber vapor-barrier Army boots - they called them "Mickey Mouse" boots.  They had flexible soles and no ankle support, but were as warm as heck.

Q: Worst weather you recall?

A: Several times we had storms that lasted four or five days.

Q: Best weather?

A: In May 1979, with Marty Hoey. We had perfect weather every day and with one rest day we went to the summit and back in 13 days. These days we take longer.

Q: How much weight do we carry?

A: You need to be able to carry 60 pounds. Bear in mind, though, that many of the days are not as long as you may be used to. On the majority of days you are moving around 1,500 feet and doing double carries.

Q: Why do you 'double-carry'?

A: We split the load into two carries.  This allows us to acclimatize. We move gradually up the mountain at a pace to avoid altitude sickness.

Q: What has kept you going back over the years?

A: I love Alaska. I love introducing people to expedition climbing.  I love seeing the team connect together. If anyone reaches the top it is a result of everyone working together.

Q: What comes to mind when you think of Mount McKinley?

A: Two memories. One is our team after a successful summit descending through Kahiltna Pass and looking ahead at all of the peaks and spires between us and base camp and watching the boot trail stretching out for miles ahead weaving around crevasses on the glacier. Another beautiful memory is from our 17,000 foot camp: the evening sun low on the horizon with the reflected light from thousands of lakes far below us on the tundra.

Q: How can I learn more?

A: Give me a call at RMI. I love talking to people about Alaska, Mount McKinley and Mount Rainier.