Denali National Park Mt. McKinley Climb: Cifelli & Team Carry to 10.000’
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Ben Luedtke, Mike Bennett
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 7,800'
Friday, June 13, 2025 9:24pm PDT
Déjà-vu: both for climbing Ski Hill and blogging about climbing Ski Hill. So here we are again. Same same, yet also different. I put in my headphones and cue up the Hadestown OCR. “Road to Hell” begins playing.
We awoke at 2:30am. So close to the arctic circle, Denali never gets dark in June. But the movement of the sun across the skies nevertheless plays a big role in our schedule each day, as the temps - and thus snow conditions - change readily with its absence or appearance.
Today’s itinerary is to move part of our food and gear up the mountain, dig a hole in the snow - our “cache” - dump our food and gear, cover it back up, and head back down to our camp. In a few days, we will hike back to our cache from our next camp and retrieve it. This allows us to move our 22 days of supplies up the mountain in stages while we acclimate to the altitude by following a “climb high, sleep low” methodology. So, we load approximately 16 days of our food and any gear we won’t need until the upper mountain into our sleds and head up Ski Hill to Kalhitna Pass just after 4am. Ski Hill is the first significant elevation gain of our climb. Even having climbed it - twice - before, it’s surprising how interminable it seems. It’s a cold morning. With the sun still below the horizon, there’s enough light to walk by, but none to spare for warming us. Any warmth is self-generated. After several hours of marching uphill, we arrive at the base of Kalhitna pass and relieve ourselves of our burdens. The sun peeks over the ridge, and before long our shivering will become sweating as we race back downhill, unencumbered by load or slope. Matt + Kim “Don’t Slow Down” plays in my headphones.
Climber Sophia Bishop & Team
Comments (10)
Wishing you all a great climb! Go Nate! Go Aspen!
Posted by: Earl Brunner on
Onward and upward, team! Mikayla, on the Camino we say ‘Ultreia’ meaning ‘ever higher’ and you are the ultimate pilgrim! So proud of you!!
Posted by: Tante Mary on
Hadestown was a good show and a good memory w/you guys. Keep grinding away, and luckily you don’t have to worry bc even if you look back T will be there :-P you got this! - H
Posted by: Hanna on
Don’t Slow Down” feels like the perfect anthem. Keep pushing—you’ve got people rooting for yall hard from down here. Love you Mikayla! - Love Mack
Posted by: Mack on
Avons le privilège de vous suivre Sommes derrières vous tous ,particulièrement Etienne G Leroux
Je t’envoie full énergie ,afin que chaque jour se passe se passe bien
Tu es dans mes pensées mon cher Etienne
Posted by: Claudette.groleau on
Yay Tait and Sophie! Cheering you on and upward!
Posted by: Joy Delaney on
You’re doing great. Hope the weather holds out. Keep climbing. We love you, Grandma and Grandpa Donley
Posted by: Carolyn Donley on
Thank you for painting the mountain and the methodology behind the climb with your words.
I imagine everyone is strong and psyched, and ya’ll are forming some close bonds.
Shot out to my wild child Mikayla! I can’t wait to hear your stories—you’re living a great one! Love you!
Posted by: Michelle DeMers on
Proud of the whole group! Stay warm and safe!
Posted by: Bobby Hall on
You got this mom! We miss and love you.
Love Maverick and Nellie Wellie
Posted by: Christina Trombley on