Entries from Mt. McKinley

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Ready to Fly

June 25, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Thursday June 25th 10:00 a.m. PT RMI Guide Dave Hahn sent us a couple photos as they were embarking on their flight to Kahiltna Base. Once the team is situated on the glacier and moved into their first mountain camp, Dave will check in with us again.

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team a Shaky Start in Alaska

June 24, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Wednesday June 24th 11:15 pm PT This was a typically full and busy prep day for Denali in many ways... And a little atypical as well. We had plenty to do, a big and delicious breakfast meeting at the Roadhouse, our informative orientation slideshow with the National Park Service at the Talkeetna Ranger Station and an afternoon of checking and sorting climbing equipment and supplies out at the K2 Aviation hangar. It was during the gear sorting that the atypical event transpired. We were working outside, enjoying the summer sunshine. Airplanes were taxiing and revving their props, trains were going back and forth with blaring horns and mild rumbling... When real rumbling began. An earthquake struck a little before 2:30 in the afternoon. It was unmistakable, but also fairly mild where we were standing... even if it was surreal. We heard reports that it was a magnitude 5.8 quake centered about sixty miles west of Talkeetna, which must mean that our climber-friends and co-workers probably felt it more than we did. We sure hope that none were in delicate circumstances for the event and that all were ok. Our team went back to packing and prepping for flying onto the Kahiltna Glacier tomorrow morning. The afternoon finished with a weigh-in of food and fuel, clothing, tents, ropes, stoves, sleds, shovels, people and a small mountain of miscellaneous ballast for the climb. We sat outside for dinner, talking over the details of tomorrow and the start of a big adventure, but also simply relaxing and enjoying a memorable summer day before we commit to snow and ice. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

wishing the group no un-expected storms or earthquakes…smooth climbing all the way to the top!

Posted by: kathie grengs on 6/25/2015 at 1:58 pm

That’s a crazy day! Thanks for the report! Go team and safe beginnings to all.

Posted by: Laura Taft Paulsen on 6/25/2015 at 1:52 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 14K Camp

June 24, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Wulp, your intrepid team has made it smoothly and safely into Camp 4 at over 14K! Forecasts were calling for an end to our decent weather on Thursday or Friday so we decided to push up and forego a rest day at 11. The climbers have been motivated and moving strongly throughout the trip, which made the decision to move up a relatively easy one. We were greeted by RMI Guide Pepper Dee with a great looking posh and nice camp to move into. Pepper also had plenty of cold water for us which really hit the spot after our first really hot day on the move. Not much else to report other than pretty marginal weather forecasts and a happy team sitting pretty at 14. RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Go for it Art and Charlie! Hope the weather holds.

Posted by: Bill Fruamann on 6/26/2015 at 7:40 am

Great to hear the weather has cooperated so far Marco! Hopefully it will stay like that. Sounds like the whole team is doing great. Bravo!

Posted by: Mti & Dodi on 6/26/2015 at 12:34 am

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Summit!

June 24, 2015

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal, Pepper Dee

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 20,320'

Wednesday June 24th 11:45 pm PT We woke up around seven this morning to one of the warmest mornings I have ever experienced at 17,000 feet camp. We got ready slowly and departed for the top just after nine. The weather was perfect for us pretty much the entire climb. There was a little bit of cold, a little bit of hot, but mostly perfect all day. The El Siete crew walked to the summit in style a little after five this afternoon and spent a good deal of time taking pictures from the top. We had a smooth descent and pulled into camp just after 9:00 p.m. Alaska time for a twelve-hour round trip. We are getting the boys fed and put to bed so we can get up early to start our way out to basecamp and eventually back to you! RMI Guide Mike Haugen Audio transcription - Wednesday June 24th 6:30 pm PT Hi, it's Mike Haugen. I am standing with the RMI el Siete on the summit of Denali. Beautiful weather. We topped out about 5:15 in the evening and are miles above the clouds. We are saying our congratulations to the team and head on back to high camp and send the blog from there. Hope all of our families are doing well. Thank you for your support.

RMI Guide Mike Haugen calls in from the Denali summit!

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Congratulations to the hole team! Can’t wait to hear all about the climb and to see pictures! Now come home safe, Fredrik!

Posted by: May-Linn on 6/25/2015 at 3:24 pm

Congratulations to all of you, and well done to my norwegian friends Erlend and Fredrik! I was very happy to receive the news today! :-)

Posted by: Viggo Finset on 6/25/2015 at 2:26 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Dave Hahn & Team Arrive in Talkeetna

June 24, 2015

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Steve Gately, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 348'

June 24, 2015 12:35 am PST The final RMI Denali team of 2015 came together today. Six climbers and three guides met up in Anchorage this afternoon, some having come in one or two days previously and some just arriving today after exceedingly long airline extravaganzas. Luckily, the all-important mountain of baggage that will allow us to safely challenge the real mountain made it onto the Anchorage carousels intact. We didn't waste much time at all before boarding our Denali Overland shuttle for Talkeetna. It was a warm and dry day, as has apparently been the pattern in these parts this season. Haze obscured the views we might otherwise have enjoyed of the Alaska Range. Our journey to Talkeetna was broken up by a stop at the big supermarkets of Wasilla to put finishing touches on group and personal food supplies for the trip. We made good time up through the fresh forest fire scars of Willow, AK that have been making national news in recent weeks and rolled into Talkeetna around 8 PM. It didn't take long before we were settled into our comfortable hotel and venturing out together for a relaxing beverage while basking in the strong evening sunshine. Tomorrow we'll get down to the business of climbing North America's highest mountain. Best Regards, RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

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I will be following the blog every step of the way…good climbing to the group

Posted by: kathie grengs on 6/26/2015 at 10:05 am

Hi Dave -

Just read on your Facebook page about the earthquake up there. Unbelievable. Hope you and the crew have safe climbing days ahead of you. Good Luck !

-Larry Seaton

Posted by: Larry Seaton on 6/24/2015 at 8:25 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen and Team Move to 14,000’ Ready For Summit Attempt

June 24, 2015

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal, Pepper Dee

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 17,000'

June 23, 2015 9:51 pm PST We had a successful move up to 17,000 foot camp on Mt. McKinley. The weather was perfect for traveling on the fixed lines and above. Climbing on the amazing ridge that crests the West Buttress of Denali is always one of my favorite parts of the climb because of the beautiful rock an the exposure. I think all of the El Siete boys had a good time weaving through the rocks and snow that provide the natural protection on the ridge. As of now, we are planning to try to summit tomorrow. The forecast looks good and the crew is ready. Wish us luck! RMI Guide Mike Haugen

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Craig,
Will be in Talkeetna to play at the Fairview Inn on Wednesday. Hope to see you then if you have not flown out already.
Bom sucesso!!!
Nick

Posted by: Nick Kantar on 6/24/2015 at 3:59 pm

Proud of you Mr. Chowdry….to the top my friend

Posted by: Tony on 6/24/2015 at 3:51 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Cache Gear Higher on the Mountain

June 23, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

Tuesday June 23rd 6:48 pm PT Greetings from another partly cloudy day here on Denali. Great weather and calm winds enabled us to push a cache up the mountain today around Windy Corner just shy of Camp 4. We were afforded glimpses of blue skies and the upper mountain through the clouds while we were preparing and covering up our supplies. We actually stumbled upon a perfectly sized cache hole abandoned by another party so little digging was necessary. Between that and the weather we've been making out pretty easy thus far. No matter, our team is gelling well and ready for the challenges that lie ahead. Sitting pretty back at 11... RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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I am glad to hear that about a father and son team climbing together. As we climb mountains we get stronger physically, but as we face mountains in our faith we must climb over them and as we do we get stronger in our faith. Remember that God is with you on every step and that He will never leave you so all of us are always with our Heavenly Father as we climb

Posted by: Kevin Stone on 6/25/2015 at 8:12 am

Doug, been thinking about your trek back to Denali often, and wish you good weather and good companionship as you reach this next goal. Best of luck and stay safe!

Posted by: William on 6/24/2015 at 8:31 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Gear Up for Move to High Camp

June 23, 2015

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal, Pepper Dee

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,000'

June 22, 2015 11:30 pm PST We spent what is hopefully our last day at 14,000 feet resting and getting geared up to move to our High Camp at 17,000 feet. It started out very sunny, but soon the clouds climbed up and whited us out. The clouds gave us a dusting of snow as well as some reprieve from the brutal solar radiation that can come with the sunny skies high on a mountain. The weather is looking good for us to move up and make a push to the top over the next couple of days. Wish us luck and do your good weather jigs for us. RMI Guide Mike Haugen

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Doug -Thinking of you Bro and following the progress closely. Sending all our good energy here to you and the team. Go get it! —Don

Posted by: Don Watson on 6/24/2015 at 7:35 am

Good luck to the whole team! Doing the good weather dance and sending good vibes across the miles to all of you. Judi

Posted by: Judi on 6/23/2015 at 2:28 pm

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Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Resting at 11,200’ Camp

June 22, 2015

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King, Sean Collon

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,200'

June 22, 2015 - 6:34 pm PT Greetings from day two up here at 11 Camp where our team is resting after a pretty mellow back-carry down to 9,600'. We retrieved the cache of food and fuel we left behind yesterday on our move up and have been enjoying partly cloudy skies and pretty civilized temperatures thus far. The team has been taking advantage of the good weather by staying on the move. Tomorrow we're hoping to put a cache in up around Windy Corner at around 13,900' that will hopefully set us up well for a move up to Camp 4 at just over 14,000' in the next few days. Everyone is moving well and excited to keep on pushing up the mountain bit by bit. Not much else to report other than that the mountain feels quite empty. Not that we're lonely or anything, just enjoying some relatively uncommon solitude up here. All's well thus far! RMI Guide Billy Nugent

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Hey Doug, You’re in new territory. Keep it going.
Jean & Richard

Posted by: Jean Krohn on 6/23/2015 at 6:30 pm

You are almost there! Miss you lots Charlie!

Posted by: Katelynn on 6/23/2015 at 4:02 pm

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Mt.McKinley: Haugen & Team Cache Above the Fixed Lines

June 22, 2015

Posted by: Mike Haugen, Mike Uchal, Pepper Dee

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

June 21, 2015 11:09pm PST Our alarms woke us up early to a beautifully clear, but cold, morning. We had breakfast and set out around 5 a.m. to cache some gear up higher on the mountain. The route above 14,000 camp becomes very steep and we use fixed lines the gain the West Buttress at 16,200'. When we got to the top of the fixed lines, our El Siete crew had not had enough. We decided to do some more climbing and bury our cache below a huge rock feature called Washburn's Thumb at 16,500 feet. Although we had to do some delicate passing of some upward teams on our way down, we made it back to camp in good time. We are taking a rest day tomorrow and then hopefully moving up to high camp the following day. That is all weather dependent of course! Mike Haugen and RMI Team 7 "El Siete"

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Thanks for your postings, it’s impressing what you achieve up there in that beautiful mountains. And Erlend; it was so nice to speak with you this morning, made my day and the rest of the time you are away.I called your mother and Lorents, they were so glad to hear that everything is OK with you,Fredrik and the whole team. Robin came today,he’s in good mood and I think he will be staying for some time :)Wish you the best for the days that are coming,you are all fighters up there it seems :) Love you E. Hugs and kisses, Hilde

Posted by: Hilde Hestflått on 6/22/2015 at 2:04 pm

It is amazing that you had the strength to continue even past the expected drop zone. You are mountain warriors for sure! Talked to Doug last night and it was so good to hear from him!! We are very excited for his adventure up Denali.

Posted by: Chris on 6/22/2015 at 1:10 pm

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Entries from Mt. McKinley

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team Ready to Fly

Mt. McKinley: Hahn & Team a Shaky Start in Alaska

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Move to 14K Camp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Summit!

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Mt. McKinley: Dave Hahn & Team Arrive in Talkeetna

Mt. McKinley: Haugen and Team Move to 14,000’ Ready For Summit Attempt

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Cache Gear Higher on the Mountain

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Haugen & Team Gear Up for Move to High Camp

On The Map

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Resting at 11,200’ Camp

On The Map

Mt.McKinley: Haugen & Team Cache Above the Fixed Lines

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