Entries from Expedition Dispatches
June 23, 2017 10:30 pm PST
Greetings from 14 Camp on
Denali!
Our team took advantage of stable weather and strong legs today to retrace our steps back up to 14,200 feet, this time with tents and sleeping bags in tow. We were excited to ascend the steeps of Motorcycle Hill and Squirrel Hill for the last time, and lucky for us, windy corner proved not so windy after all.
The rest of the day was devoted to digging in our new camp, which is looking dialed and styled. The team is looking forward to having some time to relax and adjust to the new altitude tomorrow, with a non-zero chance of Horiskey-style blueberry pancakes.
Ciao,
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
On The Map
June 23, 2017 10:00 pm PST
It didn't seem terribly cold this morning at 5:30, Around 17 F or so, which made it a little easier to get up and rally for "the carry". We got out on the trail by a quarter to eight. Finally we were wearing crampons and holding ice axes like mountain climbers (to this point it has been snowshoes and ski poles). The track was in great condition -well packed snow- due to the large number of teams that have passed through since the last storm. We cruised up the steep Motorcycle Hill, and navigated the squirrely Squirrel Hill and found ourselves in the Polo Field below the end of the
West Buttress before the sun caught us. Another hour brought us to a decidedly calm Windy Corner. We slipped around the corner, getting great views of Foraker, Hunter and finally Denali, in the process. We cached food and fuel at 13,500 ft -our target for the day- and had an easy walk back down to camp at 11K with relatively empty packs. It was exhilarating to be out of the deep valley at last and to be crossing ridges and turning corners with all the big views. But it was also nice to get back to our camp and to have a calm afternoon to rest after our labors. We ate dinner and made preparations for our big move up to 14K tomorrow.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Acclimatization by Ski Doo is one advantage of having skis here on
Mt. Elbrus. For a little morning activity on our rest day, we caught a snowmobile ride to 15,000', and climbed up to 16,000' in steady winds. We actually had some visibility on our descent this time and were able to enjoy the turns a bit more than yesterday's whiteout run.
We spent the afternoon making preparations for an alpine start in the morning. If the forecast verifies, we'll have a nice clearing trend throughout the morning and hopefully summitable conditions. We're feeling psyched and ready.
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
June 22, 2017
Rope teams came and went in the early morning today, and we stayed comfy in bed. The guides were desperate for coffee by 8:30, but the sun and full breakfast didn't show up until after 9. Our rest day consisted of long, leisurely meals in the dining tent separated by naps and reading sessions. It was a fine and sunny day at 11K. We sorted loads for the carry tomorrow and
discussed climbing techniques. Each climber and guide prepared for the after-dinner poetry slam suggested by Anja. There were haikus and limericks, remembered verses and spontaneous rhymes... There was much laughter, some genuine applause and plenty of food for thought. And then there was the swirling cloud endless evening light show of Alaska. We're all excited to go climbing tomorrow.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
June 22, 2017
After having so much fun with our
cache mission up to 14,000 feet and back, the team decided they want to do it again tomorrow. This time we will be moving up to make a new camp at 14,200. We hope that the weather tomorrow will be as lovely as today.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
On The Map
The
Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz team led by RMI Guide Kel Rossiter climbed to the summit of Mt. Rainier via the Kautz route this morning. The team has spent the week on the mountain training in various alpine climbing techniques. They will continue their training tomorrow before descending to Paradise in the late afternoon.
Congratulations to the Kautz team!
The
Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Elias de Andres Martos climbed to 12,700' this morning, but were forced to turn due to icy and firm route conditions. The team has started their descent and are en route to Camp Muir.
Congratulations to today's team!
Today we awoke to blue skies above and beautiful
views of the mountain, but as we set off on our acclimatization ski tour, the clouds followed us. We spent the majority of the day in minimal visibility - the Elbrus ping pong ball. Strong solar radiation made for uncomfortably warm temps, which combined with the whiteout was a challenge to our motivation. But we persevered, and climbed to the top of Pastukhova Rocks at 15,500'.
We "skied by braille" back down the route to our camp and were greeted by Dasha our cook with delicious soup and fried chicken. A very successful acclimatization ski, despite the clouds...
RMI Guide Tyler Reid
On The Map
June 21, 2017
Good weather has finally hit
Denali. The pressure is rising along with the temperatures....for now. We have had a good time at our 11k camp but it time to start moving up higher. Our plan is to do a carry up to 14,000 feet to cache some gear and then move up after a couple of days. If this weather holds, we will wake up early and hit the trail so we can get up to 14k before it gets too hot. Most people would think that being to hot would not be an issue while mountain climbing in Alaska, but it can be a real energy drain when the hot sun reflects off he snow like a solar oven.
RMI Guide Mike Haugen & Team
On The Map
June 21, 2017
It snowed a couple of inches overnight at 9500 ft but skies were clear by morning. A cool breeze kept us in bed for a little while, but we were on the trail by 9:30 and making slow and steady progress toward the head of the
Kahiltna Glacier. We could almost see all of its forty-seven mile length stretched out below us as we turned East at Kahiltna Pass. The cool breeze was nowhere to be found as we worked up steeper hills at midday. We made it into 11,000 ft Camp at 1 PM and were happy to see our friends on Mike Haugen's team. They kindly helped to shovel tent sites for us and gave us some "starter water" to make us feel at home. The day had turned out to be stunningly nice... Which is always a good thing on the solstice. We gazed in wonder at the bright clean angular chunks of glacier hanging all around us and at the formidable rock of the NW and West Buttresses. Camp went up smoothly and quickly and we crawled in the tents to beat the heat for a few hours. Evening was a social whirl as guides and climbers from all over the world had reunions and wished each other well as they went in opposite directions. We will take a much deserved rest day tomorrow and look forward to catching up on sleep, reading, and hydration.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
On The Map
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Congratulations on your achievement, thus far. The last photo was stunning beyond words. Mother Nature has been good to you. Bon chance! Brenda
Posted by: Brenda on 6/24/2017 at 8:38 am
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