Entries By will ambler

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 - 9:16 am PT

Still at 14,000. We were hoping for slightly more encouraging weather up high this morning but there was a ragged cloud cap on the upper mountain through midday. A move up high didn’t look to be impossible, but it certainly would have been tougher in the weather. We opted for plan B, a rest and recuperation day at 14K. Eventually the sun came out and life was easy. We sorted gear and tried to cut down on the pounds that we’ll carry up to high camp. Everybody caught up on hydration and reading. Tomorrow is our day for moving up.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Monday, June 29, 2026 - 10:39 pm

A big step forward today! We made our carry up on to the West Buttress at 16,200ft. The morning at 14K was calm, we were in and out of the clouds and snow, but it was clear above so we went for it. We started up just as the sun came around the South Peak, moderating the cold temps. The first hills were familiar, of course, but this time we could actually see where we were, so that helped. It was exciting to finally get on the fixed rope section and do some steep climbing. The team did quite well and we topped out about 3.5 hrs after leaving camp. There was a little breeze on the ridge, but it was delightfully calm where we stopped to cache our supplies. The descent was in clouds and falling snow again, but we were pointed in the correct direction for such conditions. Back in camp we rested and prepared to move to high camp.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Sunday, June 28 - 9:30PM PST

Forecasts suggested we’d get a little break from the snowstorm this morning, so we were up early. It is tough, this far up the mountain, to be up before the sun makes its way around, but we were motivated. We set out climbing at 8AM and the clouds and snow came back in about then. We went uphill anyway, in the hope that things would change for the better before we got on the fixed rope section. Two hours took us to 15,300ft but the weather got no better. We were in a swirling snowstorm with very little visibility or contrast. We figured it wouldn’t work to take on the more technical terrain above. So we turned around… the carry of food and fuel could wait. We got excellent exercise, we broke Sidd’s altitude record, we got out of our tents for a few hours… it wasn’t a bad day. But we’d still love to get that full carry in tomorrow.

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Saturday, June 27 - 9:30PM PST

The latest storm moved in slowly this morning. For a time we thought we might sneak in a carry, but it was not to be.  Clouds and light, but persistent snow swallowed up the mountain.  Luckily, there hasn’t been wind to accompany all the moisture.  We stretched out breakfast and then everybody found a few chores to do outside, moving snow blocks around here and there. Most of the day, we did the Denali Hang, sitting in our tents - reading and napping. It was great to have RMI Guides Ben, Mike and Avery come out of the fog at midday with their successful summit teams. They set up camp not far away to wait out the snowy days.  Miles and Jack prepared a big jambalaya pot of dinner to cap off a quiet day and the team ate every morsel in our now familiar dining tent.

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Friday, June 26, 2026 10:44pm PDT

Certainly, colder up here at 14K. We ate breakfast in the shadows before the sun came around the mountain at 9:20.That made it a lot easier to prepare for our 10:15 mission to reclaim our cache at Windy Corner. It was a pleasant walk down, naturally -with light packs. The Ravens had not disturbed our carefully buried supplies. We loaded up and set ourselves to the two-hour workout to get back up to camp. The weather was perfect with clear skies and no wind, and we were happy to hear Ben’s RMI team on the radio, heading toward the summit. The rest of our day was. Spent resting, rehydrating, and training for a climb on the fixed rope section of the West Buttress tomorrow.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team

Thursday, June 25 10PM PST

We got our chance and took advantage today.  It was a sunny, calm day from start to finish. We got going up motorcycle hill at 9AM with packs and sleds. Luckily, several teams came down the mountain in the night, which plowed a trail for us through the recent snow. Our climb today was plenty hard but would certainly have been harder if we’d been breaking trail.  From our previous high point at Windy Corner, we simply added two more hour long climbs.  It was exciting to get around the Corner as the views are incredible.  It is tempting to look at the thousand or more peaks stretching to the horizon, it is tempting to look wayyyy back down to the  Kahiltna Glacier, far below.  Rounding the corner, one comes face to face with Denali’s South Peak and there is plenty to look at there too.  But of course the corner itself can be tricky climbing which means you can’t really stare at all those views.  We got into 14 Camp after 6 hrs and twenty minutes, which was fine.  Building camp took a few hours as usual, perhaps because we kept stopping to stare at the rock, the ice, and the scale of it all.  Tomorrow we’ll drop briefly down to retrieve our cache.

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn
 

Wednesday, June 24, 2026 - 9:44 pm PT

Well the storm was still around today but it got done piling snow on our tents by 5AM.  We ended up getting a pretty sunny calm day. There were still clouds everywhere but not on us. Having received at least a foot of new snow in a relatively short time, we needed the slopes to cook and settle in the sunshine to cut down on avalanche possibilities. They seemed to be doing just that.  Will Ambler gave a master class in snow/avalanche science to our assembled climbing team this afternoon.  We’ve now got our eyes on a move up to 14,000' tomorrow morning in what should be good weather.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 - 8:57 pm PT

Not much action for us today, big storm hitting the mountain.  We were watching the weather from 3 AM, hoping for a chance to sneak up to 14 Camp ahead of the incoming storm, but ultimately we decided there wasn’t a sufficient window for doing it safely.  After five days of walking and carrying loads, we rested today and watched it snow and blow.  We sat a little long following meals and told each other stories in the dining tent.  Forecasts suggest the storm will be with us tonight and tomorrow as well. We can wait.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Monday, June 22, 2026 - 9:48 pm PT

Our crampons were crunching snow just after 8 this morning as we got going up Motorcycle Hill.  An hour of climbing got us to the middle of Squirrel Hill, where we had great (and new) views of the Peters Glacier and the NW Buttress of Denali.  We had some steep hills to muscle up before reaching the relatively flat terrain at the start of the Polo Field below the end of the West Buttress.  An hour of gradually steepening climbing then got us to the relatively flat terrain at the start of the Polo Field below the end of the West Buttress.  An hour of gradually steepening climbing then got us to the pass at Windy Corner.  There, at about 13,300 ft we chose to cache our food and fuel.  The weather stayed more or less stable -there was no wind at windy corner- but clouds were increasing and we were getting intermittent snow showers. The team had a smooth descent to 11k with lighter packs and sleds.  The afternoon and evening were mostly cloudy back at camp, but we enjoyed a few sun breaks too.  We hope to move up to 14k tomorrow ahead of a forecasted storm. Fingers crossed.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Sunday, June 21 - 6:45PM PST

We didn’t get up in the middle of the night!  It was wonderful to sleep until the civilized hour of six AM. Being higher up the hill at 11k means we don’t have to work so hard to avoid heat. We set off on our “back-carry” at 8 AM, snowshoeing down the hill to our cache at 10k. We collected our food and fuel and made it back into 11camp by 10:30.  The team sheltered from the sun until 3 and then we assembled to review crampon footwork and handling an ice axe, both of which will be useful tomorrow as we transition to steeper terrain. It began to snow -gently- as we finished training and set about packing for tomorrow’s carry.

- RMI Guide Dave Hahn