After three long days of climbing we are back at 14 Camp with the summit of Mt. McKinley under our belts. We couldn't believe our luck when we woke up at 17 Camp to absolutely beautiful weather so we set out on our summit bid mid morning, having waited a bit for the sun to warm everything up.
Nevertheless, it was still cold as we climbed the long traverse out of camp to Denali Pass at 18,500'. At the Pass a light but cold wind was blowing, so we kept our break short before continuing upwards. As soon as we climbed a few hundred vertical feet above the pass we escaped the wind that was funneling through there and it became great climbing. We made our way upwards, passing a few rock outcroppings before cresting into a broadd plateau called the Football Field (19,500') that sits below the final push to the summit. The weather remained perfect and the team strong so we set out, climbing the slopes to the summit ridge and then traversing the wildly corniced ridgeline to the summit. A moderate wind was blowing out of the southeast, which we had been protected from up till that point, but as we climbed along the ridge it blew plumes of powder snow around us - making for cold going. Finally we skirted the last cornice and climbed the final feet to the summit. It was beautiful from the top, with views in all directions.
After celebrating and soaking in thhe moment for a bit, we turned around and descended back to hig camp. The winds picked up as we descended but otherwise everyone climbed well, making it back to camp in the late evening.
This morning the wind continued to blow down through Denali Pass and into camp - not a great day to go for the top. We packed up camp and descended back down the West Buttress and down the fixed lines. It was smooth going but our legs felt the summit day yesterday, so we were all pleased to reach 14 Camp and take our packs off.
Now are sights are set on getting back to Base Camp so we can fly back to Talkeetna and then head home. We are spending the night here at 14 Camp before descending back to our first camp at 7800' at the head of the lower Kahiltna Glacier tomorrow. We plan to set up camp there for the evening and then wake up in the middle of the night to cross the lower glacier when things are nice and frozen and the snow bridges across the crevasses are strongest, hopefully arriving at Base Camp Sunday morning and flying out later that day. We'll need the weather to continue to cooperate but we're all feeling optimistic. We'll check in tomorrow from 7,800'.
Linden
The last push is always the worst. We woke up at midnight to see the sun almost set. The alpenglow on Denali was spectacular. After a quick breakfast we headed down glacier for a pickup at the airstrip, which had moved even further up the southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. We are forced to travel at night on the glacier because we need the natural snow bridges that provide the path over and around the cravasses to be as frozen and firm as possible. We made the trip in a little over five hours with each team member silently cursing their sleds that usually have a mind of their own on what direction to go and how often they tip over.
I have been so impressed by how well this group of guys works together and has meshed as a great team. It is so easy to get overly frustrated with the mountain, your sled, and your rope-mates. Our group managed to take out these frustrations with positive humor, which is a huge reason for our success on the mountain! Within an hour of arriving at the snow airstrip, we heard the growl of the planes coming to pick us up. Thank God for modern communication. We used our satellite phone to make sure that the planes were coming for us. The person from K2 Aviation was concerned that since it was socked in with clouds in Talkeetna, the airstrip would be too socked in to land. She was almost as relieved as we were that there was not a cloud in the sky where we were!
As soon as we landed in Talkeetna, we tossed or packs and duffles in the hanger and went for a monster breakfast to power us up for the task of sorting through the heavily used gear and clothing that we had been carrying for the past 21 days. After our post climb chores were completed and some napping took place we enjoyed our celebration of a truly great accomplishment.
Summitting the mountain aside, we had a highly successful expedition by all the measures of fun, learning, and camaraderie!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
Hey RMI, this is Linden Mallory calling from high camp on Mt. McKinley, 17,200'. We just got back a little bit ago from our successful summit of Denali. We had a relatively easy descent, the winds picked up after we left the summit so it definitely got quite cold. We were bundled up in goggles and down jackets and neck gaiters and all that fun stuff, but the team did well. We motored back to camp and right now we are changing into dry socks and brewing up some hot drinks and dinner and crash out and get some rest. It's been a long day. Everybody's doing well. We had a great climb today. I'll try to get a written dispatch off tomorrow.
Our plan is to head downhill. Try to make it down to at least down to 14 Camp or possibly further depending on the conditions that present themselves. Hope everyone is doing well at home. The team is very excited. Tired but excited. And we'll check in tomorrow.
Take care,
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
This is Dave Hahn calling from 11,000' on Mt. McKinley. And we carried today. It was a beautiful day. Perfect weather, everything we could ask for. Very calm and clear, we could see forever. As we got up on the hills above 11K, we could look down onto the tundra of the North. And then when we were going around Windy Corner, we could see way down the Kahiltna Glacier. In fact we could see all the way to the southern end of the Alaska Range, which is rare.
We hope to move to 14,000' Camp tomorrow. Everybody's doing really well right now. It is all going great. It is clouding up a bit so we're hoping the good weather holds, but we're all pretty optimistic at the moment.
Bye for now.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Pleased your weather has been holding. Great to move higher. Wayne, I am so very proud of your accomplishments. wonderful time down south. Back to paradise tomorrow. love U, dinah
Hey RMI this is Linden Mallory calling from the summit of Mt. McKinley. It's about 6 PM here in Alaska July 7th. We got up to the top a few minutes ago. We just had a spectacular day of climbing. Crystal clear all day, clouds down below stretching way off to the North Slope of Alaska and to the south you can see all the way towards Talkeetna. You can’t see the ocean but other than that it's absolutely gorgeous. And to top it all off there is a half moon hanging above the summit.
The team is doing great, we made good time and climbed well. We are celebrating right now, taking some photos. We are going to pack up and head down in a few moments get back to high camp. We will check in once we get down there. Take care.
RMI Guide LInden Mallory
RMI Guide Linden Mallory checks in from the summit of Mt. McKinley.
Congratulations and warm wishes to you all from Medford,Mass.Special congratulations to Paul Colaneri what a wonderful accomplishment. We are so happy for you. Your Proud co-workers.
Posted by: ann on 7/8/2011 at 12:00 pm
yeah Willie and congratulations to all - how exciting, can’t wait to see photos. So proud of you…envious too. Be safe !
Posted by: Aunt Chrissy in Colorado on 7/8/2011 at 11:59 am
When the alarm sounded this morning we stuck our head out of the tent and saw nothing but clear skies. The wind was blowing high up near the summit, sending whisps of snow flying off the ridge lines, but conditions between 14 Camp and high camp at 17,200' (17 Camp) were perfect: it was go time! It was cold again as we at breakfast and broke down camp but the team kept to task, by now everyone is comfortable working in the cold temperatures. Just after 8 am we headed out of 14 Camp, climbing the slopes back to the fixed lines and up to our previous high point at our cache at 16,200'. We climbed well to there, managing the bigger packs on the fixed lines without any problem.
After a break to eat and drink we set out up the West Buttress proper, climbing right along the ridge line for the final 1,000' to camp. The West Buttress is widely regarded as the finest climbing of the entire route and today did not disappoint: it was a simply spectacular afternoon of climbing. The sun was out, there was hardly a breath of wind, and the snow conditions were perfect. The team climbed strongly, weaving back and forth between the outcroppings of granite that pepper the ridge line and across the intermittent stretches of thin snow ridges between where the slopes fall away several thousand feet to each side. The big packs, high altitude, and exposure kept us focused and it was a hard day of climbing, but by the time we reached camp everyone was excited and smiling.
We set to work right away upon reaching 17 Camp, shoveling out a few previously used tent platforms that we're buried under several feet of new snow, touching up the snow walls in case the winds pick up, and setting up and anchoring down our tents. It was a calm and warm evening so we sat outside afterward, eating dinner and gazing across the patchwork of clouds below that stretched off into the interior of the North Slope of Alaska.
If the perfect weather that we have right now sticks around we're hoping to take advantage and make our summit bid tomorrow. The team is tired from the day but recovering well now that we're in camp and excited about giving it a shot tomorrow. We'll let you know how it goes.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
This is Dave calling from Mt. McKinley, from 11,000’ specifically. We had another great day today. In fact, it was the best weather of our trip so far. It was nice and cold this morning, we woke up at 5, and we had broken camp and were on the trail by 7 a.m. and made good time coming up to camp at 11,000’. It was again pretty easy going, there's not many other folks out there, there's nobody behind us that we are aware of. And so, it’s delightfully uncrowded. We had an easy go of it for the first hour up to the corner of Kahiltna Pass and then started up the hills to get to 11,000’. We were in camp before 10 o'clock a.m. so that went pretty well.
At camp we met Mike Haugen and his team coming down. And that was good for us. We exchanged a few pieces of gear they had some stuff that is going to be pretty helpful to us.
We got to chat with Mike and Elias and their team and congratulate them on their summit the other day.
We just set up camp here in 11,000’. It’s a beautiful bowl, looking out over the clouds and the tundra. We got settled in, it has just been very calm and nice here all day. Then this afternoon and this evening we prepared for doing our carry tomorrow. We are going to carry up and around Windy Corner if the weather continues to be good. And then come back down here and sleep at 11,000’ again. I will let you know how it goes.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
RMI Guide Dave Hahn checks in from 11,000' on Mt. McKinley.
Wayne, I have just finished having dinner with Dinah at our place and she has shared with Barb and I about your climb. I have to admit that I’m quite impressed that you would take on a challenge such as this. On the other hand, since I’ve done a 14k footer in Colorado, I won’t be TOO IMPRESSED until you have exceeded that altitude and beyond! HA! It will be fun to follow your progess and I wish you well in this endeavor. Be safe, my friend, enjoy your challenge and we will join in the celebration of your accomplishment.
All the best,
Tim Scully
Posted by: Tim Scully on 7/7/2011 at 6:34 pm
Glad you have the weather on your side and are able to move up the mountain - hope it continues.
Sue Currie
We are checking in from our descent back to Base camp. We stayed at 11,000' last night and are currently making our way to 7,800'. K2 Aviation has two planes scheduled to pick us up from the airstrip tomorrow morning. Let's hope the weather holds!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
RMI Guide Mike Haugen checks in from 7,800' on Mt. McKinley.
Patrick…I’ve been following you too! Put another notch in your belt for an adventure that will be with you always. You’re my hero and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Posted by: jan Ellis on 7/7/2011 at 6:33 pm
Let us hear from you when you can. Grey is getting his tonsils out this am.
RMI, this is Dave Hahn calling from 9,500'. And myself and Zeb and Lindsay and Geoff and the team are camped here at 9,500' on the Kahiltna Glacier. We got up at 2:30 this morning. It was beautiful out. The surface was frozen up just perfect. And we got walking at about a little bit before 5 in the morning. We cruised up easy as anything on that nice surface. We didn't have to break trail through any new snow or anything. And the team did really well coming up hill. Three kind of steady hills to get here to 9,500'. But that all went very well and we were in pretty early in the morning. We were up here before 8 in the morning and had our camp in and were in, out of the hot sun by 11. And took it easy up here, great views today. We saw some massive avalanches off Mount Hunter. We could here them, we could feel them, you could see them. Really spectacular, and nice looking down the Kahiltna Glacier for a change. We haven't seen all the way down there. Today we were looking down there and the new snow extended pretty far down that looked like it went as low as about 6,000' above sea level. So that was good. It looked like it repaired some of the lower glacier a little bit. The part that we will have to travel on. But we won't be traveling on that for a while. We're still going up. And if everything goes well, we'll move up to 11,000' tomorrow morning, and expect that it will. There is some puffy clouds around stuck on the mountains, but for the most part, it's clear today and into this evening. It's cooling off just right. All for now.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Hi Dave. Good to hear that the weather has improved. Can you let Jurjen know that we really need good pictures for his ‘after-dinner’ engagements. We’ve got him fully booked up now through to November! Good luck to the whole team!
Posted by: Team Munting at London HQ on 7/7/2011 at 12:29 am
GREAT TO HEAR YOU GUYS HAVE MOVED UP, HEY SPENCER YOU OUT OF COFFEE YET? TONTO WEST AND I ARE SET TO BRING MORE. PRAYING FOR GOOD WEATHER FOR THE WHOLE TEAM LEAVE SOME MOUNTAIN FOR US!!!
Well, we've had so much fun here at 14 Camp that we spent another day here, although hopefully our last. The weather cleared overnight and the temperatures dropped while we were in the tents since the clouds were no longer offering a bit of insulation. It was very cold around camp this morning as we waited for the sun to hit us. With things warming up we walked across the plateau of Genet Basin where 14 Camp sits to a rock outcropping on the southeastern side known as "The Edge of the World." There the mountain side falls away more than 6,000' to the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier below. We peeked over the edge there, appreciating the first truly clear views below us that we've had yet. We stared out over the lower Kahiltna where we were traveling our first few days of the climb. Mt Hunter and Foraker rose proudly above the glacier below. It was a spectacular view.
The weather remained nice so the team took a little hike above 14 Camp, stretching the legs after a few sedentary days here before returning to camp to finish preparing our gear for tomorrow's move to high camp. We are rested and ready to head up to high camp to make our summit bid. The weather appears to be improving and we are all keeping our fingers crossed - we'll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
Thanks for all the blog comments and 4th of July wishes, we appreciate hearing from everyone, the team sends their best to everyone at home.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
The weather sounds great. Hope you were able to move on up. It must be so exciting!!! We are excited for you. Good luck as you continue your adventure.
Posted by: Lorraine and John on 7/6/2011 at 1:56 pm
Great to hear the weather is improving! Onward to the summit! Go team!
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Congrats to Frank and the whole team! Great job on a bigggg mountain!
Posted by: Tony Horness on 7/11/2011 at 7:41 am
We are all anxiously awaiting your return, but BE SAFE! A big hug to Frank.
Posted by: Laurie M on 7/9/2011 at 12:17 pm
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