Entries from Mt. McKinley
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 348'
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 - 7:31 pm PT
The morning after our summit push saw a speedy descent from 17,000' Camp as winds increased along with our desire to reach warmer, thicker air. We left our home-away-from-home of 14,000' Camp early in the afternoon and were soon making our way around Windy Corner and down towards 11,000'. Every step brought us ever so slightly closer to the airstrip and the end of our expedition. We rolled into 11,000' Camp in time for one last tortellini dinner and a quick cat nap. By midnight the sun had dipped below the tundra and we knew it was time to “rip the band aid off” and get to the airstrip. Despite heavy packs and tired legs, an all-night stroll down the lower Kahiltna provided a beautiful and fitting end to what has been an unforgettable 21 days in one of the greatest ranges on Earth. By 8:30 am the whole team was assembled at Kahiltna International Airport and by 10 am we found ourselves back on the tarmac in Talkeetna. It’s been about 36 hours since I last slept so I need to wrap up this rambling summary and get some sleep, but suffice to say we are all happy to be back in the land of green plants, hot showers and cold beverages, and will be remembering the experiences of the past three weeks for years to come.
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 17,000'
Tuesday, May 31, 2022 - 10:08 pm PT
We woke up to a beautiful morning at 14,000' Camp and decided to move to 17,000'! The team did well and the forecast looks good for tomorrow. Stay tuned to see what we get up to tomorrow!
RMI Guides JT, Jackson, Matias and the RMI team
Exciting news! Thanks as always for the updates - sending lots of high-altitude best wishes!
Posted by: Nestor Davidson on 6/1/2022 at 8:38 am
Fantastico! Hola from Spain and best of luck on the summit push!
Posted by: Caleb on 6/1/2022 at 8:14 am
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leif Bergstrom, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 20,310'
Summit Day Recap - Monday, May 30, 2022
Things were clear and calm this morning and it looked the perfect day to go for the summit. We fired stoves early, ate breakfast as the sun rose on camp, and packed our bags. We left for the Autobahn, a long ascending traverse from 17,000' Camp to Denali pass at 18,000'. To get there, we walked back into the morning shade which kept things chilly, but overall really pleasant. From Denali Pass, we climbed past Zebra rocks, still warm and pleasant and in the sun now. As we rounded the Arch Deacons Tower, the wind caught us. Probably 15-20 mph, but biting. We covered our faces and continued on. We were able to get a bit of respite from it on the Football Field, and up Pig Hill. The summit ridge had plumes streaming over it and it was touch and go whether we would be able to traverse the last piece of terrain. We tried and the initial piece was windy, but we were able to move through it and as we crossed over the ridge we got some protection. We summitted at 5:15pm, tagged the top and took a couple hasty photos, before heading back down.
Tomorrow we will pack camp and start moving towards the air strip. We'll stop to sleep for a few hours at 11,000' or the base of Ski Hill and then be in Base camp to hopefully catch rides back to civilization the following morning.
RMI Guides Pete, Leif, Erika, and team
Congrats to all !!
Carl, maybe Aconcagua next?
Posted by: Ron Jackson on 6/2/2022 at 3:30 pm
Congratulations to Matt and the rest of the team!
Posted by: Tucker M on 6/1/2022 at 7:00 am
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,000'
Monday, May 30, 2022 - 10:43 pm PT
Today we rested again at 14,000' Camp. The team has been soaking up the rest, eating lots of food and drinking plenty of fluids. Thanks for following along and we will keep you posted on what we end up doing tomorrow!
Thanks,
RMI Guides JT, Matias, Jackson and the RMI team.
Hi JT Schmitt I am your Great Aunt who lives on a farm by Cresco Iowa. Your Granddad Joe is my brother. I am so happy to beable to keep in touch with you way up in the air. I will stay where it is nice and warm. The farming is going good for the farmers around here. Crops all in and growing. I hope to see you in august this year. Hope is works out. Just want to say Hello from Iowa. auntie Joyce PS Be safe you and the rest of the climbers
Posted by: joyce mrachek on 5/31/2022 at 5:28 pm
Rest well. Exciting days ahead!
Posted by: Amy Houston on 5/31/2022 at 8:08 am
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Taylor Bickford, Emma Lyddan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,000'
Monday, May 30, 2022 - 2:40 pm PT
Happy Memorial Day. After a few early mornings, we finally got to "sleep in". Waking up as the sun hit our tents, we were all drinking coffee and making breakfast burritos by 8:30 am. With clear skies above, and the cloud deck sitting right below 11 Camp we loaded up our empty packs and sleds to head downhill into the cloud to grab our cache. After a few short minutes downhill, we filled our packs and sleds back up with the gear and food we had left. The short uphill went by quickly compared to the last few days, and it felt good to shake out the legs before spending the rest of the day resting.
Tomorrow we begin this whole process again, with hopes to cache somewhere above Windy Corner. Until then we will be resting, napping and snacking at camp.
RMI Guide Nikki Champion and Team
Can you post the itinerary of the proposed climb? Love to envision where you all are, on the glacier. Be safe.
Posted by: Emigh Litch on 5/31/2022 at 1:06 pm
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leif Bergstrom, Erika Birkeland
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 17,000'
Sunday, May 29, 2022 - 10:27 pm PT
Unlike two days ago, when we woke up there wasn't a hint of wind in sight. We had word from Mike Walter's team that the weather at 17,000' was perfect to, so we launched out of 14,000' Camp in high spirits. It was one of the most pleasant days I can remember on the West Buttress. Temps were comfortable, no wind, and the views unparalleled. It's also some of the most fun climbing. We were at camp by early afternoon, set up tents, fired an early dinner, and congratulated Mike's team as they came back from the summit. Things look really good for us tomorrow, so fingers crossed, we'll make our push in the morning.
RMI Guides Pete, Leif, Erika, and team
C’mon team! Can’t wait to read the post about the summit! Wishing you good weather and strength. Molta força!
Posted by: Anna P on 5/31/2022 at 5:43 am
Congratulations on getting to 17k! I’m so excited for your hopeful push tomorrow. We’re all pulling for you, sending you positive thoughts and intentions. Keep reaching towards your goals, be safe, be amazing!
Posted by: Patrick Schmitz on 5/30/2022 at 8:19 pm
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 20,310'
Sunday, May 29, 2022 - 11:20 pm PT
Everything came together for us today and we made a successful summit bid of Denali and, more importantly, we returned to High Camp safely. Clear skies and moderate temperatures made for an enjoyable day of climbing. Light west winds kept a nip to the air all day. The route was in great condition and we got out ahead of everyone so we didn't experience any traffic jams. Our team climbed strong and efficiently, with a round trip time of 9 1/2 hours. Back at camp we ate dinner and worked on rehydrating. Everyone crawled into their tents pretty early for some well-earned and much-needed rest. Tomorrow we'll begin our descent. Our itinerary is up in the air, and first we'll focus on climbing safely back down to 14k. The weather looks good for traveling; we'll keep you posted on our progress. Now it's time for some zzz's.
Congratulations Brad ! I knew you would get it this time. Enjoy this moment. We are all are looking forward to seeing you back home.
Have a safe descent!
Posted by: Brian Beatty on 5/31/2022 at 1:40 pm
WOOHOO!!! Congratulations, Nick and the rest of the crew! Overjoyed for you all!!
Posted by: Rosie Read on 5/31/2022 at 6:07 am
Posted by: JT Schmitt, Matias Francis, Jackson Breen
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 14,000'
Sunday, May 29, 2022 - 6:20 pm PT
The team enjoyed a beautiful day at 14,000' Camp today, resting from the days prior and preparing for the days ahead! We are planning to rest again tomorrow, after the last ten days the team deserves it!
RMI Guides JT, Jackson, Matias and the RMI team
Looks as though you’ve all built quite a lovely camp there at 14K - hard to imagine a better view! (Are those skis near that snow wall? Ambitious!)
Enjoy the rest and thank you for all the updates - they really mean a lot.
Posted by: Nestor Davidson on 5/29/2022 at 11:01 pm
Posted by: Nikki Champion, Taylor Bickford, Emma Lyddan
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 11,000'
Sunday, May 29, 2022 - 3:45 pm PT
We woke up to yet another splitter morning. We enjoyable clear skies, and cool temperatures while eating our oatmeal around 4 AM. After enjoying the quick breakfast, and some hot drinks we made quick work of breaking down camp, and caching anything we didn't need to bring uphill. By 6 AM the teams were all roped up, and we had begun our trip up Ski Hill. With the sun not finally making an appearance until about 9500', the snow surface remained firm and supportable, which made for another day of fast, efficient movement. In no time, we were rolling into our new home at 11,000' Camp.
Hope you are having great time. It is supposed to be 85-90 degrees here for Memorial Day.
Stay safe!!
Posted by: Tom Chandler on 5/30/2022 at 7:31 am
Posted by: Mike Walter, Abby Westling, Henry Coppolillo
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley
Elevation: 17,200'
May 28 11:42pm PT
After a hard day fighting the wind up high yesterday, we were able to get back to camp and rest and hydrate. Good thing, because this morning dawned perfect and we rallied for another attempt at pushing to high camp. The weather remained perfect all day and our well-acclimated crew made it to High Camp in five hours flat. We arrived at 2pm and spent a few hours building camp and the focused on resting, hydrating, and eating.
The weather forecast is very favorable and we're optimistic that we'll try for the top tomorrow. Fingers crossed, and if things go well, I'll hopefully be able to send a quick satellite message from the top. Now for some sleep before a big day. Either way, I'll check in and let you know what the weather throws at us.
Cheers,
RMI Guide Mike Walter and RMI Team
Go Nick, go!!!!!
Posted by: Rosie Read on 5/30/2022 at 7:50 am
Can’t wait to read tonight’s blog! To the Top, MAK!
Posted by: Jenn on 5/30/2022 at 4:22 am
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Many congratulations Team - well done Abby!! Can’t believe its been a year since our West Buttress climb - its been wonderful re-living the climb through your updates. All the best Huw
Posted by: Huw on 6/2/2022 at 3:04 am
WELL DONE! ALL Around!
Posted by: Donald Meagher on 6/1/2022 at 1:18 pm
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