Entries from Mt. McKinley

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 11:11pm PDT

We left 14 today. Wind and snow. made it to the base of ski hill. Set up camp, had dinner. Hope to continue to the airstrip tomorrow!

Haikus of a Denali Descent 

Downhill we trotted

To the airstrip we plotted

Stopped short at ski hill

Wind blowing so far

Windy corner not that hard

Our team is so strong

Talkeetna awaits

Hopes of flying tomorrow

One more stretch to go

 - by RMI Guide Jackson Breen

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 9:21pm PDT

Hello world! Checking in from camp.

1. Patience is the name of the game up here. We’re soaking in the surroundings — even if it’s continuous snowfall and low visibility. White on white on white. Quiet and peaceful, contrasting with the surreal weather that accompanies this part of the world.

2. We woke up today and had to dig ourselves out of our tents. We wandered into the kitchen tent to get caffeinated and enjoy some delicious blueberry pancakes. Since the weather has taken a bit of a turn, we got the news that we’d need to hunker down here for the second day in a row.

3. Today was different from yesterday in the sense that the wind and snowfall picked up — around half an inch per hour. So, our time outside was limited.

4. We spent some time clearing snow from the gear bags and around the tents, making sure it wasn’t creeping into places it shouldn’t be. A couple of us even began building what essentially became the Great Wall of Snow to protect our tents from the elements.

5. To pass the time, we snacked, practiced tying knots, and, more than anything, had conversations with the team — getting to know each other better, telling stories, and understanding where everyone comes from.

6. Although we all have the same goal, we come from different backgrounds. That’s the beauty of mountaineering — it brings together different souls from different walks of life.

7. Tomorrow, we’re planning to carry some gear and supplies up to around 9,600 feet, then return to sleep at our current camp. Hopefully, the following day, we’ll continue moving upward.

8. Spirits are high, we’re all hopeful, and we’re looking forward to having this beautiful mountain grace us with more of her presence.

- Connor Michalek 

Tuesday, June 3, 2025 8:44pm PDT

If we thought yesterday was weathery, today topped it. After we went to bed last night, we were lulled to sleep by the sound of blowing winds and drifting snow — a soundtrack that carried on through the morning and well into the day.

We had a slow roll into the morning, enjoying eggs and hashbrowns before spending some time shoveling and fixing up the bathroom tent. The rest of the day followed a familiar rhythm: a bit of sport eating, followed by rounds of napping.

Around 5 PM, some familiar faces rolled through camp — another RMI team guided by Seth, Jackson, and Ray. We welcomed them into our cook tent for some hot water and shelter while they thawed out. Once everyone was warmed up, we whipped up a big batch of mac and cheese with bacon bits, then tucked in for the night.

We’re prepping our gear and feeling optimistic about making the move to 11,000 feet tomorrow.

— RMI Guide Nikki Champion & Team

Monday, June 2, 2025 - 3:45 pm PT

We woke up at 17 Camp to large plumes of snow sublimating off Denali Pass. We slow rolled putting on every layer of clothing we had waiting for water to boil, hoping the wind would subside by the time breakfast was ready. To no avail. By the time we were packed and headed downhill the wind had reached our front door and we were blown down the West Buttress back to 14 Camp with our tails between our legs. Reuniting with friends back at camp and worsening weather reassured us that we had made the right decision. 

We have gained a lot over the last couple of weeks; new friendships, good conversations, silly jokes, and some peace from the fast pace of modern life. Though reaching the summit isn’t out of the cards yet for our team, we are beyond satisfied with what the mountain has given us so far. Climbing brings people to their best and their worst, it can cause great joy and great fear. It is a very vulnerable and intimate relationship.

In this world of rat races and anonymous faces it is refreshing to be with good people in a beautiful place. Thank you Mt. McKinley for brining us all together.

Peace, love, gratitude--
RMI Guide Ray Holt

Sunday, June 1, 2025 12:25am PDT

Everyone’s weather dance must have worked, because we finally made it onto the mountain. After two and a half days of waiting, the stars aligned, and we got the call to load up around 1 PM. Everyone put on their mountain boots, threw their duffles into the conex for the next 20 days, took one final team picture, and boarded the planes.

After a flight above the clouds, we quickly descended to basecamp and unloaded into a pocket of sunshine. We went through group gear, repacked our duffles, and rigged the sleds to set out on our journey. Around 3 PM, we were finally walking and beginning the long-awaited climb.

We inched our way across the lower Kahiltna until we made it to Camp One, with the sun still above the mountains. This was our first chance to practice the craft of camp building—everyone set up their tents, crawled in, and waited for a late-night dinner of pesto tortellini. Finally, close to midnight, we wrapped up our day and prepped for tomorrow, when we hope to cache somewhere above 9,500 feet.

We’re excited to finally be climbing!

RMI Guide Nikki Champion & Team

Saturday, May 31, 2025 9:20pm PDT

After 8 days in the comfort of 14,000' camp we went climbing today.  The team packed up and we made our way once again up the fixed lines.  The west buttress did not disappoint, delivering panoramic views.  The weather could not have been better with only the slightest of breezes and the occasional cloud. While tired, the team is ready to hopefully take advantage of a small weather window.   Send good weather vibes our way!

RMI Guide Seth and Team

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier and his team checked in from the K2 Aviation airstrip to let us know they’re en route to Base Camp. Their next update will come from the slopes of Mt. McKinley!

RMI Guide Nikki Champion and her team flew onto Kahiltna Base Camp this afternoon and are all settled in, ready to begin their climb.

Friday, May 30, 2025 - 11:47 pm PT

RMI Denali Team #4 is assembled and after a full day of packing, is ready to embark on a grand adventure. What exact adventure awaits is somewhat of an unknown, an uncertainty that is a part of the process.

Today was spent packing, leaving no stone unturned because once we land on the glacier we basically just have what we have. Sure, some bartering can take place at the various camps, but we must make every effort to remember every item. Details matter.

Also throughout the day we continued to acquaint ourselves with the logistics of climbing and specifically of climbing this route in full expedition style. The K2 Aviation team gave us a quick orientation about flying on; and we were in close contact with them all day, sorting some additional details about our flights and basecamp logistics. The National Park Service briefed us on the route and provided some information that will help us climb responsibly in regard to our safety as a team and our ability to keep the mountain clean.

To wrap up the day we had a meal at the Denali Brewpub and got to bed hopefully early enough to get a full night's rest in a real bed, possibly our last for a few weeks. One big sigh of relief for every climber, knowing they have everything they need packed and ready to go.

RMI Guides Dustin Wittmier, Lacie Smith, Will Ambler & Team

Friday, May 30, 2025 - 7:57pm PDT

Waiting at 14,000

Our guides warned us that days at 14,000 feet could be among the hardest. Not because of the altitude, the vertical climbs, or the heavy loads—but because of the waiting.

Today, we hoped for a weather window to move to 17, the penultimate step in our push for the summit. Instead, we were sequestered in camp by wind and snow. Nerves and hopes for tomorrow run high. These are the days that can wear on you—but I am fortunate to be part of an intrepid, resolved, and collegial team.

I am inspired by you, my fellow climbers—by your humor and strength, your spirit of adventure and fierce determination, your perseverance and positivity. We came together by different paths, but we now share a common journey. When I falter, you wait. When you ascend, I cheer. We move together, always supporting, never judging.

I am equally emboldened by our guides—by their friendliness, focus, and vision. They work while we rest. They carry the heavier loads. Though their frustration with our poor packing skills and questionable foot care is sometimes apparent, their patience, calm, and capability give me confidence—not in the outcome, which even they cannot promise, but in the possibility. There are a thousand reasons—weather, injury, error—that any one of us might not summit. But these three remarkable people are the reason we can try.

I don’t know what the next few days hold. But I know this: the ten of us will face what comes together, as we have faced everything so far—one expedition, one team, one rope.

– David and team