Entries from Mt. McKinley

Denali Expedition: Hailes and Team Fly Onto the Kahiltna Glacier

May 28, 2018

Posted by: Walter Hailes, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

Monday, May 28th - 12:20 am PST Perfect is not common in the mountains, but we had it today. The skies were clear and calm for the flight into the Alaska range. The snow was firm which makes the climbing easier and we had warm sunshine with a cool breeze to keep us all just right, not too hot-not too cold. Everyone moved well with their heavy pack and full sleds into our first camp around 7800 ft and enjoyed our first mountain dinner before sliding into our sleeping bags. All in all a great first day on Denali. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

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Where are you guys on Tuesday? So thrilled for you all. Looking due North and thinking of you

Posted by: Mumzie on 5/29/2018 at 9:01 pm

Life sometimes seems so short so “if you are not living on the edge you are taking up too much space”

Posted by: Carolyn mills-meyer on 5/29/2018 at 7:19 am

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Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Visit the Edge of the World

May 27, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Last night was chilly once again, but today the sun is out in full and has warmed us up. It's a beautiful day on Denali today, with barely a breath of wind at 14,200' (there is some visible wind up higher on the West Buttress), and partly cloudy skies. We're taking a "rest" day today, although it will be somewhat active. After a leisurely breakfast that rolled into brunch, we headed out to the Edge of the World, a dramatic rock outcrop at the far eastern edge of Genet Basin that looks down to the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier, some 5,000' below. Next we will be reviewing and practicing fixed rope travel in preparation for moving above our camp. And finally, before dinner, we will work on building snow walls to protect our tents and our kitchen from strong winds. All in all, a good day of active rest. Tomorrow, weather permitting, we plan to establish a cache high on the West Buttress in order to have enough supplies available to us for our move to high camp. We'll keep you posted. RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Way to go Riemer!! Lots of good thoughts and vibes from us all :) Good luck from the boys and we’ll see you soon!

Posted by: Layla on 5/28/2018 at 3:02 pm

Hi Alex and Tom, Hope you are well and not too cold. All that snow makes me go brrr. Lots of rain here. And more to come(the remains of a tropical storm due from Wednesday on). Not much going on. Love you and miss you

Posted by: Pauline Reiher on 5/28/2018 at 2:12 pm

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Carry to 11K Camp

May 27, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,000'

We had another great day on the lower Kahiltna. Our goal was to carry a load of food and fuel to around 10,200', just shy of 11K Camp. We had a sneaking hope that we might move well enough and everyone would feel good enough to carry the load all the way to 11,000', eliminating the need for a back carry. After 3 good stretches of walking, we were just below the usual cache site with plenty of time to spare and everyone in good spirits, so we decided to push on. It was a great effort by the whole group, and now most of our food is waiting for us at our next camp. Tomorrow we'll pack up camp at the bottom of Ski Hill and make the move to 11, where the cycle will continue. RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer

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Way to push through! Sounds like a strong team!
Love you and stay safe Rich

Posted by: Susie and the Kids on 5/31/2018 at 5:27 pm

Go Magnus! Awesome to read that you are on your way. Thinking of you every day. Can´t even imagine what you are doing.

Don´t forget…Safety first!

Sending you lots of strength, some Swedish “pannben” and hope you and the team will take you all the way up to the top.

Anna-Carin

Posted by: Anna-Carin on 5/30/2018 at 8:04 am

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Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Packing and Checking In

May 26, 2018

Posted by: Walter Hailes, JM Gorum

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 348'

Our first day in Talkeetna was packed with mountain prep fun. After breakfast we listened to Pat, a Denali climbing ranger, introduce climbing safely and keeping Denali clean during our climb. Then we hustled to the airplane hangar to sort and pack gear. The hardest part of the day was trying to decide what food to bring and what items to leave behind. Twenty pounds of food is a lot but it seems to pile up quickly. We are ready to fly into the glacier tomorrow at 9am, so now we are working hard on relaxing and enjoying the beautiful Alaska weather. RMI Guide Walter Hailes

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Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Settling in at 14,200’

May 26, 2018

Posted by:

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Saturday, May 26, 2018 - 4:39 PM PT Our first night sleeping at 14,200' on Denali was chilly but restful. After a leisurely wake up and breakfast, we booted up and headed down to retrieve our cache at ~13,600', just this side of Windy Corner. Now, back in camp, we are relaxing and resting, hydrating and eating. Our plan is to rest and acclimate this afternoon and also tomorrow. We will spend some time tomorrow fortifying camp by building walls and also practicing fixed rope travel for climbing on the headwall above camp. The next step for us is to establish a cache for our high camp. If all goes well, we'll get that done on Monday. RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Alex, Tom and Team,
Glad to see the great progress! Hope you are having a blast….
Stay warm and be safe.
Love,
Dad

Posted by: Larry on 5/28/2018 at 8:56 am

Tommy and Alex
Wishing all great weather and summit!
Love from brooklyn
Lulu is happy and having fun
In the hood.
❤️
Aunt Elisa and Uncle Garrick

Posted by: Lulu on 5/27/2018 at 1:48 pm

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Settle in to Mountain Routine

May 26, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,800'

We finally made some big moves! Weather was perfect this morning, so we ate our first mountain breakfast and worked on getting our ropes, sleds, and packs rigged for travel. The first morning always takes a bit, between organizing things for the first time, breaking down camp, and all of the other chores like digging cache that have to get done. By noon we were walking, and from there, things couldn't have gone more smoothly. We made excellent time, rolling in to camp with tons of daylight left. We move into a nice camp that had been left, retrofitted it a bit, and then settled in to the mountain routine: making water, dinner, and then more water. Our goal is to cache a load of food and fuel higher up tomorrow, probably just below 11,000', putting us in place to move camp up there the next day. We'll let you know how it goes! RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Taylor, and Team

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Go John Go! Go Raj Go! Hope you can feel the Pom Poms

Posted by: Sue Mamer on 5/27/2018 at 4:34 pm

Magnus! Awesome to read that you are on your way and that the weather is on your side!
Sending you lots of strength and hope you and the team will take you all the way up to the top.
Be safe and know we are following your progress! Björn reminds you! In Sweden blue skies and +25C every day :)

The plant team in Billes!

Posted by: Anne on 5/27/2018 at 5:09 am

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Alaska Seminar: Dale & Team are On the Kahiltna Glacier

May 26, 2018

Posted by: Christina Dale, Lucas Haaland, Alex Halliday

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,300'

After a great night sleep, and tasty breakfast at the Roadhouse, we had the most scenic flight I've ever had into the Alaska Range. We easily landed on the snow thanks to the K2 pilots, and build ourselves a great camp at the base of Mount Francis. Everyone was all smiles while digging out tent platforms because of the sunny weather and perfect views. After moving into the tents, snacking on some salami and chocolate the team headed out to learn more mountaineering techniques. Self arrest, rope travel and foot work were all refreshed through the afternoon. Now for some hot food and drinks in our spacious kitchen tent. RMI Guide Christina Dale

Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Ascend to Genet Basin Camp at 14,200’

May 25, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 14,200'

Friday, May 25, 2018 - 7:44 PM PT We woke early this morning to beautifully clear skies, and fired up the stoves. After an efficient breakfast, we took down camp and packed up. It was a chilly morning, the coldest we've seen thus far (-10F), plus it was the earliest that we got out of the tents so far this trip. We had beautiful weather and great climbing conditions all the way to the Genet Basin Camp at 14,200 ft, where we currently reside. It was a hard day with heavy packs, and everyone did well. After six hours of climbing at altitude with heavy packs we're all ready for some dinner and then some horizontal time in the tents. Tomorrow we will go back to 13,700' to pick up the cache we left there two days ago. RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Hi Tom My Man!

If I have it right today is summit day. May the force be with you and may we be the wind at your back. You’ll find a pint at the summit we left for you, enjoy :-), Hujo and Katie.

Posted by: HUGH DE PENTHENY O KELLY on 5/31/2018 at 7:20 pm

Tom, rock on dude! Back in Bay for a few days, hiked with Jacquie and MSLDH’s yesterday. Back on PCT Wednesday Tuolumne north. Good luck to all!

Posted by: Christopher Rumm on 5/27/2018 at 8:55 am

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Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Arrive Kahiltna Base Camp on Second Attempt

May 25, 2018

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Jess Matthews, Taylor Bickford

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 7,300'

It took us an extra try, but ultimately our patience prevailed and the very talented pilots of K2 Aviation were able to thread us through some funky clouds and get us in to Kahiltna Base Camp. We made our first run at 12:30 PM and made it almost all the way before a bank of fog turned us back. We landed back in Talkeetna to heavy rain, took off our boots, and settled back in to our waiting game. Then at 5 PM there seemed to be a break and we got the green light. The flight in was spectacular as always, flying right through the rugged peaks and walls of the Alaska Range. Since we weren't in until evening, we decided to put up camp, make dinner, and spend the night here. Tomorrow we will hopefully have the conditions to move our camp and all of our gear to our Camp 1 at the base of Ski Hill. We are happily tucked into sleeping bags for our first night on the mountain, glad to finally be here! RMI Guides Pete, Jess, Taylor, and team

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Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Rest Day at 11K Camp

May 24, 2018

Posted by: Mike Walter, Robby Young, Alan Davis

Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Mt. McKinley

Elevation: 11,000'

Thursday, May 24, 2018 - 6:21 PM PT The snow that started last night continued into the morning, necessitating a 3:00 am shoveling session to dig out our tents. We picked up a little over a foot of snow over night, with no wind. We had a rest day planned for today anyway, so the snow was of little consequence. We simply ate a leisurely brunch and lounged around our tents, resting and acclimating. Tomorrow, if the weather allows, we plan to move camp up to Genet Basin, at 14,200'. We will let you know how that plays out. RMI Guide Mike Walter

Leave a Comment For the Team (2)

Awesome progress and so good to hear about the good weather!! -10 sure beats -70 that was showing on the weather reports a week ago! Wahoo! Be safe and know we are all thinking of you and following your progress each day! We hope the climb to the summit is spectacular and weather remains good!
Hugs from Larkspur!
Susan

Posted by: Susan on 5/25/2018 at 8:56 pm

Alex and Tom!

Keep up the great work and motivation! You all are truly amazing and such an inspiration to me!!

Love-Courtney

Posted by: Courtney on 5/25/2018 at 5:00 pm

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Entries from Mt. McKinley

Denali Expedition: Hailes and Team Fly Onto the Kahiltna Glacier

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Visit the Edge of the World

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Carry to 11K Camp

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Hailes & Team Packing and Checking In

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Settling in at 14,200’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Settle in to Mountain Routine

Alaska Seminar: Dale & Team are On the Kahiltna Glacier

Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Ascend to Genet Basin Camp at 14,200’

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Van Deventer & Team Arrive Kahiltna Base Camp on Second Attempt

On The Map

Denali Expedition: Walter & Team Rest Day at 11K Camp

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