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Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Seth Burns, Nicole De Petris
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - 10:27 pm PT
Reflection from summit day
14,000’ Camp
Staring At The Headwall. Our Team Summited Denali today! I did not. I take no credit for their achievement, having been a hindrance at best, but I’ve come to love these people and I am inspired by their triumph. Unless you’ve been here, you cannot understand the magnitude of their accomplishment. Logistical. Physical. Emotional. Each member of our team may remember when my quest came to an end on what is arguably the Crux of the West Buttress Route. My anguished cry when my knee hit the ice of the bergschrund and I instantly knew that I had denied myself the Summit. But I pushed on, climbed the fixed ropes of The Headwall, and descended with the team back to our 14,000’ camp. Then, two days later, full of optimism and with a taped up knee, I climbed The Headwall again, plus a little more, as our team pushed for the highest camp. Why? How can we hold the knowledge that something is impossible, it cannot be done, while at the same time holding the conflicting conviction that we can do anything if we just keep striving in the face of insurmountable challenges? Each of you reading this has met your own Denali and you know the answer. That’s just Life. So while I take no credit for their achievements, having been a hindrance at best, I have come to love people and I am inspired by their triumphs. Keep climbing your Headwalls, they are the only paths to your Summits.
RMI Climber Kris Reitz
Tuesday, June 25, 2024 - 11:11 pm PT
Final dispatch:
Waking up this morning, I’m filled with an intense sense of wonder.
“Did we really pull that off?”
The memories of the day before play in mind. The views, the wind, the struggle, the summit.
“Hey team, it’s time to wake up,” our guide Seth rouses us, “we’re gonna try and get out of here around 10:00am.”
I check my watch. It’s just after 8:00. I consider getting up. The ache of the day before confirms that it all wasn’t just a dream. It pulsates through my body, intensified by the lack of oxygen available to us at 17200ft.
Seth asks how we feel, my tent mate Chris replies: “I feel like I climbed a 20000ft mountain.” I laugh, still comfortably in my sleeping bag.
We begin slowly packing the randomly strewn about items that we didn’t care to pack after our 12 hour summit day.
Not much later, we’re on the move again. Our packs are heavy again, a change from the light summit packs we grew accustomed to yesterday. We say our final goodbyes to the friends we made during our brief stay and begin the walk to the narrow balance beam that is the West Buttress I carefully scramble through the granite boulders that line the upper ridge, to my left and right, 3000ft drop offs. We waltz secured by our rope and fixed protection put in long ago. The dance is lento. Each move is precise and requires our complete focus.
Clip, reclip. Clip, reclip. Check the rope isn’t getting caught in the feet of the person in front of you. Clip, reclip. Make a careful move through an awkward position. Clip, reclip. Glance at Foraker or Hunter. Clip, reclip. Finally, we make it through without incident, arriving to the 2000ft, 50° fixed lines.
We slide down carefully. The rope is wrapped around our arms like a cobra squeezing its prey. We make good progress, arriving to the bergschrund much faster than it took us to area of the route. As we continue downward, Chris and I share a laugh as we remember we’re still wearing our long underwear. We make it back to the 14200ft camp where we pause for a while, giving Chris and I the chance to free ourselves from the heat prison surrounding our legs, much to the humour of the rest of our team.
After sorting out the gear we stashed here before heading up, (struggling to figure out how on earth we’d get it into our already full packs), we start marching downward again. We pass sights we remember only in an upward sense. They take on a different feeling, knowing that for some of us, this may be the last time we see them. Windy corner, Thunder ridge, the Peters glacier. All deeply beautiful.
We arrive into the ghost town that is 11000ft camp, with most of the climbers who would populate this place either higher on the mountain, or long gone, returned to civilization Our stay here won’t be long. We plan to move again once the glacier refreezes. Even still, we make set the nylon homes that have housed us for the last 14 nights, one final time.
As we eat our last dinner on the mountain, bagels with salmon and cream cheese, a feeling of sadness begins to creep over us.
In a strange way, as we reminisce about having ate an ungodly amount of quesadillas, or how badly we smell, or funny encounters we had with other climbers en route, it begins to set in this journey is nearing its end.
Soon, all of these moments will become memories. Our mistakes, funny stories. Our hardships, that which built our character. Our triumphs, our legacies.
As we settle into our down bags one final time, the evening air beginning to become cold, an unexplainable emotion begins to emerge. The one perhaps felt when you realize you’re in a memory. Gratitude? Thankfulness? Satisfaction?
Perhaps some things in life are better left unanalyzed.
Thank you, Denali. You have been so, so kind.
RMI Climber Thomas Goossen
New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition June 9, 2024
Congratulations again to team Cifelli! Weather was definitely on your side! Appreciation for RMI’s top notch guides - doing what u love is no easy task in your line of work - and your personal encouragement & push was so required for Thomas in the home stretch! Rest up now! You’ve earned it!
Posted by: Cheryl goossen on 6/28/2024 at 10:50 am
So sorry to hear this Kris, I know this is probably a hard way to finish off what you have worked so hard for. You still have accomplished so much and have so much to be proud of! What an adventure! You are and always have been the strongest, toughest person I know. You have always been such a great role model, and I know you gave it everything. I’m so proud of you and can’t wait to hear all of the stories when you get back down!
Posted by: Nicholas Reitz on 6/26/2024 at 8:53 am
Posted by: Casey Grom, Tyler Jones
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
Posted by:
Categories: Guide News
Hi Greg, great start,buddy! I hope you have found a nice hairy guy to keep you company this time - we feel guilty that we are not there looking after you :) Stay safe and strong!
Bruce and Joyce
Posted by: Bruce Tocher on 5/23/2015 at 1:04 pm
Posted by: Mike Walter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Posted by: Mike Walter
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Hey Frank Marini,
We are all at a BBQ at Norms house for Michelles bday and we have been looking at your blog. It is so amazing! We are so proud of you! You are in our prayers…be safe, above all enjoy yourself.
Christie and everyone at your brothers house!
Posted by: Christie wissinger on 7/3/2011 at 6:46 pm
Looking east at magic hour on Mt Blanc, waiting for the sun to rise on the East to salute your bday!!!! Happy 4th - may it find you close to the top of North America.
Safe ascent and descent - fireworks for the whole em!!! Cheers to the Firecracker!
Posted by: mallory fam at camp molly in cham on 7/3/2011 at 1:41 pm
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