Denali 2005: Alpine Ascents Denali 2005: Team Dynamite Prepares to Cache at 13,000

Denali (20,320ft/6,195m) Alaska

Man Show Catches up on Their Reading at 14K
June 9, 2005    
Hello this is the Man Show checking in for our 6th day at 14,000 feet. The mountain continues to throw her worst at us, we’ve had two feet of new snow, pounded by winds. The troops have battened down the hatches. Lars currently holds the record for two books read, looking eagerly towards his third. The only thing that saves us is listening to Alaskan mode rock stations with a penchant for playing Paradise City by Guns and Roses. Tomorrow we hope to move to 17, weather permitting, but it doesn’t look great. We’ll check in with you then, until then the Man Show out.

Team Dynamite Prepares to Cache at 13,000
June 9, 2005    
Hey this is David Kratsch calling from Team Dynamite. We are at 11,000 feet looking at Foraker which is slightly breaking out and the sun is poking on through. We’re getting ready to go to bed soon and then carry up to 13,000 tomorrow to drop our cache off. Today we back-carried down to 10,000 to pick up a load. Today’s quote is: “Why don’t you go ahead and make me a dang quesa-dilla” That’s from Grandma from Napoleon Dynamite. This is Team Dynamite wishing you the best.

Mixed Nuts Fortifies for the Week
June 9, 2005    
Hey this is Forrest McCarthy with the Mixed Nuts. We’re still hunkered down here at high camp on Denali at 17,200 feet. We got snow walls that would give Fort Knox a run for its money and they’ve been holding well against the 50mph + winds that we have been dealing with every night. So we’re just hunkered down here nice and solid and everybody is just kind of waiting for the weather to break. Duane and I did down-climb today and picked up our cache and we’ve got a week worth of fooed and fuel supplies to wait and hang out here for our summit window. High Camp is slowly getting smaller and smaller, there’s only a few other groups here, but we’re kind of getting a kick out of it. And our team just wants all their family and friends to know that they are all doing well. There are a couple of personal messages from the team:

Big kisses from Jacques we have love to Jean, Elsie, Sarah, Marianne from papa who is in a tent for four days at 5,300 meters and waiting for the sky to clear up. Thinking very much about you all.

Love from Kiek Sherpa to Marianne as you know we are holed up by bad weather at high camp, it might be so long that I will not be able to meet you at in Anchorage. Please check with the Talkeetna office, we have good phone contact with them, kisses from Kiek.

From Andy: hello to Claudia from high camp at 17,200. I hope that you are well, I am doing fine waiting for the chance to summit, I love you, my best to all my family and friends, I love you all, Andy.

That’s it for now, we are doing well, and hunkered down, got lots of food and fuel, spirits are high, things are well, we’re just waiting for the weather to break for our summit attempt.

Team Dynamite Reaches 11,000 Foot Camp
June 8, 2005    
Hey this is Eric Remza with Team Dynamite calling from 11,000 foot camp here on Mount McKinley. We just moved form our 7,800 foot camp up to our camp here at 11,000 feet. We woke up around 3:00 this morning got out of camp around 7:15 after we broke down camp and had breakfast. We did the slow walk up to camp here and we actually did it in pretty dire conditions. We had a lot of snow and wind and the whole team really pulled together to get up here and it took a pretty good amount of time. Just getting to camp was one thing but when we got here we had to set up our camp, and everyone pulled together as a team and everyone is actually doing very, very well. So we’re all nestled in here for the night and are looking forward to actually sleeping in a little tomorrow morning, because we‘ve been getting up at 3 and 4:00 in the morning the last couple of nights. (Unfortunately the Napoleon Dynamite quote for today was unintelligible due to spotty satellite reception)

Updates

Overview: There are certain mountains that need no explanation as to why climb. Denali is such a mountain. Its tremendous size and beauty generate a magnetism that continually draws climbers from around the world. An ascent of Denali, touches the psyche of all alpinists and for those who have undertaken its challenges, it rewards them with an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Denali is often considered America's most classic climb. From top to bottom, it rises nearly 18,000', an elevation gain unsurpassed anywhere in the world. At a northern latitude of 63°, it is the most northerly of any big mountain over 20,000'. No other region offers such breathtaking and diverse views each day of the ascent. The panorama from Denali's summit includes Mt. Foraker, Mt. Hunter and Mt. Huntington in all their majestic glory.

When Dr. Bradford Washburn pioneered the West Buttress route, he heralded in a new era of Denali ascents and offered climbers a unique approach to the summit. The flight onto the glacier is a trip in itself, presenting overwhelming vistas of the Alaska Range. The West Buttress route remains, by far, the most successfully climbed route on the mountain.

Climb Overview: A Denali climb begins deep in the heart of the Alaska Mountain Range on the Kahiltna Glacier. From the S.E. Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier we begin the climb of Denali's West Buttress. Base Camp plus five higher camps are established on the mountain. When necessary, the team makes double carries between all camps, except high camp, to ensure proper acclimatization and reduce loads. In each camp we build snow walls for protection from possible high winds. The climb takes approximately 17-18 days round trip from Base camp.

Built to handle a myriad of different climbing pursuits, the Ultralight Universal is our best selling crampon. This crampon lives for trekking, glacier travel, or steep couloirs and snowfields. Totally adjustable Zytel straps make this crampon durable and easy to use. Fits everything from moon boots to flip-flops, our lightest crampon available. Weight: 590g Points: 10. See more here.

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