Denali 2005: Alpine Ascents Denali 2005: Team Extreme Caches at 16,200 Feet

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

Team Extreme Caches at 16,200 Feet June 23, 2005: This is Team Extreme on June 23rd. We awoke to blue skies, eggs, Canadian bacon and hash browns. Vern cooked up a storm and by 11:45 we headed out of camp to cache a load at 16,000 in a cloud of snow. It was warm and windless up the headwall, with deep tracks made by earlier groups. Rose’s unending energy shined through as she encouraged Vern as he led the blue rope team. The green rope team, Jim, Smiley and Brennan were kicking tail and taking names. After caching our load, John took us home to 14,000, something to be said about the horse out of the barn. Keep us in your thoughts as you are in ours.

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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.

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