May 5 - Arrival in Anchorage
May 6 - Prep day and shopping
May 7 - transfer to Talkeetna and fly to the mountain! establish camp and eat!
May 8 - May 24 Climbing period (see below more!)
May 24 fly to Talkeetna
May 25 - Fly home
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/denali/climb/climbtext.html
Where will we stay in Anchorage?
Earth Bed and Breakfast
Who will we fly with to the mountain?
There are a few options and we are planning to use
expanded itinerary
DAY 1: MEET IN ANCHORAGE.
DAY 2: TRAVEL TO TALKEETNA AND FLY TO THE GLACIER. Generally, team members will travel by shuttle the several hours to Talkeetna. Everyone will need to register with the National Park Service prior to flying to the glacier. Weather permitting; we will fly into the Kahiltna Glacier at 7,200 feet that afternoon. Once on the glacier, everyone will pitch in to get base camp established! We'll then get ourselves set for glacier travel, crevasse rescue and sled rigging!
DAY 3: CARRY SUPPLIES TO CAMP 1. Departing base camp, we'll drop down the infamous Heartbreak Hill and onto the broad Kahiltna glacier. Our goal will be to carry loads to the site of Camp 1 at 7,800feet, near the junction with the NE Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. This is a moderate carry of about 9 miles round-trip and is a good shake-down for the upcoming days. Depending on the team and weather we may or may not return to Base Camp. Throughout the expedition we will follow the "climb high, sleep low" technique, for better acclimatization, however the altitude difference between Base Camp and Camp 1 is minimal enough to permit us to occasionally "single-carry" this stretch. We may be doing our climbing early in the morning to avoid the excessive heat and soft snow conditions on the Lower Glacier.
DAY 4: MOVE REMAINING SUPPLIES AND ESTABLISH CAMP 1. (If the team double carries to Camp 1.)
DAY 5: HAUL LOADS UP TO KAHILTNA PASS. We'll head out of Camp 1 and carry loads up Ski Hill. Several options exist for cache sites between 9,000 & 11,000 feet, depending upon weather, snow conditions and team strength. This is a moderately difficult carry of 7-9 miles round-trip, with 2-3,000 feet of elevation gain and a return to Camp 1 for the night.
DAY 6: MOVE EVERYTHING TO CAMP 2. Camp is often in the 11,200' basin at the base of Motorcycle Hill. This is an incredibly beautiful camp that basks in alpenglow when the sun travels around the north side of the mountain.
DAY 7: BACK-CARRY DAY. This is an "active rest day" during which we drop back down and pick up the cache we left down near Kahiltna Pass. It also helps give us another day to acclimatize before moving higher.
DAY 8: HAUL LOADS AROUND WINDY CORNER (13,300 FEET). Steep snow climbing up Motorcycle Hill rewards you with spectacular views. Distance is about 4 miles round trip with a little over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Fun climbing with crampons and ice axe gets you around Windy Corner where the upper Mountain comes into view.
DAY 9: MOVE CAMP TO 14,200 FEET. This is usually a long, hard day. Weather and team strength will determine the placement of Camp 3 however the goal is the well equipped 14,200' camp. Loads are getting lighter and the air is getting thinner. Hopefully everyone will have enough energy left to help get camp in.
DAY 10: BACK-CARRY DAY. Another "active rest day," the team will descend from 14,200' to the Windy Corner cache and bring everything back up to camp. We'll spend the afternoon going over climbing techniques that we will use in the upcoming days.
DAY 11: CLIMB UP ON TO THE WEST RIB. Our goal is to cache supplies on the rib and return to 14,200 feet. Climbing up to the Rib with a heavy pack is one of the most strenuous days of the trip, because of the steep terrain, heavy pack and thinning air.
DAY 12: REST DAY. It is often prudent to take a rest/acclimatization day prior to moving up to High Camp.
DAY 13: MOVE TO HIGH CAMP. Weather and team strength will again determine this decision. There are a couple of choices for where to put our High Camp and we'll decide where to camp based on conditions. Camp sites are around 16,300' and are exposed and serious. We'll need to fortify our tent sites in case the weather takes a turn. This is a really tough day, as our loads are big, the terrain is steep in sections and we need to spend some time to make a safe camp.
DAY 14: REST DAY. Moving and establishing High Camp can be a huge day, so we usually take a Rest Day before attempting the summit.
DAY 15: SUMMIT DAY: If the weather is favorable, we'll push for the summit. However if the weather is not good it is important to be patient! We will only try for the summit when the weather is good, meaning mostly clear and calm. The round trip climb will take twelve hours or more.
We will usually will depart camp early (7-9 a.m.) and climb in and out of the rocks as the Rib ascends up to the exit couloir which leads to the edge of the Football Field at 19,500'. From here we'll climb the final slopes leading to the Summit Ridge. On this spectacular ridge you can often see down into the Ruth Glacier and view peaks such as Mooses Tooth, Mt Huntington and more. If the weather is still good, you will always remember this view!!!
Following the summit, we'll begin our slow descent back down the Rib. This is where most accidents happen, so we'll move slowly and place running belays. Everyone will be tired and needs to be very careful as we pick our way back down to camp.
***Summit Day is serious. The weather needs to be good and everyone attempting the summit needs to have demonstrated that they can safely give it a shot. This is by far the most grueling day of the expedition. The guides have the ultimate decision as to when the team will make a summit bid. The guides also have the discretion to decide that a team member has not shown that he or she is capable to safely negotiate the Upper Mountain. Such occurrences are rare; but remember- safety is our primary concern.
DESCENT: The descent from High Camp takes from one to two days, depending on the team's strength and motivation to get home. Weather dictates when we will fly out to Talkeetna for food and showers. Not much beats a steak and salad at the West Rib Tavern after working hard on its namesake!
