Overview
Our climb begins on the Southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier at the foot of the Alaska Range's giants, Mt. Foraker and Mt. Hunter. The climb from base camp to the summit is just over 13,000 vertical feet, offering incredible views every step of the way. On our expedition we use double carries to properly acclimatize and to move three weeks of supplies up the mountain with reasonable loads. You can expect to pull a sled and carry a backpack, with a max combined weight of 100 lbs (65 lbs most days). At each camp we set up a kitchen tent — a social area to eat and relax after each hard day's work. I'm Todd Passey, and I have guided Denali more than 25 times — I know this mountain intimately, from its predictable weather windows to its subtle crevasse hazards and the best strategy and decision-making for moving a team safely to the top. For skiers, we offer a dedicated Denali on Skis option. Rather than descending on foot, you'll ski the lower mountain — harvesting thousands of vertical feet of Alaska Range terrain that almost no one gets to experience. For a strong group, we keep the option of skiing from the summit very much on the table. I have personally experienced 100 mph winds and temps below -30°F. Denali has nice weather too — with nearly 20 hours of sunlight during peak season, there are many days sunscreen is more important than your down jacket.
Highlights
Gallery
Itinerary
Talkeetna — Fly to Base Camp 7,200 ft
Gear check, NPS permit orientation, weigh gear, fly to base camp. Divide loads and prepare.
Move to Camp 1 — 7,800 ft
6-mile gentle traverse over 5 hours to Camp 1 at 7,800 ft.
Cache at Kahiltna Pass 10,200 ft
Carry food and fuel to cache at Kahiltna Pass then return to 7,800 ft camp.
Move to 11,200 ft Camp
Pack up and move to the 11,200 ft camp.
Cache at 13,300 ft
Carry around Windy Corner and cache at 13,300 ft. Return to camp.
Advanced Base Camp — 14,000 ft
Move up to advanced base camp at 14,000 ft.
Carry to 16,200 ft
Carry loads up the fixed lines to 16,200 ft.
High Camp — 17,200 ft
Move up fixed lines across the ridge past Washburn's Thumb to high camp at 17,200 ft.
Summit Push
Take the first good summit day. We will push for the summit of Denali, 20,310 ft.
Descend to Base Camp
Descend to base camp.
Fly to Talkeetna
Fly from base camp back to Talkeetna.
May – June
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