Climbing Denali
17,200 High Camp
Now that my pen has been warmed under my arm pit it will write. It is around minus 10 outside and dropping fast. I am writing from 17,200 camp. It is 1:44 a.m. and I am very tired but now cozy in my bag listening to the radio. River is still outside melting water and stuff. He has made this trip so much more than if he was not here. Well the day started with the most excellent weather. Pure blue, forever. The forecast was for good weather today, but then another front coming in. I thought, screw this! I want to go up and be one day from the summit. Both Bruce and Cortland were against the idea. I said, well my tent goes up today. Anyone is welcome to join me. River said, Count me in. Bruce and Cortland decided to listen to the 12:30 forecast. We all packed and once the forecast for 2 good days came, we finished packing it all up. Cortland said he still did not feel perfect but he would try. We made a big cache near camp. Everyone started hiking up while I buried the cash. I said goodby to our 14,200 camp that we had stayed 8 nights or so in. A lot of people were going up. I caught up and passed Bruce and Cortland around 15,000 feet. Then I caught up to River near the bottom of the fixed lines. Some guy para-sailed down the hill from 15,500 to 14,200. I went up the fixed ropes watching the helicopter retrieve the dead Brit. Bruce had left Cortland and at one point all 3 of us were at the top of the fixed lines. Bruce was to wait for Cortland while River and I went up to 17,200 to set camp. We sucked some Os getting up here. River wanted to die. I was suckin but not dying. We were passed by 2 Germans who just climbed Foraker, about to summit McKinley and would do Hunter on the way out. They would be the first ever to do it in one expedition. Pulling into camp was slow and I had a new headache, was hungry, thirsty, and experiencing altitude sickness symptoms. I found a great spot and called River over. Setting up camp was a pain. The shock cords in my poles were frozen. Just staking the tent was hard. There is no air up here. I can not wait to be down in the good O2. After camp was up, I jumped into my tent and bag because my toes were freezing. It was great in my bag resting. After some time, Bruce showed up and said Cortland was 10 minutes behind. Bruce got some water going and soon I had dinner. I drank a ton, rested and soon I felt pretty good. Feeling better, I put on my warmest cloths and went to the crapper. Nice crapper here at 17,200. The weather forecast is for 2 days of good weather, with low winds. This was not predicted last night. We will attempt the summit tomorrow afternoon. Tired. Must sleep.
WillhiteWeb.com
Day 20: June 2
17,200 High Camp
Well, I am sure there was more to say about yesterday but I was not able to think. Today we decided to rest for 2 reasons 1st we know the weather tomorrow is to be good and 2nd we all are dead tired. We could have left around 2 p.m. and summited around 11 p.m. but why? We will go tomorrow and be in the sun the whole time. Our only concern is if tomorrow is the last good day, a lenticular cloud may form as usual. I really need this day of rest. I am tired, I woke up with a headache and not wanting to eat and drink much. Knowing what this meant I ate and drank as much as possible. Now I am pretty good. I even went down and took another dump as I did last night. The summit is only 3000 feet up. River wants to summit tomorrow on his birthday. Now its 5:40 and there is not much to do but listen to the radio and write in my journal. We just ate dinner early so we can get lots of sleep and keep out of the cold. I have ate and drunk a lot. I am feeling pretty good. Earlier I went to look for a cash that a Scottish group was giving us because they had to go. Two of their 3 wanted to go. The one left could not find a tent to jump into so, tough. There was an XGK stove in the cache that Bruce was going to send to him but the rest was ours. There was 4 fuel bottles plus 5 days for 4 people, including 60 candy bars. Unfortunately we could not find it. We think it may have been dug up or they marked it with some cheep wands. If we summit tomorrow I am going to have a lot of extra food that I do not think I can part with. I am looking at a heavy pack down to 14,200. At this moment we are talking about how quick we will be out of here if we summit tomorrow. We probably will come down from the summit, pack up and drop down to 14,200. Camp, then maybe get out the next day to base.
Day 21: June 3
Climbing up to the headwall at 15,500 where the fixed lines start.
Climbing up the headwall.
Climbing up the headwall.
Looking down the fixed lines and climbers coming up from Camp IV.
Looking up the ridge from the small campsite at 16,000 feet.
The West Rib from the top of the fixed lines.
Looking out to the end of the West Buttress.
Views from the route to High Camp.
Our tents at High Camp.
Looking up to Denali Pass from High Camp.
View from our High Camp.
Mount Foraker from High Camp.
From High Camp looking down at Advanced Base Camp. Mt. Hunter in the distance.
Getting close to High Camp.
Phil Urshler guiding his RMI team.
Washburn Thumb with 4 climbers in view.
German climber.
River is on the ground resting like a dead man. Standing is the German who was on a team trying to climb Foraker, McKinley and Hunter in one trip. Behind him is Mt. Foraker, their first successful climb of the three. (Note: I do not think they climbed Hunter and did not succeed in the record.)
Ridge above the 16,200 camp at the top of the fixed ropes.
Most scenic part of the climb on the West Buttress.
Climbing up the West Buttress to 16,200 with Mt. Foraker in the distance.
On the West Buttress.
One of the two climbers that came over the Muldrow Glacier route. I would end up carrying this sled down the fixed lines for him for the trade of a few gulps of water.
View out to the flat lands north.