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Expeditions to the Seven Summits

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Denali (McKinley)

Altitude 6,194m/20,320ft » Duration 25 Days » Grade 3C

North America's highest mountain by the West Buttress Route, an Aslaskan climbing adventure

Introduction

Denali is the highest mountain in North America. The original name of Mount McKinley, Denali or 'The High One' is once again in common usage in Alaska. Denali is situated 150 miles (250km) to the north of Anchorage in the Alaska Range, close to the Arctic Circle. It rises dramatically above the tundra of the National Park, dwarfing the surrounding peaks into insignificance.

Despite its fearsome and well-justified reputation for bad weather, the mountain draws climbers from all over the world. Several hundred people attempt the climb each year, attracted by its status as one of the Seven Summits, its accessibility and the relatively low technical demands of the West Buttress Route. However, it is wise not to underestimate the undertaking, as Denali is a very big mountain, offering an experience more akin to the larger Himalayan giants. Dealing with the commitment, physical endurance, altitude and Arctic cold and storm, provides an incredible challenge.

The West Buttress Route

The West Buttress is the most popular route on Denali. It lacks technical difficulties, but you should not allow yourself to be deceived by that. Denali is a big, difficult mountain by any standard and it does not take much for it to turn an otherwise simple situation into an epic.

The climb itself starts easily, following what is usually a well-beaten trail up the Kahiltna Glacier. The main obstacles, apart from the weather, are crevasses. These are well bridged early in the season, but later (June onwards) they open up considerably and large detours are necessary to avoid them.

There is no technical difficulty until the headwall at 15,000ft. This 800ft, 40-degree ice slope is fixed with 2 ropes (one up, one down) and ascenders are necessary. Above the headwall a fine ridge crest provides the best climbing on the route - not difficult, but exposed and giving great views. The summit day is long and varied, culminating in a snow ridge leading to a narrow summit.

Expedition Itinerary

The following itinerary is a general description of how we expect the trip to progress. Please understand that once we begin, prevailing conditions and the strength of the team may dictate a different schedule.

Day 1:Fly London to Anchorage.
As Anchorage is 10 hours behind GMT, this very long flight is completed in a day. You will arrive at Anchorage in the late evening and overnight in our Guesthouse, a comfortable base for the next two nights.
Day 2:Preparations.
After a morning at leisure, your mountain guides who will brief you on the expedition will meet you at the guesthouse. This will include an equipment check and perhaps a visit to AMH, an excellent climbing equipment shop, which offers a discount to Jagged Globe groups. There will be time in the evening to sample some of Anchorage's lively bars and clubs.
Day 3:Drive to Talkeetna.
You will be collected from the guesthouse in the morning and taken to Talkeetna, a three-hour drive to the north. A visit to the Denali National Park Service Centre includes another interesting briefing. You will then fly to Kahiltna airstrip at the earliest opportunity. This could mean flying directly out today, or waiting several days in Talkeetna if the weather is very bad. On average, groups spend one night in Talkeetna prior to flying to the glacier.
Day 4:Fly to Kahiltna Airstrip.
Only 4-seater aircraft are able to fly on to the Kahiltna Glacier, so it takes several flights to get the entire team to Kahiltna airstrip. This is a wonderful flight, taking off from the Alaskan plain and flying over forest and tundra and on up to the mountains. This is the first time you will be able to appreciate the awesome scale of the Alaska Range, as you fly past mountainsides only a few wingspans away, until breaking through to the vast Kahiltna Glacier. If it is clear, you will have your first good views of Denali. After landing, the team will set up camp close to the airstrip and prepare to move up the mountain.
Day 5:Load carry to 8,000ft camp.
For the first day on the ice, the aim will be to carry a cache to the 8,000ft camp, at the North East Fork Junction. This will provide your first real taste of load carrying and sledge pulling (sledges are provided for your use). You will then return to the first camp for the night.
Day 6:Move to 8,000ft camp.
The team will move the rest of its equipment up to the 8,000ft camp and stay there overnight. The majority of the climb will follow this "climb high, sleep low" pattern, whereby the group will carry a load up to the next camp, return to the previous camp for the night and then move up and occupy the higher camp at the earliest opportunity thereafter. Weather will sometimes dictate that the group remain static for several days.
Day 7:Load carry to 11,000ft camp.
The team will carry a load to the camp at 11,000ft. Today's climbing involves a long haul up "ski hill" to the head of the Kahiltna Glacier. The route then bears right up the actual West Buttress of Denali. From here, the climb becomes considerably more interesting!
Day 8:Move to 11,000ft camp.
Today, you will move up and occupy the 11,000ft camp.
Day 9:Rest day.
The team will take time to re-organise supplies and establish a cache for snowshoes. Any unwanted items of equipment and several days of food and fuel will also be left at this camp for the descent. Above this camp, the terrain becomes steeper and it is a long day to the next camp. The team will therefore need to travel as lightly as possible.
Day 10:The team starts its ascent of the West Buttress.
The initial snow and ice slope curls its way around rock buttresses and is known as Motorcycle Hill. This leads to a large basin beneath Windy Corner (13,000ft). Initially, the team will try and get its cache to Windy Corner before returning to the 11,000ft camp for the evening.
Day 11:Move up and establish camp just around Windy Corner.
Day 12:The team will carry a cache to the base of the Headwall at 14,200ft.
This is a very large but busy campsite, which is the main springboard for summit assaults.
Day 13:Move up and establish camp at 14,200ft.
Day 14:Rest day.
Again, loads will be sorted out and a cache will be left for the descent. The team may also ascend the Headwall a short way to practice ascending and descending fixed ropes. This will also provide valuable acclimatisation.
Day 15:Carry a cache up to 17,200ft and locate the site for the top camp.
This is the best day of climbing on the route. The Headwall involves around 800ft of 40° ice climbing (fixed with ropes) and the ridge crest above provides really enjoyable airy climbing in a fabulous setting. The group will return to the 14,200ft camp for the evening.
Day 16:Move up and establish the top camp at 17,200ft.
This is a large sloping snow shelf providing plenty of room for campsites.
Day 17:Rest day.
The group will spend the day around camp, making sure the tents are secure and protected and resting before the summit bid.
Day 18:Summit day.
Leaving camp early, the group will make the long rising traverse across snow to Denali Pass at 18,100ft. From here, the route bears right up a very long but low-angled snow and ice slope, between rock buttresses to Arch Deacons Tower on the edge of the summit plateau. A short descent from the top of this leads on to "The Football Field" beyond which is the final climb and short ridge to the summit of Denali. The round trip from the top camp to the summit and back is between 8 and 12 hours, depending on conditions and the team's fitness.
Day 19:Spare day.
Day 20:Descend to the 14,200ft camp and retrieve the cache of food and equipment. It is usually possible to descend all the way to 11,000ft, but this greatly depends on weather and snow conditions and the strength of the team.
Day 21:Rest day at 11,000ft.
We have found it advantageous to take a rest day here before continuing the descent. Going down is fast, but it is also strenuous.
Day 22:Descend to Kahiltna Airstrip if possible.
Day 23:Return to Talkeetna by four-seater aircraft.
If there is time, the team can continue to Anchorage the same day. The city night will provide ample scope for celebrating the climb!
Day 24:An early morning start for the flight back to London.
Day 25:Arrive London mid-morning.

PLEASE NOTE: These itineraries are intended to be guidelines only. Any schedule for climbing Denali is extremely weather sensitive and inevitably the weather will force changes to be made. Whatever the weather conditions, the expedition guides will arrange the itinerary to maximise the chances of success without prejudicing safety.

Occasionally, teams take longer to climb Denali than expected, which may result in flying back at a later date. Members are advised to inform relatives and employers of this possibility to avoid undue alarm should this occur.

Acclimatisation

Approximate altitude profile of Denali (McKinley): Denali (McKinley) altitude profile, 10 kb
Please note: This profile does not represent the gradient of the mountain!

Meals

We provide all tents and cooking facilities on the mountain. The guides prepare all the meals, which are taken in a mess-tent, which provides a social focus. Lunches are snack meals usually taken while on the move.

Load Hauling

From Base Camp to 14,300 feet you will use a sled and your pack to move all food and equipment. Heavy loads are a reality on Denali. Be prepared to carry loads up to 50 kilos. Train for this! On the Traverse there will be more days of heavy packs, making this trip even more demanding.

Flights

For all routes on the mountain, if the weather is good and you make the ascent of Denali early, the return flight to Talkeetna will be arranged early. It may be possible to bring your flight to the UK forward or you will have to spend more time in either Talkeetna or Anchorage to wait for your flight home. On the other hand, there may be a delay in climbing Denali or with the return flight to Talkeetna. If you miss your pre-booked flight due to delay, the airline will fly you home on the next flight on which it has available seats. This may mean a delay in Anchorage of several days until flights become available. If it is necessary to change your flight date or time, the airline may make a charge.

Team Composition

In keeping with Denali National Park regulations, our expeditions are operated through an authorised Alaskan guiding operator. These guides are the most experienced on the mountain and in 2008, the lead guides on each expedition will have a minimum of five Denali expeditions under their belts. Ten and upwards is more typical. The lead guide is supported by one or two assistant guides to provide a ratio of one guide to every three climbers. There will be a maximum of nine climbers and three guides. This high degree of supervision provides useful security and flexibility on the mountain, enabling the group to divide if necessary.

Experience Required

Denali (McKinley) by The West Buttress route is graded 3C.

Denali's West Buttress route offers a physically tough challenge at a technically reasonable level. Team members must prepare themselves for heavy load carrying, as no porterage is available. The mountain frequently attracts storms and it is not uncommon to have to wait out extreme weather for multiple days. You therefore need to be psychologically and physically prepared for strong winds and cold temperatures.

Climbers wishing to join the expedition and have a good chance of success must be able to:

Our Scottish Winter Courses and our Alpine Courses provide good skills preparation for an expedition.

Pre-Expedition Meeting

Prior to all our expeditions, we host a Pre-Expedition Weekend in North Wales. The primary purpose of the weekend is to provide an opportunity for individuals to ask questions about the forthcoming expedition and to introduce them to other team members. The weekend covers topics as diverse as personal equipment and acclimatisation and usually involves a hike and some skills training. To find out more about our Pre-Expedition Weekends [click here].

Equipment

Find out about our comprehensive Equipment Hire Service.

To join the expedition to Denali, you need the following specialist equipment:

A complete climbing equipment and clothing list is included in the expedition dossier, which is sent to you on booking along with details of our Equipment Hire Service.

What the price includes

The following items are included in the price payable to Jagged Globe:

What the price does not include

Not including in the cost are the following:

When you plan your budget, it is recommended that you bring an additional US$300 to US$400. This will go towards your taxi between the airport and the guesthouse in Anchorage and the meals in Anchorage and Talkeetna.

Insurance

Special travel insurance is available from us which provides a wide range of cover. Our 'Expedition only' premium for this expedition is detailed in the Prices & Booking section. A full explanation of the Jagged Globe Insurance Scheme is available on the website and in our brochure.

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the expedition or your suitability for it, please contact us by telephone:

Alternatively, you can contact us by email via the Contact Page on the website.

Booking

If you would like to book a place on this expedition, you can do so on our secure on-line booking facility, on our website. The US$1440 deposit for this expedition will secure you a place on your chosen departure. You will receive an automatic email confirmation, followed by a written confirmation of booking, climbing questionnaire and Expedition Dossier. Alternatively, you can book over the telephone or by sending in a booking form by post. Book Now!