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Mt. McKinley / Denali Traverse
ELEVATION:
20,320'/6,194M
ROUTE:
West Buttress to Karsten's Ridge Traverse, Alaska Grade II, 13,000' Elevation Gain,
76 miles, 25 days
GROUP LIMIT:
6 climbers, 2 guides
COST INCLUDES:
Guides, glacier flight, transportation from Wonder Lake to Talkeetna, group gear, food
YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR:
Getting to Talkeetna, National Park Service climber's fee paid in Talkeetna, personal equipment and clothing, drinks, 6 lbs of lunches, hotel lodging (AMS campground is free, tents provided).
The Mountain
Denali, formerly Mt. McKinley, is America's highest mountain and un-surpassed in challenge or scenic beauty. At 20,320 feet, it rises out of a sea of glaciers and other peaks that compose the Alaska Range. From our start at base camp, we climb 13,000 vertical feet to the summit - possibly the greatest elevation gain of any mountain in the world. The Traverse team's challenge continues with a descent down the seldom seen north side of the mountain. Fixed lines on Karsten's Ridge, route finding the crevassed lower icefall, crossing the McKinley River, swatting mosquitoes, it is the full-Monty of Alaskan experiences.
History
In 1913, Archdeacon Stuck's team climbed the route we will be using for descent. He followed the paths of the early explorers and gold miners who unraveled intricate and formidable approaches to find a northern route to the summit. Bradford Washburn's team pioneered the West Buttress in 1951. Flying from the south and landing on the Kahiltna Glacier, it is the most popular way to the summit.
A guidebook description of the West Buttress route can be found in, "Denali's West Buttress: A Climber's Guide" by Colby Coombs, The Mountaineer's Books.
Grade/Difficulty
The Traverse is rated an Alaska Grade II, but it is definitely more challenging than the similarly rated West Buttress. Climbing over Denali Pass with a loaded pack and descending Karsten's Ridge are feats in themselves. Denali is never easy and the Traverse is no exception. High altitude, extreme weather, active glaciers, river crossings, and mosquitoes combine to make the Traverse the grand tour of North American mountaineering.
Weather
It is often said that the greatest challenge of Denali
is not the climbing, but the weather. Denali is a sub arctic mountain
while most of the world's highest mountains are near the equator.
Denali is located in the middle of the southern Alaskan mainland
200 miles south of the Ar tic Circle at 63°š North Latitude. This
is 35°š further north than Everest; this is the same latitude as
northern Hudson Bay and central Scandinavia. Denali's northern location
results in a climate around its summit that presents one of the
most severe year-round averages of any spot on earth. The weather
on Denali will dictate our every move and it is fickle and un-predictable.
It will force us to be flexible and patient and sometimes spontaneous.
It is the one thing we cannot change, only accommodate.
The most common question asked by climbers is "which is the best month to climb?" There is no right answer as every year is different than the previous. It is generally agreed that the practical climbing season on Denali begins in late April and lasts through to the end of July, shrinking the acceptable window down to 90 days. In March and April, cold temperatures and strong winds at higher elevations make conditions too severe. May shows less precipitation on average than June or July, but it is colder and requires aggressive cold-injury prevention. Statistically, there are more people on the mountain in June. We choose our dates for the Traverse in order to summit in June and coincide with the better snow conditions on the Muldrow Glacier.
Acclimatization
AMS' expedition climbing strategy reflects a concern for giving everyone the best chance to acclimate to a lower oxygen environment. Double carries, rest days, and 4-5 nights at 14,200' before moving higher allow most people the time for their bodies to adjust. Expeditions carry a pulse oximeter to measure blood oxygen saturation levels and prescription drugs to treat life-threatening conditions. Advanced signs or symptoms of pulmonary and/or cerebral edema are serious, life threatening conditions that require immediate descent. Each year AMS is briefed by our medical director, Dr. Peter Hackett, who pioneered high altitude medical research on Denali, on any advancements in the research, prevention, and treatment of altitude-related illnesses. Our training supervisor, Lance Taysom, a life-flight nurse and Park Service mountaineering VIP also keeps us up-to-date. Together they wrote our medical protocols and standing orders which allow AMS instructors to evaluate and treat within the scope of their Wilderness First Responder training. A class on altitude-related injuries is taught and discussion and touching base individually is made a priority.
Prior Experience
Denali is a tremendous challenge for people with the experience and attitude to enjoy the rigors of expedition life. As an advanced climb, Denali requires a significant amount of prior climbing experience and training beforehand. For the best chance of success, applicants should be in excellent physical condition and have climbed mountaineering routes that require roped glacier travel, winter snow camping, and the use of an ice axe and crampons. Prior winter camping and travel experience for extended periods of time is essential training. Dealing with the cold on Denali is a day-to-day challenge. Climbing knots, rope handling, and belaying should be second nature. The ability to immediately arrest a fall on a steep snow slope with a pack is paramount to your safety and the safety of your rope team. Above 16,000 feet, expect to crampon with a 60-plus pound pack on slopes up to 30-35°. Some sections of the route require you to bend down and clip through running belays. The mountain is too severe to be learning these skills for the first time. Smaller peaks in the Alaska Range, winter climbs of Mt. Washington, Colorado 14'ers, Mt. Rainier, the Teton's, Mount Blanc are suitable training grounds for Denali. A non-technical, high altitude climb is an effective way to train for the altitude. Our strongest participants have taken a mountaineering course, trained through the winter, and joined an expedition the following summer. We do not accept applications from beginners who want to take a course and climb Denali in the same summer.
Leadership and Team Work
Successful expeditions are properly equipped, have the necessary skills, but most importantly they learn to become a strong team. Leadership reflects the art of effective team building. From base camp to advanced base camp (ABC) your instructors teach classes and initiate you to the expectations of un-supported expedition life. Above ABC all the way to the summit is the testing phase and a place to show signs of strength: tight camps, efficient travel techniques, and a positive attitude. We expect you to stay organized, participate fully, have fun and support the goal of being on a strong and safe expedition. Of primary importance is taking responsibility for monitoring yourself; you know best how you feel, how you sleep, how you recover each day. As a team, we are able to help if someone is having a bad day and communicates this. Every member must ultimately be a regular contributor for the expedition to be successful. Not participating, or failing to meet the day-to-day demands may mean your departure from the expedition. We expect you to have self-leadership skills and good expedition behavior (EB): be supportive, solution-oriented, hard working, patient, and take initiative and you will be rewarded with the climb of a lifetime.
Group Size and Ratio
3 or 4 instructors and up to 9 students, 1:3 ratio. This has proven to be a safe and efficient group size on Denali, especially when there is a need to split up temporarily to take someone down while continuing to make progress up the mountain. The shear amount of work needed to build camp and ferry loads requires a large crew. It makes for a jovial experience as well.
Instructors
AMS instructors are unique professionals who love the
mountains and have a gift for climbing, teaching, and mountain guiding.
Just being a good guide is not enough to guarantee success. Our
instructors are talented climbers with extensive back country experience
to draw upon. Lead instructors have a wealth of experience on Denali
as well as teaching mountaineering courses on the surrounding peaks.
All our staff is familiar with altitude-related problems, extreme
weather, and knows how to set the pace for a successful expedition.
All our staff members have mountain rescue, avalanche safety and
wilderness medical training. Their knowledge of the natural and
climbing history of the area and personal stories of climbing in
Alaska add immensely to the climb. Their strength, stamina, and
leadership are the right stuff for something like Denali.
Training
All applicants must adopt a goal of being in excellent physical condition at the start of the expedition. Please don't show up sick, injured, or out-of-shape. On any mountaineering expedition there are factors that are completely out of the control of anyone, namely weather and individual acclimatization rates. By joining a professionally run expedition, you leave expedition logistics, food, equipment and leadership to us. You are responsible for and have control over your physical fitness and climbing ability. It is imperative that everyone joining our expeditions be physically fit when the expedition begins. The better condition you are in, the more you will enjoy the climb, the safer it will be for you, and the better chance for summitting. The more climbing experience you have prior to the climb, the more fun you will have on Denali.
The amount of time needed for training depends on the level of fitness at the start. Climbers make it a priority of being in good shape. Those that are able get out and climb. Climbers with less time exercise to stay in shape: lift weights, run, bike, swim, martial arts, and stair master. Athletes need only to adjust their training habits to include Denali-specific routines. Others may have to plan a year or more of serious training in advance to ensure success.
Focus on developing stamina over brute strength. Upper body strength is necessary for lifting your pack, shoveling snow, and building camp, but most strength should be aerobic for the long hard days breaking trail and moving camp. Train on irregular terrain in poor conditions. Maintain a pulse rate 80% of maximum for a half hour during the workout. Vary your routine to prevent overuse injuries and push yourself without injuring yourself. Think about how much stronger you will be in a blizzard with that 50 - 60 pound pack attached to a 40 lb. sled. Exposing yourself beforehand to similar activities will condition your body. Scramble up peaks, climb snow and ice, embark on a rigorous multi-day winter backpacking trip, ski uphill as well as down hill, go snow shoeing. Pushing yourself in uncomfortable environments while staying focused and alert is training. You cannot successfully prepare for this expedition in your office or solely by training indoors. The more familiar the stress of Denali is for you, the better you can pace, acclimate, and be a team player.
Equipment
Denali is not the mountain to "just get by" with mediocre equipment. Your gear will be put to the ultimate test. A thought out layering system will be more comfortable, efficient, lightweight, and hold up. "Quality" does not necessarily mean "expensive" and a trip to the Army surplus store often turns up many of the basics. Read carefully the Equipment List written for this expedition; it answers most questions and gives recommendations for particular items. The equipment listed as "rental" is good quality and in ample supply and will supplement what you do not have. Try to have equipment questions answered by a knowledgeable sales person in a local climbing store; they are often the most informed about the pros and cons of a particular brand or style. The equipment section of "Denali's West Buttress: A Climber's Guide," by Colby Coombs; also provides tips and suggestions. Your instructors will insure you are properly outfitted before you go. Please wait until the morning of the first day to check equipment, as we are busy preparing for the expedition a full three days before.
Food
AMS provides hearty, nutritious and balanced meals on
its expeditions. Do not be surprised if you fail to lose weight
on the expedition. A spreadsheet rations program and faithful recipes
balance calories, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and weight to create
a variety of tasty and creative meals that build strength and maintain
health. Up to 14,200 feet we eat pasta, rice and bean burritos,
English muffins, bagels, and pizzas till you are bloated. As we
gain altitude, lighter and more easily digested foods are used.
Examples include: hash browns, noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, Ramen,
couscous, soup, tortellini, dried vegetables. We avoid freeze-dried
meal-in-a-bags as they are typically inadequate portions and lack
taste. Our rations come from organic wholesalers from Washington
State and a modern supermarket in Anchorage. All our meals can accommodate
vegetarians; please call if you need more specifics. AMS provides
almost all of the food for this expedition. To ensure satisfaction,
we ask that you bring a preferred hot and cold drinks for 22 days:
tea, cocoa, instant coffee, and cold drink mixes like Gatorade.
Go easy on the sugar mixes that can end up weighing a ton. We also
ask that you bring three, 2 lb bags of your favorite lunch food.
One of these bags will be saved for summit day. Please contact us
if you have any dietary restrictions or questions.
Travel & Logistics
Plan to arrive in Talkeetna one day before the expedition starting date. This gives you the best chance to rest and be ready to go at 8:00 a.m. the starting day. Fly to Anchorage, Alaska. Catch the shuttle to Talkeetna or take a taxi to the Earth Tours B&B and catch the shuttle in the morning. Once in Talkeetna, check into the Chinook Winds B&B or other Talkeetna motel or camp at AMS. Relax and walk around Talkeetna. Check out the river, ranger station, and the climbing museum if you have time before your expedition. Expect to leave Talkeetna the morning following the last day of the expedition.
Please read the Travel and Logistics form for more information
Talkeetna Facilities
AMS is the oldest and only outdoor school and guiding company located in downtown Talkeetna. We are not seasonal visitors; we live here. Our office and staging area are located at the end of 3rd street, adjacent to the local airstrip. We are grateful to have such an excellent location and facilities to properly outfit expeditions and serve our expedition members. A large staging area allows us to check gear and practice fixed line ascension. Our campground is across from the National Park Service and is set up with tents and sleeping pads. In the event of un-flyable weather, our facility provides a comfortable area to teach classes, show slide shows and videos, and be productive during a "Talkeetna hang."
References
AMS is a professionally run operation committed to high
standards at all levels. We urge you to carefully research and look
into climbing with us. Search for Alaska Mountaineering School and
the directors Caitlin Palmer and Colby Coombs on the Internet. Talk
to climbing rangers in the Talkeetna Ranger Station ph. 907-733-2231.
While they are not permitted to openly brag about AMS, many of them
were AMS instructors before becoming rangers. Try calling your local
climbing store and ask if they have heard of us. We are small, but
our word of mouth reputation extends far. Our guides and instructors
represent a tight group of over 50 professional educators and mountain
guides whose professional affiliation includes: Jackson Hole Mountain
Guides, Exum, AMGA, NOLS, Valdez Heli Guides, Mountain Trip, and
Mountain Madness. A note on certification: other than AMS’
Mountain Guides Course, there is not an available certification
in the US or Europe that takes into account the expedition skills
necessary to guide in the Alaska Range. AMS has spear headed an
initiative to develop an expedition component to the AMGA Alpine
certification, but it is a slow and political process involving
Europe’s UIAGM.
The Climb
The Traverse starts with climbing the West Buttress in traditional expedition style, relaying loads, establishing camps and climbing slowly enough for proper acclimatization. The first nine miles of the route is up the Kahiltna Glacier to 11,000 feet. We place three camps on this section of the route. Above 11,000 feet, the terrain steepen's and we switch to crampons. ABC is 14,200 feet and located in a large basin relatively sheltered from high winds. We often arrive at 14,200 feet on the 9th day. The views of Mt. Hunter and Mt. Foraker from here are amazing. After 4-5 days acclimatizing, resting, and making a carry to 16,200 feet, we depart for the upper mountain. Between 15,500 feet and 16,200 feet are 40-45° slopes so we climb clipped to a fixed rope to safeguard our movements. We often place a camp at the top of the fixed ropes at 16,200 feet to break up the climb or wait for better weather. The stretch to high camp at 17,200 feet is a scenic part of the route and climbs a narrow ridge to 17,200 feet. When the weather is suitable, we will begin our climb to the summit via Denali Pass and Archdeacon's Tower. On the way to the summit we will leave a cache at 18,200 feet to pick up when we begin our decent down the Harper Glacier. Summit day is somewhere between day 16 and 22 and is approximately 12 hours of arduous climbing. After our summit day we will climb back to Denali Pass before descending the Harper Glacier to Browne's Tower (14,600 feet) on the northeast side of Mt. McKinley. From Browne's Tower we descend the elegant snow crest of Karstens Ridge for 3,500 feet down to the Muldrow Glacier. Down climbing this exposed, steep ridge with heavy packs (70 - 80 lbs.) is one of the most difficult aspects of the climb. The broken up ice of the Muldrow Glacier begins at 11,000 feet and we will follow its crevassed course for ten miles to McGonagall Pass (5,720 feet). At the pass we will unrope, leave the ice behind, and enter the green of summer. This is a great moment for everyone. We will walk across nineteen miles of tundra and wade across several rivers, including the McKinley River which may be a formidable obstacle. Finally you reach the Denali National Park road at Wonder Lake. Your pack can weigh 80 - 100 lbs. on this part of the expedition. You must be physically capable of carrying this pack weight. Denali's summit, 25 miles away and more than 18,000 feet above us, dominates the southern horizon. We will take the park shuttle bus to headquarters and then return to Talkeetna by van.
AMS' approach to Denali falls in line with our mission as a school of mountaineering. Denali's summit is a means, not an end, and we will be pushing every day to increase our performance. The mountain provides an excellent stage to practice good mountaineering. We expect everyone to share a goal of becoming better climbers on our expeditions.
Itinerary
Weather and snow conditions will ultimately determine progress on the mountain. This itinerary is a rough guide and outlines the anticipated schedule. The guides' style on the mountain is flexible and they will tailor the climb to the group.
Day 1
Orientation, gear check, NPS registration, pack lunches, fly to
Base Camp, distance: 60 miles, elevation gain: 6850 feet.
8:00 am meet at AMS for introduction, gear check, and pack lunches.
3:30 pm fly to Base Camp, 7200 feet.
Day 2
Base Camp: glacier travel and crevasse rescue review day.
Day 3
Move to Ski Hill, Camp 1, 7,800 feet, distance: 5.5 miles, elevation
gain: 600 feet
Day 4
Carry to Kahiltna Pass, 9,700 feet, distance: 5 miles, elevation
gain: 1900 feet.
Day 5
Move to Kahiltna Pass, Camp 2, 9,700 feet, distance: 2.5 miles,
elevation gain: 1900 feet.
Day 6
Move to 11,000 feet, Camp 3, distance: .5 miles, elevation gain:
1300 feet.
Day 7
Rest day
Day 8
Carry to 13,500 feet around Windy Corner, distance: 1.75 miles,
elevation gain: 2500 feet.
Day 9
Move to 14,200 feet, Camp IV, (ABC), distance: 2.75 miles, elevation
gain: 3200 feet.
Day 10
Descend and pick up cache at 13,500 feet, distance: 1 mile, elevation
gain: 700 feet.
Day 11
Carry to 16,200 feet, distance: 1 mile, elevation gain: 2000 feet.
Day 12
Rest at 14,200 feet.
Day 13
Move to 16,200 feet or 17,200 feet, Camp V, distance: 1.75 miles,
elevation gain: 3000 feet.
Day 14
Rest day or move to 17,200 feet, Camp VI
Day 15, 16, 17, 18
Summit days, and descend to Upper Harper, 18,000' distance: 3.5
miles, elevation gain: 3120 feet.
Day 19
Descend to Browne's Tower, distance: 3 miles.
Day 20
Descend Karsten's Ridge and Muldrow Glacier, distance: 6 miles.
Day 21
Hike out via McGonagall Pass, distance: 12 miles.
Day 22
Hike across the tundra and cross the McKinley River, distance:
15 miles.
Day 23
Take NPS bus to Park entrance, 70 miles, and AMS van pickup and
drive back to Talkeetna.
Day 24, 25
Are two additional days that allow for storm or rest days as needed.
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