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On the starting day of the course, students and guides/instructors will meet at 9:00 a.m. at AMS. This is a busy day, so please be on time and take care of all personal business beforehand. Instructors will do a check of each student's equipment and issue any items needed to ensure you are properly outfitted. Each climber will pack their lunches and go through the gear check in the morning.
All rentals are issued on the first day because we are busy briefing and packing group gear and food prior to this day. After instructors inspect your equipment and issue any rental items you will need, they will present a course orientation. The team will then make a trip to the AMS Mountain Shop to make any last minute gear purchases.
At 12 pm, lunch is provided at AMS. After lunch, we will cover-fixed line ascension and visit the NPS Ranger station in Talkeetna. We then pack, dress, and fly onto the glacier in a ski-equipped, fixed-wing Cessna 185, DeHaviland Beaver or DHC Otter.
The 30-45 minute flight into Denali National Park is the quickest way to access the snowy, glaciated peaks of the Alaska Range; this flight is a spectacular and memorable highlight to the course. Once you arrive at the glacier, the rest of the evening will consist of campsite selection, tent spacing, group kitchen set up, stove use and care, and of course, dinner.