Climb Denali

The West Buttress of Denali is the classic mountaineering route for most climbers looking to climb Denali.
Climbing Denali is on every 7 summiteers mind and one of the hardest mountains to climb for a range of reasons. Cold temperature, carrying heavy loads, being self sufficient all make for a challenges and rewarding mountaineering experience. Climbing Denali on the West Buttress route has become the main route of choice for most Denali ascents, due to its relative ease of access and flights into the national park.
We work with guides approved for Denali National Park guiding making sure your safety is number one. Ian has climbed Denali 4 times so learn from his experience.

Climbing Denali required good mountaineering experience and excellent physical conditioning.

Daily Distances

Day 1

Meet in Anchorage, Alaska. Our team meeting takes place at 10 am for an expedition orientation and equipment check. This is a very important meeting, which you must attend! Be sure to arrive in Anchorage early enough to make the meeting; which may require arriving a day early. Included in our expedition fees are two nights lodging before the expedition at the Earth B&B, which is conveniently located near downtown Anchorage. We also provide transportation within Anchorage to pick up last minute items on the day of our team meeting.

Day 2

Travel to Talkeetna and fly to the glacier. You will be provided with a shuttle service for you and team members to travel the several hours to Talkeetna. Everyone will need to register with the National Park Service prior to flying to the glacier. Weather permitting; we will fly into the Kahiltna Glacier at 2,195 m/7,200 ft that afternoon. Once on the glacier, everyone will need to pitch in to get Base Camp established so we can proceed with our on-glacier expedition orientation that will cover the following topics: glacier travel, crevasse rescue, sled rigging, rope management and camp site procedures.

Day 3

Single carry to 2,377m/ 7,800 feet Camp. We depart base camp, dropping down the infamous Heartbreak Hill and onto the broad Kahiltna glacier. Our goal will be to move camp to about 7,800 feet, near the junction with the NE Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. This is a moderately tough day of about 9 miles round-trip and is a good shake-down for the upcoming days. Depending on the team and weather we may or may not carry loads and return to Base Camp. Throughout the expedition we will typically follow the “climbs high, sleep low” technique for the best acclimatization. On the late May and June expeditions, we may be doing our climbing early in the morning to avoid the excessive heat and soft snow conditions on the Lower Glacier.

Day 4

Haul loads up to Kahiltna Pass. We’ll head out of 2,377m/ 7,800 feet Camp and carry loads up the 549 m/1,800ft Ski Hill. Several options exist for camp sites between 2,743m & 3,353m (9,000 & 11,000 feet), depending upon weather, snow conditions and team strength. This is a moderately difficult carry of 7-9 miles round-trip, with 2,000 to 3,000 feet of elevation gain and a return to 2,377m/ 7,800 feet Camp for the night.

Day 5

Move everything to 3,414m/ 11,200 feet camp. Our second camp is often in the basin at the base of Motorcycle Hill. This is an incredibly beautiful camp that basks in alpenglow when the sun travels around the north side of the mountain.

Day 6

Pack-carry day. This is an active rest day during which we drop back down and pick up the cache we left down near Kahiltna Pass. It also helps give us another day to acclimatize before moving higher.

Day 7

Haul loads around windy corner 4,054m/ 13,300 feet. Steep snow climbing up the 305m/ 1,000 feet high Motorcycle Hill rewards you with spectacular views. The total distance for the day is about 4 miles round trip with a little over 610 m/2,000 feet of elevation gain. Fun climbing with crampons and ice axe gets you around windy corner where the upper mountain comes into view.

Day 8

Move camp to 4,328m/ 14,200 feet. This is usually a long, hard day. Our next camp is generally located at the well equipped camp in the expansive Genet Basin. Loads are getting lighter and the air is getting thinner. Hopefully everyone will have enough energy left to help get camp in as we need to fortify this camp due to the possibility for fairly severe weather.

Day 9

Pack-carry day. This is another active rest day, during which the team will descend from Genet Basin to the windy corner cache and bring everything up to 4,328 m/ 14,200 feet. We’ll spend the afternoon going over climbing techniques that we will use in the upcoming days.

Day 10

Climb up the head wall to the ridge. Our goal is to cache supplies up on the ridge above us and return to 4,328m/ 14,200 feet. Climbing up the head wall (the section of route with fixed lines running from 15,500 to 16,100 feet) with a heavy pack is one of the more strenuous days of the trip because of the steep terrain, heavy pack and thinning air. The views from the ridge are amazing.

Day 11

Rest day. It is often prudent to take a rest/acclimatization day prior to moving up to High Camp.

Day 12

Move to high camp. Weather and team strength will again determine this decision. While there is a camp site at 4,907 m/16,100 ft, it is very exposed, so we usually push for the 5,243 m/17,200 ft site which is more secure and the better choice for camp. This is a really tough day, as our loads are big and the terrain is steep in sections. Rewards for our work are in the great climbing along the ridge. Weaving in and out of the rocks and occasionally walking a knife edged stretch, combine with big exposure to create one of the most memorable parts of the route.

Day 13

Rest day. Moving to 5,243m/ 17,200 feet and getting high camp established can be a huge day, so we usually take a rest day before attempting the summit.

Day 14

SUMMIT DAY! It’s time to Climb Denali if the weather is favorable, we’ll push for the summit, however if the weather is not good, we will not go. It is important to be patient! We will only try for the summit when the weather is good, meaning mostly clear and calm. Our guides are the most experienced on the mountain and will make this sometimes difficult decision. The round trip climb will take eight to twelve hours or more. Usually you will depart camp early 7- 9 am, climb up to Denali Pass(5,486 m/18,000 ft) and follow the route past Arch Deacon’s Tower and the Football Field to the slopes leading to the Summit Ridge. On this spectacular ridge you can often see down into the Ruth Glacier with views of beautiful peaks such as Mooses Tooth, Mt Huntington and Mt Hunter.

*Our guides will access the weather and conditions on the mountain and the team members. Everyone attempting the summit needs to have demonstrated that they can safely give it a shot. This is often the most grueling day of the expedition (some climber’s say of their lives!). The guides have the ultimate decision as to when the team will make a summit bid. The guides also have the discretion to decide that a team member has not shown that he or she is capable to safely make a summit bid. Such occurrences are rare; but remember we treat your safety is our primary concern.

Day 15

DESCENT. The descent from High Camp takes from one to two days, depending on the team’s strength and motivation to get home. The descent can beat you up more than the ascent, as we often have the heaviest loads of the trip as we go down from High Camp to Camp 2. Weather dictates when we can fly out to Talkeetna for food and showers.

Day 16

We still have to descend low and hope the weather is in our favor.

Day 17

CONTINGENCY DAYS. We build five extra days into our schedule. Denali has a well-deserved reputation for arctic weather and it is common to take weather days at some point on the mountain.

Day 18

CONTINGENCY DAYS. We build five extra days into our schedule. Denali has a well-deserved reputation for arctic weather and it is common to take weather days at some point on the mountain.

Day 19

CONTINGENCY DAYS. We build five extra days into our schedule. Denali has a well-deserved reputation for arctic weather and it is common to take weather days at some point on the mountain.

Day 20

CONTINGENCY DAYS. We build five extra days into our schedule. Denali has a well-deserved reputation for arctic weather and it is common to take weather days at some point on the mountain.

Day 21

CONTINGENCY DAYS. We build five extra days into our schedule. Denali has a well-deserved reputation for arctic weather and it is common to take weather days at some point on the mountain.

Day 22

RETURN TO ANCHORAGE. We will provide group transportation back to Anchorage and assist in making any necessary lodging reservations; however any lodging after the climb is your responsibility. As we cannot predict when we will come off the mountain, we cannot make arrangements for lodging ahead of time. This is a true transition day from the intensity of the mountain to the relative big city life of Anchorage.

  • Who can Join us on Denali

    We only run very few Denali trips for our current clients. We want to build up teams over time giving them the best chance at success. We only sign up people who have been on a number of our mountaineering trips. We want to see you in action before signing you up to a Denali trip. We want to maximize safety for all our teams so having the right experience is the only way we are willing to run trips on Denali.

  • Come With the Right Physical Preparation

    Carrying a heavy pack in the thin air of altitude at such high altitudes can make the West Buttress a very physically challenging climb. Extreme winds, heavy snowfall and arctic cold make it a serious undertaking. Aspiring West Buttress climbers need to be in top physical shape and prepared to suffer with a smile. We advice previous experience at 6,000m/ 19,685 feet, winter skills courses and Alpine climbing. Having used fixed line climbing like you do on Island peak will give a mental confidence needed to succeed on Denali, once the weather and conditions play their part.

  • The West Buttress Route on Denali

    The West Buttress route begins at 2,195m/ 7,200 feet on the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. up to 6,190m/ 20,310 feet so you will be carrying and pulling all your gear, food and team equipment up to high altitude. It follows the Kahiltna north before ascending up onto the West Buttress proper. This route is technically not difficult, climbers will use a variety of mountaineering techniques to make their way around crevasses and up moderately steep terrain. The route culminates on summit day by following an incredible knife edged ridge to the highest point in North America.

  • Join us on Denali

    Denali is a serious mountain and not to be underestimated. Our itinerary is set out below which gives a basic outline of what we hope will unfold each day during the course of your Denali expedition. Many factors can, and probably will, contribute to cause the following schedule to change. Our guides know the mountain and may elect to stray from this itinerary in order to give you the best possible shot at getting to the summit and keeping you safe. We only work with the best and we will provide you with that. Our guides will have summitted numerous times and will have your safety at the fore front of your climb. Price start from $10,500.




Ready to go?

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We are always available to answer any questions you may have by email, phone or skype, so contact us today!

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