Denali Team 1: May 1 - May 21 Dispatch #3

Denali Team 1: May 1 - 21

Guides: Kurt Hicks, Dan Otter, Aili Farquhar

Climbers: Izabela Smolokowska (Warsaw, Poland), James Haydock (Dublin, Ireland), Ardeshir Yaftebbi, Iwan Irawan, Fajri Al Luthfi, Martin Rimbawan, Popo Fajar Sidik, and Nurhuda (all from Indonesia).

Kurt called with a dispatch at 12:47PM PDST:

"Yesterday was a phenomenal day!  It was consistently clear which was great, but this led to colder temperatures.  I think our daytime high was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit.   With the sun out though, it was really comfortable, and we were able to work on glacier travel and crevasse rescue skills all day.  We wandered behind base camp while traveling on the glacier, right in front of the beautiful Mt. Francis.  Everyone got the gist of glacier travel and crevasse rescue really fast, which allowed us to touch on additional subjects.

After a successful day of skills we had a delicious dinner of chicken curry, which suited the team perfectly - it went over really well needless to say.  Everyone is feeling strong and well, but we got to bed fairly early at around 8PM.  Currently we are on a day time schedule, but as we start thinking about moving up the glacier, we are going to switch to a night schedule.  By traveling at night, we will be able to take advantages of colder temperatures which make the glacier more stable.  Also, there is something about traveling at 3AM in full light that is just kind of exciting!

Today it is slightly overcast, not too hot and not too cool.  It is actually snowing lightly, and it is perfect conditions for a movement day.  As such, we are going to move to Camp 1 today and put in a cache.  We are going to stay at Camp 1 today, and then come back to base camp tomorrow in preparation to meet the rest of the team.  That's all for now, time to move!  Talk to you guys again tomorrow."

Denali Team 1: May 1 - May 21 Dispatch #2

Denali Team 1: May 1 - 21

Guides: Kurt Hicks, Dan Otter, Aili Farquhar

Climbers: Izabela Smolokowska (Warsaw, Poland), James Haydock (Dublin, Ireland), Ardeshir Yaftebbi, Iwan Irawan, Fajri Al Luthfi, Martin Rimbawan, Popo Fajar Sidik, and Nurhuda (all from Indonesia).

Kurt called with a dispatch at 11:00AM Pacific Time:

"Hello from the Kahiltna glacier!  I am standing outside the cook tent after a delicious breakfast and there isn't a cloud in the sky!  You probably want to know how I got here though, so here's what happened yesterday.

Aili working with a member of the Indonesian Seven Summits team as they perform an equipment check. Photo: Kurt Hicks

We finished all our last minute shopping in Anchorage yesterday, and drove on up to Talkeetna, AK.  Once there, we had our mountaineering orientation with the National Park Service, and were lucky enough to have Coley Gentzel as our Park Ranger!  Coley is a former American Alpine Institute guide and Alaska Programs Coordinator, so it was great to see him again! 

After the meeting, we headed over the K2 Aviation to wait for our opportunity to fly in.  Aili flew in first with all of our gear at around 3pm.  Once at base camp, she got to unloading all of our equipment as Dan Otter and I loaded up with the team on another plane.  Once we arrived, Aili jumped right back on the plane to fly out, as she will be meeting the rest of our climbing team in just a few days.

21+ days worth of food for 8 climbers and 3 guides! Photo: Kurt Hicks

By the time we flew in, it was already 6:00PM and so we got to building camp, cooking dinner, and enjoying the view.  We had beautiful weather on the flight in, nearly cloudless.  Such a cloudless night though led to an extremely cold morning!  The temperatures at base camp dropped to -10F, and so we got an early taste of what this mountain is all about.

The Indonesian Seven Summits Team and AAI Guides in Anchorage. Photo: Kurt Hicks

The plan for today is to go over roping up and crevasse rescue, use of snowshoes, and winter camping.  We will probably camp in base camp again tonight, before thinking about moving around the glacier and potentially putting in a cache in anticipation of our climb.  We will try and call you guys again tonight!"

We are excited that Kurt, Dan, and the team are all on the glacier with beautiful weather.  I can only imagine it looks something similar to a photo I snapped last year, which I will leave you Denali hopefuls with - to stoke your excitement!

A typical base camp scene.  Photo: Andrew Yasso

Denali Team 1: May 1 - May 21 Dispatch #1

Denali Team 1: May 1 - 21

Guides: Kurt Hicks, Dan Otter, Aili Farquhar

Climbers: Izabela Smolokowska (Warsaw, Poland), James Haydock (Dublin, Ireland), Ardeshir Yaftebbi, Iwan Irawan, Fajri Al Luthfi, Martin Rimbawan, Popo Fajar Sidik, and Nurhuda (all from Indonesia).

Kurt called with a dispatch at 10:35am Pacific Time:

"Hey guys!  The snow is quickly melting in Talkeetna, however it is still a sleepy little Alaskan town.  It has yet to fully awaken for the Alaska season, but it will soon be bombarded by climbers and tourists alike.  Currently we are driving down to Anchorage to make some last minute food purchases.  Dan Otter and I have spent the past three days packing food and prepping equipment for the upcoming Denali training and climb.  We will meet our colleague, Aili, at the airport tonight, and get her up to speed.  We are really excited to meet some of the climbers tonight, and to get this expedition underway! 

As I look out the window I can see the sun poking out of the clouds, so the weather will hopefully hold and is looking promising for flying onto the glacier tomorrow.  We will definitely call you in the morning and let you know how it goes.  For now, I will enjoy my last night in a bed for quite some time.  We can't wait to get onto the glacier and start working our way up this magnificent mountain!"